When to Call an Electrician

You’re a do-it-yourselfer who spends the weekends completing home improvement projects and finds great satisfaction in completing tasks.We get it, you’ve upgraded your own light fixtures and faucets and installed a hand-built chandelier without complications. At Asbury Electric in Gloucester, we appreciate those who tackle home improvement tasks themselves. However, sometimes everyone needs a licensed electrician to ensure that electrical projects are done to code and are safe. Here are a few times that you should seriously consider calling your local electrician rather than attempting to fix it yourself.

#1 Damaged wires or switches

It is never a good idea to take on the task of repairing damaged wires and switches on your own. Damaged wires and switches are an electrical emergency waiting to happen. If there are not handled properly, by trained experts, it can easily result in electrical shock — which becomes a medical emergency — or an electrical fire. Even if the issue seems to be fixed without complications, if the underlying condition isn’t repaired, damaged wire or switch poses a threat to your entire electrical system.

#2 Tripping circuit breakers

If your circuit breakers trip regularly or you lose power when you turn on appliances, that is a warning that your electrical system cannot handle all of your home’s electrical demands. There are several reasons this may be happening, including faulty appliances being plugged into an older electrical system that cannot handle the wattage that is attempting to be powered. Your circuit breaker is a safety mechanism designed to cut power when the risk of overheating or overloading is present. This helps to prevent damaging appliances, electrical shock, or fire.

#3 Outlet installation

If your home doesn’t have enough electrical outlets to meet your power needs, don’t just add more outlets yourself as this is incredibly dangerous. When you add outlets yourself, you will likely splice the power cords nearest the outlet that you are attempting to create. Once your new outlet exists, it can seem like everything is operating just fine for a while. However, it can cause dangerous electrical sparks behind your walls and damage your home’s entire power grid. If your existing outlets only have two-prong capabilities, do not cut the third prong off your appliances — as this is incredibly dangerous — and instead call your electrician to upgrade your existing outlets.

#4 Remodel or home upgrades

If your home is older and you decide it is time to upgrade or update it, chances are this includes adding or replacing light fixtures. This can be a very exciting undertaking, however, if it is not done properly, it can be a colossal waste of time and money. If you are planning a remodel that will change the structure of a room, you’ll need to hire a local electrician, to assist in the construction process and ensure that everything is safe and will accommodate your new power needs. Your Gloucester electrician can help in the planning and implementation phases as well as test everything once the remodel is complete.

#5 The lights flicker or wane

If your lights ever flicker or wane, especially when a large appliance, such as your refrigerator or air conditioner comes on, this means that your outlet is having a hard time providing the current needed. The flicker or dimming of the lights is not merely a visual inconvenience, it is your power system’s warning signal that it is having trouble producing the amount of power that your home is demanding. Your electrician can add amp lines to correct the problem.

There is a reason it takes between five and six years to become a journeyman (or journeywoman) electrician and two to three more to become a master electrician! It is because there are so many technical things to learn and apply to safely provide electricity. While there are some electrical projects that are safe for the average handyman (or woman!) to complete on their own, there are some things that should be left to the experts. Whether you need something as basic as a ceiling fan installed or something as extensive as the complete electrical wiring installed in a new home build, trust the electricians at Asbury Electric. We have the skill and the tools to handle all of your electrical needs.