5 Electrical Warning Signs

10 Sep 5 Electrical Warning Signs

When there’s a hole in the wall, a problem with the locks on the door, or a badly-running furnace, we easily see the signs. However, electrical problems can be a little more sneaky. After all, the wires themselves are hidden behind walls (hopefully,) and we can easily miss early signs of danger. It could be that a circuit is overloaded, water is dripping in from a leaky pipe, or even that wires are being tampered with by mice.

As professionals, we’ve learned to spot early signs of electrical danger. Following up on these warnings can prevent dangerous electrical fires in your home, and ensure that your entire system is running more smoothly and efficiently. Here are 5 electrical warning signs that will let you know that it’s time to call in a handyman or electrician.

5 Electrical Warning Signs

1. If you frequently experience blown fuses, or tripped breakers, it might mean that a certain system in your home is overloaded. Rewiring can keep your home running more smoothly.
2. Flickering or dimming lights usually indicate that something is wrong with the circuit. You might be tempted to just move the lighting fixture to a different outlet, or replace the bulbs, but if the problem is in the wiring, that won’t help.
3. If your switch plates, outlets, or plugs are hot to the touch, then energy isn’t being channeled properly. Even a space heater, or other appliance that’s meant to produce heat, should never have that heat present in the cord or outlet.
4. Strange smells can also be a warning sign of electrical dysfunction. If you smell burning from an electrical appliance or from an outlet, you should immediately unplug anything from that outlet and not use it again until you have a professional look it over.
5. If you have a certain light fixture that goes through way more light bulbs than any other, this is often a sign that (1) you’re using the wrong watt light bulb, or (2) there’s something off with the electrical wiring.

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Why Call a Professional?

Some home maintenance tasks are easy to handle yourself. All it takes is a ladder and some grunt work to clear out the rain gutters, for example. However, electrical work is different. It requires experience and care in order to prevent harmful accidents. Mishandling wires can lead to electrocution, and cause big problems for your house and for any appliances that are plugged into outlets.

If you’re seeing any of the danger signs named above, give us a call today. We’ll have one of our thoroughly vetted and trusted electricians come and take care of the problem in no time.