The Hidden Danger of Overloaded Breakers — Why the Holidays Are the Worst Time for Electrical Problems in Prince George, According to Your Local Electrician

When the holidays roll around in Prince George, most people think about cozy lights, family dinners, and staying warm through the cold months. At Fraser Current Electric, your local electrician in Prince George, we see something else behind the scenes: a huge spike in overloaded breakers, tripping circuits, and unsafe wiring issues.

If your breakers have been tripping more often, your lights flicker when appliances turn on, or you’re running multiple space heaters, you could be dealing with an overloaded breaker — one of the most common (and dangerous) winter electrical problems.

Why Breakers Overload More During the Holidays

Between colder temperatures and extra holiday activity, electrical systems in Prince George take a beating this time of year. Here’s why:

1. Space heaters + older circuits = trouble

Prince George winters get cold fast, and many homes rely on space heaters.Space heaters draw a LOT of power — often enough to overload a 15A circuit by themselves.

2. Holiday lighting increases your load

Even with LED lights becoming more popular, many homes still use older incandescent holiday lights, which pull significantly more energy.

Outdoor lights, indoor décor, extension cords, inflatables — it all adds up.

3. More people in the house = more appliances running

During the holidays, you have:

• Ovens running for hours

• Microwaves heating nonstop

• Laundry running for guests

• Extra heaters

• More electronics charging

  
  

All of that demand hits your electrical panel at once.

4. Older homes in Prince George often have outdated panels

Many homes still run:

• 60A or 100A electrical services

• Panels installed 20–40 years ago

• Circuits never designed for modern appliances

  
  

Your home simply wasn’t built for today’s electrical load.

Signs Your Breaker Is Overloaded

If you notice any of these, it’s time to act:

• Breaker tripping repeatedly

• Outlets warm to the touch

• Flickering or dimming lights

• Buzzing sounds from the panel

• Burning smell (serious hazard)

• Space heaters causing power loss

• Half the room losing power at once

  
  

These are early warning signs your system is overstressed.

Why Overloaded Breakers Are Dangerous

An overloaded breaker isn’t just annoying — it’s a fire risk.

Breakers are designed to shut off before wires overheat, but if a breaker is old, faulty, or someone has swapped it with a higher amp breaker (a common DIY mistake), the wires can overheat and ignite.

This is why overloaded circuits cause thousands of house fires every winter.

What You Can Do to Stay Safe This Holiday Season

Here are simple ways to reduce the risk:

✔ Unplug space heaters when you’re not in the room

They’re one of the biggest causes of circuit overloads.

✔ Spread out holiday lighting across multiple circuits

Avoid plugging everything into one outlet or one power bar.

✔ Don’t run multiple high-draw appliances at once

For example, oven + microwave + space heater + dishwasher on the same circuit = guaranteed breaker trip.

✔ Avoid daisy-chaining power bars

This is extremely unsafe and a major fire hazard.

✔ Get your electrical panel checked

If your home is older, your panel may not be designed for today’s load.

Need Help? Fraser Current Electric is your local Electrician in Prince George!

At Fraser Current Electric, we provide residential, commercial, and industrial electrical services throughout Prince George and surrounding areas.

We can help with:

• Breaker and circuit troubleshooting

• Panel upgrades and replacements

• Dedicated circuits for heaters, hot tubs, and appliances

• Holiday electrical safety checks

• Emergency electrical issues

• Full home electrical inspections

  
  

If your breakers keep tripping — or you just want peace of mind during the busy holiday season — we’re here to help.

⭐ Stay Safe This Holiday Season

If you’re worried about overloaded breakers or electrical load in your home, give Fraser Current Electric a call at 250-845-1213. We’ll make sure your home stays powered, safe, and ready for the holidays — without the stress.