Are flickering lights a common occurrence in your household? Perhaps you just chalk it up to the fact that you live in an aging home. But, this shouldn’t be acceptable. In fact, it can be dangerous. Electrical problems can be serious, even if their symptoms—like flickering lights—seem relatively benign. Electrical fires actually account for hundreds of injuries, and even fatalities, each year—and many are preventable.
If you have a single bulb that’s flickering, it’s likely you just need to change that one out. However, if multiple lights are flickering in a room or throughout your home, the cause is an outdated electrical system with either frayed wiring or too much demand on it. Flickering lights aren’t the only sign of electrical trouble though—there are a number of other signs that you need an upgrade to your electrical system, which we’ve covered below.
Signs You Need an Electrical Upgrade ASAP
As we mentioned above, electrical issues put your home and safety at risk. While some may only require a quick electrical repair in Covington, KY, there’s a chance that you could need a major overhaul of your electrical system. The signs that this is the case include:
- You find yourself constantly resetting breakers or replacing fuses.
- You find light switches that get hot, and bulbs that burn out too soon.
- You hear buzzing from your light fixtures, walls, or the circuit breaker panel.
- You smell a burning odor coming from outlets or anywhere in your home.
- You detect signs of sparks when you plug something in, or receive an electrical shock when you do so.
When Is It Time to Have Your Electrical System Professionally Inspected?
Let’s say you’ve come across this blog post and read it out of curiosity, but aren’t experiencing problems right now. Should you take action anyway? Yes, absolutely, especially if any of the following factors are true for you.
- You’ve recently moved into a home that is several decades old and you’re unsure of when the last inspection was, or you’ve live in an older home for years and have never had an electrical inspection.
- You find yourself using numerous power strips or extension cords (this puts stress on the electrical system which may not be able to actually handle the increased demand).
- You’ve installed new fixtures since your last inspection, and they use a lot of voltage (even holiday lights can overpower an electrical system—something to keep in mind a few months from now!)
- Your outlets have not been updated to GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) and AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters) where necessary throughout your home.
Electrical Updates You May Need
Sometimes, homeowners assumed that their home will only need a new circuit breaker. Sometimes, this is the case. However, in other cases, their electrical system needs a more complex upgrade. This is because your home might not be drawing in enough amps to accommodate a larger circuit breaker box—which can end up doing more harm than good. You might need an electrical panel replacement and even a meter replacement. We’re happy to inspect and find out exactly what it takes to make your home safer!
Contact Servall Electric Company today and learn how we are “Creating Sustainability through Bright Ideas!”
