5 Signs It’s Time to Hire an Electrical Service Expert

Get ready for an electrifying article! We know we talk a lot about our HVAC services and the importance of having comfortable, clean air in your home, but there’s another unsung hero behind every comfortable home: electricity. Without proper electrical services, your HVAC is just a big hunk of metal and circuits that doesn’t do much of anything. It needs electricity to get the air flowing throughout the house so you can chill.

Despite it being an essential part of your home, many homeowners hesitate to utilize residential electrical services. This generally stems from a misconception about costs or a drive to fix the issues through DIY methods. But ignoring an issue or performing crude amateur work on it can lead to severe consequences for your wallet, comfort, and safety. The first step to fixing the problem is admitting you have one, so let’s go over some telltale signs of electrical issues. When you know what to look for, you can save yourself countless hassles down the road.

Frequent Electrical Surges

Brief spikes in voltage, or electrical surges, can be pretty damaging to various things within your home. While we’ve all experienced the occasional surge, frequent ones are a sign of a deeper, more concerning issue that needs to be addressed. They can be caused by several things:

• Electrical overload (too much power being drawn from a single circuit or outlet)
• Faulty appliances
• Faulty wiring
• Lighting strikes
• Power outages/blackouts

Get in touch with your electrical services provider if you notice an alarming frequency of surges. Letting the issue go unaddressed could mean permanent damage to your appliances.

Flickering or Dimming Lights

Marcia Griffiths sang, “You can’t see it, it’s electric!” But anyone with electrical issues can definitely see it when their lights start to flicker on and off. When your lights are doing this without a clear reason—especially if multiple fixtures are affected—it may be the electricity itself rather than the bulbs.

Overloaded circuits, bad connections, or wiring issues are frequently the culprits of this phenomenon. Think of it as your lights calling for help by flickering, encouraging you to hire the electrical services experts. Procrastinating will likely lead to much more serious problems down the road, including fire hazards.

On the plus side, you can rest easy knowing it’s not haunted (we know a lot about electricity, not ghosts).

Tripping Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers really have your back. They’re designed to guard your house by cutting off electrical flow when a circuit gets more electricity than it can handle. If you notice these circuit breakers are frequently being tripped, you should look into the cause. Hopefully, it’s simply because you have too many appliances on one circuit. In that case, rearrange your cords to ease the load a bit. If the problem persists, you may have a bigger problem on your hands.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though! If you catch the issue quickly and take advantage of electrical services, the professionals will be able to identify the underlying issue and fix it with no further hassle.

Burning Smell or Scorch Marks

If you notice a burning smell in your home, it’s always a good idea to investigate immediately. Maybe it’s a piece of toast someone left in the toaster oven… or maybe it’s a serious fire just waiting to happen. Follow your nose and check all your outlets to find the source. While you’re at it, look for scorch marks around said outlets, as they can be a life-saving warning sign. These symptoms are often caused by faulty wiring or overheating, which could easily turn into a fire that’s difficult to contain. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are over 46,000 home fires involving electrical failure or malfunction every year. Ignoring the warning signs of faulty wiring could make your household a part of that statistic and put you and your family at risk. 

Outdated or Damaged Wiring

Speaking of wiring, it isn’t just poor installation that could cause problems. Sometimes, it just deteriorates over the years and becomes unreliable. Today’s materials don’t typically incorporate cloth wrapping or aluminum, so if you spot those, it’s probably in need of replacement to a more modern, reliable solution. Another risk you run by having old wires is their inability to handle the electrical load of modern appliances.

Sometimes, at no fault of yours or the electrician’s, pesky critters can come across your wires and get a little too curious, damaging your wiring in the process. We once had a customer who had found a mouse inside their light switch casing, leaving no doubt as to what caused it to stop working (rest in peace, mouse). In these instances, it’s important to get electrical repairs as soon as possible to avoid further issues.

Make the Necessary Electrical Repairs

Recognizing the signs of electrical issues is the first step to addressing them, and this isn’t something that we can recommend DIY work for. Getting professional electrical services from the experts is the best way to make sure the job is done right. If you notice frequent electrical surges, flickering lights, or any other signs of electricity issues, contact us right away. We’ll be happy to provide our expert residential electrical services and make the necessary repairs. 

Here’s to your comfort and safety!