When Do You Need To Call An Electrician? | Florence, SC
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Everyone knows that their home depends on electricity. Depending on your home appliances, you need electricity for lighting, cooling, heating, hot water, and cooking. You even need electricity for that cup of coffee in the morning that gets you moving. However, it is easy to take your electrical system for granted because it is not something you have to think about. It is vital that you take care of your electrical system however because not only does it fuel your life, but it is a major safety issue if not properly cared for.
While a lot of people like to try to attempt DIY projects around their home, you should avoid attempting to fix your own electrical problems. Anytime you have an electrical problem the very person you should call is an electrician. As mentioned, the electrical system is a huge fire hazard if it is not properly maintained, so it pays to have a trained and certified electrician perform all electrical repairs. Here are a few warning signs that you need to call a professional in Florence, SC for help.
Your Circuits Are Frequently Tripping
Every homeowner will trip a circuit at some point in their life, probably more than once. Occasionally tripping a circuit by plugging too many things in or trying to plug in one major appliance is not cause to call an electrician. It does mean that you need to rethink how many items you plug into one area of your home. However, frequently tripping a circuit or blowing a fuse frequently is a great reason to call an electrical company.
This usually indicates that your circuits are drawing much more current than they can safely handle. It also might mean that one of your circuits has a fault. If left unhandled this could eventually lead to a house fire or your entire circuit box blowing. Neither is a great outcome, so the wisest thing you can do is call a professional for help and get to the bottom of the situation quickly.
No Grounded Outlets
If you live in an older home, then you are probably struggling daily with a bunch of three-prong plugs and outlets that just won’t work. A lot of people think that buying a cheap adapter at the hardware store will help them overcome this issue, but in reality, it could be making it worse. An outlet that can only take two prongs is not grounded. The purpose of the third prong is to ground the electrical source which is why you see three-prong outlets on devices that consume high levels of energy.
Outside of inconvenience, this means that your electrical writing system is not grounded which can cause much larger problems down the road. Believe it or not, it can actually cause your outlets to blow out or your appliances if there is a surge of energy. You can even receive an electrical shock if you pull out the cord at a time that it is surging. No matter how tempting this is, it is not safe and you need an electrician to come out to your Florence, SC home and install properly grounded outlets.
Flickering Lights
Flickering lights are another common problem associated with older homes, but they can occur in newer homes as well. Either way, they should not be ignored because flickering lights usually mean that your circuit box is not large enough to handle all of the current your home is consuming. This can eventually lead to massive problems and even a home fire if you ignore it.
Therefore, you need to call an electrician if you notice that your lights flicker when a major appliance kicks in. A lot of people report noticing the lights flicker when the furnace cycles or the oven is on. Either way, the situation needs to be addressed for the safety of everyone in your home. One of the best ways to solve this problem is to create a new dedicated circuit for a large appliance to run on. An electrician can make this switch if needed and help solve the problem within one afternoon.
Your Outlets Have Arms
Do the outlets in your home look like they have legs? Does every outlet in your kitchen or living room have a power strip near it that runs to five or six appliances or devices? If every outlet in your room is being forced to power a handful of items then you without a doubt probably overwhelming your circuits. While power strips are almost a necessity for charging multiple electrical systems or setting up a home entertainment center, they are not the gold standard for power control.
If your available outlets are not enough to meet your electrical needs without multiple power strips it is time to call an electrician to install a few new outlets. While it may seem daunting to you, creating a new outlet and running it to a new circuit at the box is not an impossible task. Sometimes you won’t even need a new circuit, just a new outlet which will help spread out the electrical current and allow you to put away the mess or wires that currently sit on your floor. As a bonus, this may help alleviate all of the wires that are strung under your rugs across the room since you can now plug straight into an outlet.
Do any of these signs sound relatable to you? Do you think that you would benefit from the help of an electrician? If the answer to either question is yes then give Mister Sparky of Florence a call. We will be happy to send a professional certified and licensed electrician out to your home to inspect the issue and offer you a reasonable and quick solution.
