You learn to adapt to your home's electrical system, so you may get used to things like having to turn off the window AC before you use the microwave to keep the circuit from flipping. While that's not an ideal situation and you should talk to an electrician about upgrade options if that happens, there are times when problems with your electricity could be serious. Here's when you'll want to call an electrician for repairs so you reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock.
An Appliance Shocks You
Some appliances, such as an electric stove, use a lot of power and a shock from a stove can be serious. If you feel a slight shock when you use the stove or turn on a particular burner, you'll want to get the stove checked right away and not use the stove until the electrical problem is solved. The problem might be with the ground connection. When that happens, the electricity might flow through you to get to the ground, and that can give you a bad shock. Other things can cause electrical problems with your stove, and the problem might even be the stove rather than with the wiring, plug, or electrical panel.
A Light Or Outlet Feels Hot
If you're dusting your ceiling fan or changing a light bulb in a ceiling light and notice the ceiling feels hot in that area, call an electrician to take a look. Turn off the fan or light while you wait. Outlets can also get warm, and those could be dangerous, too. The problem might be an overloaded circuit or bad wiring that's overheating. You might also smell burning plastic if the insulation around the wiring is melting due to the heat. This situation can cause a fire, so you'll want to call an electrician right away.
An Outlet Has No Power
Being without power is a major inconvenience for your family. Sometimes, the cause is a tripped circuit that you can turn back on yourself. If the circuit trips back off, then there's a problem an electrician needs to find and repair. Other times, the circuit is on and you don't see anything wrong other than that the outlet has no power. This might be due to loose connections, and your electrician can take the outlet apart and tighten the connections or replace the outlet if it's damaged.
Whether the electrical system in your home is new or old, you could have a problem with it occasionally. If you notice odd smells or unusual sounds coming from your electrical panel, then call an electrician right away. Since electricity is dangerous to work with, you want someone experienced and qualified to get to the cause of your problem and repair it quickly.
To learn more, contact a company like RDS Electric.
Does anyone really hold more power than an electrician? They bring power to your home, make sure it travels to the right appliances, and also make sure it does not harm you in the process. Their jobs are more intricate than most homeowners understand. Every day, they put themselves at risk of shock, but they know just what precautions to take to stay safe.
If you are a homeowner, at some point or another, you are going to have to hire an electrician. We created this website to give you a little more insight into their job, the projects they can handle, and what it's like to hire them.