What Are The Most Common Problems An Electrician Faces? | Bedford, TX
Photo By KenTannenbaum at istock
Being a homeowner means keeping an eye out for tons of different problems, including things as simple as brown spots on the lawn and as advanced as electrical problems. Knowing how to spot a problem with your electrical system and when to call an electrician is the easiest way to prevent bigger problems in your home. From flickering lights to outlets that don’t work, understanding some common electrical problems is important. If you want to make sure the electrical system in your home is safe and keeping your home powered up, here are some common problems to look out for.
Flickering Lights
Flickering lights are a common problem for homeowners, especially if you live in an older home. This can be caused by several different things, but it’s always a good idea to have an electrician check things out if your lights are constantly flickering.
In some cases, flickering can be explained by a light bulb that’s simply not all the way screwed in. However, it could also be caused by a problem with the light plug or light switch, both of which are problems you need to get fixed as soon as possible.
If you notice your lights flickering when certain appliances are in use, it could be that you need a little more power from your electrical panel. Fortunately, a professional can take care of that as well.
Frequently Tripping Breakers
Most homeowners know what it’s like to trip a breaker; we’ve all turned on too many large appliances at once and had the entire kitchen shut down simultaneously. However, that shouldn’t be a problem you’re running into often. If you’re having the same breaker trip time and time again from simple daily use, that’s a sign that you’ve got a problem.
Circuit breakers are designed to protect your home from fire hazards, so malfunctioning breakers are a big problem. Have an electrician take a look at your electrical panel if you’ve got a problem with the circuit breakers frequently tripping.
Power Outages
Most of the time, power outages aren’t something you should worry too much about in terms of electrical problems. While they’re inconvenient, it’s not unusual for the power to go out in your Bedford, TX, home. However, there’s cause for concern if your house is the only one in the neighborhood that loses power during an outage.
Power outages are generally caused by a problem with a transformer or some other major part of the electrical grid. Since this larger electrical equipment affects lots of different homes, these problems lead to power outages in a certain region. A single-home power outage is a sign that you’ve got a problem with your electrical system, and the only way to keep your power on in the future is to have an electrician find and fix that problem.
High Electric Bill
You probably have a general idea of how much your electric bill is going to be each month, so sudden spikes are pretty obvious. While your power bill can change quite a bit during the summer and winter months when you’re using cooling and heating, you shouldn’t notice any sudden jumps if you’re not making any changes.
If your electrical bill is higher than it should be and you aren’t sure why, have an electrician inspect your home for problems. Things like faulty wiring can lead to electricity leakage, which means you’re paying for electricity you’re not even using. Getting professional help is the only way to fix wiring problems that could be contributing to an increase on your bill.
Discolored Outlets
There’s a good reason the electrical outlets in your home are a somewhat light color. Not only does this color go well with the off whites most people use for their walls, they also show discoloration better so you know when there’s something wrong with your electrical system.
If you notice an outlet looks burnt or there’s some other discoloration, call an electrician right away. Burnt outlets could be a sign that the outlets are getting too hot, which is a huge fire hazard that can put you, your family and your home in danger.
Frequent Bulb Burnouts
Every homeowner knows that light bulbs are one of the most commonly replaced things in a home. However, that doesn’t mean you should be putting new bulbs in a lighting fixture weekly or even monthly. If your light bulbs are burning out much faster than they should be, you could have a problem with wiring or wattage that’s overloading the light fixture. It could also be a result of a poor connection. The best thing you can do if you’re having frequent bulb burnouts is have an electrician check the wiring and light socket.
Noises
Sometimes electronics will make a little bit of noise, but that’s generally a result of moving components inside those electronics, not wires or electrical parts. If you hear a noise coming from an electrical outlet, a light fixture or some other electrical fixture, you could have a loose connection somewhere. Since this can be a fire hazard like other electrical problems, you need to call a professional if your outlets or fixtures make any weird noises.
Here to Help
The fact of the matter is, it’s not easy preventing and spotting electrical problems. However, the fire hazard these problems can cause in your home needs to be addressed, so it’s your job as a homeowner to keep your eyes peeled and get help when you need it.
If you’ve got an electrical problem in your Bedford, TX, home that you’re not sure about, an electrician at Tioga Plumbing & Electric can help. If you have any questions about an electrical problem or need an electrician to take a look at your home, give us a call at (469) 789-1292 today.