Thinking of fiddling with your home’s wiring instead of calling an electrician? Maybe you learned a little bit about circuits in school, but tinkering with electrical systems is serious stuff. To convince you to err on the side of caution, here are five really good reasons to call an electrician.
Reason #1: You don’t really know anything about electricity
Look, you may have gone on a home improvement project or three, but electricity problems are different. For starters, wiring can sometimes be quite perplexing even among electricians. What’s more, mistakes here could lead to electric shock, short circuits, overheating electrical fires or even death.
Here’s the scary part: sometimes, all it takes is connecting the wrong wires or putting in the wrong fuse size. If you know only little or absolutely nothing about electricity, don’t even think about trying to fiddle with electrical problems by yourself. This is the best reason to call a professional electrician.
Reason #2: Your fuses blow repeatedly
Do you frequently get broken circuits or blown fuses? One symptom to this problem is when lights repeatedly go out because there’s no power. Dealing with it, however, isn’t just a matter of changing fuses. It’s an indication that:
- Your circuits are drawing too much current
- There’s a fault with at least one of the circuits.
- The issue is complex and needs to be looked over by an electrician.
Reason #3: There are too many cords in your house
Raise your hand if this has ever happened in your home:
- You occasionally trip on the carpet because of the many wires running underneath.
- Your power outlets have an “octopus” of power cords prominently bunched around it.
If you have any of these two issues, then you have too many cords and too few power outlets in your home. It may not seem like a problem at first, but you should be concerned because the cords can eventually fray, and would become electrical hazards. If water is spilled on a frayed cord, people in contact would get electrocuted.
The solution: an electrician can install more power outlets, particularly in places where you need them. No more trailing cords, no more electrical hazards. Your home would be much safer.
Reason #4: Switches and outlets feel warm
Do your switches, power outlets or any other surfaces with electrical systems underneath feel warm when you touch them? Do you sometimes get a mild shock when you come in contact with these surfaces? Do any of these surfaces have any blackened patches on them?
If you’ve seen or felt any of these warning signs in your home, then it’s time to call an electrician, pronto. The simplest answer is that the circuit may be overworked but there are other more serious possibilities.
Reason #5: Your home is over 25 years old
There’s a good chance that the wiring in old homes (older than 25 years) is an electrical hazard by now, especially if there’s never been any upgrades ever since. For your safety, have an electrician look into it and perhaps make some improvements if necessary, so that your home follows today’s electrical codes and standards.
