Your home’s electrical system is one of the most important systems in your home. It keeps the lights on and your home’s climate right. However, things can go drastically wrong at times and cause serious problems.
Believe it or not, there are an estimated 51,000 home electrical fires yearly. If you don’t want that to happen to you, it pays to learn about electrical issues and fix them before they cause bigger problems.
You can’t afford to let electrical problems go unresolved in your home, so it pays to know what to look for to spot one. Below are four common signs that you need electrical repairs in your home.
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1. Flickering Lights
Flickering lights seem harmless at first. In many cases, they’re a sign that you have a bulb that’s going bad. In others, you may not have a light bulb screwed in all the way.
However, you may have more serious problems if you look at those two things and find that they aren’t a problem. You can have a problem with a breaker or have bad wiring. In each case, letting this problem go on can cause your electrical system to degrade and eventually cause more problems.
2. Sparks
Sparks are never a good sign when it comes to electrical work. It means a bad connection exists, and the current is traveling outside the wiring and causing discharge where there shouldn’t be.
If you see sparking on your power outlets, it may be because of a plug or bad wiring. An electrician can likely fix the panel without much cost.
However, things are more serious when you have electrical sparks in your breaker box. Call an electrical maintenance professional as soon as possible because you have a major fire hazard in this situation.
3. Bad Odors
Smells don’t normally occur with electrical systems when there isn’t a problem. All your wires should be isolated and cool, so they shouldn’t produce any odors.
It’s a sign of a big problem when you smell odors from your electrical equipment. In many cases, it’s a sign that something is overheating and working too hard. That heat buildup can end up causing fires, so reach out to electrical professionals to figure out why your electrical work is getting too hot.
4. Excessive Breaker Tripping
A breaker tripping isn’t a big deal if it only happens occasionally. Go to your electric panel and turn it back on, and you’re good to go. However, it’s a sign of a bigger problem if it happens more often.
Even a breaker tripping every month is a sign that something is wrong. To start, try unplugging a few things to see if you’re overloading the breaker.
If that doesn’t fix the problem, it may signal that your breaker is going bad or you have an arc fault. You’ll need to call a professional to fix this problem.
Get Electrical Problems Fixed As Soon As Possible
Electrical problems aren’t only an inconvenience in your home. If you let them go on and they get worse, they can also become a fire hazard, especially in areas like electrical switchboards.
That’s why you need to understand common residential electrical problems and how to spot them when they happen. If you notice any of the electrical issues above, contact electrician services to diagnose and fix the problem.
Check out the blog if you want to learn more advice about keeping your home in great shape.