by Dean Mance | Jul 27, 2015 | Common Repairs, Dodgy Installations, Keep Your Family Safe
Loose Electrical Connections Get Hot, And This Could Be The Result.
Electrical connections can become loose for a variety of reasons. A tightly made connection can become loose over time due to the tiny expansion and contraction that occurs as the cable warms up during use and cools down when not energised. Perhaps the last tradesman to work on the installation didn’t do them up tight enough, or maybe the connecting parts have worn out and don’t make good contact anymore.
Occasionally we find connections that have never been tightened up at all. The wire has been pushed into the terminal and the screw never tightened. This can happen even in new homes and installations. It’s a sign that the tradesman didn’t do a final check by pulling on each wire to make sure it’s solidly connected.
Sometime the connectors or terminals are faulty so even though the screw is done up tight it’s not actually clamping the cable enough. Once again, a simple check by tugging on the wire will alert the tradesman to that type of fault.
Every electrical connection has the potential to get hot. With increased heat comes increased electrical resistance, which in turns causes things to get even hotter. Depending on the location of the connection this heat could potentially start a fire.
Common Locations
Common locations for loose electrical connections include switchboard connections of fuses and circuit breakers, connections to stove elements and hotplates and connections to power points.
The more load being drawn through the loose connection the more likely it is to fail. For example a loose connection to a power point is more likely to be a problem if a heater is plugged in to the heater as compared to a phone charger or some other low wattage device.
Signs To Watch For
Signs that could indicate a loose electrical connection include flickering lights, intermittent power fluctuations, buzzing noises and burning smells. If you do find any of these problems you should have an electrician check it out as soon as possible.
by Dean Mance | Feb 23, 2015 | Common Repairs, Uncategorized
Home Automation systems are great, when they work …
Lately we have seen a couple of instances where home automation systems have been a nightmare for the home owners.
But what is home automation?
The term refers to computerised control systems installed to remotely operate electrical items in your home, such as lights, power points, heaters and other appliances.
In some ways it’s difficult to explain exactly what home automation is, because it can be almost anything you want.
Typically these systems will have pre-programmed modes for common situations. For example you can hit a “goodbye button” as you leave the house, which could lower the heating thermostat, turn on the outside lights, open the garage door and set the security alarm.
You can also make your own programs to suit your particular circumstances. For example you might create a mode for when you watch a movie on TV. The lights in the room could dim to a certain level, the automatic curtains close and the surround sound system turns on.
Problems with old systems
There are many fun and convenient things you can do with home automation, but when things go wrong with an older system, it’s definitely not fun.
One popular home automation system that was reasonable widely installed a few years ago now seems to have disappeared completely. Googling the product name brings very few results. The manufacturer’s website has no mention of the product.
Good luck with finding parts and someone who is familiar with that system if repairs are required.
Another well known supplier of home automation products is still around and still selling the product, but the components can be quite expensive.
What could possibly go wrong?
One of our clients reported their lights coming on by themselves and flickering. We suspect a fault in the dimmer module that controls the lights, however the client will now need a specialist technician to confirm the fault. The cost of new parts is likely to be over $1,000.
Another client their went away on holiday for a few weeks. While they were gone the home automation system turned on the garden sprinkler system and never turned it off. Two neighbouring properties were flooded.
Specialist wiring
Most home automation systems require specific power wiring and data cabling. So even if you decide to pull out the home automation system, it probably won’t be cheap or easy to revert to a normal wiring system.
If you are thinking about buying a property with a home automation system installed, do a bit of research to find out if spare parts and local technicians are available when the inevitable repairs are required.
Be aware that problems with a home automation system could be expensive and difficult to fix.
The future
There is a new generation of home automation devices that don’t require specialist cabling or highly trained technicians. In fact, the control modules are wireless and can just be plugged into an existing power point.
by Dean Mance | Feb 9, 2015 | Common Repairs, Keep Your Family Safe
One of our clients had this dangerous power point in their garage.
The switch mechanism was knocked with a piece of steel pipe and had fallen out, exposing live parts.
Anyone touching the power point could have received an electric shock.
We have seen power points where the switch mechanism has cracked down the middle and half fallen out. We have seen switches where the switch rocker has been pushed back inside the switch, or popped out completely.
Sometimes it is caused by physical damage, sometimes the parts are just worn out.
Broken switches can be especially dangerous because you are often entering a dark room, feeling around for the switch and not able to see what you are about to touch.
In this case the home’s switchboard had an earth-leakage circuit breaker (safety switch) fitted which should cut the power in less than 30 milliseconds if someone had accidentally touched the contacts inside.
Safety switches are great and have saved many people from injury and death, but just like any electrical or mechanical device, they do have a failure rate.
You should not be relying on a safety switch to protect you from dodgy electrical equipment. If your switch or power point is damaged, you should get it replaced immediately.
While waiting for your electrician to attend you can cut power to the damaged item by pulling out the appropriate fuse or turning off the appropriate circuit breaker.
It may be a small job, but ignoring it could have serious consequences.
by Dean Mance | Dec 9, 2014 | Common Repairs
If you have no power to your house, it could be due to a number of causes, but if yours is the only house in the street without power you may have a problem with your service fuse.
Your service fuse is usually mounted on the eaves where the overhead power cable attaches to your house. It is designed to protect the supply authority cables and neighbouring properties from major faults in your electrical installation.
In Tasmania the service fuse cartridge and holder is the property of Tas Networks, and therefore they are responsible for any repairs to this equipment.
Unfortunately, they usually require the problem to be diagnosed and confirmed by a qualified electrician before they will attend.
Once your electrician confirms it is a service fuse fault, Tas Networks will attend and repair it free of charge, but you will have to pay your electrician for their attendance. In the past, some clients have had success in recovering this cost, usually in cases where there is an obvious fault in the Tas Networks equipment.
Quite often, it is not possible to know the cause of a blown service fuse, as when the blown 80 amp or 100 amp cartridge is replaced, everything works fine and no electrical faults are found.
Other causes of total loss of power can include a faulty main switch or a burnt up mains box connection. A tripped safety switch (earth leakage circuit breaker) can also lead to loss of power and lights in those installations where the safety switch has been installed to protect both power and light circuits.
One easy test you can do yourself is to turn on your oven. If the oven still works then it’s not a service fuse or Tas Networks problem, unless you have 2-phase or 3-phase power connected to your home, in which case it still could be. The vast majority of homes are connected to single phase power.
So, when your power goes out …
– Check to see if the neighbours have power, if they don’t have power then it’s likely to be a supply issue not just confined to your property.
– Check your oven. If the oven works the problem is most likely on your switchboard or another part of your electrical installation.
– Check your switchboard for blown fuses and tripped circuit breakers. (For circuit breakers, UP is ON)
– If your oven doesn’t work and the neighbours still have power it may be a service fuse fault.
– In that case phone Tas Networks on 132 004 where you can hear the latest messages on power outages for your area and request a service call to check your service fuse.
We have staff on standby for after hours emergencies and sometimes these problems can be sorted out over the phone without the need for an after hours callout.
by Dean Mance | Nov 25, 2014 | Common Repairs, Reduce Your Power Bill, Save Money
Is Your Oven Slow To Heat Up? Does It Seem To Take Ages To Cook Something Properly?
If your oven is heating up but taking a long time to get to the correct temperature then the element is probably ok. Elements usually tend to work or fail, not operate at half power.
Check The Thermostat
The problem could be the thermostat, and you can check that yourself if you have a cooking thermometer. Place the thermometer in the oven, set the oven thermostat to 180 degrees and when the oven indicator light goes out, check the temperature on the thermometer. It might not read exactly 180 degrees but it should be fairly close. If it is substantially different then the thermostat will probably need replacing.
Check The Door Seals
Another common cause of your oven being slow to heat up and taking a long time to cook your food is a faulty door seal. A damaged or missing or poorly fitting door seal can allow much of the heat to escape, resulting in slower cooking times.
Door seals are fairly easy to replace and you can do it yourself as long as you get the correct spare part. To get the correct part you will need the model number of your oven.
Find The Model Number
Getting the model number is not always as easy as it should be, as most manufacturers seem to either hide this valuable information, or put it on a sticker that is designed to fade and become illegible soon after purchase. Check for stickers inside the oven or grill door, or on the back the removable kick panel below the oven door. If you are lucky enough to locate and actually decipher a model number you have a good chance of getting the right door seal.
Check The Door Hinges
Loose or worn door hinges are another common cause of heat loss that results in slow cooking times. The oven door hinges may be worn out if you can see a gap at the top of the door, and the door does not close firmly against the body of the oven. You may also need to change the door hinge guides, which are inside the oven body. New hinges won’t make a lot of difference if worn out hinge guides are not replaced.
Once again, having the model number of the oven, not just the model name, will be important for getting the correct parts.
If you are losing heat from your oven due to worn hinges or a faulty door seal then it’s also costing you money in extra power used due to the extended cooking times.
If you are having problems with slow cooking times and low oven temperatures, or need any oven repairs fixed as quickly as possible …
