Does That Electrical Issue Need Repair or Replacement?

Recycling and reusing are important choices to make around the home to prevent creating too much waste. However, there are times when something has completed its full lifespan, either because of longevity or damage. Recycling or reusing items can also save money, yet safety should always be the most important consideration when it comes to anything that is related to electrical use.

Is It a Big Deal or a Little Thing?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if that little spark or flickering light is an electrical emergency or just a quirky nuisance in your home. Your local licensed Mister Sparky electrician does know the difference so a call to see if you need a minor repair or complete do over.

Some ways to tell if you have an electrical issue (and share with your electrician when you call to describe the problem):

Sniff: is there a burning smell or other unusual odor?

Listen: do you hear a new buzzing or humming sound?

Feel: did you just get zapped when you touched a switch?

Look: are the lights continuously flickering?

An electrician will be able to follow these clues and determine if wires or outlets—or even lamps or microwaves—need to be replaced or repaired. Sometimes this is good news—it wasn’t a wiring problem, your microwave was just old! Sometimes the good news is more complicated and you learn that your keen senses alerted you to a major faulty wire and prevented a fire.

Learn more about what might be an electrical emergency here.

The Types of Electrical Repair

Not only are Mister Sparky electricians trained and licensed, the work is guaranteed for a period of time after the repair is done.

While occasionally there is a surprise, most electrical repair work is for the following services:

Faulty wiring—both inside and outside of a home
Circuit breaker malfunction
Power outage of individual home
Electrical panels
Generators
Ceiling fans

We’ve explained in greater detail how to tell when there might be an issue that needs repair here. An electrician is looking for ways to fix what is broken, and not to start from scratch.

When It is Time for a Replacement

Ideally, the first time a home was wired it was done by a professional, and the same goes for when a ceiling fan or generator was installed. Yet often an electrician arrives to find that someone with good intentions and a DIY mindset made mistakes that have left a homeowner with recurring electrical issues or non-functioning devices.

When a Mister Sparky electrician determines that a ceiling fan isn’t operating due to incorrect installation, for example, this will likely mean that you need to buy a new fan for them to install properly. An electrical job that was not done to code is not safe for even a licensed electrician to fix and it benefits the homeowner to get it done right by a professional.

Also, when an electrician finds an old or undersized electrical panel at a home, there will be a recommendation to replace this with a new panel that will support the current electrical needs of the home. Or an electrician can recommend the installation of a new subpanel that can provide the needed capacity for your family.

A Mister Sparky electrician can help a homeowner with repairs to malfunctioning electrical systems or provide professional replacement or installation of new equipment.