Flickering lights? Burning smells? Here are some electrical warning signs that you should be calling a local residential electrician right away.

Let us get real. How often do you hire a home electrical repair service to check your home’s electrical system? Maybe once every 5 years?

Ideally, electrical systems must be diagnosed and maintained on a regular basis, especially when you notice these warning signs.

Sign #1: Tripping circuit breakers

Have you ever experienced losing power for several minutes? Are lights and appliances not turning on? Your circuit breaker probably has tripped. 

Although that is quite frustrating, do your own sleuthing before calling an electrician nearby. Circuit breakers have a safety mechanism that automatically shuts off the electricity to avoid electrical shocks or fire due to power overload. 

One of these two culprits could be blamed for your circuit breaker tripping:

• Circuit overload

Electrical wirings tend to overheat when more electrical current passes through more than they can handle. 

Here is what must be done to test for circuit overload. When your breaker trips again, unplug all your appliances and turn off all the switches. Flip the breaker back on and turn on the switches and appliances one by one to see if the circuit will stay on or not.

You might need to try this a couple of times to gauge how much the circuit can handle before it shuts off again, and which appliance is causing the overload.

• Abnormal connection between electrical wirings

Short-circuiting is the other common reason for a circuit breaker to suddenly flip off. Short circuit happens when electrical wirings become loose and touch each other causing overheating, explosion, or damage to the breaker. 

Tracing a short-circuit is difficult. Suspected electrical devices or electrical systems causing the power trip should be opened up to detect, repair, and replace the damaged wires. You definitely have to hire a professional to perform an electrician inspection and ensure everything is in order again.

Sign #2: Blown fuse and melted fuse holder

Fuses can be found in traditional breaker boxes of older homes. They are designed to blow and melt whenever the electrical system is drawing too much current than it can handle.

A blown or melted fuse occurs when the fuse gets extremely hot and eventually softens the coating and holder. In other words, it blows due to excessive current. Although it is relatively easy to fix a blown fuse, to prevent further damage, consult with a professional electrician nearby.

Sign #3: Lights flickering when appliances are turned on

An electrical inspection should also be considered when your lights start flickering whenever you turn an appliance on. Be more concerned if small appliances like a coffee pot and toaster are causing the electrical problem.  Such unusual activity could mean bigger issues:

• Loose connectors in the electrical panel
• Electrical overload caused by major appliances all plugged in the same circuit
• Connections are too close to each other causing sparks 

Whatever is causing the flickering, have a trained electrician perform the diagnosis and remedy. ElectriCall is experienced in remedying this type of electrical issue. Get in touch with us to learn about the home electrical repair  service we can do for you!

Sign #4: Charred switches and outlets

The plastic housing of outlets and switches can easily burn. More often than not, it happens to houses built with aluminum wirings. Talk with an experienced local residential electrician if you are unsure whether your home is using aluminum wiring or not.

You will want the assistance of professionals to rewire your home. Some houses are “top wired” which means that the electrical routing goes up to the ceiling of the ground floor back to the outlets and switches. This routing system is more complicated to fix and demands the expertise of a local residential electrician.

Schedule an appointment with us

In order to have a safe and sound sleep at night, an accurate assessment of your home’s electrical system is necessary. Book ElectriCall to conduct an electrical inspection in your home right away.

We can evaluate the integrity of your electrical components. Our specialists will look for issues from the circuits, electrical boxes, to cable anchoring. With our expertise, we can easily detect the faulty installation of appliances, light fixtures, and outlets among others. 

On top of that, our team will perform a couple of trial runs to your electrical system to ensure it is safe to use. And we will go as far as helping your home have surge protection.

A home inspection is important. Let ElectriCall eliminate your worries of fire hazards and the risk of electric shock. Call us now!