7 Signs You Need to Call An Electrician Immediately

7 Signs You Need to Call An Electrician Immediately

What was the last DIY project you did at home?

As a homeowner, a little bit of DIY repair is expected. Sometimes it’s more cost effective and easier to patch a hole in the wall or repair a leaky pipe yourself.

Some problems are easy to fix, but others can be a little more difficult to handle. Electrical issues can be complicated, and if they aren’t handled correctly they could end up being dangerous.

Do you have an electric problem and are debating calling an electrician?

We’ll help you figure out if this an issue you can handle on your own, or if it’s time to bring in the professionals.

Top 7 Signs You Need An Electrician

It’s important to note that if you don’t feel comfortable troubleshooting an issue, it’s always time to call in a professional. You should also be sure to shut off electricity before you do any exploratory work in questionable areas.

Now that we have that covered, let’s move on to the issue at hand. If you’re noticing these issues, it’s a surefire sign that you need to bring out the professionals.

1. Your Fuses Keep Blowing

Do you feel like you’re constantly going into the basement to reset your breaker?

It isn’t unusual for breakers to need a hard reset every once in a while. Intense heat could lead to brownouts and blackouts, and sometimes running two things on the same circuit can cause problems.

The problems start to occur when it feels like you’re constantly having to reset your breakers. Resetting things once every few months is normal, but needing to reset something almost every week or day is a sign of deeper electrical issues.

2. Your Lights Flicker

Sometimes a flickering lamp is a sign that a bulb needs to be changed or tightened, but occasionally it could be a sign of bad electrical wiring.

Unless you have a dimmer switch involved, light coming out of lamps should stay consistent. Lights that flicker or become dimmer or brighter over time could have electrical issues that need to be addressed.

If you start to notice excessive flickering or dimming, take a little time to make some observations.

Do you notice that flickering seems to happen at the same time every night? There may not be a problem with electricity in your house. The flickering could be a result of an overtaxed power grid.

Do your lights tend to flicker when you’re using other small appliances? That may be a sign of wiring issues in your home. Too many outlets may be working off of one circuit.

3. Your Home Is Older

Electricity has changed a lot over the past couple of decades. If you have an older home, it’s possible that you may not have the most efficient or safe electrical wiring in your home.

Some of your most important wires may be frayed or be experiencing corrosion. An older system could be feeling overtaxed from powering all of your modern electric devices.

You may not currently be experiencing problems, but it’s still worth having an electrician come out and inspect your home. They may make your house safe and more energy efficient.

4. Your Bathroom and Kitchen Need Work

Kitchens and bathrooms play very important roles in the home. If both rooms aren’t maintained, simple electric issues could easily become dangerous.

Your kitchen and bathroom are the only rooms in your home that are regularly exposed to water. In wetter areas, outlets and electric equipment need to be well protected from residual moisture.

If you’re going through a remodeling project or simply have an outdated kitchen or bathroom, call an electrician to take a look at the rooms to make sure everything is safe.

5. You Don’t Have Enough Power Outlets

If you have an older home you may not have as many outlets as you’d like.

Most people resolve this issue by plugging in a surge protector and adding additional outlets that way, but that’s like putting a small band-aid on a large wound.

It’s possible to overuse surge protectors. You may have way too many devices drawing power from one weak place.

If you don’t have as many outlets as you’d like in your home, call an electrician to do some work. You may notice that a lot of the problems you had before will be resolved by having more power outlets.

6. Your Electric Bill Keeps Going Up

It’s not out of the ordinary to notice your electric bill increase when you’re blasting your A/C unit during some of Australia’s hottest months. A high bill in January or February is normal, but a high bill in July could be a sign of a bigger problem.

The utility company may not be raising their rates when you notice an unusually high bill. You may have a faulty or inefficient electrical set up that’s causing your home to consume and waste more electricity.

Take a quick look at your electric bills over the past year. If you only notice a slight jump during a month or two, that’s normal. If you see that your bill has been steadily increasing, it may be time to call an electrician.

7. Light Switches and Outlets Feel Warm

Take a moment to walk around your home and touch light switches, outlets, and any other electrical-system surfaces.

Do any of them feel warm to the touch?

These warm areas are a sign of overheating, and overheating is a problem that must be addressed by an electrician. Places that are already warm to the touch could spark a fire if they aren’t taken care of.

Also be sure to look out for other danger signs like blackening or discoloration on switch plates and wire ends. They’re signs that things aren’t just overheating. They’re actually sparking and pose a significant safety hazard.

Need an Electrician?

Do you feel like you need an electrician after reading this post? Don’t worry, we have you covered. Contact us today so we can set up a time to come out and make some much-needed repairs.

If you’re interested in learning more about home electric work from experts, check out our blog. Our post on handling faulty switches and power points can help you identify some problem areas in your home.