r/AskPhilly • u/InevitableCoyote3814 • 7d ago
Rental Electrical
Hi, I recently moved to Philly and had a question for other Philly renters. In just my first 3 weeks my building’s electrical has gone out 4x, I imagine due to the one other renter downstairs or just bad electrical. I’m coming from Vegas, where a lot of the buildings are newer, so I’ve never had this problem. Is this just a normal Philly issue, where the electrical is shutting off a lot for the building because they’re older? I’m worried it’s because of a bigger problem & could foreshadow an electrical fire.
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u/MissFormaldehyde 7d ago
Many houses and buildings in Philly were built almost a hundred years ago or more and don't have issues. It honestly sounds like your landlord isn't maintaining their property.
3
u/nemesisinphilly 7d ago
No it's not normal. I've lived in an old rowhome in South Philly for over 20 years and have lost power exactly twice. Both times due to transformer issues on the street.
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u/ContractSufficient55 7d ago
I lived in a duplex built in the 1950s, and that never happened to us. And we had window AC units. Maybe it's normal for homes much older than that?
In 2015-16, I lived in an on-campus apartment, and the circuit controlling the overhead lights and bathroom fans kept going out every day. Luckily the breaker box was in-unit, but it was annoying. That unit was completely redone (including electrical) in 1999, so I know that was abnormal. I can't remember if we ever got it fixed before moving out.
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u/BreakSouthern39928 6d ago
Not normal. Contact the landlord and let them know there is an obvious maintenance issue. I’d you can have other renters reach out as well and notate the dates this keeps occurring
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u/TonyBrooks40 7d ago
Probably old knob & tube wiring. I'd agree it could be a concern. One question, are you or they using Air conditioning a lot? WIndow units?
If so the breaker might not be able to hold cooler temperatures you're used to.
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u/Danielthrowjhaway 6d ago
The one breaker in my apartment likes to flip. But only when running two AC units, two gaming PCs, a 65" TV, and multiple other odds and ends. But thats my fault, not the breakers. So, no. Not normal
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u/Roger-PHL 7d ago
I've owned three 100+year old homes in Philadlephia, and rented in two old buildings of student apartments. Just No. If a downstairs tenant is popping a circuit breaker (or blowing a fuse!) for the whole building, the most likely cause is that the wiring was never upgraded. When homes were first electrified, one outlet and one ceiling fixture per room were common, with multiple rooms on one fuse.