Life without electricity is unimaginable. That is why an electric fault in any electric appliance, wiring or the entire power system can fill our life with frustration. There are various reasons for which electrical failures can occur and hence, it might take some time for the professional electricians to detect the fault and its actual reason. The following are some of the common electrical failures that you must be aware of so that you can take utmost precautions to prevent them from happening.
Reasons Behind Common Electric Failures –
Exposed Cable –
Every building has cables running outside it. Generally, good quality cables have a high service life but when they are outside, they are subjected to harsh weather conditions, and due to the extreme changes, the service life of the cables go down significantly. As they start aging, they become brittle and crack up, the insulating material wears out, and it becomes vulnerable to short circuit and electrical fire. Therefore, you need to check them out annual in order to replace them when they need to. Furthermore, UV exposure is a common occurrence these days whereby the outside cables lose their insulating and sheathing material easily. Therefore, there are new sets of cables available in the market which are UV protected and does not heat up even after long exposure to the sun rays.
Inappropriate Cable –
While selecting the cable for wiring, one needs to take care of the surrounding environment and the load to carry. Ideally, a cable should be mechanically tough and chemically resistant. But if you use low-quality cable for a harsh surrounding condition, electric failures will be a regular happening. Therefore, you should always use the high-quality cables with greater service life and as deemed appropriate for the purpose and the load they have to carry.
Mechanical Failure –
If the cables get damaged unknowingly during installation, it could cause electrical failure. Moisture is another factor that leads to rusting, corrosion, and finally, short-circuiting. Sometimes, the sheathing material of the cable gets degrade with time and extreme changes in weather which exposes the inner cables to moisture, chemicals, and weather changes. They can become a point of electric shock if touched.
Overheating Issue –
Overheating problem in the cables is one of the common reasons for an electric failure. The cables installed must not be underrated for the appliance it would be used for because overloading leads to overheating and short-circuiting. You should never plug in too many plugs in one socket. You need to check the cables annually and do proper maintenance.
Appliance Failure –
Even though most of the common electric failures are due to wiring issues, there are several reasons why the problem could originate from electric appliance. Therefore, it is always recommended to do proper maintenance of the appliances annually to prolong their service life.
Rodent Attack –
Last but not the least, rodent attack on the cables is one of the reasons for electric failure that most people do not realise. Rodents damage the sheathing material of cables and sometimes, expose the inner cores. Naturally, it leads to short-circuiting and complete failure of the power system.