Electrical problems can be among the most dangerous of household issues you can have, depending on their severity. We say this because not all electrical problems lead to just blackouts—they can lead to electrocution or even house fires. Hopefully, you invest in professional electrical maintenance once a year to avoid this problem.
Even with maintenance, however, it’s also a good idea for you to make sure that you keep an eye out for indicators that your system is struggling. The faster you can identify potential electrical issues, the less likely they’ll progress far enough to pose a threat. Take a look at some of the signs that your home’s electrical system is suffering.
Circuit Breakers Are Constantly Tripping
Your home’s circuit breaker panel, also known as the electrical panel, is designed to keep your household safe by cutting off the flow of electricity if it gets routed in ways that it shouldn’t. If you find that you have constantly tripping circuit breakers, or circuit breakers that refuse to reset, then you may definitely have a problem on your hand.
Now, it may be that you have too many appliances placing demands on that particular circuit. If you have already offloaded a lot of appliances and it’s still tripping, though, then you should call an electrician. It may be that there is an issue in the breaker panel itself, or that there is some sort of issue in the circuit that’s preventing it from operating as it should.
Flickering Lights
Despite whatever horror movies you may have watched over the decades, flickering lights probably don’t mean that your home is haunted. In fact, we have a fun fact: Most of the “classic signs” of a haunted house are really caused by plumbing, HVAC, and electrical issues.
If lights are continuously flickering throughout your living space, it means that power is not consistently getting to them. This can be the sign of a short circuit in the system, which you should have checked out as soon as possible. Short circuits in the walls can cause house fires under the wrong circumstances, which is of course something you do not want.
Hot Spots
When a short circuit diverts electrical energy into the area around a wire, it vents some of that energy as heat. If you discover that a spot on your wall is warmer than usual, it could be the sign that you have a short circuit in a wire behind that wall.
This is more common around light switches, but dimmer switches are an exception to the rule. Meaning it’s completely natural for a dimmer switch and the area surrounding it to be warm. If it’s hot to the touch though, or if you feel a warm spot on a wall that never used to be there, it’s definitely time to call a professional electrician.
If you suspect anything is amiss with your electrical system, please don’t leave it to chance—reach out to our team right away.
Contact Comfort Flow Heating to get in touch with a reliable electrician in Eugene, OR today!
