Periodic maintenance of your electrical system can only go so far in protecting you and your home from a situation that could even become potentially dangerous if left unchecked. When something goes wrong with your electrical system or a fault develops that requires urgent investigation there is no time to delay. So, is it the right time to call an emergency electrician? The best course of action when you notice an electrical problem or have some issues with your wiring or general system that you can’t explain or resolve is to call out an emergency Clearwater electrician.
What is the role of an emergency electrician and when should you call one?
It is never a good idea to compromise your safety when it comes to electrical faults and that is one of the primary reasons why emergency electricians exist. Some issues simply won’t wait and need to be checked out as quickly as possible.
In the same way that you would not leave a critical plumbing problem once it develops, you should take the same safety-first approach with an obvious electrical problem or an unexplained issue affecting your system.
Whether you have a light bulb exploded or have to ask yourself why does my breaker keep tripping? These are just a couple of typical electrical issues that often require the services of an emergency electrician to check out what is causing these problems in your home.
What can you expect from an emergency electrician and when should you call them in?
There are a number of very solid reasons and obvious advantages attached to hiring an emergency electrician.
One of the most important reasons of all would be that an emergency electrician will be able to quickly assess the situation and make the situation safe by taking whatever emergency action is needed to ensure that problem does not compromise your safety.
Safety is always a top priority and that is the fundamental reason why you should always consider calling an emergency electrician when you notice a fault or experience electrical problems in your home.
There are some things that even the most competent DIY enthusiast should not attempt and attempting to fix electrical faults should be considered out of bounds. You only have to make a wrong call or tackle a problem incorrectly to raise the risk of being electrocuted or even starting a fire.
An emergency electrician has the skills and knowledge to fix the problem safely. It is not worth even contemplating a DIY repair to save money when you and your family’s safety could be compromised if you make a mistake.
1. A 24/7 solution to your electrical problems
Another key point to consider about hiring an emergency electrician is the fact that they offer round-the-clock availability.
There is often no time to waste when it comes to dealing with an electrical emergency. The sooner you can get an emergency electrician to take a look the sooner it will be that your property is kept away from danger and your family is not being put at risk.
2. A fair price to pay when you consider the circumstances
It is perfectly reasonable to have some concerns about hiring a professional to fix your electrical problem but there is a fair argument to suggest that the price is fair when you think about what an emergency electrician can deliver.
If you attempt to fix the problem yourself there is always the possibility that you could make the situation worse and even make the fault more dangerous. Calling an emergency electrician can often turn out to be money well spent when you consider how quickly and safely they can usually fix the problem.
It could be argued that calling an emergency electrician might prove to be a cost-effective solution when you think about how quickly and efficiently they can identify and fix the problem, minimizing potential damage to equipment and property in the process.
What’s the difference?
An important question that you might ask is what is the difference between asking a local electrician to come out as quickly as possible or calling an emergency electrician?
There are a number of fundamental differences to consider.
First of all, you might have trouble getting hold of your local electrician in a hurry and may have to leave a message for them to call you back.
Time is of the essence when you have an electrical fault that needs fixing. An emergency electrician is geared up to operate with a heightened sense of urgency.
That means they will respond to your call and arrange to visit your property urgently because offering a rapid response is in the DNA of an emergency electrician.
As you can see, there are numerous compelling advantages attached to deciding to use an emergency electrician to fix your electrical problem.
What sort of issues requires the attention of an emergency electrician?
Now that you have a greater understanding of why it can be so imperative to call an emergency electrician as your top priority you might be wondering what sort of problems and scenarios call for urgent attention.
Here is a look at some of the typical electrical faults and symptoms that often require emergency attention to make the situation safe as quickly as possible.
Do your fuses keep blowing?
It is not uncommon for a fuse to blow every now and again but if this is something that is happening frequently it is often an indication that something is wrong and your system needs checking as soon as possible.
Sometimes, fuses that blow with alarming frequency can serve as a warning that you may have a potentially serious problem with your electrical system that needs investigating as a matter of urgency.
The primary reason for this problem is due to the fact that your system is probably drawing a greater amount of electricity than your system is able to handle. Although it is straightforward enough to change a fuse yourself, it would be wise to call an emergency electrician if your fuses keep blowing and you are replacing them more often than you should. Upgrading your fuse box might be a necessity.
Why does my breaker keep tripping?
A common reason why your breaker keeps tripping would be when power points are being overloaded and causing too much stress on your electrical system.
The obvious solution would be to install some more power points and avoid overloading your system. However, it should also be noted that this constant stress on your electrical system will eventually take its toll on your system.
If this seemingly innocuous and simple electrical fault is left unchecked despite it happening regularly, you could create more electrical problems down the line. This would raise the level of safety risk to an unacceptable level and you could be faced with an expensive repair bill.
Although you could learn how to test a circuit breaker yourself with a multimeter it is always better to get a professional to check why your breaker keeps tripping. The reason for this is due to the fact that you may well be working with live electricity and that could be dangerous if you don’t know exactly what you are doing.
Why has my light bulb exploded?
This is a problem that is not dissimilar to the root cause of why your fuses keep blowing.
The simple answer is that if there is an electrical problem somewhere in your system it can cause your bulbs to burn rapidly and explode.
Changing the bulb is not getting to the heart of the problem and if your bulbs are deteriorating far too often this is a clear warning sign that your electrical system has a fault that needs to be checked urgently.
What about flickering lights?
You might have a problem with flickering lights rather than exploding bulbs but don’t assume that this is not something that needs checking by an electrician.
The first thing to say about this problem is that it is not normal for your lights to flicker and it is a problem that needs to be investigated. You might find that this happens when you turn on an appliance. Flickering lights are an indication that your power outlets are being put under too much strain and when a bulb briefly receives insufficient electricity that will cause it to flicker.
An emergency electrician will be able to test the system and can often solve the problem by installing extra power outlets and maybe giving larger appliances a circuit of their own.
Are your switches warm?
If you notice that electrical switches or certain appliances are warm to the touch without any obvious explanation that is an indication that you may have an electrical fault that needs urgent attention.
Switches or appliances that you have not recently used that are warm to touch are telling you that you probably have an electrical problem that needs to be checked as soon as possible.
Another clear indication that you may well have an electrical problem that needs investigation by an emergency electrician would be when your light switches feel warm when you touch them.
It is almost certain that you have an electrical fault if your switches are warm and this is not a problem that should be ignored. Get this issue checked as quickly as possible.
Are your bills telling you that you have a problem?
Sometimes, the first indication that you might have of a potential electrical problem is when you get an electricity bill that is much higher than you expected.
Unless you can explain an increase in your electricity consumption because it coincides with the installation of a new appliance or gadget that could use a lot of power (such as a heated hot tub, for instance) you should check whether a problem with your electrical system is causing a spike in usage levels and costs.
There is every chance that you might have some circuits that are not working as efficiently as they should be.
An emergency electrician will be able to test your circuits and see if they are all working efficiently.
Electrical shocks should never be ignored
The shock of getting an eye-watering electricity bill as a result of an electrical fault is one thing, but actually getting even a mild electric shock from your system is something that requires investigating as a matter of urgency.
You should never get any sort of electrical shock when you touch an appliance or switch in your home.
The hidden dangers of rechargeable batteries
Amongst the list of typical electrical faults and common issues that could impact your safety, you might be surprised to discover that there are some hazards attached to using rechargeable batteries.
Are rechargeable batteries worth it?
It has to be said that the pros tend to outweigh the cons when you are trying to decide if the high upfront cost of buying rechargeable batteries can be justified. Generally speaking, rechargeable batteries can be viewed favorably when it comes to their use for moderate to high draw applications.
However, it should be noted that firefighters attend a number of homes every week to deal with fires that have been started by batteries and chargers.
You should not leave chargers plugged in when they are not in use. You can cause damage to your battery and the device when it is left charging for too long. You can also end up overloading your sockets and creating a potential fire hazard.
If that happens, you may well need an emergency electrician to put things right. Hopefully, you won’t need a firefighter to visit if you take care of how you use rechargeable batteries.
How many extension cords are you using in your home?
Extension cords are a convenient solution that many of us tend to use around the home when there are not enough sockets for the appliances and gadgets we are using.
If you are short of sockets in your home you are potentially creating a problem by taking the easy option of using a few extension cords to fix the issue.
An emergency electrician will be able to add some additional power points so that you don’t have to rely on extension cords. Once you have enough sockets and your electrical system has been checked and arranged so that it can cope with your power demands this should greatly reduce the chances of overloading your system and creating a potential hazard.
Storm damage
Electrical damage caused by storms is definitely a typical scenario in Clearwater where you need the help of an emergency electrician to put things right and make your system safe again.
A direct lightning strike has the capacity to inflict some significant damage to electrical items around your home and your system itself.
Storm damage can easily prove to be the catalyst for a fire. What should concern you about this scenario is the fact that a fire will often start with the walls. This means you won’t get to find out what is going on until the situation becomes critical.
If your home suffers damage from a storm such as a direct lightning strike you should call an emergency electrician without delay so they can assess the damage and avert the risk of a fire developing. Choosing an electrician who has experience with storm damage relief is an added bonus.
Any outdated wiring or fuse boxes will raise your risk profile when a storm strikes. Don’t hesitate, call for professional help as soon as you can.
Exposed wires should never be ignored
It should go without saying that if you notice any exposed wires it would be very unwise to turn a blind eye to what you have seen.
Exposed wires should not be left for a number of very good reasons. The obvious threat of exposed wiring is that it can create the risk of delivering an electric shock.
Quite simply, exposed wires need to be taken very seriously as they can cause injury or death.
Always take the view that an exposed wire has a current running through it and treat it with the sort of caution that such a dangerous situation warrants.
If you are sure that the power supply has been isolated you could cover the exposed wire with some electrical tape until the electrician gets to your property. If you are not sure, turn off the power supply and wait for the emergency electrician to arrive.
Is your electrical system making some unexplained noises?
Strange and unexplained noises coming from your electrical system need to be investigated by an emergency electrician as you urgently need to uncover the reason for this.
There are a number of typical reasons why you might be hearing a buzzing or humming noise coming from a switch or power outlet. It could be that you have a loose wire somewhere, or a wire might be overloaded. There is also the possibility that you might have a wire that is not grounded properly.
Any unexplained noises coming from your electrical system should be checked urgently by an emergency electrician.
There is no time like the present to take action
The bottom line is that it is infinitely better to be safe than sorry when you are dealing with electrical problems in your home.
Knowing that there is an emergency electrician waiting for your call any time of the day or night is the sort of reassurance that you can’t always put a price on.
Their charges for putting things right will surely seem very reasonable when you consider the consequences of not getting emergency professional help to fix your electrical system.
Is it the Right Time to Call an Emergency Electrician?
East-West Electric can help with any of the above issues if you’re in need of a residential electrician in Clearwater, Florida. Time is of the essence when it comes to electrical safety so if you’re in any doubt about the safety of your home, call us immediately at (727) 771-9403. You can also find our contact details here.
