Electrical issues in a home can seem minor but be quite serious. Left unattended, those issues can worsen, become more expensive to fix, and even result in a fire or other safety hazards.

Home Team Electric provides emergency electrical repair in Banning, CA, and encourages you not to take chances with electrical system failures. Even something seemingly innocuous, such as a flickering light, could be a symptom of a fundamental electrical problem.

Repairs for Electrical System Failures

A tripped circuit breaker is an excellent example of a potential symptom of electrical system failures in Banning. They’re also a warning sign many homeowners ignore until the problem worsens. An isolated tripped circuit breaker usually isn’t cause for concern. Reoccurring tripped circuit breakers are. You should never continue resetting it.

The problem could be an overload, which could lead to a fire and damage devices and electrical components. It could be a short circuit, which can damage the wiring, breaker, and electrical panel. The tripping could also be due to a ground fault surge, which is a maintenance issue that can occur in older homes.

Tripped circuit breakers are just one indication of a problem with your electrical panel. Another is corrosion, which means that there is or has been moisture near the panel. This can occur in homes where the relative humidity in summer is regularly above 60%. It may also suggest that there is or was a leak behind the wall where the panel is.

If the water is still present, it’s a dangerous situation that requires immediate emergency electrical repair. Even if the panel just has a small amount of rust, it’s important to identify why.

You may also experience a sudden problem with your panel because of a lightning strike. A second potential scenario is bad power from the grid due to a blown transformer. A third is an internal surge from a generator or HVAC equipment. In many cases, you may hear a loud pop, and there could be burn marks and even smoke. At this point, you should disable the electrical system if it’s safe to do so and contact us for emergency services.

You may be wondering what you should do if you have whole-house surge protection installed. In that case, most systems have indicator lights. These lights may indicate whether there has been an event and whether the surge protection device (SPD) is still functioning. If the color is red, that likely means that the SPD is no longer protecting your home. In that case, we’ll need to replace it. Even if that light is green, you should call us if you know a surge event has occurred. Each surge decreases the life of the SPD, and you should have it professionally inspected.

Flickering lights are another problem you shouldn’t ignore. It could be as simple as a faulty or loose bulb, but it could be a bigger problem. If a light dims, for instance, whenever the AC kicks on, that suggests an overloaded circuit. If there’s a loose connection, that can put you at risk of an electrical shock or fire. It can also be due to voltage fluctuations. Often, that means you have some older or damaged wiring that we need to replace.

If you have an outlet or switch that gets hot to the touch, you should stop using it right away. It could be that the component itself has gone bad. The problem can also be due to loose or damaged wiring or an overloaded circuit. The hot outlet can give off unhealthy fumes and eventually melt. It’s a shock risk. It could also burst into flames and ignite nearby flammable materials, such as curtains and carpets.