People often wonder, do I need an electrician? Can I just fix this myself?
The importance of hiring a professional electrician to solve your electrical issues can’t be understated. Often tricky and dangerous to figure out on your own, getting electrical work wrong could lead to injuries and cost you even more money to put right. With all this in mind, here are some tell-tale signs that you need to call a residential electrician.
Why is it important to call a residential electrician?
Dealing with electrical problems can be extremely dangerous and, in some cases, even life-threatening. We understand that some electrical issues can be easily resolved on your own, such as resetting a circuit breaker or an electrical fuse, however, it’s imperative that you don’t put your health and safety at risk by completing these tasks if you’re not confident.
Sometimes, attempting to resolve an electrical issue yourself can actually make the problem worse and require potentially expensive repair services. By having a professional electrician on hand, you can rest assured that their extensive knowledge and experience in the field will allow them to safely resolve any problems you have.
Signs that you need to call an electrician
To help you differentiate between simple electrical issues that can be resolved yourself and the more dangerous tasks that require a professional service, we have created a list of signs to look out for around your home that signal that you will need to call an electrician.
1. Do I need an Electrician to Fix Flickering lights?
If your lights have begun to flicker on a regular basis, or if it happens when you use a certain home appliance (for example, a microwave or a vacuum cleaner), your circuits could be overloaded. By calling an electrician, who will be able to assess your circuits and determine whether they are overwhelmed, you can resolve the problem by either recalculating your circuit load or having a new circuit installed.
2. Reoccurring circuit breaks
As briefly mentioned, you can reset a circuit breaker yourself without the assistance of an electrician. However, if the problem is reoccurring, it could be a sign of a larger electrical fault. A circuit breaker that repeatedly trips can be a sign of issues with your circuit, the breaker itself or larger wiring problems. A licensed electrician will be able to quickly identify the cause and resolve it efficiently to prevent the issue from happening again.
3. Reoccurring fuse blows
Similar to repeated circuit breakages, a fuse blowing repeatedly is a sign of a larger electrical issue that can’t simply be fixed by resetting the fuse. If your fuse keeps blowing, you may need to increase the number of circuits around your home (it indicates that some services are too overloaded with appliances and need rearranging). An electrician can identify and diagnose reoccurring fuse blows before resolving the problem in a timely manner.
4. Your outlets feel warm and hot to touch
If your plug outlets feel warm to touch or plugs feel hot when you unplug them, it is imperative that an electrician is contacted. It could simply signal an overload of your circuit but it could also signal significant flaws with your home’s electrical system. If there is a bad connection between the outlet and the electrical system that goes unfixed, it could result in a fire. An electrician will be able to fix this issue before your and your family’s safety is put at risk.
5. Do I need an Electrician if There is Humming in the walls?
If you hear humming – or buzzing – within your walls, it could be a sign of a wiring issue. As it’s not easy or safe to resolve wiring issues behind a wall yourself, an electrician should be called as soon as possible.
6. Receiving electric shocks when touching a light switch, output or appliance
If you receive electric shocks regularly from touching the same switch or output, this could be a sign of faulty wiring. It’s important that an electrician is called to resolve this as faulty wiring is a fire hazard and could put your family at risk.
7. Your house is more than 25 years old
While this isn’t necessarily a sign, if your house is more than 25 years old, you may need to get your wiring and electrics upgraded. Over time, your wires, sockets, lights and more will become less effective and efficient, so asking an electrician to assess your property will ensure any upgrades are carried out in good time.
We hope you now know the answer to the all-too-common question “Do I need an electrician if…?”. Our reliable, professional team at Olympic Electrical are available 24 hours a day across the Sydney region. If you have an electrical issue that needs resolving or wish to contact us to enquire about our services, you can contact us directly through our website and get a free quote.
