Conducting regular electrical maintenance at your residential or commercial property is the best way to ensure that your electrical system is in good health. Electrical faults are an unwelcome inconvenience at best, so it’s critically important for you to be aware of any signs that your electrical system is faulting. Knowing when to call for professional electrical maintenance will help keep your home or office running smoothly.
Here are some indicators that you might have an electrical fault:
Circuit breakers are tripping regularly
The frustration of a tripping circuit breaker is an electrical incident we’re all familiar with. However, if your home or office circuit breaker is tripping regularly, you’ll need to hire professionals to determine the root cause. Most circuit breakers will trip as a result of circuits that are shorted or overloaded.
Finding the root cause will save you in time and money as the problem could, otherwise, continue to worsen. A professional, licensed and experienced electrician will be able to test all relevant wiring and connections and isolate the cause of the trips. Once the issue has been identified, they’ll repair the faulty wiring or connections and prevent any more disruptions to your electricity.
Your office lights are flickering
You may not think that flickering lights are an indicator of a serious electrical problem, but if flickering lights have become a regular occurrence, they may indicate a larger electrical fault. This is sometimes just a single faulty wire or an issue with the light bulb itself, but it’s more commonly a circuit overload of some kind.
Flickering office lights can be a terrible nuisance that causes frustration, poor working conditions, reduced morale, headaches and impaired vision. Not to mention that it can increase electricity costs. If there is flickering occurring in more than one light fixture or room, there’s likely to be a wider electrical fault at play. Again, if this is the case, you need to hire a professional electrician to identify the root problem.
Electrical outlets are warm to the touch
Another common sign of a larger electrical faults is when electrical outlets or plugs are giving off heat. When an outlet is warm or hot after unplugging a device or when nothing is plugged in, you might have an electrical fault. Worn, cracked or broken outlets should also be checked or replaced by an electrician, in addition to any warm or hot outlets.
If you’re unsure about the severity of the problem or think it’s due to regular warming during power adaption, you can unplug the device and check back after a few hours. After this, the plug should be a cool to the touch and, if not, you should call an electrician in to perform an inspection. There are multiple reasons why an outlet might heat up, but it’s never something to leave unattended.
Sparks appear when plugging or unplugging appliances
Sparks appearing when plugging or unplugging appliances is another sign that could, potentially, have some type of electrical fault. If you’re noticing sparks emanating from your outlets, you must call an experienced electrician to determine why the issue is occurring and prevent any further damage to your electrical system.
Sometimes, a small spark can be caused by a rapid draw on available power with no underlying problems to be concerned about. However, the sparks could be caused by excessive heat building up behind your wall plugs, which is a more serious issue. This can fray wires, melt insulation or start an electrical fire, not to mention harm those who use the impacted, sparking outlets.
Your home or office is an old building
There is no question that older buildings will require more regular electrical maintenance checks. Offices and home located in older building could have electrical systems that are decades old. This means that frayed wires, worn insulation and damaged connections are more likely. That’s why it’s a good idea to have your electrical system assessed frequently by an electrician and have them replace or repair any old, worn-out wiring if you’re in an old building.
Good electrical maintenance improves safety and cost-effectiveness
Ensuring that your office building or home have a well-maintained electrical system is one of the best things you can do. By reducing the risk of electrical faults, infrastructural damage and injury, you’ll make your office space a safer and more cost-effective environment. Hiring a capable and reliable electrician will help you guarantee that your employees are in a safe workspace and your business is preventing unnecessary costs.
For cutting-edge electrical installations, maintenance and overhauls, contact LeafySpace today and find out how our brilliant electricians and engineers can help get your electrical system running smoothly.
