How does it prevent an overloaded circuit?

Your home electrical circuit can become overloaded when we are using more appliances than usual, wiring is faulty or needs upgrading, or we don’t have a good understanding of the power wattage that the circuit can handle - amongst many other reasons. A circuit overload occurs when the electrical demand is higher than the amount that the circuit was designed to handle. In instances where you have more people in the household, such as guests over at holiday times, the overuse can cause a circuit overload. 

As well as this, many of us are tempted to use power boards and extension cords in areas where the house may not have been designed with enough outlets. It may seem like an easy fix, but the number of outlets often correlates to the amount of wattage a circuit can handle, so using more than the circuit was designed to handle can cause damage to your appliances, overload your electricity causing you to lose power, or even cause a safety hazard. Below we have outlined our five tips to avoid overloading your circuit, keep your home safe, and keep you connected. 

1. Inspect your wiring and appliances

Check the cords of all of your appliances to ensure there is no fraying and that the copper ‘wire’ inside is not exposed. It’s important to make sure your cords are all intact and not causing a potential hazard. If any cords are damaged, cease using them immediately - it’s not worth risking your safety to continue using damaged appliances as they are posing danger to your household members and the house itself.

2. Understand how much power your appliances use

Now is a good time to gain a better understanding of how much power your appliances use along with how much wattage your circuit/s have been designed to handle. Generally, you can refer to the tag on the cord of most appliances for the appliance’s wattage. Once you know the ‘typical wattages’ of some appliances, think about how long the device is used for. You will also need to consider the standby power of your appliances as these can chew up a lot of power too! 

Once you know how much power your appliances use, for how long, and how many simultaneously on the same circuit, you should refer to your circuit breaker to find out how many amps or watts it can safely load before it short-circuits.

3. Unplug major energy-draining appliances

Once you have identified which of your appliances are the most energy-draining, consider unplugging these when not in use so that they don’t unnecessarily use up power while on standby. This is important for appliances such as computers, televisions, kettles, and toasters which we often keep plugged into the wall when not in use. We can’t switch off items such as refrigerators, but unplugging or switching off the appliances that we can at the wall will also help increase the longevity of them. If you have multiple household members using energy-draining appliances at the same time, ensure the appliances are on separate circuits (more common in newer houses) or creating an alternating schedule for use of these appliances to avoid overloading your circuit. 

4. Invest in energy-saver appliances 

Investing in energy-saver appliances is great if you have the option to. This way, you can reduce the amount of power being loaded to your circuit, safely use more appliances at once (within the wattage of your circuit), reduce your energy bill and consumption, and be more eco-friendly. This article from Your Home by the Australian Government has great advice on choosing energy-star rated appliances. 

5. Consider home rewiring

Particularly with older homes, you will find that the circuits were not designed to handle the amount of power and appliances we use in our modern lifestyles today! If your home can’t keep up with the demands of your household, it may be time to consider rewiring your home to accommodate your lifestyle. It may be an upfront investment, but in the long run, it is more worthwhile for your increased efficiency, safety and security as well.

Need further advice on home rewiring? Get in touch with the Ehlerth Electrical team via 1800 940 413 or www.ehlerthelectrical.com.au to find out more information. We service clients from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.

How to Prevent Overloaded Circuits

Inspect Your Wiring

Inspecting your wiring is always an important step in preventing overloaded circuits and electrical fires. Wires come with two parts: the outside part made of plastic called the insulator and the inside (the actual wire) which is made out of copper. When inspecting the wires you will want to check for cracks or breaks in the insulator. If you find any damage it’s an indication that your circuits are being overloaded which causes overheating, which leads to insulator damage, which leads to exposed wiring, which leads to electrical fires.

Also, pay attention to how many outlets are required to meet your needs. One of the quickest ways to overload your circuits is by using outlet extensions that allow you to plug in multiple devices into a single outlet. If you must, only use outlet extensions and extension cords for temporary fixes.

Know Your Circuit Breaker

Your circuit breaker is a panel of switches that automatically shuts off power when your circuits become overloaded. Your circuit breaker can typically be found in your basement or utility room. While you don’t necessarily need to be an expert on electrical you should at the very least understand which switches go to what circuits within your home. Generally they are labeled for specific areas or appliances.

Many older homes don’t have circuit breakers but instead have outdated technology such as fuse boxes, pushmatic breakers, or split bus panels. If this is the case you should call an electrician to upgrade your panel as these older technologies are notorious for being fire hazards.

Utilize Dedicated Circuits

While its perfectly acceptable to have multiple outlets, lights, switches, and small appliances on a single circuit there are many electronic devices that should have their own dedicated circuit, typically this includes anything that requires over 1,000 watts. Below are common electrical devices that should have their own dedicated circuit:

• Electric Range
• Electric Dryer
• Space Heaters
• Air Conditioners
• Furnace
• Dishwasher
• Hot Tubs
• Garbage Disposals
• Large Toasters
• Washer & Dryers

Avoid Clutter

If your kitchen counters look like your having a used appliance sale you may want to reconsider the placement of those devices.

Spacing out your microwave, toaster, cappuccino maker, and blender will help reduce an overwhelming electrical load to one outlet.

If you do need to keep all of your appliances together unplug them when they are not in use.

Get an Professional Electrical Safety Evaluation

At the end of the day if you’re nervous at all about your electrical system you should contact a certified professional to give you a safety evaluation.

Professional electricians will be able to quickly tell if there is something wrong and give you options on how to best address the issue.

If you live in the Spokane or Coeur d’ Alene region give VPC Electric a call at 855-715-7233.

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