Signs Of Power Surges In Homes: Your Local Electrician Can Help | Irving, TX
A power surge is a dramatic or sudden increase in electric voltage that passes through the electrical circuits, usually beyond the 169 maximum volts in a home. The power surge intensifies the voltage, pushing too much electricity to the power outlets.
It is an electrical problem that can lead to catastrophic and costly electrical problems in Irving, TX, homes, which will need the professional assistance of an electrician. It can damage your power outlets and electrical appliances. However, severe surges with higher electrical voltage are prone to burn your electronics and the wiring system, causing an electrical fire.
The National Fire Protection Association noted that electrical fires account for 18 percent of civilian deaths and 20 percent of property destruction in the USA. The surges caused by lightning or external aspects such as downed power lines can also lead to massive loss of lives.
To prevent electrical fires in your home, a qualified and experienced electrician can fix issues that cause power surges by installing surge protectors. It is wise to identify signs of an electrical surge in your home to help you to act promptly to prevent catastrophic outcomes. Below are some of the indications of a higher electrical voltage.
Flickering or Brightening Lights
Sometimes, the lights in your residential house in Irving, TX, might suddenly start flickering, or your TV momentarily becomes brighter than usual. The flashing lights are among the many signs of a power surge due to an electrical circuit outlet. Overloading your power outlets can cause substantial harm to your appliances, leading to costly repair or replacement by an electrician.
When you ignore the flickering of lights and continue overloading the power outlets in your house, you may experience an electrical fire that might lead to unimaginable destruction of property and lives. Therefore, the moment you notice flickering lights, it’s advisable to switch everything off and call your trusted professional to diagnose and fix the issue immediately.
Acrid Burnt or Scorching Odor
Another sign of a power surge is the burning smell that comes from the appliances, switches, or power outlets in your home. The electrical voltage increment occurs when the electricity flowing to your electrical components and devices is interrupted then restored.
If the electrical power surge is due to poorly installed electrical wires done by an unqualified electrician, the electrical lines might cause a fire. The electrical spark could fry the electrical circuits or system while using the appliances. The sparks can also burn some parts of your outlets or switches, leaving behind an acrid burnt odor.
Another cause of the burning smell might result from frayed, worn-out, or damaged electrical wires that might cause an electrical fire if not fixed on time. If there is a scorching smell from your power outlets, you should switch off the appliances immediately and have a qualified professional inspect and fix the wires.
The scorching odor might also arise due to power surges caused by external aspects such as downed power lines. Catastrophic weather conditions such as strong winds, hurricanes, and snow can take down a power line, leading to a power surge and outage.
You might also experience very high electrical voltage swings that will damage your appliances before a power outage. In such cases, the best decision is to contact an electrician to determine the extent of the damage to your electronics.
Also, the acrid burning odor is likely to happen when a power surge arises from a lightning strike, which can lead to massive destruction of public property and death. A single strike can deposit millions of volts to residential and commercial electrical systems, causing electrical explosions.
Fortunately, lightning strikes rarely take place. However, all appliances destroyed by the extremely high voltage power from a lightning strike are always beyond repairs. Therefore, an electrician can only help by installing new electrical equipment and devices after a proper fire damage repair.
System or Appliance Reset
Some appliances are set to go into rest mode whenever they experience a power surge. The electrical equipment might require resetting from the rest mode. The increase in electrical voltage might be due to an overloading cable that powers the electric system with other electrical units that consume more energy, such as refrigerators, air conditioning units, and heaters.
The electrical service is likely to recommend using different power outlets with heavy appliances to prevent another power surge that might lead to expensive damages emerging from an overloading outlet.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
An electrician installs a circuit breaker in your home to prevent short circuits that can lead to electrical fires. The circuit breakers come in handy during a power surge preventing your appliances from damage. When you notice the circuit breaker has tripped, it might be a sign of a short circuit or power surge.
The surge might be due to high power demand in the region, especially during the hot and cold season, which requires frequent running of air conditioning units and heaters.
According to the Texas Tribune 2021, the Texas power grid was at risk of failing because of the high power demanded by millions of residents due to the winter season, which could cause surges if not adequately controlled through blackouts. The sagging voltage produced during the cold days could easily lead to power surges putting the public’s property at risk of electrical problems and worse fires.
Since it is an external problem that might not require a residential electrician to fix, the grid operators are responsible for preventing the surges and damages by restoring enough power bit by bit.
Call us Today!
A power surge should not be ignored because it can lead to an electrical fire that will destroy lives and property. If you see signs of a power surge in your home in Irving, TX, you should call Tioga Plumbing & Electric to get trusted and reliable services.
Our electrical company has reliable and licensed professional electricians equipped to handle all your electrical problems. We also offer various electrical services such as appliance hookup, overhead and underground service, replacing fuses and breakers, service upgrades, and lease space wiring as well as industrial and commercial electrical services.
Photo By ClaudioVentrella at istock