When To Call The Emergency Electrician | Wilmington, NC
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Whether you think about it or not you consume electricity on a daily basis inside of your home. The moment you flip a light switch or reach for the coffee maker in the morning you have consumed electricity. However, while it may seem like magic it is not. There is a large electrical network behind the walls of your home that was at one point installed by a professional electrician. Everything was carefully placed to avoid the risk of a fire or electrical shock, but if you have an older home many years have passed since that initial installation.
While it would be nice to believe that the electrical system in your home has held up, there are likely weaknesses hiding that you don’t know about. Rodents may have nibbled on wires or they may simply dry rot a bit. Even if the wiring is in good condition, the electrical load in your house has probably likely changed. These days people consume a lot more electricity than they did just a few decades ago, and it may be taking a toll on your home’s electrical system. Unsure if your current issues are enough to call an emergency electrician about? The following is a list of times that you should always call an emergency electrician in Wilmington, NC.
While this list is not comprehensive, it does hit some of the major issues that require help from an emergency electrician. Keep in mind that electrical issues pose a fire and electrocution risk, so they are not something that should be taken likely. If you are unsure or not of whether you need an emergency electrician even after reading this, always err on the side of caution and tell an emergency electrician to ask. They will usually be pretty honest about whether a situation can wait until the morning or needs to be addressed now for the safety of your household.
Your Lights Flicker or Dim When You Turn on the Stove
Does it seem like your lights dim or flicker every time you turn on the stove or another major appliance in your home? Do you notice that the lights seem to flicker if you plug too many things into your outlets? These are all signs that there is a problem with the electrical writing in your home and it may be time to call an electrician. There are multiple reasons why this may be happening.
First of all, it is possible that the wiring in your home is simply just aging. There is not much you can do in this case outside of hiring an emergency electrician to repair the electrical damage. Wiring only lasts for so long but you may have home pests helping to expedite the process.
Lights may also flicker when the system is overloaded, which is why you notice it most when you turn on a major appliance like the stove or washing machine. You may also see it when the HVAC system cycles because that is a major draw of electricity. It is best to let an electrician take a look at what is going on in your Willington, NC home and isolate the problem. They may want to replace some wiring in your home or they may want to install a dedicated circuit to help offset the power draw of a major appliance.
Your Outlets Smell LIke Rubber Burning
As a general rule, if you ever smell a burning smell coming from the electrical outlets you need to call an emergency electrician. Your electrical outlets should never smell like rubber burning or electrical burning. If you ever notice this smell in your home it is a direct warning that something is going wrong and you need to turn off the circuit if you know which one it is, and then call an electrician. Other signs that something is seriously wrong is if you notice the outlet itself looks burnt or discolored with brown marks around the edges where the plugs go. Immediately turn off the outlet if you smell or notice the discoloration and unplug everything from the outlet until an electrician arrives at your Wilmington, NC home.
Your Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping
Your circuit breaker is designed to prevent the electrical system from getting overwhelmed and starting a fire. Therefore, if your circuit breaker is tripping this is a sign that it is working correctly. However, if your circuit breaker is tripping on a regular basis then this means the problem is larger than one occasional surge.
Sometimes you know why the circuit trips. If you plug in many high voltage appliances then it is reasonable that it would trip because it cannot handle the load. However, if the breaker just starts tripping on a regular basis then you need to figure out what is causing the surge. An emergency electrician is a good choice in this scenario, especially if it is tripping when you use a major appliance in your home that you can’t avoid such as your stove or HVAC system. You need to quickly figure out what is surging before it becomes a larger issue.
You Hear Buzzing from Your Breaker Box
Your breaker box should be a silent box that sits in the corner of your basement or first floor. If you hear any type of noise coming out of it you need to call an emergency electrician right away. Buzzing or humming can indicate a major issue with your home wiring, and it may mean that your breaker box is not functioning properly which means if there is a power surge your home is not protected. Therefore, if you hear any noises you need to call an electrician who can get to the bottom of the issue quickly before the situation gets worse.
If you recognize any issues Mister Sparky of Wilmington can come out promptly to your home and investigate the issue. We have worked with many clients around Wilmington and will be happy to come out to your home and troubleshoot the issue.