Flickering lights, tripped circuits, appliances shutting down–is your home possessed by a ghost or is it something else? Before you get frightened when the thunderstorm hits on your next scary movie night, rest assured that these problems are only the result of faulty electrical wiring.
Your home electrical system might seem haunted, but it’s actually a problem that can be diagnosed and fixed with the right team of electricians in Bellingham.
However, until a professional actually gets to your house, there are still a few things you can do to evaluate the situation and figure out what’s going on. This information can be vital to our team when we show up to finally make the repairs you need–or in some cases, replacements.
Starting With Safety
Let’s be honest, there are some electrical components and systems that you just shouldn’t go near under any circumstances. These are systems best left to licensed electricians for one good reason–they’re not safe for untrained hands.
If you’ve got an electrical panel that’s malfunctioning for instance, and wires are looking frayed or corroded, you could seriously injure yourself if you try even examining this closely on your own. These systems go through a tremendous amount of electricity that could not only shock you but start a fire in your home. If you’re nervous about the area where the issue is, play it safe and just wait for us.
Determine the Location of the Issue
If you’ve got a light switch that’s not working or an appliance that shuts down, the issue starts there but it might not end there. Remember, electrical systems are set up like a grid with wires that power systems. If you’ve got an electrical panel, you might be able to see which circuit this appliance or switch is connected to. And if it’s labeled correctly, you can tell if the problem extends to other switches or appliances.
Test those other systems and see what happens. If they work perfectly, then you might have a problem relegated to that specific switch or wiring in that area. But if they don’t work, the problem might be with the whole circuit.
Keep the Area Clear
Electricians sometimes need time and space to be able to diagnose and fix an electrical problem. This gets hard when the space is cluttered, dirty, or contains a lot of dust and debris. If you can, try to clean the area where you think the problem is (or at least where it originated) so our team can have easier access to the system.
Even if you’re not sure about the electrical parts of the troubleshooting process, you can at least speed the repair appointment up by keeping the area clean!
Check Which Wires Are Live
If you’re dealing with a series of wires and you’d like to identify which are live and which aren’t (preferably before an electrician gets there), you can always use a voltage tester. These devices are very affordable, and you can find them in any hardware store. Our electricians also carry them.
You can safely touch them to a wire to see if it’s live or not. If the wire is live, the tester will light up or beep depending on the model. Otherwise, it will remain dormant. This can be helpful if you’re trying to move things around or get things ready for an electrician to diagnose.
Our team of Home Performance Experts has served the I-5 corridor from Blaine to Marysville, Oak Harbor to Concrete, and the San Juan Islands since 1972 with a mission of Improving Lives™. We look forward to serving you too! Contact Barron Electrical today for repair work.