Situations That Call for an Electrician's Assistance
Electric repair is not something you should delay if you want to keep your home and everyone living in it safe. If you're wondering whether you need to call an electrician for repairs or upgrades, consider the following situations.
Constantly Tripping Circuit Breakers
If the circuit breakers are constantly tripping, you should enlist an electrician to investigate. The wiring in your house is connected in circuits that link to particular power outlets. Each circuit is only intended to handle currents up to a specific strength. When you plug in an extra appliance to an overloaded system, the circuit breaker will trip. This blocks the electricity flow and helps to prevent overheating, thus protecting the house. However, if it's frequently happening, you may require a system upgrade to cope with your energy needs.
Burning Smells and Flickering Lights
Another scenario in which you should call an electrician is if you notice unusual things happening in the house. You can't directly observe the condition of the wires in the walls, but you can detect signs of issues. For example, the lights may flicker or grow dim, or you might notice a burning odour or see scorching on the wall outlets. You could also hear crackling noises coming from the wall. Another issue to look out for is loose outlets. If you experience events such as these, call an electrician to inspect the system to find the cause. Any burning smell needs urgent attention.
Overloaded Power Points
Overloading your power points with double adaptors and extension cords is dangerous, as it's taking more electricity from the system than it was set up to. Extension cords running under rugs and along the carpet can heat up and even trigger a fire. Thus, if you notice you're relying on makeshift power boards, you should get your electrician to install more outlets and a higher-capacity system if needed.
Old Wiring
Another situation that you may need to address is old wiring. Electrical wires are covered with an insulating layer to prevent them from touching building elements and possibly starting a house fire. However, as the years go by, the danger of a fire can increase as the insulating layer wears away. Then a hot live wire carrying current may directly touch timber beams inside the walls, for example. Eventually, they could start smouldering. Thus, if your house is decades old, you should have an electrician proactively do an inspection. This can help prevent property damage and protect everyone living in the house.