Electrical damage caused by rodents is a serious thing, once discovered it should never be ignored. When rats, mice, squirrels, racoons, opossums, or any animal seeking a home gets into an attic or basement it seems that they particularly enjoy chewing on your home's electrical wires. When discovered, you should have the rodents removed, and an electrician brought in to fix the electrical damage.
Why Do Rodents Chew on Electrical Wires?
Rodents chew on mostly anything, as their teeth never stop growing. Therefore, they need to grind down their teeth to prevent them from overgrowing.
Rodents find the insulation material on electrical wiring very tasty and will strip wiring right down to the bare conductor. This leaves exposed and energized wiring inside attics and walls. Thereby greatly increasing the risk of a house fire.
Rodent Damage can Cause...
Electrical shorts in the circuits they chew on.
Loss of power to critical systems in your home.
Potential fires if the bare wires come in contact with wood or insulation in either the attic, basement, or walls of a home.
The animals themselves can also be electrocuted if the wire they chew on is live.
Bigger rodents have been known to chew on the plastic PVC pipes that circulate the flow of water around a home.
What to do When you Find Electrical Rodent Damage
Call the exterminator to remove the rodent infestation.
Once the rodents have been taken care of, call a licensed and certified electrical to repair any of the electrical damage. Somethings our electricians go to homes to repair the electrical damage but the creatures that caused the problem still have access to the home. This is counterproductive to fix the electrical if the rodents can come back at a later time. Close up any holes or animal made entrances so that there's no future damage. If you have any questions about damaged electrical, please call Blue Crest Electric for assistance.