When your lights flicker, when your fixtures buzz, when you lose power to one or all appliances, is it best to call an electrician or the power company? Some homeowners are unsure of the differences between the two, and when you need power, you’ll want to solve the issues as quick as possible. So … who ya gonna call?
When to call an electrician
- When circuit breakers trip frequently – there is something faulty with the wiring and/or in the electrical panel
- When your lights randomly flicker or dim – large appliances draw a large current, and when they’re turned on, it can trigger a problem that’s easily repairable by an electrician
- If you have overloaded circuits – this is a dangerous problem, so an electrician should install additional circuits and/or receptacles
- Some older homes don’t have three-prong outlets – your home may not be properly grounded
- Hot-to-the-touch switches or outlets that may give off a small electrical shock – this means there is either a large demand on the circuit or an older home may still have aluminum wiring
- If you’re using multiple extension cords in place of permanent wiring – this means you don’t have enough outlets or they’re too far away from each other
- When there is a lack of ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) – these should be placed in any room where there is potential for wet surfaces, such as kitchens and bathrooms
When to call the power company
- When your power goes out during obvious severe weather – this kind of outage is almost always caused by thunderstorms, blizzards, heat waves, or other weather-related conditions and you’ll have to wait until the power company can get everything up and running again
- If you notice that your neighborhood block or your neighbors’ power is also out – this is a job that extends beyond an electrician
- If the power goes out and you turn the main breaker off then back on again and get no result – this means the power company is having trouble
- If you can’t identify a source in the home that might have caused an outage (tripped breaker, severe weather, etc.) – a power company can probably tell you if there’s a problem with the grid or not
- If you see a downed line – there’s nothing an electrical contractor can do about this; a special response team from the power company is needed
- When you have no idea – start with the power company, they can tell you if it’s their problem or not and can probably give you some troubleshooting tips for free before you have to call an electrician and pay for service
I’m glad you pointed out that you should call an electrician if any outlets or switches in your home are hot to the touch, since it indicates that your circuit is either overloaded or out of date. This morning when I was unplugging my phone charger, I noticed the outlet felt hot. I wasn’t sure if it was a big problem, so thanks for letting me know I should call an electrician!
Thanks for pointing out that an electrician is needed when we need to add more circuits since this job is kind of dangerous. I will share this tip with a friend of mine since he has been insisting on doing it on his own. It appears that he wanted to do it on his own because he is saving on money to buy a certain gadget. This can cause more money spent especially when an issue comes up or even an accident.
I appreciate your advice about contacting an electrician if your home is not properly grounded. Working with an electrician is a smart move because they know how to deal with all kinds of electrical systems in a safe and orderly manner. My friend is having issues with the electricity in his home, so I’ll suggest he spend some time looking for an electrician that has an outstanding reputation.
Thanks for pointing out that we must hire an electrician to have more outlets when we use extension cords for permanent wiring. I guess I should follow your advice to ensure safety. This is what we actually do because the fridge’s cord can’t reach the outlet near the door since it’s the only one in the lower part of the kitchen.
When it’s usually lights and appliances, I agree, you would want to call an electrician. If the whole house blacks out, then it’s definitely the power company you would want to call first.
Well worth a read. Got great insights and information from your blog. Thanks.
It’s good to know that you should call an electrician if your circuit breaker trips frequently. My brother has been telling me about how his breakers trip all the time. I’ll pass this information along to him so that he can look further into his options for hiring an electrician.
It was informative when you mention that lights flickering indicates an electrical problem that must be repaired by a specialist. I noticed this happening at my aunt’s house. It’s better if I recommend her to hire an electrician to fix the problem.
I’ve got some electrical issues going on at my work. It might be a good idea to go with an electrician. I’ll for sure have to look more into this and make sure I hire the right person.
You made a great point about calling an electrician when the circuit breakers are tripping frequently. My husband and I noticed our lights randomly flickering and dimming at different times and we aren’t sure what is going on. We will keep these tips in mind and call a professional electrician to help us out.
I was not aware that a large appliance could be causing your lights to flicker sometimes. My husband has been working on his garage lately, and we noticed that our lights are starting to flick. I will let him know about the importance of calling an electrician to fix that problem before it turns into something worse.
Thank you for explaining that you should reach out to an electrician when the circuit breakers trip frequently. My boyfriend mentioned that the power seems to go out a lot at his office and he thinks he heard someone say it was because of the circuit breakers. I think his office should reach out to a professional commercial electrician to help them figure out what is happening.
As an electrician, you’re responsible for getting electricity from its source to the places where individuals and business consumers can use it. Good article & an excellent way to articulate. Keep it up. Thanks for sharing.