If you are wondering whether or not you should hire an electrician this New Year’s, you probably should. While paying an electrician to do minor repairs for your home can seem costly, you may be saving money, time, and peace of mind in the long run. When you leave common electrical problems unchecked, you pose a risk of a potentially dangerous outcome. Contact the experts at Asbury Electric (757) 768-7147 today for any electrical repairs and guidance needed.
Flickering Lights
Notice the lights in your home or office flicker or blink? Flickering lights or blinking lights that change in brightness and dimness can signal several issues. Some of which require an electrician and some of which do not. If you see a lightbulb that begins to flicker or blink, turn off the light and unplug the device. Ensure that you are using the correct bulb type and that the bulb is installed correctly and tightly. The issue just might be your light bulb.
Another factor could be a loose light plug, an issue with the switch, or even a more significant issue such as sensory overload or loose wirings. Additionally, there could also be a problem with your meter box if you notice multiple bulbs having the same issue. In this case, hiring an electrician such as Asbury Electric would be your best bet with flickering lights.
Trip in Circuit Breaker
If you notice your circuit breaker tripped, worry not. Most likely, you can reset the switch, and you’re good to go. Right? If you find your circuit breaker continually tripping, you will have to identify where the root of the problem is located in your home or office. It is best to ensure all light switches and appliances are off. You will want to reset all areas of the house from on to off and then back to on. If your circuit breaker continues to trip after doing a full reset, you will want to call an electrician immediately to inspect the issue further.
Overloaded or Warm Electrical Outlets
Although we may hardly give any of our attention to the outlets in our home, you may stumble upon a warm or hot outlet when either plugging something in or removing a plug. Why or how did your electrical outlet get so heated? To begin with, warm or hot electrical outlets are not healthy. If you do not want to call an electrician, you will want to reset your circuit breaker and unplug everything from the hot outlet. Your outlet may be warm because of an overloaded circuit, which means you are plugging in more than what your circuit can handle. If you are still unable to resolve your warm electrical outlet, you will want to call an electrician. This may be a more severe case, such as a bad connection, which poses the risk of even a fire.
Fuse Blowout
Whether you have a new or old home, there should be some circuit breaker or fuse box that is designed for circuit overloads or when your circuit trips. However, when a fuse blows, you will need replacing. Fuses can blow when there is an overload or if there is a hot wire that makes contact with the grounding pathway or a neutral wire. Additionally, it may take a while to understand where or what is caused your fuse to blow. If you are not a trained professional electrician, you will want to hire one such as Asbury Electric to diagnose the issue thoroughly.
Changes in Your Electric Bill
Notice significant changes in your electric bill? If your electric bill is too high, you’ll want to find out what the cause is and how you can lower it for months to come. Whether your recent bill is higher than usual or you notice a consistent increase each month, you’ll want to take these steps to ensure you find the source and resolve the issue immediately. The most obvious answer may be what electronics are used the most in your home, and if you have recently invested in an electronic device or appliance that may be eating up your bill. This could mean how long you have the TV on, leaving the refrigerator door open, how many loads of laundry you have done, and how often you run the dishwasher. Another factor may be if you are using old electrical appliances in your home. Lastly, which electronic devices have been left on without you being aware of it? This can range from smart home automation platforms to your computer being left on standby.
If you are still unable to know where the changes in your electric bill are coming from, you will want to contact an electrician as the issue may be a lot more severe or even dangerous.
