3 Common Signs That Indicate Your Home Needs Electrical Repairs
When it comes to important systems in your home, your electrical system ranks right up there at the top of the list. Whether you realize it or not, your electrical system plays a vital role in you and your family's daily lives. In fact, it can be difficult to think of a single aspect of your daily routine inside your home that doesn't depend on electricity in some form or another, and while this is normal, it makes it that much more inconvenient when something goes wrong with your electrical system. Because we make such frequent use of the system, it becomes that much more obvious how much we depend on it when something goes wrong and we are forced to go without it for any length of time. Keeping your home's electrical system in good shape is extremely important, not just to keep your home running smoothly, but also because it greatly impacts the safety of your home as well. Leaving electrical issues in your home untended can be extremely dangerous, so it pays to know exactly what you should be looking for to know when your system is in need of some attention. In an effort to help you with that, our team of Des Moines electricians have taken the time to put together this handy list detailing just a few of the most common signs that will indicate when you are in need of a professional electrician to come out and provide you with the electrical repairs you need.
Constantly Tripping Breakers
Your circuit breakers serve an extremely important function in your home. They are designed to trip and cut power to certain areas of your home anytime they become overloaded to help reduce the chances of fire or other damage occurring. While they are designed to trip, that doesn't mean that they should be tripping all the time. If you have circuit breakers that are constantly tripping, it is a good sign that there is a larger problem with your electrical system, and it is likely something you are going to want to have a professional come out and take a look at. Frequently tripping breakers indicate that you are using more electricity than your electrical panel is designed to carry, and that it might be time to upgrade your system. No matter what, it is important not to put anything inside your breaker box to keep a tripped circuit on, as this can easily lead to an electrical fire.
Sparking Appliances
Your home's appliances generally draw a great deal of power, and this isn't a problem unless you have an appliance outlet that isn't working like it should be. If you notice that your appliance is sparking when you plug it in, or the outlet starts to smoke or spark while it is running, you are going to want to immediately turn off the breaker that controls that outlet and call in a professional. You can unplug the appliance by pulling on the cord, but make sure that you do not touch the plug or the outlet itself. It is extremely dangerous to leave an appliance plugged in to an outlet that is malfunctioning in any way, and if you do notice a fire of any kind, make sure that you don't attempt to put it out using water, as this will only make an electrical fire worse.
Outlets & Switches That Don't Work
The outlets and switches around your home are what allow you to tap into the electricity flowing throughout your home, and there are few things more disappointing than going to plug something in and finding out that your outlet isn't working. Eventually, the outlets and light switches around your home will start to go bad due to the wear and tear that they receive over time. When these outlets and switches stop working, you should never attempt to pull them out and attempt to fix the issue yourself. Even seemingly simple tasks like this can be extremely dangerous if you aren't sure of exactly what you're doing. It is always a better idea to call in a team of professionals to handle this issue for you as they will be able to get the job done safely and ensure that you have complete functionality once more as soon as the job is complete.