5 Signs Your Electrical System Can’t Handle the Winter Load

When temps drop, space heaters, holiday lights, and longer nights all add extra demand to your home’s electrical system. If that wiring or panel is already near its limit, winter can be the season when problems finally show up.

Below are five warning signs your electrical system may not be keeping up with the winter load—and what to do about them.

Lights Flicker or Dim When Things Turn On

A random tripped breaker once in a while happens. But if breakers are tripping often—especially when heaters, blowers, or holiday decorations are on—that’s a sign the system is being pushed too hard.

Common causes:

• Circuits overloaded with too many devices
• Space heaters plugged into outlets not designed for that load
• Older panels that were never sized for today’s power use

What to do:
Don’t just keep resetting the breaker. That’s your system telling you something’s wrong. An electrician can redistribute loads, add new circuits, or upgrade the panel so your home has the capacity it needs.o your lights flicker or dim every time a space heater, vacuum, or microwave kicks on?

Outlets or Switches Feel Warm to the Touch Cold Weather 
Outlets, switches, or cover plates should never feel noticeably warm or hot. Warm devices may indicate:

• Loose connections
• Worn receptacles
• Overloaded circuits

In winter, this often shows up where space heaters or power strips are used.

What to do:
Unplug anything from a warm outlet right away. Avoid using extension cords for space heaters. Call an electrician to inspect the wiring and device before using that outlet again.

Buzzing Sounds, Burning Smells, or Discoloration
Electrical components should be quiet and odorless. Call for help right away if you notice:

• Buzzing or crackling from outlets, switches, or the panel
• A “fishy” or burnt-plastic smell
• Brown or dark discoloration around outlets or the panel

These are potential fire hazards and should be treated as urgent.

What to do:
Turn off the circuit at the breaker if you can do so safely and contact a licensed electrician for emergency troubleshooting.

Buzzing Sounds, Burning Smells, or Discoloration
If your home still has:

• A very old fuse box
• A panel that’s completely full of breakers
• Multiple double-tapped breakers (two wires under one screw)

…your system may not have the capacity to handle modern winter loads.

Cold weather usually exposes this when everyone is home, devices are charging, ovens are running, and extra heat sources are plugged in.

What to do:
A panel inspection will show whether you need:

• A simple clean-up and labeling
• Additional circuits
• A full panel upgrade or service upgrade

This can improve safety, reliability, and future resale value.

Buzzing Sounds, Burning Smells, or Discoloration
All Wired Up NC, LLC is a local, licensed, and insured electrical company serving:

• Wake Forest
• Youngsville
• Rolesville
• Franklinton
• Creedmoor
• North Raleigh and surrounding areas

Winter services we provide include:

• Electrical safety inspections
• Panel upgrades and replacements
• New dedicated circuits for space heaters or appliances
• Outlet and switch replacements
• Whole-home surge protection
• Troubleshooting flickering lights, tripping breakers, and warm outlets

We focus on neat, code-compliant work that keeps your home safe and comfortable when you’re using it the most.

Schedule a Winter Electrical Checkup
If any of these signs sound familiar—flickering lights, frequent breaker trips, warm outlets, or burning odors—don’t wait for the problem to get worse.

Call or text All Wired Up NC today to schedule a winter electrical checkup and make sure your home’s system can handle the cold-weather load.

Call or text All Wired Up NC, LLC at 919-701-2400 — we’ll make sure your home is safe and up to code.

Protect your home, your family, and your investment
All Wired Up NC helps homeowners across Wake Forest and nearby areas stay safe and up to code — from GFCIs to panel upgrades and EV chargers. Call us today or send us a message — we’ll get all wired up and to code and make sure your home and family are safe.