From outlets and switches to lighting and fixtures, most electrical components require repair occasionally. If left unattended, however, these repairs can become dangerous and lead to costly long-term issues.
Thankfully, professional electrical repair companies can quickly identify potential fire hazards and resolve them before they get out of hand. Contact Electrician Delray Beach for professional help.
Over time, the contact points in an outlet’s receptacle will wear down, loosening up to where they can no longer grip the prongs of a standard plug. This can cause the outlet to become loose or even fall out of the wall socket. While this may not seem like a big deal at first, it’s important to fix loose outlets as soon as possible because they can create a fire hazard.
Fortunately, loose outlets are usually quite easy to fix. Most can be repaired in just a few minutes for less than $5. First, ensure all power is cut off to the outlet by flipping the breaker switch for the circuit it connects to. Then, verify that there is no electricity flowing to the receptacle by using a non-contact voltage tester. Once you are sure that the power is off, unscrew and remove the receptacle.
If the outlet is still very loose, tighten it by screwing in a new outlet shim. These are available at hardware stores and can be used to fill the gaps between an outlet’s screws and the electrical box’s holes. Once the shims are in, replace and lock the outlet and then test it to ensure that it sits snugly in the outlet hole.
Loose outlets can be a serious safety hazard, particularly in homes with young children. They can easily be pulled out or pushed back in, creating dangerous arcing that could lead to an electrical fire.
If you notice that an outlet is becoming loose, call a professional electrician right away. Don’t try to fix it yourself, as this can be very dangerous and could lead to more costly repairs in the future. An experienced, accredited electrician will be able to fix the problem quickly and safely. This will also help prevent any additional damage to your home or office from occurring, such as wires catching on something and causing a fire. Getting this issue fixed as soon as possible can greatly improve the safety of your family and employees. ElectriCall can help with all of your electrical needs.
Flickering Lights
Seeing the lights flicker in your home isn’t just annoying; it could be an indication that your electrical system has serious problems that need to be addressed immediately. While a light that flickers occasionally isn’t necessarily an issue, consistent and severe flickering can put your family’s safety in jeopardy.
Flickering lights can signal a number of different issues in your home’s wiring, including switch failures, loose fixture wiring and worn connectors on the breaker box. If the problem is only affecting one light fixture, it may be as simple as replacing the light bulb with a higher wattage and making sure that the fixture’s socket is properly tightened. If the problem is spread throughout your house, it might be a sign that your circuit breaker has overloaded due to multiple appliances or other reasons. Putting your appliances and devices on dedicated circuits and using power strips can help limit the amount of current that goes through each individual outlet.
If the problem is confined to a single room, it might be as simple as having outdated or damaged wiring. The insulation in old wires can deteriorate over time, and the resulting gaps create an electrical hazard that can cause arcing and overheating. This is a major fire hazard and requires immediate attention from an electrician.
A professional electrician will check your entire house’s wiring for signs of this type of problem. They’ll search for broken or disconnected wires, old or outdated breakers, switches and connectors. Flickering lighting is a serious fire hazard that can lead to deadly results if left untreated.
If you’re unsure of the cause of your flickering lights, or the situation has become worse over time, it’s important to contact a licensed and experienced electrician right away. They’ll be able to diagnose and repair the source of the problem. Failing to do so will result in unsafe and expensive damage to your property, as well as a possible danger to your family’s safety and health. Flickering lights can also be a symptom of more serious underlying issues that require immediate attention, such as a faulty electrical system or even an underground fault.
Dead Circuits
If your circuit breakers keep tripping or your lights are flickering, you may have a lasting short circuit problem. This type of electrical issue stems from an established pathway of electricity getting cut, which can lead to a fire or death to humans and damage to appliances. Fixing it involves determining where in the circuit the dead short is occurring and replacing the faulty wires with new ones.
Generally, the first thing you should do is unplug everything from the affected outlet to prevent overloading it. Then you should inspect the outlets, switches and light fixtures in the area for burns or scorch marks. This is because a dead short often results in showers of sparks.
Next, it’s time to flip the main breaker switch to the off position to work on the affected circuit safely. After that, you should carefully examine the fuses or breakers in your electric panel to find which one is blown or tripped.
In most homes, each breaker is assigned to one particular circuit. You can tell which circuit it belongs to by looking at the breaker’s handle, which typically sticks somewhere between on and off. Some fuses are labeled by color, so you can quickly spot which fuse has burned out or tripped.
Once you’ve determined which breaker or fuse is faulty, you should purchase a replacement from an electrical supply store or hardware store. Make sure the replacement is of the same size and amperage as the old one. It is a good idea to test the replacement before installing it to ensure it works properly.
When replacing a fuse or breaker, you will need to strip off some of the insulation on the end of each wire and connect it to the screw terminal. It is important to use the right tools for this job to ensure that the connection is safe and secure.
After you have replaced the faulty fuse or breaker, switch it back on and test the outlet. If it doesn’t work, you may have a more serious problem that needs a professional.
Backstabbed Outlets
Backstabbed outlets are a common problem found in homes and commercial buildings. They occur when the neutral (white) and hot (red, blue or yellow) wires get pushed into holes behind the outlet instead of being anchored to screws on the side of the outlet. This practice was used by electricians in the past to save time when installing receptacles and switches. However, this shortcut has since been discovered to be dangerous and should be avoided. If your home has stabbed outlets, it is important to have a licensed professional electrician check and repair them as needed.
During the 1970s and 1980s, some electricians wired receptacles with holes in the back to which they stabbed stripped ends of electrical wires. These receptacles, called stab-in receptacles, allowed them to skip the step of bending wire ends into a “U” shape with long-nose pliers and tightening them down under side screws. This method of wiring became popular because it was quicker and cheaper. However, over time the spring-metal grippers on the back of stab-in receptacles loosen and can cause wires to come unattached from the receptacle. This can result in power damage or even an electrical fire.
If you have stabbed outlets, they can be checked and repaired by turning off the power at the breaker box and removing the cover plate of the outlet. Look for signs of stabbed wires such as a melted back of the outlet or a loose and bare wire. If you find any of these, a qualified electrician can remove the receptacle from the outlet box, inspect and replace the faulty receptacle and rewire the circuit.
If you have AFCI breakers, your electrician can also use this opportunity to inspect and replace any backstabbed outlets with new, properly wired devices that are rated for the size of the conductors. This can help prevent arcing, which causes circuit breakers to trip repeatedly and possibly lead to electrical fires. AFCI breakers are designed to detect small arcs and shut down the entire circuit before they can damage your home or start a fire.