There are a number of safety issues to be aware of when it comes to caring for your home, one of the most important being to stay on top of any electrical issues that might be occurring. While something like a plumbing problem can cause property damage, and an AC malfunction can cause discomfort, an electrical issue can cause electrocution and even house fires. Therefore, it’s essential that if something is wrong, you have a professional electrician check it out to avoid any potential future hazards.
Even with regular electrical maintenance, there’s always a chance that an electrical problem can happen in your home. You may already be familiar with some of the telltale signs of an electrical problem, but keep reading below to see if there’s anything you might have missed.
Flickering Lights
Chances are that no, your house is not haunted. Well, at least, a haunted house isn’t going to be the reason your lights are flickering! The cause of this issue is almost always because of a short circuit in your electrical system. If it’s just one lamp or lighting fixture, then it may be an isolated issue.
If, however, you’re noticing flickering lights in an entire section of your home, then the short circuit is likely somewhere within the home, leaving you with a bigger problem. If you’ve noticed this electrical symptom, then we recommend you give us a call right away to prevent the problem from getting worse.
Hot Spots or Discoloration on Outlets and Switches
Have you ever put your hand on a light switch or random spot on the wall to discover it is warm? These hot spots often indicate points in your electrical system where current is flowing in a direction it shouldn’t be. When an electrical current diverts to a point it isn’t supposed to go, like another wire or directly into the drywall, it throws off a lot of energy as heat.
This is what you’re feeling when you notice a hot spot in your home—and this is something you never want to ignore. Nor do you want to ignore discoloration or residue on your outlets and switches. If you see or experience any black soot-looking residue on or near your plugs or switches, this is a sign that an electrical fire has occurred—often they go out on their own but this is an indication of an immediate need for electrical work and you should contact our professionals ASAP to inspect and repair.
Frequent Circuit Breaker Tripping
If any part of your home’s electrical system suddenly starts to carry voltage beyond safety limits, the circuit breaker trips and that part of the system is shut down until the problem can be repaired. In many cases, a circuit breaker will trip because the circuit was overloaded.
Unplugging a few things and then resetting the breaker is often all that is required to remedy this. However, if your circuit breaker keeps tripping, then there is a larger problem at hand. Either there is a more serious issue with that circuit, which the breaker is trying to protect against, or the circuit breaker itself is malfunctioning. Either of these need to be addressed promptly.
At Covenant Heating and Cooling, we are “Dedicated to the Promise of Serving You.” Contact us today for superior HVAC and electrical services throughout Nashville, TN and beyond.