Call An Electrician: Common Electrical Problems That Homeowners Should Never Ignore | Florence, SC
Photo By Drazen Zigic at istock
Although electricity helps make life more comfortable, it can cause significant property damage when improperly maintained. The Electrical Safety Foundation International claims that electrical problems contribute to over 51,000 home fires annually, costing American homeowners over 1.3 billion dollars in property damage repairs. DIY savvy homeowners can fix electrical problems by themselves. However, other issues may require the attention of a professional electrician near Florence, SC.
Often identified by electric shocks upon contact, rust or moisture around power outlets, and buzzing sounds originating from behind the walls, here are some of the common electrical problems that your electrician can help detect and fix.
Circuit Breaker Issues
Electricians install circuit breakers within your residence to offer first-hand protection against damages that may result from short-circuiting or power overloads. Therefore, these components are designed to disrupt the flow of electric currents when they detect an overflow, telling you when there’s an electrical problem within your home. If the home’s circuit breaker trips regularly, it’s only doing its job of safeguarding your property from being engulfed in flames due to a power overload. When it does so repeatedly, you may need the services of a professional electrical service since there may be more complex underlying electrical problems.
A circuit breaker may trip due to a short-circuit in an appliance or wear and tear. However, most circuit breakers may trip if the electrical appliances in your home are drawing too much power on a single circuit. Constantly resetting the breaker after it has tripped only worsens the situation. The breaker may eventually give out, making it stop tripping. Therefore, the overloaded circuit may overheat the wiring insulation, resulting in a devastating electrical fire. In that regard, if you notice that the circuit breaker trips regularly, calling an electrician immediately to diagnose and fix the problem can go a long way in preventing a fire catastrophe.
Sags, Dips, and Surges in Electricity
Sags and dips in power are closely related to electrical surges, but with a few distinguishing characteristics in how they impact your home’s electrical infrastructure. They often create brown-outs, that are occasional drops in power voltage that cause light bulbs to dim out and regain brightness momentarily. Brown-outs mainly happen when electrical appliances, both big and small, are plugged into a defective outlet or when they pull too much power from an old or outdated electrical panel. A skilled electrician can fix the faulty outlets or replace the old panel at your discretion if such scenarios happen.
Past that, electrical surges refer to a significant spike in voltage within the home’s power lines that increases the level of current reaching the power outlets. Surges may cause a rapid on-off action in most of the electrical appliances in your home, most notably, the TV. If they happen frequently, you should contact an electrician near you for solutions to prevent your electrical appliances from sustaining damage that can reduce their lifespan. However, you should know that an electrical service can’t fix all power surge problems. These include those resulting from lightning strikes, damaged power lines, or power supplier mishaps. That’s why your home should have a surge protector installed since it can help prevent surge-related appliance damage. Regular surges should prompt you to seek the services of an electrical service near Florence, SC.
Scarce or Faulty Outlets
If your home has inadequate outlets, the convenience of charging your phone while comfortably rested on the couch may be the least of your problems. The scarcity of outlets in your residence can lead to an overload in the ones present, making the circuit breaker frequently trip. This situation may lead to a hazardous over-dependence on extension cords and increased chances of encountering frequent power surges. When contacted, electrical service professionals can install more outlets throughout your home. Additionally, they may recommend using UL-listed surge protectors or heavy-duty extension cords temporarily before installing the new outlets.
As a homeowner, you should also avoid meddling with dead outlets. A defective power outlet may have either burned out or suffered the impact of faulty wiring. Regardless, attempting to revive the outlet could lead to the outbreak of a fire in your residence. In a dead power outlet, one or both plugs may stop working, an issue you should try to resolve quickly with the help of your electrician. Besides being a safety hazard, they may also present usage problems similar to those presented by scarce outlets. Since you can’t use it when it’s dead, you may be forced to overload the existing ones that work, leading to regular circuit breaker trips.
Lighting Issues
Issues with your home’s lighting may manifest as frequent bulb burnouts, flickering lights, or switch failures. When bulbs burn out, most homeowners quickly crucify the manufacturer for allegedly producing a substandard product. However, bulb quality often has little or nothing to do with a bulb burning out. Other contributing factors may include improper air circulation inside the fixture, the bulb being tightly fixed, and high voltage. If the bulbs in your home burn out regularly, an electrical service can help get to the root of the matter by checking if the holder is depleted or loose.
Within the same line of thought, flickering lights should concern any homeowner since they often imply that the electrical wiring and fuses need prompt servicing. If you live in an older home, the lights can flicker for maybe just a second. However, if the flickering goes on for a prolonged period, you may need professional assistance from a trained and certified electrician. Most instances of flickering lights arise due to faulty wiring, circuit overloads, or blown fuses.
Additionally, switch failures are a common problem that any homeowner can encounter. Besides loose electrical wires within the switch setup, switches may become faulty due to loose circuits and faulty installation. Fortunately, a professional electrical service can provide impactful solutions to any lighting issue.
Mister Sparky of Florence, SC, an Electrical Service Provider You Can Trust
You should never ignore any of these issues since they can result in devastating home fires and significant energy wastage. At the same time, don’t attempt to try out your DIY electrical skills to fix them. Electricity is dangerous and sometimes even lethal, and that’s why you should always seek the services of a professional from Mister Sparky of Florence if you notice any of the above-described problems. Our electricians can help resolve general and emergency electrical defects.