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.
