3 Common Signs That a Home May Need the Services of an Electrician

The electricity in your home doesn't need to fail altogether for your home to need the services of an electrician. There may be signs that your home's electrical wiring is bare or frayed or that it's outdated and is getting overloaded as you use it. You don't want to ignore these signs as this can mean that your home's wiring can be at risk for an electrical fire, and you can also be putting wear and tear on your appliances and electrical devices. Note the following.

1. When you think you can hear or smell electricity behind the walls

Electricity makes no sound and has no odor, so if you think you can see or hear electricity behind the walls this often means that wires are frayed or bare. You might actually be smelling the singeing of drywall or insulation as it comes into contact with electricity that hits a bare spot on the wires. As the electrical current hits this bare spot, it might also make a popping sound as that current gets interrupted.

These sounds and smells should never be ignored. If building materials are being singed then they could easily catch on fire, so it's best to have your wiring replaced as quickly as possible when you notice these problems.

2. One circuit keeps switching off

When the wiring of your home's circuits gets overloaded, this causes the circuit breaker to switch off. While this might happen on occasion, if it happens repeatedly then it's best to have the wiring checked. Wiring that is overloaded can soon become bare and frayed, and having your appliances get switched on and off consistently can put excess wear and tear on them. An electrician can upgrade the wiring of the circuit so it can handle electrical demands, or rewire it so that certain appliances are on their own circuit.

3. Your home has frequent brownouts

A brownout refers to a slowdown of electricity; appliances don't stop working but they slow down, especially as you plug in more than one appliance or device. This often means that your wiring cannot deliver all the electricity being demanded of it from your appliances so that they slow down from a lack of full power. This too can lead to wires becoming bare or frayed and means more wear and tear on those electrical pieces, as they may work harder to function without enough electricity.  


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