All homes are equipped with all different kinds of wires and electrical services. From big items like your central air unit, washers, and dryers, lights, refrigerators; to smaller items like a lamp, hairdryer, phone charger. There is almost always some form of electricity running through some part of your house, whether you are aware of it or not. Because of that, being aware of what needs to be repaired or replaced is very important. Here are 4 common electrical repairs that you should know about.
Flickering Lights and Bulb Burnouts
There may be a few reasons that your lights are flickering, and none of them should be happening. While the reasons may not be detrimental at the start, they could spiral into a problem that could have been easily avoided in the first place. Some reasons your lights may be flickering can be due to:
- A loose lightbulb – This can be easily fixed by switching the lights off and ensuring that the bulb is screwed in properly.
- A faulty switch – This is something that will need to be replaced.
- Poor wiring – This needs to be replaced by professionals.
- Overloaded circuit – This can be fixed by decreasing the number of appliances on one
If any of these problems occur with a burning smell as well, this could be a much bigger problem. Bulb burnouts can occur due to the wattage being too high, insulation proximity, and bad wiring. If you’re constantly changing lightbulbs in your home, it would be smart to reach out to a professional electrician to narrow down the problems.
Circuit Breaker Tripping
The circuit breaker is the electrical box in your home that houses the on/off switches to your electrical currents. Typically, your circuit breaker will trip if the circuit is overloaded. Being designed to only withstand a certain amount of power, the breaker will trip and cause an outage to either a part of the house or the entire house. Other reasons circuit breakers may trip can be due to short circuits, ground faults, arc faults, or the circuit breaker is simply just old and worn out and needs replacement.
Shocks
Electrical shocks happen when you touch outlets or switches to turn a device on or off. This means that damaged or frayed cords are exposed in some way or are not where they are supposed to be. This is a very unpleasant feeling that can be potentially very dangerous depending on the size of the electric current. To find out why this is happening, it is best to call a professional electrician to find out what’s causing it and fix it.
Faulty Light Switch
Having a fault light switch can also be a common electric repair in the home. If you’re hearing a buzzing or clicking noise coming from your light switch, or maybe it’s not even working at all, this could be a problem. Either the switch itself could be faulty, the connection could be wrong, or there could potentially be a problem with the electrical wiring which then calls for a replacement. If you’re experiencing issues with the switches in your home, contact a professional electrician for help.
30 years is the industry standard for your home’s electrical system. You’re bound to run into a few problems here and there, and if they continue, you’re going to need professional help. Practicing regular safe maintenance will extend the life of your system and be more beneficial in the long run.
If your home needs electrical repairs of any kind, be sure to contact Benchmark Electrical Services.