Everything You Need to Know About Your Electrical System and When You Need Electrical Contractors | Myrtle Beach, SC

4/6/2020

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As a homeowner, it’s important to have a little bit of knowledge about a lot of different things. You don’t need to be a plumbing expert or know how to build a house from scratch, but it’s nice to have a basic understanding of the various parts that make up your home, which includes knowing when to call electrical contractors. A few minutes of reading can give you the knowledge you need to keep your home in better shape over the years. Lucky for you, we’re covering everything you need to know about your home’s electrical system right here.

Your Electrical Meter and Connection

The first thing you need to know about when it comes to your electrical system is the meter where your home is connected to your utility company. This electrical meter measures how much electricity you’re using on a monthly basis so your utility company knows how much to charge you.

If you’re not sure where your electrical meter is, your contractor can help you figure out where it’s at. It’s a good idea to know where your electrical meter is at so you can keep an eye on how much electricity you’re using. If you notice a sudden spike and you aren’t doing anything different, it may be a sign that you’ve got a problem with your electrical system. If you notice an unexplained spike, call your local electrical contractors right away.

Disconnect Switch

Knowing where your electrical meter is at isn’t just important when it comes to keeping an eye on your electricity usage. If there’s an electrical emergency and you need to shut off the electricity to your home, there’s a disconnect switch located near your electrical meter that allows you to do so. There are some cases where you won’t find a disconnect switch on your electrical meter, but most newer meters have them.

Shutting your electricity off when there’s an emergency can be the difference between major electrical system damage and a minor inconvenience. On top of that, you need to know how to shut your electrical system off if you’re ever doing any work around wires. Next time you have electrical contractors at your home for electrical work, have them show you where your disconnect switch is at. If you don’t have one, they can show you how to shut off your main circuit breaker.

Service Panel

Every home has a main service panel inside that gives you control over all the different parts of your electrical system. Considering this is the control center for your electrical system, you should have a basic understanding of what’s inside your service panel and how everything works. If you overload a circuit and trip a breaker, the service panel is where you go to get your power back on.

Your service panel consists of several different circuit breakers which look like small switches. Electrical contractors will generally label everything in your circuit breaker, so finding what you’re looking for isn’t too difficult. However, there are times when labeling may be inaccurate or the original labels may have faded. If this is the case, you probably want to call electrical contractors to check out your service panel and label the breakers properly for the future.

Circuit Breakers

As we previously mentioned, your service panel is filled with circuit breakers. These circuit breakers are designed to protect your electrical system from damage, which is why they trip when you overload a circuit. However, they also provide an easy way for you to shut off power to specific parts of your home.

Most of the time, the breakers in your service panel will be labeled. You might have one label for “kitchen,” another for “bathroom 1” and so on. If you suddenly lose power in a room, all you have to do is open up your service panel and flip the corresponding breaker back on. Electrical contractors can label your service panel for you if it doesn’t currently have labels.

If you don’t have a disconnect switch on the electrical meter outside your home, the service panel is the only way to cut power to your home. Every service panel has a main circuit breaker which controls all the circuit breakers inside the panel.

Signs of Electrical Problems

If you don’t want to deal with a fire or paying for expensive repairs, it’s important to know when you need to call your local electrical contractors. There are several telltale signs of electrical problems that you should never ignore.

Flickering lights in your Myrtle Beach, SC, home are a classic sign of electrical problems. If you hear a buzzing sound coming from an electrical outlet or switch, that also signifies a problem. Similarly, you should always call a professional if a wall outlet or light switch in your home gets abnormally warm.

One electrical problem that a lot of people ignore is a loose outlet. In some homes, there are several loose outlets. You can tell if you’ve got a loose outlet if you have trouble getting a cord to stay plugged in. Hiring electrical contractors to replace the actual outlet — not the wall plate that covers it — is the only way to fix a loose electrical outlet.

Expert Assistance

At the end of the day, there’s only so much you can do to take care of your electrical system. You should never do any electrical work on your own, so your best course of action is to keep an eye out for any problems and call a professional when you notice something odd.

The good news is, the electrical contractors at Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach, SC, are here to help you keep your electrical system in excellent shape. Whether you simply want somebody to take a look at your electrical system or you need urgent repairs, call Mister Sparky today at (843) 213-6610.