Sudden Surges And Electrical Service: What Residents Need To Know | Florence, SC
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Florence, SC is close to the ocean. And like many similar localities, it can, and has, seen its share of electrical issues, some of which relate to the bad weather or rising tides. And that’s the very reason that good, quality, affordable electrical service is needed.
And it’s not only emergencies or foul weather that warrant the need for electrical service. Something as simple as blinking lights often need professional attention, and that’s when you know to call for an electrician to make a repair.
Surge protection is one of many service options that are offered by Mister Sparky. Surge protection guards against electrical surges, which can lead to something serious and perhaps even fatal: They are known to result in electrical fires, which are the direct result of a hyperactive power system.
Although most people would associate a power surge with lightning or other natural phenomena, most of these sudden bolts of electrical activity often occur from within your home. Most surges happen when power is temporarily interrupted, then comes right back on again. They can happen if lights go out then come right back on. They can also happen in cases where too many appliances are plugged into a single outlet, which leads to tripping the breaker and having to reset it.
Power surges are known to act very quickly and without warning, and that can make the prospect of even having one intimidating. There are many root causes of power surges, some of which you may be able to identify right away. Some of these causes include large appliances, especially refrigerators with giant motors that suddenly kick on. Most of the engines of large appliances, especially older ones, do have the tendency to use quite a bit of power when turning on, so it should come as no surprise that there might be occasional problems when they come into use.
Having faulty wiring repaired or replaced as part of an electrical service deal should be done during an annual inspection. Faulty wiring or wiring that was poorly installed is another source of surges that lead to power failures in the long run.
Wiring need not just be faulty for this to occur. Sometimes, wild rodents such as squirrels, rats, or mice can sneak into your walls and chew up the wires that transmit the watts. When this happens, the services of an exterminator may be necessary, but that would be another company altogether.
Charred or blackened outlets are noted signs of bad wiring, along with the constant flickering of lights, hot ceiling fans, and heat that’s felt around an outlet. The reason this may be worth mentioning is that it is a huge part of what causes sudden spikes in power surges to begin with. Plus, bad wiring can be fatal and will eventually cause electrical fires sooner or later. That’s the reason to have wiring checked during an annual inspection.
There are some healthy preventions you can take to stave off the possibility of an overtaxed electrical system. One is that you can be aware of the use of extension cords, which can use multiple amounts of power, thus leading to a huge surge that can crash your system within seconds. This is especially true in homes that are older and have less sophisticated wiring that comes with them. The use of power strips presents a similar issue, for the mere fact that they also use so much electricity to begin with.
The use of common sense safety measures can help in trying to prevent power surges from happening. However, when it comes to electrical service, DIY measures are never recommended, as they can pose a serious safety threat to you and your home’s electricity to begin with. This is when you call on a professional to inspect your wiring ad check for faults within the setup.
Good electrical service should enable a technician to check your circuit breakers to see if they need to be replaced. In fact, old or worn circuit breakers can wink out very quickly, thus leading to these sudden spikes in power that cause your entire system to go down within minutes.
A professional electrician has the skills and expertise to replace your old breaker and fix bad wiring, and both measures can lessen the risk of sudden power surges and other electrical problems. They can even replace old or damaged fuses and have your power restored in no time.
Another good surge prevention can be done when you experience a blackout. Power outages can occur for any reason, and one of the top reasons for them to happen is a thunderstorm, hurricane, or other natural disaster. When this happens, you should consider turning off and unplugging your appliances prior to calling for an emergency electrical technician.
The reason this is strongly advised is that most major appliances use a lot of power to do their jobs. When the power comes back on, there is a sudden flow of electricity that comes back into your appliances, and that can cause a surge to happen. So before calling for emergency electrical service, be sure to turn off and unplug everything so that your power can be restored safely and efficiently.
Sudden power surges may cause significant, long term damage to your appliances and result in you having to replace them if they are broken beyond repair. But there are signs you can look out for that are indicative of surges, such as tripped or broken breakers and safety switches, loss of power in your appliances or devices, or general device failure. When these happen repeatedly over the course of time, its time to call for electrical service.
This is why good surge protection is a must. It can not only protect sensitive equipment such as computers and mobile devices, it can also help in cases where life-saving medical equipment such as oxygen tanks and breathing machines are used. Having it installed as a critical part of electrical service is something that should be done.
When it comes to your electrical service needs, the professionals at Mister Sparky of Florence, SC can help. Electricity should be an ongoing, reliable commodity, and when it goes out, you know to call the professionals. You can call or visit online today with any concerns or questions you may have.
