You probably don’t think of the electrical system powering the lights, HVAC equipment, appliances, electronics and other items in your home as potentially dangerous. If you have old electrical wiring or other faulty system components, though, you’re living with a serious safety hazard that puts your home and family at risk from electrical shocks and fires.
Telltale Signs That It’s Time for an Electrical Upgrade
To keep your home and family safe from harm, have your electrical system inspected by a licensed professional if you’re experiencing any of these warning signs that upgrades are needed:
- Circuit breakers tripping. Breakers are safety devices designed to trip when a electrical circuit overloads. If the breaker always trips when you use certain outlets or appliances, it’s a telltale indication of an electrical problem that needs attention.
- Lights dimming or flickering. If your lights flicker or dim when you use an outlet or start up an appliance, you’re seeing a warning sign of an overloaded circuit.
- Outlet covers and cords getting hot. The cover on an outlet and the cord on what’s plugged into it shouldn’t get hot to the touch. A hot cover on an outlet that’s not being used is even more concerning, because it’s a sign that the outlet isn’t wired correctly.
- Buzzing sounds. If you hear a buzzing noise coming from your breaker panel or an outlet, there’s a malfunction somewhere in the electrical system that should be investigated, such as frayed wiring, loose connections or a bad circuit breaker.
- Sparking or mild shocks. When you plug something into an outlet and see sparks fly or get a mild shock, the outlet may be short circuiting.
- Outdated fuse box. If your home has an old-fashioned fuse box, your electrical system probably has problems running all your appliances, electronic equipment and other devices. If fuses blow repeatedly, you might be tempted to put in higher rated ones to minimize inconvenience, but doing so increases your risk of a fire.
If you’re concerned that the electrical wiring in your Yuma home may need upgrading, contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about electrical wiring and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.
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