What's Considered an Electrical Emergency?
October 26, 2022
There are a lot of things you have to stay on top of as a Florence, SC, homeowner, especially when it comes to your electrical system. One of the most important things is knowing how to spot electrical emergencies so you can call an emergency electrician to get them fixed right away. However, it can be tough to know which electrical problems are serious enough that you need to call someone and which problems are more minor. Fortunately for you, we’ve got you covered with a breakdown of some of the most common electrical emergencies we deal with.
Continuous Problems
While this doesn’t pertain to any particular problem, you should always call an emergency electrician if you’re having continuous problems with the electrical system in your home. Electrical problems are bound to happen from time to time, but problems that keep reoccurring have a root cause that needs to be fixed.
There are a lot of problems you may have on a regular basis, including light bulbs that burn out more frequently, bulbs that dim or flicker when you’re using appliances or constant tripped breakers. These problems can have a wide range of causes, all of which are serious enough that you need to have someone look at your electrical system right away.
If you do have a continuous problem with your electrical system, make sure you talk to an emergency electrician about all the details. Understanding when these issues occur or when they’re more frequent could be the key to determining the cause of the problem.
Burnt Outlets
Have you ever looked at one of the electrical outlets in your home and noticed it was a little bit discolored? These outlets deal with a lot of electricity, so they can easily get burnt if there’s a problem somewhere in your electrical system. If you do have a burnt outlet in your home, have an emergency electrician take a look at it as soon as possible to prevent electrical fires.
Often times, burnt electrical outlets are a result of bad outlet wiring. It could be that the wiring for that outlet is too small or it could be that it’s simply old and worn out. Whatever the case is, you need to figure out why the outlet is burnt, get that problem fixed and replace the outlet.
In some cases, electrical outlets may have these problems simply because they’re old and corroded. If an emergency electrician determines this is the case, it can be fixed simply by replacing the outlet.
Isolated Power Outages
When the power to your Florence, SC, home goes out, you can normally look around your neighborhood and see a long line of homes with no power. However, sometimes you may look out the window to see all your neighbors enjoying warm, well-lit homes; if this is the case, you’ve got a problem.
Power outages that occur as a result of a power grid problem affect more than one home because of the way the power grid is designed. If it’s just your home being affected, it means something within your electrical system is causing the outage.
One thing to keep in mind is that there is one potential situation where a power outage could affect your house and your house only. If a power line that runs to your house is damaged, you may only lose power to your home. Still, it’s worth having an emergency electrician take a look just to make sure there isn’t a problem.
Wires That Don't Trip
Normally, your circuit breaker will trip and cut power to certain outlets when there’s an electrical problem in your Florence, SC, home. However, there may be times when you notice an electrical problem but it doesn’t trip a breaker. If you see a spark or notice a strange smell or sound coming from an outlet or your breaker box, it may be a sign that wire is failing to trip the circuit breaker and shut off.
If you’re having electrical problems that aren’t tripping a circuit breaker, call an emergency electrician right away. Circuit breakers are designed to trip and cut power when there’s a problem that could result in an electrical fire, so leaving a problem like this is a big risk.
Breaker Box Problems
As we previously mentioned, your breaker box is responsible for a lot when it comes to keeping your home safe. At the first sign of an electrical problem, your breaker box will cut power to the problem area so there’s no risk of a fire or major electrical problem.
If you notice a problem with your breaker box, you need to call an emergency electrician. There are lots of symptoms that may indicate a breaker box problem, including strange sounds and smells coming from the breaker box. However, one of the best ways to determine if there’s a problem is to take a look at your breaker box. If there are any signs of corrosion or burnt spots, call an emergency electrician to make sure you don’t have a serious breaker box problem.
Getting Help
When there’s an electrical emergency in your Florence, SC, home, you shouldn’t try to tackle it on your own. While it’s important to watch for signs of electrical emergencies, you need to call a professional if you suspect you’ve got a serious problem.
The good news is, we make it easy to take care of electrical emergencies at Mister Sparkyof Florence, SC. We have emergency electricianswho can rush to your home and get your electrical problems fixed in a hurry. If you suspect you’ve got an electrical emergency in your home, give Mister Sparky a call today at 843-375-6999.