When you walk into your home and flip a light switch, you expect the lights to turn on. And when that happens, you continue on through the house with no further thoughts about your electrical system. And this is the way any modern convenience is supposed to work. But from time to time, you need to take a few minutes and think about all of the components providing these magical moments of light, hot water, and hot food.
When you stop and focus on some of the odd occurrences in your home, like flickering lights or that outlet that the lamp plug keeps falling out of, you should see some red flags. And that is especially true if you cannot recall the last time you had an electrician inspect your home’s electrical system.
These are all messages from your home that issues are brewing in your electrical system. And while each annoying little item could be a simple fix for a licensed electrician, the repair bill will be much larger if you wait until it results in a complete failure or even an electrical fire.
Your Electrical Panel
Your electrical panel is the central hub or your home’s power. This is where the main electrical feed enters your home and is then distributed to the various circuits that power your house. The breakers are designed to trip if there is a problem with the power passing through the circuit. But when the breakers age, they can fail. And that allows the issue to escalate quickly. Problems with your electrical panel can include:
- Overloaded circuits
- Ground faults
- Arc faults
- Short circuits
- Bad breaker
- Worn out breaker damage to wiring
Signs of these issues could appear as:
- Odd sounds at the electrical panel like crackling or popping
- A burnt smell at the panel
- Heat coming from the panel
- Breakers that will not reset
If you notice any of these critical warning signs, call your trusted electrician immediately to avoid a potentially costly and even life-threatening electrical fire in your home.
Problems Around the House
There are many different warning signs that you could notice during your daily activities in your home that should alert you to a potential electrical issue. Some of the most common include
- Outlets that no longer work or that the plug falls out of
- The need for many extension cords
- Sparks from an outlet when plugging or unplugging a cord
- Outlets that are warm to the touch
- Outlets that look scorched or singed
- Outlets that crackle or pop
- Lights that flicker regularly
- Lights that dim when appliances turn on
- Switches that no longer work
- Switches that work only irregularly
- You get a shock when inserting a plug into an outlet
- You hear odd noises in the walls
- You do not have GFCI plugs in the kitchen or bathroom of your home
All of these are signs that there are some electrical issues in your home. And while you might be able to overlook a plug that does not work or a light that flickers when the AC turns on, it is only going to get worse.
The most concerning piece of information that you might be overlooking when you think about these vital warning signs is that over half of all house fires are the result of an electrical issue. Something as simple as a wire slipping off of the inside of an outlet could result in a spark that starts a fire in the wall of your home. And that fire could consume your home and everything in it. Even worse, that spark could result in life-threatening injuries to your loved ones.
There are no unimportant issues when it comes to your home’s electrical system. If you notice an issue, call (703) 463-9866 immediately. A licensed electrician from Circuit Doctor will arrive quickly to evaluate the problem and provide you with cost-effective solutions to eliminate the danger to your home and your family. We are here 24/7, so you never need to lose sleep worrying about a potential fire or other hazards. And all of our installations and repairs are backed by a complete parts and labor warranty.
