Electrical Problems That You Shouldn’t Fix Yourself

Your home’s electrical system is obviously one of its most important components. Without power, you’ll find yourself unable to run your air conditioner, turn on your lights or keep your food cold in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, a home’s electrical wiring and circuits are incredibly complicated and, unless you know what you’re doing, you could easily end up causing further damage or serious injury should you try to diagnose and solve any major electrical issues on your own. Although there are some minor electrical tasks that are well-suited to DIY, all of the following problems should only ever be handled by a certified professional electrician.

Outlets or Light Switches Not Working

If your electrical outlets or light switches suddenly stop working, the first thing to do is check your electrical panel to make sure you didn’t trip a circuit breaker. If this doesn’t solve the problem, the issue could be related to a fault in the outlet or switch itself or in the circuit or wiring. In this case, it is always best to consult with a professional electrician rather than trying to diagnose and fix the issue on your own.

Lights Are Too Bright or Dim

If you notice that some of your light bulbs in a room are brighter than others, the first thing to check is whether or not all of the bulbs are the same wattage. While this could definitely cause this issue, the professional electricians at https://gordonpowers.com.au note that is much more likely that the problem is related to a bad main neutral connection.

Lights Flicker or Blink

Light bulbs that flicker or blink are usually a sign that there is a poor connection somewhere along the circuit. If the problem is related to only one room, the issue is probably confined to that specific circuit. However, if the lights throughout your house flicker, it is a sign that there is a problem with the main wire connection. Either way, an electrician can help diagnose and repair this common circuit issue.

Light Bulbs Constantly Burning Out

There are a wide number of reasons that your light bulbs might be burning out frequently. For instance, you might be using too high wattage bulbs or there could be an issue with the circuit or wiring. Alternatively, it could be that the insulation surrounding the light is too close. Unfortunately, diagnosing the root cause of this problem is nearly impossible for those without proper electrical training, which is why you should definitely consider calling an electrician if you’re burning through lightbulbs at a much faster rate.

High Electrical Bill

While this may not sound like an issue where an electrician call help, the truth is that a sudden spike in your electrical bill could be a sign of a more serious problem. In many cases, the issue is related to a leak in one of your hot water pipes. Even a small leak can cause your water heater to work overtime and thus use much more electricity. However, the spike in your electrical bill could also be related to damaged wiring or circuits or to certain electrical devices you’re using that cause frequent power surges. In most cases, a professional electrician can quickly examine your home’s wiring and power usage to help determine ways that you can cut down on your electricity bills.

Although electricity is definitely one of our most important modern conveniences, it also has the power to cause serious harm, injury and even death if you’re not careful. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you don’t try to work on your home’s electrical system unless you know exactly what you’re doing. The risks simply aren’t worth it. Therefore, if you are suffering from any of these all-too-common electrical problems, do yourself a favor and call an electrician.