5 Good Reasons To Call An Electrician | Bedford, TX

Photo By tenra at istock

Most people tend to ignore the infrastructure of their homes until something goes wrong. Many homeowners have limited knowledge of the electrical wiring and generally how electricity works in their homes. It is therefore advised to always leave the electrical works to a professional electrician in Bedford, TX.

Unless your home was built recently, you could benefit from an upgrade of the electrical system or fixing. It is hard to ignore the fact that dependence on technology is at an all-time high, and the demand for power is on the rise as well. If you have an older home, the electrical system might not keep up with the electrical requirements. If you notice any of the below symptoms, it might be time to call an electrician.

Frequent Breaker Trips

When the breaker trips once or the fuse blows once, you can easily change the fuse, and there is nothing to worry about. However, if it happens frequently, it might be time to call in the experts. In most cases, you will find that the system is drawing more current than can safely be fed hence the often tripping of the breaker. If left without a permanent solution, it could be potentially dangerous.

The fuse blowing could be caused by damaged wiring. Rodents are the leading causes of damage to a home’s wiring. Rodents in your walls can chew on the wires, causing damage. This can be a health hazard, and you should call in your local Bedford, TX electrician to fix the damage. Do not forget to take care of the rodents, or the problem will recur in the future. Aging wiring can also be the root cause of damaged wires. As the wires get older, they become brittle, and the insulation on the wire can break because of this effect.

Flickering Lights

It is not uncommon to have lights dimming or flickering when you plug in certain appliances. Motor-driven appliances usually draw more current than smaller devices, and they should be wired on a dedicated circuit. However, there might be no correlation between plugging in appliances and flickering, and there might be an underlying cause for the flickering. Other reasons for flickering lights include;

• Loose wiring

Another common reason for flickering light is loose wiring, which can be dangerous. Loose wiring has, in the past, caused house fires where people have lost not just their belongings but also their lives.

• Malfunctioning circuit

A malfunctioning circuit can cause the incorrect amount of current to run to the light bulbs causing them to flicker. If you are sure that all the bulbs are tightly screwed and they still flicker, call in an electrician to find the underlying problem.

• Mismanaged circuit

When the circuitry is mismanaged, the results are flickering lights, and this can be a cause for a house fire.

Hot Outlets

Outlets should not be hot or even warm to touch, no matter how long you have had an appliance plugged in. It is easy to shrug off the issue and blame it on the heavy electricity usage by a device, but it could be a sign of something worse. A hot or warm outlet could be an indication of short-circuiting behind the outlet. The short circuit could cause the whole house to lose power if it is overloaded.

The outlet might get hot if there is a loose connection elsewhere in the electric circuit. Heat will travel through the wires from another location to the outlet. If an outlet in the house is heating up, you should switch off the power and call an electrician soon.

Additional Outlets

Something does not have to be wrong for you to call an electrician. It will surprise you the number of homes that still have electrical cords running under rugs and in the skirting boards. It is a clear indication that a home needs more sockets. You can easily have an electrician install extra outlets in the house rather than having the unsightly site of cables running under rugs. Adding outlets within the home is a routine job for most electricians that can make your home safer and offer a source of electricity where it is needed. A common place to have electrical sockets included by the bedside and by the edge of the seat.

Static Electricity or Small Shocks

Electric shocks happen when an electric current flows through your body. It occurs when you touch live electricity. Electric shock can result from a faulty electrical appliance or coming into contact with an electric outlet. The effects of an electric shock can be severe and can sometimes cause death. Below are some reasons you could be feeling the shocks.

• Ungrounded circuits

In the past, houses used to be wired with two-strand electrical cable one hot and the other neutral. With this kind of wiring, a small failure of the wire could expose you to electric shocks. That is why many people living in old houses have recorded feeling electric shocks. If you live in such a home, it is advisable to wear rubber-soled shoes within the house to reduce the risk of shock. You can also upgrade the wiring.

• Ground faults

Even with grounded wire, you could still get shocked if you touch exposed wires. It can also happen when handling a poorly insulated appliance. You can prevent this by avoiding using old devices with loose connections. You can also have an electrician install ground fault interrupting outlets in areas with wet conditions such as the bathroom and kitchens.

Call the Experts!

Do you feel that you need to upgrade the wiring in your home? Do not wait until you have an emergency. Do not hesitate to pick up your phone and call Tioga Plumbing & Electric, the electrical experts in Bedford, TX.