Home Electrical Repair, Installation & Maintenance

To find electrical problems in your house, you should start by identifying signs, such as flickering lights or repeated circuit breaker trips, which usually indicate an electrical issue. You may also conduct several tests on the different components in your home electrical system that go beyond the primary visual inspection.

Identifying the symptoms is just the first step — depending on the issue, you may need a professional electrical inspection to find the problem and its cause. During a professional inspection, a qualified electrician will examine all the different aspects of your home’s electrical system, from the wiring to the outlets, find the issues and determine the best course of action.

Electricians check for faulty wiring with diagnostic tools such as multimeters to measure voltage, current, and resistance in circuits. They also visually inspect wires for signs of damage, such as fraying or discoloration. Electricians also perform continuity tests to ensure proper connections throughout the wiring.

Additionally, they may use thermal imaging cameras to detect overheating in wires, indicating potential faults. By combining these methods, electricians identify and rectify faulty wiring to ensure safe electrical systems in homes.

Testing your home electrical system is essential for safety. Here are some things, among many, that you can check:

• Visual inspection: Look for visible signs of damage, such as scorch marks, frayed wires or loose connections at outlets, switches and circuit breakers.
• Outlet testing: An electrical outlet tester is used to check outlets for correct wiring and grounding. Ensure all outlets are working properly and not overloaded.
• Circuit breaker check: Test each circuit breaker by flipping them off and on to ensure they trip correctly. Make sure they are labeled accurately for easy identification.
• Light fixture inspection: Test all light switches and fixtures to ensure they turn on and off without flickering or sparking. Replace any malfunctioning switches or bulbs.
• GFCI testing: Press the test button on ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to verify that they trip as intended.
• Professional inspection: If you encounter any issues or have an older home, consider hiring a licensed electrician for a comprehensive inspection. Professionals perform advanced tests and identify potential hazards before they cause extensive damage.

Here are some of the most common signs of faulty electrical wiring in a home:

• Flickering or dimming lights: While your lights could be flickering due to a loose bulb or an incompatible dimmer switch, flickering and dimming could also be caused by bad wiring. If the issue occurs when using multiple applications, that’s a definite sign that your wiring needs professional attention.
• Circuit breaker trips: These electrical safety devices are designed to trip to prevent short-circuiting and overloading. However, circuit breakers that fail frequently usually indicate an issue with the home’s wiring.
• Frayed wires: Wires can fray due to age, rodents chewing through the insulation or other forms of damage. Regardless of the cause, frayed wires are not only an obvious sign of faulty wiring but also an electrical fire and shock hazard.
• Hot outlets and switch plates: Outlets and switch plates should never feel hot. While switch plates may become slightly warm due to an electrical current, they should still be comfortable to touch. If you notice these hot spots, your wiring may be faulty.
• Sparking: Large sparks coming from the breaker panel, fuse box, or outlets are clear indications of electrical fault and need immediate attention.
• Buzzing sound: A consistent and loud buzzing sound may signal an electrical problem, especially if it’s coming from a switch, outlet or appliance. The sound may be a result of loose wiring.
• Burning or odd smells: Burning, smoky or strange odors from your outlets or electrical panels are another sign of faulty wiring that must be addressed urgently.

If you’re unsure whether you need an electrical upgrade or not, consider the following factors:

• Age: Older homes usually have outdated electrical systems that may not be equipped to handle modern appliances and electronics. Even if the panels are still in good condition, newer appliances and electronics may overload the system, leading to failures or deteriorated performance.
• Physical damage: Electrical wiring that has corroded, frayed, deteriorated or has any other physical damage may require an upgrade. These wires can also present safety concerns.
• Performance: A number of issues, from frequent circuit trips to overheating outlets, may contribute to the decreased performance of your electrical systems. An electrical upgrade may help prevent performance issues and potential failure.

If you’ve already bought your own electrical fixtures and equipment, our skilled electricians can help with the installation. However, it may be best to consult with the electrician before making your purchase. As experts in the field, they will be able to assess your home, consider your needs and provide informed recommendations for the fixtures and equipment that will work best for your installation. Involving a professional from the beginning of the project life cycle facilitates a holistic approach and ensures the best outcomes.

Our electricians remove and dispose of old fixtures and equipment by following specific steps. First, they turn off the power supply to ensure safety. Then, they carefully disconnect the old fixtures, avoiding damage to the wires and surrounding areas. Finally, they remove the fixtures and equipment from your home.

As experienced electricians, we know that proper disposal of electrical equipment is crucial for protecting the environment. Our team takes the old items to recycling centers or hazardous waste facilities to ensure safe disposal. Safety is paramount when dealing with electrical components, so we take the necessary precautions while following local and national regulations.

First, check whether other plugs are loose to determine if the problem is with the prongs or the receptacles. If you try different plugs and they all fall out of the outlet instead of remaining secure, you need to replace the outlet.

When the contact points of the outlet’s receptacles start to wear out over time, they fail to hold plug prongs in place. Faulty wiring and other electrical problems may cause loose outlets. In any case, a loose outlet may cause issues with the electrical flow in your home or electrical arcing, which could lead to an electrical fire.

A two-pronged plug and a three-pronged plug both have a neutral wire and a hot wire. The difference between the plugs lies in the third wire, known as the grounding wire, which you’ll only find in a three-prong plug.

The grounding wire safely directs any surge of electricity away from the home and into the ground, preventing electrical shock or fires. This third wire is a critical component of electrical safety, and many appliances and electronics feature three prongs to protect them from surges.

A whole-house surge protector is a device that safeguards your home’s entire electrical system. By installing a whole-house surge protector at your main electrical panel, you shield all outlets and appliances from damaging power surges. When a power surge occurs, the protector acts as a barrier, absorbing or redirecting the excess electricity to prevent damage to your devices. The unit helps extend the life span of your electronics, prevents costly repairs or replacements and enhances overall safety in your home.

With whole-surge protection, you can rest assured that your valuable devices are shielded from unexpected voltage spikes, providing peace of mind and saving you money in the long run.

Fuses and circuit breakers are both designed to interrupt the flow of electricity. While fuses only provide protection from overloading, circuit breakers safeguard the system from overloading and short circuits. To stop the flow of electricity, fuses have to “blow” or melt, and circuit breakers have to trip.

The main difference between a blown fuse and a tripped circuit breaker is how they perform the function. When the fuse melts due to excess electrical current, the melting disconnects the sudden high electrical current flowing to the circuit. The fuse must be replaced with a new one to restore power. On the other hand, circuit breakers use a switch mechanism that only needs to be reset after it trips.

LED lights outperform incandescent lights in several areas. Incandescent bulbs have a design that has been around since the 1880s, while LEDs are a relatively recent innovation with advanced light technology. Consider the following factors that highlight why LED lights are better than incandescent bulbs:

• Energy efficiency: LED lights use at least 75% less energy than incandescent lights. They convert a higher percentage of energy into light rather than heat.
• Longevity: LED lights can last over 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, reducing the frequency and cost of replacements.
• Heat emission: Incandescent bulbs work by using electricity to heat the tungsten filament housed inside, creating a light produced by heat. Compared to incandescent bulbs, LED lights produce very little heat, which makes them safer and more efficient for prolonged use.
• Environment impact: LED lights are typically free from toxic materials and are more sustainable due to their longer life span and lower energy consumption.
• Costs: LED lights have higher upfront costs than incandescent bulbs but offer better long-term cost savings by using less energy and requiring less frequent replacements.

A small, brief spark sometimes occurs when plugging an appliance into an electrical outlet due to the rapid draw on the available power. These sparks are perfectly normal and usually not a cause for concern. However, big, lengthy sparks that are accompanied by a burning smell may indicate a serious issue with your electrical system. Other reasons outlets may spark when you plug in appliances include:

• Overloading: Overloading occurs when too many devices are connected to a single outlet or circuit, exceeding its designed capacity. It may lead to wires overheating and cause sparking at the outlet.
• Short-circuiting: Old and outdated appliances may cause short circuits. Plugging in one of these appliances creates a sudden surge of electricity that results in sparks at the outlet as the electrical current moves across the faulty connections.
• Worn-out outlets: Electrical outlets may wear out due to repeated use over time. The contact points inside the outlet may become loose or corroded, leading to poor connections. When a plug is inserted into a worn outlet, poor contact causes arcing and results in visible sparks.
• Moisture: Water exposure from leaks within the walls or a splash may cause the outlet to spark. When water or humidity infiltrates an outlet or appliance, the current flows unexpectedly and results in visible sparks. Installing a GFCI helps protect outlets from water damage by shutting off electrical flow whenever an interruption occurs.
• Improper repairs: A poor repair job by an unlicensed electrician may lead to several safety hazards and electrical problems, including outlet sparking.

When dealing with an issue with your electrical system, it’s best to hire a professional to handle the job. While you might be tempted to fix the problem yourself, that may be dangerous if you’re not qualified, and you could do more harm than good. Consider hiring an electrician when:

• The electrical problem is too complex and above your experience level.
• It is challenging to find or identify the source of the electrical issue.
• A home remodel project involves adherence to electrical building code requirements.
• Replacing a breaker, transfer switch or old wiring.
• Conducting extensive electrical work, such as home rewiring or electrical installation.
• You lack the necessary tools, such as a voltmeter or multimeter, to conduct a proper inspection.