The Dangers Of Not Fixing A Broken Light
Every now and then electrical appliances malfunction and just cease to work. In most cases, you simply replace them, but when it is something that is as inbuilt as the wiring that connects your lights, it can be a big hassle to organise an electrician to come in to take a look. Often people will leave lights that don't work unfixed for years, and sometimes only fix the issue when they want to sell the house. However, there are a few serious reason why you should always get a wiring issue looked at.
Fire Hazard
Whenever an electrical circuit is not completing the task it should be, there is a risk of an electrical fire. While the insulation in your walls and ceiling is very good at preventing fires, it only takes one unlucky spark to catch alight with a stray bit of timber and the whole building could go up. Approximately 40% of fires at home are caused by electrical short circuits, and that could be what your broken light is setting you up for.
Continual Breakers Tripping
If the wire is loose enough that it is contacting other materials and tripping the breakers in your switchboard, it could damage or preemptively age the components in it. Your switchboard is built to deal with tripping breakers, but you don't want to unnecessarily age it as replacing it can cost $1,000 and upwards. Getting an electrician to come and look at a broken light circuit costs less than a few hundred dollars. Even if the short circuit does not cause any fires it can still cost you thousands if not remedied relatively quickly.
Power Surge
Every now and then, houses experience power surges from the electrical grid. Often, this is due to lightning strikes or other natural phenomenon, but when it does happen it can be very dangerous to your homes electrical appliances that are in working order, let alone those that are broken. Power surges can cause light bulbs to explode, so if you have accidentally left yours on since it has been broken, then you are at a risk of it breaking near you. Apart from this, power surges can increase the chance of sparks and consequently fires from the short circuit. It really is not worth it when an electrician can patch up everything and take a look over the rest of your house for a small fee.
For more information, contact a local electrician.
