Of all the various problems that can negatively impact your home, electrical problems are among the most dangerous. After all, an air conditioner malfunction can leave you feeling uncomfortable for a while, a plumbing problem can cause damage to a room or two, but an electrical problem can cause electrocution or even fire.
We don’t say this for the shock value, but rather to stress how important it is that you have a professional electrician check the wiring of your home at least once every few years. Otherwise, you’re increasing the risk that a problem will occur.
Maintenance will certainly help defend your home and electrical system from harm, but it’s important to be aware of signs of an electrical problem no matter what. This will help you know when to take action so you don’t run into any future problems.
Do You Have Flickering Lights?
No, your home probably isn’t haunted. At least, this isn’t likely the cause of flickering lights! This is almost always caused by a short circuit in the electrical system. If it’s just a single lamp, you might need to replace that fixture and nothing else. If it’s impacting an entire section of your home, however, then the short circuit is probably somewhere in the home and you have a bigger problem.
What if you find yourself facing this problem quite often? Well, we recommend that you call our pros ASAP, before the problem grows any worse.
Hot Spots
Have you ever placed your hand on a light switch, or even a random spot on your wall, and noticed that it was warm? Hot spots often indicate points in your electrical system where current if lowing in a direction it shouldn’t be. Electrical current that is diverted to a point that it’s not supposed to go, such as another wire or directly into the drywall, throws off a lot of energy as heat.
This is what you’re feeling when you notice a hot spot in your home. Hot spots are an indication of a very serious reach in the electrical system, and it could possible cause a house fire. This is not a sign you ever want to ignore, so make sure you call for repairs as soon as you notice it. Do not, however, that dimmer switches operate differently than other wall switches, and are naturally warm to the touch anyway. But if it’s so hot you resist touching it, that’s absolutely a problem area.
Frequently Tripped Circuit Breakers
The circuit breaker panel is designed to protect your home from power surges. When a portion of your home’s electrical system suddenly starts to carry voltage beyond safety limits, the circuit breaker trips and that part of the system is shut down until the problem can be fixed.
More often than not, a circuit breaker will trip because that particular circuit was overloading. Unplugging a few things and switching outlets could do the trick. But if it keeps happening, you have a bigger problem on your hands, and it’d be best if you called in a pro.
When you need a professional and reliable electrician in Olympia, WA, don’t hesitate to reach out to Sunset Air!
