Electrical Hazards in Tulsa-Area Homes – From a Master Electrician’s Perspective

Lightning Storm Hitting Home

Hello, folks! My name is Terry Davis, and I’ve been a Master Electrician in Green Country for over 30 years. As the owner of TL Davis Electric & Design, I’ve seen just about every electrical problem you can imagine in homes around Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Claremore, Bixby, Jenks, Catoosa, Sand Springs, Skiatook, Sapulpa, Mannford, Collinsville, Oologah, Sperry, Glenpool, Coweta, and Verdigris. I want to share some of the most common (and dangerous) electrical damage situations I encounter in our Oklahoma homes. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s talk about what could be lurking behind your walls and what it means for your family’s safety. (Don’t worry – I’ll keep it informal and informative, just like a chat with a neighbor.)

Outdated Wiring (Old, Worn-Out, and Overworked)
One of the first things I look for in older homes is outdated wiring. If your house is several decades old, there’s a good chance the wiring was state-of-the-art 50+ years ago but isn’t up to today’s standards. Wires and insulation degrade over time – in fact, most electrical wiring is only designed to last around 50 years before the insulation starts to wear out. When insulation cracks or crumbles away, it exposes bare conductors and can lead to sparking or even an electrical fire. Homes built before the 1950s might even have knob-and-tube wiring, an antiquated system with no grounding conductor (meaning no safety path for stray current). Knob-and-tube lacks grounding and was never meant to handle the high electrical loads of modern appliances, plus its old rubber insulation is probably brittle by now. I’ve crawled through attics and seen those knob-and-tube wires insulated by nothing more than dust – a disaster waiting to happen.

If your home was built in the 1960s or 70s, the big red flag I watch for is aluminum branch-circuit wiring. Back during the Vietnam War era, copper prices soared and builders often switched to aluminum wiring. Unfortunately, aluminum expands and contracts with heat, which causes connections to loosen over time and overheat, posing a serious fire hazard. I see this a lot around the Tulsa metro – even some Muskogee-area homes of that vintage have aluminum wiring that’s prone to fraying and excessive heat buildup. If you suspect you have aluminum wires (common in houses roughly 1965–1975), do your family a favor and get an inspection – we can often mitigate the risk with special connectors or recommend a safe copper rewiring. Bottom line: old wiring can be unreliable and dangerous, and upgrading it before it fails is essential for your peace of mind.

Overloaded Circuits and Insufficient Capacity
Modern life puts a huge demand on your home’s electrical system, and older houses around here simply weren’t built with today’s power needs in mind. Think about it: in the 1970s you didn’t have multiple big-screen TVs, high-speed internet gear, three gaming consoles, and a kitchen full of fancy gadgets – but now you might, even in a modest home. Many older residences in Tulsa and the surrounding towns have too few circuits and not enough outlets, leading homeowners to rely on power strips and extension cords. Unfortunately, daisy-chaining power strips or plugging too many devices into one outlet can overheat your wiring and is a known cause of house fires. I always tell folks: if your lights dim when the A/C kicks on or your microwave makes the lights flicker, that’s a sign the circuit is overloaded or the wiring is undersized for the load. You might also feel outlet covers that are warm, or notice breakers tripping frequently – all warning signs that your electrical system is straining under the demand.

Another common scenario is using space heaters in winter or portable A/C units in summer. These high-wattage devices can easily overload a circuit. Nationwide statistics show electrical fires peak in January, largely due to the extra load from heating appliances and lights during cold months. If a circuit is overloaded and your breaker doesn’t trip, the wires can overheat behind your walls. (Breakers are supposed to be your safety net – more on that in the panel section.) Never replace a breaker with a higher-amp one just to stop it from tripping – I’ve seen well-meaning DIYers put a 30-amp breaker on a 15-amp circuit, and the next thing you know the outlet and wiring literally melt. As a rule of thumb, don’t exceed 80% of a circuit’s rated capacity continuously, and avoid running multiple space heaters or big appliances on the same outlet. If you’re constantly juggling what’s plugged in where, it might be time for a professional to add dedicated circuits or upgrade your service panel to safely meet your needs.

Water Damage and Electricity (Floods, Leaks & Storms Don’t Mix)
Water and electricity are bitter enemies, yet Oklahoma’s weather likes to throw water at our homes in generous amounts. Water damage is a big electrical hazard in our area between spring floods, heavy rains, and even plumbing leaks. If your electrical panel or wiring gets soaked – say, from a flooded basement or a roof leak during a storm – you’re looking at a serious risk. Water intruding into breaker boxes or outlets leads to corrosion and can create hidden arc-faults (tiny sparks that can ignite fires later on). I often have to give homeowners the bad news: “Yes, that panel got wet and yes, it absolutely needs replacing.” It’s not just me being cautious – water inside a breaker is an accident waiting to happen. (The good news is homeowners insurance will usually cover a full panel replacement after storm damage, because it’s far cheaper than a house fire down the line.)

Keep in mind that some electrical damage isn’t immediately obvious after a leak or flood. Hidden moisture behind your walls can seep into wiring insulation and cause sparking even after everything looks dry on the surface. A week after a big flood, I've seen scenarios where a wall outlet started arcing and charring the studs because internal wiring stayed wet. Believe it or not, water damage from storms increases your fire risk! The best course after any flooding in areas with electrical equipment is to kill power to that part of the house (if it’s safe to access the breakers) and call a pro. Never wade into a flooded basement or walk through standing water where outlets or cords are submerged – you could be electrocuted. The City of Tulsa’s flood safety guidelines even recommend turning off your home’s main breaker before water reaches your outlets or panel. And if you live in a flood-prone spot, consider elevating critical equipment like the breaker panel, furnace, and water heater to higher floors or platforms. A little foresight can save a ton of trouble.

Lightning and Power Surges – Oklahoma Thunderstorms Pack a Punch
Let’s talk about lightning and power surges – something every Oklahoma homeowner knows a thing or two about. Living here, we’re no strangers to intense thunderstorms. In fact, our state often ranks among the top three in the nation for the sheer number of lightning strikes we get each year. All that lightning and turbulent weather can wreak havoc on home electrical systems. A lightning strike nearby, or a sudden power surge on the grid, can send a massive voltage spike through your home’s wiring. I’ve seen electronics fried, appliances ruined, and sometimes even wiring insulation scorched by surges. Standard plug-in surge protectors or power strips aren’t enough for the kind of jolt Mother Nature delivers – those little guys can’t clamp a 40,000-amp lightning spike riding in on the power lines. If a utility pole gets hit or a transformer blows during a storm, that surge can travel into your house in a split second.

So what can you do? I always recommend whole-home surge protectors to my neighbors. These are devices installed at your main electrical panel that act like bodyguards for your entire house. When a huge surge comes down the line, a quality surge protector will divert it to ground or absorb it before it zaps your fridge, AC, or big-screen TV. As I often explain, the combo to really keep your home safe is a whole-house surge protector at the panel plus smaller surge protector strips at your sensitive electronics. That two-layer approach has saved many a homeowner from replacing every electronic device after a big storm. Also, remember that proper grounding of your electrical system is crucial here – without a good ground, a surge has nowhere to go except into your equipment (or you). In older homes without grounded outlets, your appliances and gadgets are sitting ducks for voltage surges or lightning strikes. If you’re unsure whether your home has surge protection or proper grounding, give me a call – it’s a cheap insurance policy against Oklahoma’s fury.

Storm Damage and Downed Power Lines
Our region sees more than just lightning during storm season – high winds, tornadoes, and ice storms can cause direct physical damage to electrical systems. I’ve responded to calls after tornadoes, where power poles snapped in half or trees, tore down the service lines that connect homes to the grid. If a storm knocks down the line feeding your house, that’s a hazardous situation. The line could still be live, so stay far away from any downed wires and keep others clear as well. One of the first things I tell homeowners after a disaster is shut off your main breaker if you can safely reach it – this disconnects your house from the grid and can prevent surges or backfeeds while things are in chaos. Then call the utility company (PSO or your co-op) to ensure power is cut off. They won’t re-connect you until a licensed electrician has repaired the damage anyway, and for good reason. The service mast, meter base, and entry cable on your house might need a full rebuild if they’ve been yanked off or bent by falling debris. I’ve rebuilt many a mast in the Tulsa area after big windstorms – it’s one of those tasks you really want done right before the power company hooks you back up.

Another storm-related hazard is improper generator use during outages. When the lights go out for extended periods (which can happen after tornadoes or ice storms here), lots of folks fire up portable generators. Now, a generator can be a lifesaver if used correctly, but I cringe when I see DIY setups that backfeed power into the home’s wiring. Never, and I mean never, plug a generator into a wall outlet or panel without a proper transfer switch. This can send electricity back into the grid and severely injure linemen working to restore power. The safe way is to plug your appliances directly into the generator (using appropriate cords) or have an electrician install a transfer switch/interlock for your panel. I know the inconvenience of sitting in the dark, but a tragedy from backfeeding power is not worth the shortcut. Also, always run generators outside (not in a garage) to avoid carbon monoxide, and keep them dry. Storms already cause enough problems – we don’t want to add electrocution or fires from generator mishaps to the list.

Hazardous DIY Wiring and Unpermitted Fixes
Now, I have to poke a little at the DIY electricians out there. Hey, I get it – YouTube makes everything look doable, and who doesn’t want to save a buck? But when it comes to home wiring, I’ve seen way too many “handyman specials” that turned into dangerous situations. Faulty connections, undersized wires, and sloppy splices are all things I uncover when someone without proper training has tinkered with the electrical system. These mistakes can heat up or arc over time. A loose connection or poor insulation on a wire can easily spark an electrical fire inside your walls. One common issue is when folks add new outlets or lighting without understanding load balancing – they might overload a junction box with too many wires or connect a new circuit improperly. I once traced a burning plastic smell in a Jenks home to a junction hidden behind drywall where a DIY enthusiast had joined eight wires together with mismatched connectors; it was charring up like a toaster.

Another scary one I encounter is the “bootleg ground” – this is when someone tries to cheat an ungrounded 2-prong outlet by tying the neutral and ground screws together. To a simple plug-in tester, it might appear grounded, but it’s absolutely not safe. Bootleg grounds can energize the metal chassis of your appliances, so you touch the toaster and get zapped because it’s essentially live! Not to mention, that kind of improper grounding or neutral bonding can create fire-risk levels of overheating in your wiring. It’s a prime example of a well-intentioned shortcut that could burn your house down or shock someone. If you suspect any wiring in your home was done by the previous owner or an “uncle Bob” without a permit, do yourself a favor and get it inspected. Often I find things like wires twisted together without wire nuts, outdated cloth wires hooked into new circuits, or open splices in attics – all code violations that pose hazards. Remember, electrical work should always be up to code; not just because I love rules, but because the National Electrical Code is written in blood (each rule is there to prevent a fire or save a life). And here’s a tip: if you’re considering DIY electrical work, at least have a licensed electrician double-check your plan or the finished work. The few bucks spent will pale in comparison to the cost of an electrical fire or an insurance claim denied due to unpermitted work.

Improper or Missing Grounding
Grounding is one of those things you don’t usually see or think about, but it’s absolutely critical for safety. Proper grounding means your electrical system has an intentional path for stray current to go into the earth, which prevents you from getting shocked when something goes wrong. In the greater Tulsa area, I still find plenty of homes (usually older ones from mid-century) that have two-prong outlets with no ground wire. Back in the day, grounding wasn’t taken as seriously as it is now. The result? Those houses lack a margin of safety – if there’s a fault (say, a hot wire comes loose inside an appliance), the electricity can energize the metal parts of the appliance since it has nowhere else to go. Touch the appliance and zap! That’s a shock hazard straight away. Proper grounding would trip the breaker immediately in that scenario, but an ungrounded system might just sit there electrifying everything. This is why I always recommend upgrading any remaining two-prong outlets in your home to modern three-prong grounded ones, and verifying that the ground is actually connected to each (simply swapping to a three-hole outlet without wiring a ground or using a GFCI is not enough).

Another aspect is the main grounding system of the house – this includes ground rods (or a Ufer ground in the footing), bonding of your water/gas lines, etc. Especially in some of our rural outskirts (like parts of Collinsville or Oologah), I’ve seen homes with a single undersized ground rod or even none at all, which is not up to current code (today’s standards often require two ground rods or other methods). Without a good grounding electrode system, lightning surges or utility shorts can’t dissipate safely into the earth. As mentioned earlier, lack of grounding also leaves your expensive appliances and electronics more vulnerable to surge damage. Plus, an improperly grounded home can create stray voltages – ever felt a tingle touching a metal sink or appliance? That could be a grounding issue. Lastly, we must talk again about that “bootleg ground” trick: it’s the poster child for improper grounding. It fools you into thinking an outlet is safe, but in reality it creates a dangerous illusion of safety. If there’s one thing you take away here: grounding is not optional. It’s literally the foundation of electrical safety in your home. If your house is older or you’re unsure about its grounding, I can test and upgrade it pretty easily – a small investment to prevent big shocks (pun intended).

Electrical Panel Problems (Fuse Boxes, Old Breakers & More)
Think of your electrical panel (breaker box) as the heart of your home’s electrical system. When it’s in good shape, electricity flows safely throughout the house. But an outdated or damaged panel is a ticking time bomb. In many Tulsa-area homes built mid-century, you’ll still find old fuse boxes or early-model breaker panels that simply weren’t designed for today’s electrical loads. Some older panels are only rated for 60 or 100 amps total, whereas modern homes often need 200 amp service or more. Older panels also lack modern safety features, such as better insulation, fault detectors, or even just robust bus bars, so they are more prone to overheating and arcing when stressed. I often see signs of heat damage in these panels – discoloration, a burnt plastic smell, or brittle wiring insulation nearby. Over time, connections inside the panel can loosen (especially with aluminum bus bars or wiring), and a loose connection on a breaker can lead to arcing (spark, spark, boom… fire). If a breaker or fuse fails to trip when it should, the wires downstream can overheat to the point of igniting insulation or wood in your walls. This is why faulty electrical panels and overloaded circuits are leading causes of house fires if left unaddressed.

Homeowners in our area often ask me, “Is it really worth upgrading my panel? It’s working fine…”. My answer: if it’s one of the known troublemaker brands like Federal Pacific (FPE) Stab-Lok or Zinsco, then absolutely yes – replace it. These panels gained notoriety because a high percentage of their breakers wouldn’t trip at all under overload or short-circuit conditions, defeating the whole point of a breaker. FPE Stab-Lok panels, common in 1960s-1980s construction, are linked to thousands of fires and even the manufacturers admitted to safety defects and deceptive testing practices decades ago. Zinsco panels (sometimes labeled Sylvania or GTE) had bus bars that could corrode and fail, often melting to the breakers – another recipe for fire. Many insurance companies now require those old panels to be replaced because of the risk. Even if you don’t have those brands, any panel that’s physically damaged (from water as we discussed, or rodents, or rust) or too small for your needs should be evaluated. Upgrading to a new, properly sized panel with solid breakers gives you a safer system with room to grow. Plus, new panels can include options for surge protection and arc-fault or ground-fault breakers that add extra layers of safety. It’s not the most glamorous home improvement, but trust me, it’s one of the most important for protecting your home and family.

Missing GFCI Protection in Wet Areas
If you’ve ever been in a newer bathroom or kitchen, you’ve likely noticed those outlets with the “test” and “reset” buttons – those are GFCI outlets (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters). They’re designed to cut power in a fraction of a second if even a tiny bit of current strays outside the circuit (like through water, or a person). GFCIs are lifesavers – they prevent electrocutions in places where water and electricity might meet. However, in a lot of older homes around the Tulsa region, I still find bathrooms, kitchens, garages, or outdoor outlets that don’t have GFCI protection. Homes built more than about 40 years ago often didn’t include GFCIs, or they’ve been renovated without adding them. This is a serious hazard: imagine you’re drying your hair and the hairdryer accidentally drops into a sink full of water. Without a GFCI, that’s a potentially deadly situation. With a GFCI, the power would cut off almost instantly, likely saving you from a nasty shock or worse.

I also see cases where someone replaced a 2-prong outlet with a 3-prong one in, say, a kitchen near the sink, thinking it’s now “grounded” – but if there was no ground wire, that outlet is still unprotected. In such cases, a GFCI outlet can be installed to at least provide shock protection (even without a ground, a GFCI can still function for safety). Any outlet within 6 feet of water (and all outdoor and garage outlets) should be GFCI-protected, per modern code and plain common sense. The fix is usually straightforward and inexpensive. I often swap out old regular receptacles for GFCIs in bathrooms and kitchens as one of the first upgrades in an older home. It’s one of those small improvements that dramatically reduces the risk of electrocution. So take a look around your home: if your bathrooms, kitchen, laundry, garage, or outdoor plugs don’t have that “test/reset” button, you should consider getting GFCIs installed. Your family’s safety is worth far more than the few bucks those outlets cost. Trust me – as an electrician, I sleep better at night knowing my clients are protected by GFCIs where they need them.

Rodent Damage to Wiring
We Oklahomans aren’t the only ones who love our cozy homes – mice, rats, and squirrels often try to set up residence too. As a result, I often encounter electrical issues caused by critters chewing on wiring in attics, walls, and crawl spaces. Rodents’ teeth never stop growing, so they gnaw on anything to keep them in check – sadly, that often includes your home’s electrical cables. Chewed wires can lead to exposed conductors and short circuits, which in turn can spark fires inside your walls. In fact, it’s estimated that rodents are responsible for up to 20–25% of fires where the cause was originally “unknown”. Think about that – a significant chunk of mysterious house fires might actually be because a little mouse had a midnight snack on your wiring! Closer to home, Oklahoma pest control experts warn that rodent infestations often reveal themselves with telltale damage like gnawed electrical wires or insulation. I’ve opened junction boxes to find acorns stashed inside and wire insulation shredded by squirrels – it’s almost like they’re practicing to be electricians (terrible ones, though).

The danger with rodent damage is you usually don’t know it’s happening until it’s nearly too late. The wiring is hidden, so unless an outlet stops working or you smell burning, you might not notice. If you’ve had issues with mice or rats, it’s a good idea to have an electrician do a thorough check of accessible wiring (and get rid of the rodents, of course). Even a small section of frayed wire can arc. I’ve seen black scorch marks on wooden studs from a hot wire that a rodent had bared – it was arcing intermittently and could have lit up the whole wall. And unfortunately, yes, a mouse can cause your house to catch fire if it chews the wrong wire; this isn’t just a hypothetical. The National Fire Protection Association and insurance companies are well aware of this risk. So, part of maintaining a safe home is also keeping it pest-free and checking for any chew marks or damage if you do encounter rodents. In summary: if the pitter-patter of little feet above your ceiling isn’t your kids, it might be time to inspect your wiring (and call pest control). Electrical damage from rodents can lead to a house fire – don’t let some pesky rats or squirrels literally burn down the house.


Stay Safe, Oklahoma! As you can see, there’s a broad range of electrical hazards that can crop up in our homes – from aging wires and overtaxed circuits to Mother Nature’s fury and even tiny toothy critters. My goal in sharing these stories and insights isn’t to scare you, but to empower you as a homeowner.

Knowing what dangers to look out for is half the battle. Most of these hazards give off warning signs if you know what to watch for: flickering lights, tripping breakers, warm outlets, burning smells, charred marks, buzzing sounds, etc. – never ignore these clues. And remember, electrical issues are one of the leading causes of home fires in the U.S., accounting for tens of thousands of fires each year. The silver lining is that virtually all of these problems are preventable or fixable with the right approach.

If you’re in Tulsa or any of our neighboring communities and you’re concerned about your home’s electrical safety, feel free to give me (or your local licensed electrician) a call. I’m always happy to inspect, advise, or just chat about what’s going on in your walls. After three decades on the job, I still treat every home like my own and every customer like family. Let’s keep our homes safe, our lights on, and the fires in the barbecue grill where they belong. Stay safe out there, and thanks for reading!

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