Electrical issues are among the most dangerous kinds of problems your home can experience. Depending on the severity of the problem, it can result in house fires or even electrocution. Hopefully, you have a professional electrician checking on your electrical system at least once a year. Even if you are, though, you should make sure that you keep an eye out for signs that your system is in trouble. The faster you can identify potential electrical problems, the less likely they will be to progress far enough to pose a threat. Have a look at some of the signs that your home’s electrical system is having issues.
Constant Breaker Tripping
Your home’s circuit breaker is designed to keep your home safe by cutting off the flow of electricity if it starts to act in ways it shouldn’t. If your circuit breaker is tripping constantly, or even refuses to reset, you may have a bigger problem. It could be that you just have too many appliances placing demands on that particular circuit. If you’ve already offloaded a lot of appliances and it’s still tripping, though, then you should call an electrician. It might be that there’s an issue in the breaker panel itself, or that there’s some sort of problem in the circuit that is preventing it from operating safely.
Lights Flickering
Despite what horror movies over the decades have shown, flickering lights don’t mean that your home is haunted. Fun fact, most of the classic signs of a haunting are actually caused by plumbing and HVAC issues! Anyway, if the lights are flickering throughout your home it means that power is not consistently getting to them. That could indicate that there’s a short circuit in the system, which you should have checked out as soon as possible. Short circuits in the walls can cause house fires under the wrong circumstances, which you obviously do not want.
Hot Spots
When a short circuit diverts electrical energy into the area around the wire, it vents some of that energy as heat. If you notice that an area of your walls is warmer than it should be, it could indicate that you have a short circuit in that area. This is an especially common symptom around light switches, except for dimmer switches that operate a bit differently. Regardless, if you find a hot spot in your home it is better to be safe than sorry. Call an electrician to make sure it’s nothing serious.
Burning Smells
It may seem obvious, but if something smells like it’s burning then something probably is. If you smell something burning in your home, but you can’t locate the source, it might be that some of the wiring in your home is melting. It’s best to call an electrician, just in case.
Sunset Air offers comprehensive electrical services. If you’re looking for the best electrician in Union, WA, we’re here for you. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our professional electricians. We’ll make sure that your home’s electrical system stays safe.
