Do You Need Electric Repair in Northern Virginia? The Most Common Home Electric Problems!

There are a lot of problems that can occur with a home's electrical system - some are serious, and some aren't. Do you need electric repair in Northern Virginia, or is it a problem that you can take care of yourself?

In this article, we'll take a look at some of the most common home electric issues, and which ones require outside help to solve.

Five Commonplace Home Electric Problems in Northern Virginia

1. Tripped breakers

Circuit breakers are a safety measure that protects your house from power surges, or from overloading your power system. If too much current tries to pass through the breaker, it trips, shutting off the power before damage can be done.

The occasional tripped breaker is completely normal. If you flip it back on, and everything is fine, it's nothing to worry about. However, if your breakers are constantly tripping, you have serious problems. Either there's a fault in the incoming power, or else you're overloading your system with too many appliances and devices. Call an electrician to investigate!

1. Brownouts or flickering lights

Both brownouts and flickering lights are caused by the lights not getting enough power to maintain constant lighting. If it's only happening to one particular light, try replacing the bulb. If the problem continues, there's probably a problem with the socket that will need professional help.

If multiple lights are browning-out or flickering, that indicates a larger-scale problem. Your home probably doesn't have enough power to supply all devices. You may need to rewire to increase power flow.

1. Overloaded power splitters

Many people over-rely on power splitters when they have a lot of electric devices. This is a bad idea! Power splitters can put far too much burden on a single electrical socket, and potentially damage the socket, or divert electricity from other places in the house.

In particular, if you ever find yourself daisy-chaining power hubs, it's time to call an electric company to install more sockets in your house.

1. Electric shocks

You should never experience an electric shock when touching a power outlet or attached device. If this happens more than once, there's almost certainly something wrong with the outlet that a local Northern Virginia electric repair service should look into.

1. Hot power outlets

Finally, also watch out for power outlets that feel hot. A power outlet might be slightly warm to the touch, compared to room temperature, but that's it. If the outlet truly feels hot - or if you ever smell something burning - immediately unplug anything in that outlet and call for electric repair services. Something is dangerously wrong.

Don't neglect your home's electrical system! Act early if you suspect there's a problem, or else it could be a danger to yourself, your family, or your home.