Self-Diagnosing Potentially Serious Electrical Problems Versus Calling An Emergency Electrician | Conway, SC

12/4/2021

Photo By antoniodiaz at Shutterstock

Life is busy enough that there’s not always time to take action when we know we should, like when that light switch or power outlet is intermittent and making an arcing sound when we use it, or when the GFCI protection keeps tripping in the kitchen. We just reset the GFCI or make a mental note to tend to the loose outlet, and hope for the best. At Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach, our emergency electrician is here to check out potential problems in Conway, SC, and the local area before they become true emergencies because sometimes the time between the two is quite short.

That arcing outlet could finally get loose enough to cause a short circuit or even a fire, and while we may not know when that might occur, if an emergency electrician checks and repairs it, we never will have to know — and that’s a good thing. Prevention, as they say, has a high value, and there are many other ways that our electrician can help you avoid destructive emergencies when you treat dangerous symptoms as emergencies in themselves and call us.

Signs of Possible Electrical Fire Risk

Based on experience, there are several indicators that your risk of electrical fire is higher than it should be. They include frequent circuit breaker tripping, which leads our emergency electrician to remind you that resetting the circuit breaker does not solve the problem at hand, it removes the indication. A persistent burning smell in your home with no obvious source can also indicate that electrical problems are developing unseen, often inside the walls, with no way of knowing when the signs will become more obvious and urgent. If there’s charring around any outlets or switches, that’s also a potential sign of fire risk. If your home has older electrical wiring, especially wiring that hasn’t been thoroughly inspected recently by an emergency electrician or other electrical hazard expert, you are living with a known risk of electrical fire, with the specifics depending on the type of older wiring such as knob and tube, aluminum wiring, aging insulation, or outdated installation techniques and possibly corrosion as well.

Protective Device Issues

Did you know that certain types of circuit breakers installed some time ago have been subject to recall? For various reasons, the risks presented by these types of circuit breakers were serious enough to specify their urgent replacement, and yet they remain undetected in many homes. If trouble does arise with these units, our emergency electrician can respond and take care of it, while arranging to perform a replacement with more modern and reliable units. In fact, by updating your power panel’s components you can add important new features such as AFCI and GFCI protection on each circuit breaker, with AFCI protecting against arc faults from loose and damaged wiring on the circuit, and GFCI protecting against ground fault risks that can result in personal injury or even death from electric shock. These are important new developments that reduce the calls to our emergency electrician and reduce the level of risk involved in many calls that do come in. A note about GFCI units in your outlets, especially those in your kitchen and bathrooms: many of these units have reached the expected lifetime of 10 years, and may need replacing. If yours are giving trouble, our emergency electrician may recommend that they be replaced, and if you know yours are reaching that age, why not go ahead and have our team replace them before they malfunction?

Creating Wiring Issues

Even with electrical wiring, there are plenty of people who believe that a solution that works is all that’s needed. Our extensive training in electrical safety and principles tells us that “what could go wrong?” has many unfortunate answers, and we often discover creative wiring solutions where what could go wrong, has. For example, a circuit wired with insufficient wire gauge for the current rating of the circuit breaker or fuse may work nicely when it’s not under much of a load, but someday someone will plug in a more power-hungry device, or several, and the wires will respond by getting warm, perhaps generating a burning smell, smoke, and other signs that something is going wrong.

The origin of the trouble may be in the distant past, several homeowners ago, but you get the results. Outdoor wiring without proper protection and methods is also a concern, and even new outlets and switches installed by a skilled but not fully knowledgeable homeowner in a home with aluminum wiring, for example, can result in electrical fire risk because the new components were not designed to be used that way with aluminum wiring. Give us a call to check for problems, and we can often provide simple solutions such as a professional way of connecting new outlets to aluminum that can provide a safe replacement for the outlet until you decide to rewire.

When in Doubt, Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Your Home

The consequences of electrical fires, even limited ones that destroy a kitchen or living room, are so severe and often stealthy that being quite cautious about electrical concerns is a very wise approach. If you’re not sure about a smell, buzzing or arcing sound in the wall, or any other electrical issue, call us to be safe.

Your Emergency Electrician On Call in Conway, SC

Our emergency electricians at Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach are highly experienced electricians who have seen and resolved a wide range of urgent electrical problems and have an advanced understanding of electrical theory and practice that helps them think through unusual situations and provide safety-focused repairs and other services. Our team is here for your family’s safety as well as to help you enjoy the benefits that electricity can provide in your home. Call us in Conway, SC for electrical reliability and safety, and for repairs, upgrades, and creative solutions to your electrical needs.