How to Know When You Need Emergency Electrical Services

Most homeowners in Medfield do not want to jump the gun and reach out for any kind of emergency services before they are really needed, whether from electricians, plumbers, or any other contractor. Unfortunately, this can lead to situations where you really do need emergency electrical services but don’t call the professionals for help.

This hesitancy is particularly dangerous for emergency electrical services. While all kinds of problems can lead to serious damage to your home, electrical emergencies can pose an immediate fire hazard or electrocution risk. Avoiding calling in professional electricians when they’re really needed is a recipe for disaster. In general, there are a few main points you should keep in mind whenever you think something isn’t quite right with your home’s electrical system.

When Are Emergency Electrical Services Really Needed?

The safety of yourself, your family, and your home should be at the center of your decision whether to call a residential electrician for emergency services. If there is a clear danger, you should not hesitate to get help from trained professionals. For electrical problems, it is best to go with professionals even if there is not an immediate danger.

Seemingly minor electrical problems are often signs of something much more serious. Sparking outlets, buzzing noises, or frequently tripped breakers might seem like simple problems. However, trying to repair electrical components yourself can be very dangerous.

The true cause behind these problems could be electrical hazards like arc faults or short circuits. Trying to work on damaged electrical components presents an immediate electrocution risk. Depending on your experience, you might not be able to recognize these immediate dangers once you’ve started a repair attempt. For any electrical problems, it is best to err on the side of caution and reach out to a residential electrician for help. While it is true that there may not be an immediate risk to your home, there must be something behind the issues you are having, and an electrician will be able to determine the cause of those problems.

You might not need emergency electrical services for flickering lights or for a frequently tripped circuit breaker, but you will need electrical services at some point. Some signs do necessitate immediate action. A strong burning smell, sparks coming from outlets, or complete loss of power are all emergencies that need handling right away.

These kinds of problems put your home at immediate risk, so it is best to call a professional electrician for emergency electrical services as soon as possible. Even if it turns out that it was not an emergency, in the end, you will know that you made the right choice for the safety of your family.

Electrical Hazards During Flooding

Flooding can be catastrophic for a home in many ways. Water damage can have a severe impact, and standing water can leave a home unfit for habitation. What you might not realize is that your home’s electrical system can be a serious hazard when your home floods.

Whether you are dealing with significant water in your home from a burst pipe or seasonal flooding, that water presents a risk anywhere it comes in contact with electrical components. Keep in mind that water does not necessarily have to reach the height of any outlets to be a hazard. You do not know exactly what is going on behind your walls. Always reach out to a professional electrician before you attempt to re-enter your home following any flooding. They will be able to ensure that the area is safe and that you will not be electrocuted by any residual water.

The electrician can also provide emergency electrical repairs for any components that have been damaged during flooding. If water has made contact with electrical components, there’s a good chance that short-circuiting or other damage has occurred.

Audible Signs of Electrical Issues

Many of the signs that you need emergency electrical issues are going to be sounds. Most of the issues that can occur with your home’s electrical system take place behind your walls or within your electrical panel, without any visible indication. The sudden onset of new sounds from electrical components can mean that something is wrong.

In the case of major issues like power surges and faults, these noises can be a series of loud and jarring bangs. This banging can be an indicator of a major electrical problem, especially when there is smoke as well. Reach out for emergency electrical repairs the moment anything like this happens.

Buzzing or humming can also indicate electrical issues. You might notice light bulbs or appliances humming when turned on, but this is not a real concern. Instead, pay attention to humming that does not have any obvious source. It could be due to short-circuiting or faults in the wiring in your walls. For the most part, you should listen for sudden or unexpected sounds. Identifying when something changes is the most important part of watching for potential electrical emergencies.

Electrical Fire Hazards

Electrical fires are the primary concern that homeowners have when it comes to electrical emergencies. Wiring heats up when the power goes through it, and if too much power goes through it, then it can start a fire. Your home has many protections against this type of damage, like your circuit breakers, but it can still happen.

Power surges, short-circuits, and arc faults can all lead to electrical fires. They can do so either suddenly or over time. Hot wiring can slowly wear away insulation, which can cause the smell of smoke in your home. Once the wire insulation is gone, there’s a potential for the exposed wiring to cause a fire at any time.

If your home is on fire, you should leave your house and call 911 immediately for an emergency response from the fire department. After the fire, a residential electrician can verify the integrity of your home’s electrical system and provide any necessary repairs to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. If you have started to notice signs of a fire hazard but no immediate signs of fire, you can call an electrician for residential electrical services. Call an electrician right away if you notice:

• A plastic burning smell
• Sparks coming from outlets
• Burn marks on outlets or switches
• Outlets, switches, or an electrical panel that are warm to the touch

Even if your home is not at immediate risk of an electrical fire, these signs indicate that something is very wrong and that some electrical component needs to be repaired.

Stuck Without Power

Being stuck without power can leave you without water, heating, air conditioning, and other necessities. If a power outage goes on long enough, food in your fridge and freezer can spoil. At the very least, an outage leaves you without the electricity you count on for both work and play during the course of your day.

When the power outage is due to some grid issue or storm that is affecting the entire area, a residential electrician will not be able to help you. That is an issue for the utility company. You can look to see if your neighbors have lost power as well or give your utility company a call for information.

If it is just your house, it could be an issue with your electrical panel or other electrical components. Professional electricians will be able to quickly determine just what is causing the problem and restore your power with the necessary repairs or replacements.

Keeping Your Home Safe From Electrical Emergencies

While you should always be ready to call a professional for emergency electrical services whenever necessary, prevention is also important. There are some measures that you can take to avoid creating some electrical emergencies in the first place.

You should not hesitate to call a residential electrician for an inspection if something isn’t quite right with your home’s electrical system. Minor issues generally lead to major issues down the line, so catching things early is a simple way to prevent emergencies. Call an electrician if you notice:

• Flickering lights
• A spike in your power bill
• Frequently burnt-out lightbulbs
• Regular circuit breaker trips
• Anything else that doesn’t seem quite right.

It is much better to deal with electrical repairs today than with an electrical emergency tomorrow. If you would like to take your home’s protective measures a bit further, you might consider whole-home surge protection. A residential electrician can install a whole-home surge protector at your electrical panel to protect your entire home from power surges. This setup can keep your home and everything in it safe during the next lightning storm.

The most sensible thing you can do to keep your home safe is to always go with the professionals when it comes to electrical work. Amateur installations and repairs are some of the main causes of electrical fires and electrocutions. When it comes to this kind of work, it’s best to avoid the risk and go with the professionals in the first place.

Emergency Electrical Services in Medfield, MA

If you need help during an electrical emergency, repairs after the fact, or reliable prevention, you can count on Paul Macrina Electrical Contracting Inc. Our team of professional electricians can handle any of your needs with quality work and top-flight residential service. Just give us a call today to get started.