When Should You Call An Emergency Electrician? | Myrtle Beach, SC

10/16/2022

Electrical problems might seem scary, but some electrical problems aren’t a big deal. As a Myrtle Beach, SC, homeowner, it’s your job to keep an eye out for problems so you know when it’s time to call an electrician — but how do you know when you need to call an emergency electrician? After all, emergency electrical problems can be dangerous and could even cause a fire in your home. Keep reading to learn more about common electrical emergencies and when you should call an emergency electrician instead of scheduling a service appointment.

After a Flood

If your home was recently flooded, there’s a real possibility that the flooding damaged your home’s electrical system. Water and electricity don’t mix, and that doesn’t just apply to natural floods. If you recently had a broken water line or another plumbing problem that caused a major leak in your home, you should have an electrician take a look before you turn anything on.

Wires and cables that have been sitting in standing water for a period of time may be damaged, and that damage can lead to electrical shorts when you use the power in your home. Electrical shorts don’t always cause immediate problems, but they can lead to fires in your home. An electrician can check out your electrical system and make any necessary repairs to help you avoid doing further damage after a flood or leak.

Electrical Odors

You should never smell anything that indicates you’re using your electricity. If you notice an unexplained smell coming from your walls, you might be dealing with an electrical problem. Any electrical problem that causes strong odors in your home is a good reason to call an emergency electrician.

In particular, you should keep your nose on alert for any burning smells coming from the walls of your home. A burning smell is a sign of a short behind the wall, and that short could eventually lead to a fire that causes serious damage. Fortunately, you can have an electrician check out the source of the smell and fix any damaged wiring.

Shorts and other wiring problems are especially common in older homes with older wiring. If the wiring in your Myrtle Beach, SC, home hasn’t been replaced in several decades, it might be old and worn out. Some homes may even have cloth wiring that’s susceptible to damage and electrical problems. If you have an older home with older wiring, you should talk to an electrician about upgrading the wiring in your home to something safe and more modern.

Lights Flicker or Won’t Work

When you flip a light switch in your home, the corresponding light should turn on almost instantly. When you leave the light switch in the on position, the light should stay solidly lit until you flip the switch off. If the lights in your home are flickering or otherwise not working properly, that could be a sign of a major electrical problem.

Even if your lights are just flickering a little bit, you should call an emergency electrician to make sure there’s nothing wrong with your electrical system. Flickering lights can be an indicator of a serious underlying problem that could lead to fires and other hazards in your home.

Before you call an emergency electrician because your lights aren’t working, check with your power company to make sure your power is on. If the power to your home is shut off or there’s an outage in the area, take care of that before worrying about electrical system issues.

Hot, Burnt, or Smoking Outlets

Every once in a while, you should inspect the power outlets in your home to make sure there’s nothing strange going on with them. Because electricity generates heat, you may notice that some of the outlets in your home are warm to the touch, appear burnt, or are smoking. If you notice any of these problems, call an emergency electrician right away.

Hot, burnt, or smoking power outlets are a sign that you’ve got a serious problem with the electrical wiring in your home. Some wiring problem is causing a short that’s heating your outlets up to dangerously high temperatures, which may result in a fire if you don’t do something about it. Don’t wait around if your outlets are burnt or hot to the touch — call an emergency electrician so you can enjoy peace of mind.

Breakers Tripping Frequently

You’ve probably had to flip a circuit breaker in your breaker box a time or two, and that’s completely normal if it only happens on occasion. Circuit breakers may trip because you overload a circuit, such as plugging kitchen appliances into underpowered outlets. However, breakers that trip frequently are a sign of a bigger electrical issue.

If you’re having to reset circuit breakers multiple times each month, you’ve got an electrical issue. As long as you’re using the outlets in your Myrtle Beach, SC, home correctly, you can go several years without having to flip a circuit breaker. If you’re flipping your breakers more than that, call an emergency electrician and have them check out your breaker box and other parts of your home’s electrical system.

Don’t Wait — Get Emergency Electrical Help Today

The last thing you want to do is allow a fire to cause serious damage to your home, so you need to keep an eye out for potential electrical problems and call an electrician when something isn’t right. The good news is, Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach has you covered when it comes to electrical emergencies. If you have smoking outlets, flickering lights, or electrical odors in your home, call Mister Sparky of Myrtle Beach and we’ll send out an emergency electrician to take care of it.

Photo By MyImages – Micha at Shutterstock