The most costly, and typically dangerous, disruptions in daily life are when something we totally rely on and take for granted stops working for a minute. That’s especially true of electrical systems. We all make use of electrical systems throughout our homes to power any number of appliances. If there is a problem with the electrical system itself, it can cause widespread issues throughout the rest of the house. It can even lead to serious injury through things like house fires or electrocution! Protect yourself and your home from these issues by calling for repairs if your electrical system is doing any of these things.
Hot Spots
Have you ever put your hand on the wall and felt a spot that was markedly hotter than the rest of it? What about around your light switch? If so, you should have a professional electrician check it out for you. Hot spots in those areas can mean that electrical current is being shunted out of the wiring, and into areas it’s not supposed to go. Like the drywall. This can cause the wall to catch fire or, if the problem is located around a light switch, electrocution when someone goes to flip it. Please note that this is not necessarily a sign of a problem if you’re using dimmer switches in your home, as they are designed to control the flow of electricity and will often be warmer than their simple on/off counterparts.
Flickering Lights
If one light is flickering in your home, try changing the light bulb and see if that fixes it. If a large number of lights are flickering in your home, try resetting the circuit breaker. If it’s still happening, you should consult with a professional electrician about what the problem is. This issue might be due to a short circuit somewhere, which is preventing the current from flowing smoothly through that part of the home’s system.
Burning Smells
A burning smell is pretty much never a good sign in your home, whether it’s coming from the kitchen or some other area. If you smell something burning, but you can’t quite tell where it’s coming from, it might be due to something in your walls. Best to have an electrician run a full check of your system, to make sure the wires aren’t touching something they shouldn’t be.
The Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping
The circuit breaker is designed to keep your home as safe as possible, by shutting off any circuit that becomes overloaded or otherwise behaves strangely. Normally, all it takes to restore things to normal is to reset the circuit. If you want to be really safe, you should unplug all the appliances on that circuit and plug them back in one at a time after resetting it to make sure it can handle it. If the circuit breaker keeps tripping, though, you may have bigger problems. You should call a professional in that case.
Douglas Cooling & Heating provides comprehensive electrical repair services in Birmingham, AL. Contact us today, and ask about our financing options for jobs over $3,000!
