Common Electrical Problems

Although you should always have a professional electrician repair any serious electrical problems that you encounter, it is helpful to become familiar with the issues you may come across. This can help you understand what may be going on with your residential electric service, and it can even prevent additional problems from occurring. Continue on if you are interested in taking a closer look at some of the most common electrical problems you are likely to encounter.

Outlet Problems

If a faulty outlet is to blame for your electrical problems, you may experience sparking and or an outlet that is warm to the touch. It is important to note that an outlet that sparks may or may not be an issue. The small, occasional spark is normal; on the other hand, an outlet that sparks because of an excessive amount of heat may be extremely hazardous. This heat can expose your wires and elevate your risk for an electrical fire, which can compromise the safety of your family. If your outlet fails to work entirely, check the circuit breaker as well as the outlet plugs.

Power Surges

Severe weather or local service disruptions may cause you to lose power on occasion. If you only lose power throughout a certain area of your home, however, you have likely tripped a circuit breaker. This is a preventative measure that protects homeowners when they attempt to use too many appliances at the same time. If this occurs, locate your circuit breaker or fuse box and see if any of your switches have been tripped. Call an electrician for assistance if your switches are not labeled.

Flickering Lights

If you experience flickering lights in your home, chances are you will need a professional electrician to address the problem. This issue typically occurs when there is a loose connection. Attempting to fix this problem on your own may exaggerate the problem and result in a completely broken connection, which warrants a call to the electrician anyway.