Your senses often will alert you to an electrical problem in your home or business. This is a good lesson to teach children, who may be home alone when problems arise.
Smell, sight, hearing and touch will show you the first signs of trouble.
Smell
Don’t turn up your nose at odd smells emanating from a control box or an electrical outlet. Call an electrician to determine what is causing the smell.
Ditto for a charred odor near an outlet.
Fire and electrocution are always concerns when electricity malfunctions.
Sight
If lights flicker you are seeing a sign that the power is surging as it struggles to handle the demands of the appliances.
You can reduce the workload by shifting some appliances to another outlet, but you ultimately may need to upgrade the wiring. Over time, power surges wear out your appliances and your electrical system.
Hearing
Most electrical switches work smoothly and silently. Unusual noises indicate problems in the system.
Hisses can indicate overheating or a bad connection.
Popping or crackling sounds could be due to “arcing” – electricity jumping between connections, a problem to be addressed by a professional.
Buzzing is a common sound in electricity; normally, the louder the buzz the more urgent the problem.
Touch
If your ceiling fixtures feel unusually hot, consider different wattage for the bulbs and more insulation as well. Swap out incandescent bulbs for cooler bulbs, such as light-emitting Diode (LED) or compact fluorescent light (CFL).
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