As the weather warms up and spring cleaning begins, it’s always tempting to take on a fix-it-yourself project with high hopes of saving some money and taking pride in your self-taught handyman skills. However, while we are fans of self-reliance, we aren’t so fond of dangerous makeshifts and tragic accidents. Here are some electrical projects you should always have a professional handle.
Flickering Lights
D.I.Y. – Try changing the light bulb.
D.D.I.Y. – Dig deeper into the lighting to find the problem.
We understand how frustrating flickering lights in your home can be. Beyond just a small nuisance, those malfunctioning lights can be hard on your eyes and sometimes result in a pounding headache. While you’d want the quickest solution possible, flickering lights that aren’t solved by simply switching out the light bulb can mean deeper, more dangerous electrical problems.
Flickering lights are often a sign of loose electrical connections, overloaded circuits, or faulty wiring. Each of these problems goes well beyond the average person’s electrical knowledge. Alternatively, an electrician knows how to track specific wires, pinpoint the location of the problem, and fix it safely and efficiently.
Failure to allow an electrician to handle your flickering lights can result in damage to your electrical panel, electrical arching, electrical fires, and other dangerous and destructive issues.
Burning Smells
D.I.Y. – Clean your appliance well and wait to see if the smell persists.
D.D.I.Y. – Take appliance or electrical components apart.
Perhaps you just got a new oven and you’re excited to bake fresh cookies with the new recipe you’ve been waiting to try out! (Just for fun, here’s our favorite recipe!) You turn your oven on to preheat and notice a smell that isn’t normal. Or maybe you have a well-beloved oven that’s been around for a few decades and notice a smell while baking your grandma’s award-winning cake recipe.
Sometimes your appliances, especially brand new ones, smell at the beginning of use due to manufacturing residues burning off. If your appliance is new, we recommend keeping track of that smell to see if it continues. If it doesn’t subside, it’s time to call an electrician.
For those appliances that wouldn’t call this their first rodeo, we recommend a good deep clean to remove that crusty food that tends to get burnt onto the surfaces of your appliance. But, once again, if that doesn’t do the trick, you need to call an electrician.
Burning smells in your appliances that don’t dissipate after breaking them in or cleaning them well can be a sign of short circuits, malfunctioning electrical components, or other electrical problems. Each of these problems is fairly dangerous and shouldn’t be taken on by an amateur. It’s best to call an electrician right away and consider ordering pizza for dinner. An electrician will know what specific parts of your appliance, outlets, and breakers to check to diagnose and fix the problem. They’ll have you back to baking in no time!
Recurring Tripped Circut Breakers
D.I.Y. – Reset the breaker in your electrical panel or unplug appliances/devices.
D.D.I.Y. – Replacing circuit breakers.
You’re hanging out with your friends for a movie night, laughing and chomping on your popcorn when *flick* the power goes out on your TV. Talk about a buzzkill, right? A tripped circuit breaker is an indication that your circuit is overloaded, there’s a short in your circuit, or there are other defects in your electrical wiring. You can find your electrical panel and reset the breaker very easily and we encourage this as your first step. Here’s a short video to help show you how to reset your circuit breaker. If your breaker trips again, try unplugging some of your appliances or devices to see if it makes a difference. If the problem isn’t resolved after those two things, call our electricians.
Electrical Panel Work
D.I.Y. – Reset breakers when needed.
D.D.I.Y. – Anything else in your electrical panel!
In connection with breakers that keep tripping, we recommend avoiding doing just about anything that involves your home electrical panel on your own. Because the electrical panel is really the heart of your home’s electrical system, even small mistakes can cause huge problems. Electrical panels can be very complex. They require perfect precision and extra safety measures. They involve much more power than just a little outlet or plug, so they are more dangerous as well. To keep you safe, it’s best to leave everything involving your electrical panel to the professionals.
Ferree Electric is staffed by certified, knowledgeable, and professional electricians. Our team pays careful attention to detail and will take care of any electrical problem you find yourself with. Check out our residential services here. Give us a call today at 435-230-8408 to get started!
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