Every year, faulty electrical wiring causes hundreds – if not thousands – of fires. This is even with experts reminding people that they should have professionals check their home’s or business’s electrical system. If damages in the system lead to a fire that costs thousands of dollars, then the cost of having an electrician come over and inspect said system is minimal, but well worth it.

Even if you’re not overly familiar with electrical wiring and the like, you can still perform a cursory check so you’ll know when it’s time to call the local electricians near you. Here are a few things to remember so you can tell if there’s potential damage or not.

Track How Often the Circuit Breaker Trips

Circuit breakers are designed to trip, or shut the power through the circuit when the system is overloaded.

This in itself isn’t concerning, since you can just switch the power back on and go on with your day. However, if the circuit breaker in your home or anywhere in your office building trips frequently – a few times a month, for instance – it’s time to sit up and take notice. This is a sign that, besides the possibility of too many devices that demand a lot of energy, there’s a potentially dangerous problem in the wiring.

Check for Chewed or Frayed Wiring

Damaged wiring is another fire hazard, and it’s usually caused by pets, rodents, or amateur handymen. Check your wires to make sure they’re still intact, rather than chewed or frayed. If you do find any that have been damaged, it’s time to call a licensed electrician to inspect further, not to mention replace the damaged wiring.

Look and Listen for Buzzing, Flickering, or Dimming Lights

Even if your circuit breaker doesn’t trip often, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about problems in your electrical system. Outdated or damaged wiring can show up as lights that dim or flicker now and then, or else emit a buzzing sound. Pay particular attention if they buzz when turned on, or flicker when you’re using several appliances at once.

Feel for Vibrating Wall Outlets

If you’re wary of actually touching any wiring, use the wall outlets instead. If they’re vibrating, or else feel too warm to the touch, that means your wiring needs repair, at the very least. Should you feel either sign, look for and hire an electrician to handle any further inspection, not to mention the necessary repairs.

Sniff Out Burning or Smokey Odours

If you’re unsure whether or not you’ve spotted signs of damage in your electrical system, your nose can back up what your eyes see, like discolouration or scorch marks on any of the outlets. If you spot those and it smells like something’s burning, or you smell a smokey or otherwise out-of-place odour, then you have every right to suspect an electrical issue.

Signs of discolouration plus smelling something burning mean your wiring has been damaged enough that it’s giving off heat, and this heat is already starting to damage your home.