5 Signs Your Home Office Space Needs Electrical Maintenance

Significant events across Australia and indeed the world over the last two-and-a-half years – we all know what they are – saw many people make the shift from working in the office to working from home.

Over time, many workers made the transition back to the traditional workplace environment. But many have also made the move to working from home a permanent one, whether directed by their employer or, if self-employed, of their own accord.

Of course, working from home means needing to create an office space, one that is fully functional, offers privacy and is conducive to productivity. For some, this may require some electrical maintenance to help get the most of that office space. Here are five signs that your workspace at home could do with some electrical TLC.

1. Your Lights are Flickering

Getting the lighting right in a home office space is so crucial for a variety of reasons. Not only does it provide the illumination you need to go about your daily work routine, but lighting can also influence productivity levels.

For example, if you find your lights constantly flickering throughout the day, it can lead to headaches, problems with vision, decreased energy levels and diminished motivation. All of which can affect your productivity. Flickering lights can also unnecessarily add to your running costs. Electrical maintenance, whether it involves changing the type of lighting you have or having the wiring in your home repaired, may be necessary to address the problem.

2. Your Circuit Breakers and Fuses Keep Tripping

Every now and then you might find that a fuse or circuit breaker in your home has tripped and cut off the power in your workspace. These one-off incidents can certainly happen. If they start to happen more frequently, though, there may be a bigger issue at play that only electrical maintenance can fix.

Repeated, regular fuse or circuit breaker trips can be indicative of a number of problems, including:

• A faulty or substandard appliance tripping the circuit while plugged in.
• An overloading of the circuit, meaning you’re running multiple appliances from a 4 or 6 outlet power board instead of simply having a new circuit installed.
• The circuit is near the ground, and the wires are touching the earth.

A one-off trip of a fuse or circuit breaker can be rectified by resetting at the switchboard. For repeated incidents, though, you will need a licensed electrician to fix the problem.

3. Your Powerpoints Spark When Plugging or Unplugging Appliances

With the various appliances and electrical items that make up your home office space, any sparking that comes from your powerpoint when you’re plugging them in or unplugging them can be a significant issue. A sparking powerpoint can result in injury by electric shock, death by electrocution, or an electrical fire.

Sparks can occur for a variety of reasons, including an overloaded or ageing circuit, an overheated power socket or the presence of moisture in the powerpoint. If you have old wiring in your home, or any of these are a potential reason for your powerpoints sparking, electrical maintenance is essential. As is an immediate call to a licensed electrical contractor.

4. You’re Hearing Unusual Buzzing Noises Coming from Your Powerpoints

Just as you want to avoid seeing sparks coming from the powerpoints in your home office space, you do not want to hear strange buzzing sounds coming from them either. Unusual noises like this are often a sign of faulty or ageing electrical wiring in your home; either of which could potentially become hazardous and result in electrical fire.

For the safety of your office space and certainly your entire home, it may be worth contacting an experienced electrician to assess your wiring and see if it needs replacing. This is a common area of electrical maintenance that any experienced contractor will be able to address for you.

5. Your Energy Bills are Beginning to Skyrocket

Make no bones about it; energy costs are rising significantly these days. It’s unavoidable to a certain extent. But sometimes you might find your power bills are becoming more expensive than what simple cost increases might account for.

In this instance, it’s worth putting the electrical systems of your home office and your home at large through a comprehensive assessment with an electrician. There may be a particular electrical issue that is impacting on your energy consumption that requires urgent electrical maintenance.

Bonus: Your Powerpoints are Warm/Hot to Touch

We’ve already established that sparking and buzzing power points should be an instant cause for concern. They require immediate attention to prevent them from becoming significantly more hazardous.

So, too, are power points that become warm or hot to touch. An overheated powerpoint is typically a result of an outlet that has become damaged or simply worn over time. Often you may not see any physical signs of an issue; the problem may be internal and therefore not immediately apparent.

A worn or broken power outlet may also result in the switches not keeping their on or off position. If you try to flick the switch only for it to revert to its old position, that too is an indication that it’s time for some electrical maintenance, with powerpoint replacement at the top of the list.

To Summarise – The Importance of Electrical Maintenance

Regular electrical maintenance is crucial for identifying and rectifying any faults that have the potential to become costly and dangerous hazards. From replacing damaged powerpoints to installing new circuits, switching to more energy efficient lighting and doing a complete house rewiring, electrical maintenance can make a significant impact on your working from home experience.

Factors such as:

• Constantly flickering lights
• Repeated tripping of fuses and circuit breakers
• Sparking, buzzing or overheating powerpoints
• Uncharacteristically high electricity bills

These can be obvious telltale signs that you are in need of expert electrical maintenance. Create the best possible home office space and maximise your productivity with comprehensive maintenance services from a licensed and qualified electrician.