Playing electrician can be a dangerous game. When emergency electrical situations crop up, you need to get professional help. Finding a reliable St. Paul electrician can save you money, time and even your life.But how do you know when you need to call an emergency electrician? While you can fix some small issues yourself, you should let a licensed electrician handle the more serious problems. To learn about what situations merit a call to an emergency electrical service, read on!
Electrical problems plaguing your home? The team at Randy’s Electric is here to tackle everything from routine maintenance to emergency visits when the power goes out. Give us a call at 612-445-6549.
Your Circuit Breaker Trips Constantly
When you trip a breaker, it usually means something is overloading the circuit. Your breaker box is an essential safety tool that prevents electrical shorts from turning into a fire hazard. If you have to check your breaker box fairly often, it might be time to give your local St. Paul electrician a ring.Plenty of situations can cause your breakers to trip. An overloaded circuit could mean you have too many appliances attached. It can also mean you have an issue with your appliances themselves. The only way to find out is to call a professional to inspect your circuit breaker and appliances.Leaving things the way they are could lead to damaged wiring, shorted appliances and possible electrical fires.
Flickering Light Fixtures
Part of what makes your electrical system so important is its reliability. If you are experiencing waning light bulbs, it might be time to have a thorough inspection of your wiring.As the years go by, wires deteriorate, and damaging pests can wreak havoc on your home's electrical system. Flickering lights are a tell-tale sign that you’ve got an issue with your wiring. If you happen to live in an older home, this can be even more pronounced.Dimming and waning lights could also be indicative of poor wiring installation. That’s why it's crucial to have an experienced and qualified electrician handle all your home electrical work.
Strange Burning Smells Coming from Outlets
Okay, so even if you don’t have any inkling of what a proper electrical system should look like, you know that a burning smell is no good. If you happen to notice a charred odor coming from your outlets, well, that’s a good sign that you’ve got an issue.If you could look inside the circuit — which you probably should let your electrician handle — you would probably see a mess of wires. Shoddy wiring can lead to shorts. Shorts lead to fires and, as you’ve probably guessed by now, a nasty toasty smell coming from your walls.In these situations, the only safe course of action is to have an emergency electrician come through and inspect your home’s wiring.
Noise Coming from Your Circuit Breaker Box
Your circuit breaker is the main wall between you and electrical surges. In normal operation, you shouldn’t hear any sound coming from your breaker box. If you happen to hear a buzzing or humming coming from that area, you need to call an electrician.We already touched on why your circuit breaker box is so essential to your home’s safety. Electrical failures and malfunction, like from your humming circuit box, account for 13% of all structural fires in the U.S.The last thing you want to do is ignore a problem like this.Â
Warm Outlets or Switches
Just like odd odors, warm outlets, or switches mean you’ve got a short. You might not see or smell the results of the short, but if you feel a warm outlet, call your electrician.Some problems don’t require an emergency visit from your electrician. Others pose a health and safety risk to you and your family — you should never ignore them. Warm outlets, while they might not seem like a critical problem, can cause some serious damage if left unresolved.
Exposed Wiring
This should be a no-brainer. If you’re seeing exposed wires sticking out your walls, it means you’ve got some poor wiring. Often, these wires are the cause of shorts and circuit breakers tripping. If you live in an older home or are unsure of who performed the initial wiring, it might be time to have an electrician come through and inspect your home.As we learned earlier, you shouldn’t ignore electrical problems. Exposed wiring is often the source of major electrical problems that can easily lead to fires and structural damage.Â
Sparking
Have you ever gone to plug something into an outlet only to jump back when the outlet spit back sparks? If so, it could mean you have some issues. While small sparks are fairly common, larger and abnormal sparking should be a cause for concern.If you notice large sparkes jumping from your outlet or they last more than just a second or two, it's time for a visit from your electrician. Another sign that sparking is abnormal is the color. Blue sparks are fairly common, but white or yellow are a problem.
If You’re Living in an Older Home
If your home is over 20 years old, it could mean you have an outdated electrical system. These antiquated systems aren't up to the task of handling the kind of power that a modern home uses. You might encounter constant tripped breakers, buzzing circuits and all the other problems we’ve detailed above.They are more common in homes with older electrical systems. If this is the case, you will want to get a hold of a licensed electrician. Only they have the knowledge and expertise to perform a full assessment of your home and recommend replacement parts or repairs.
Where to Find an Emergency Electrical Service in St. Paul, MN
When electoral problems come knocking on your door, the best strategy to tackle the issue is to get a hold of a qualified St. Paul electrician. The team at Randy’s Electric has the licensed electrician you need to handle any of your electrical woes.Our prompt and professional team can confidently handle almost any situation you might throw at them. To schedule an appointment, reach out online.
