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Understanding What Electricians Do


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Understanding The Fundamentals Of Household Electrical Outlet Trouble

Your home's electrical wiring is one of those things that you should never underestimate. In fact, many homeowners don't realize that even things that seem like small problems can lead to serious issues with the electrical system. For example, it's easy to overlook issues with an outlet in your home until that outlet fails completely. However, there are some problems that should lead you to reach out to an electrician right away. Here's a look at some signs that you have an electrical outlet in need of an electrician's attention.

Your Outlets Are Missing The Ground Plug

Grounded electrical outlets have become the safety standard and building code in most places. If you live in an older home that has any ungrounded outlets, meaning outlets with only two-prong receptacles, you need to reach out to an electrician to have those outlets replaced. 

Grounding your outlets provides you with an additional safety measure against electrical shorts and other dangers. Further, most electrical appliances now have three-prong plugs, so you'll need grounded outlets to be able to plug things in.

Plugs Fall Out Of Your Outlets

When you plug something into an electrical outlet, the plug should be held in place by a retention-clip design inside the outlet. Over time, those clips can wear, so your plugs may come loose or fall out of the outlet completely. This can be dangerous because a partial connection can lead to an electric shock.

If you notice that any of the electrical outlets in your home don't hold the plug well, or the plug seems "loose" in the outlet, you'll want to talk with an electrician about replacing the outlet with a new one.

Shocks From The Outlet

If you plug something into an outlet or unplug it from the outlet, only to be met with sparks or a shock from that outlet, you should reach out to an electrician as soon as possible. This is an indication of poorly controlled electrical flow, which could pose a serious safety hazard. You'll want to have an electrician test the outlet and replace any damaged wiring.

Heat On The Faceplate

You shouldn't feel any heat on an electrical outlet's faceplate whether there's something plugged into it or not. If you find that any of your outlets have a faceplate that's warm to the touch, that is a sign that there's an excess electrical load on that outlet. Unplug anything plugged into that outlet and turn off the breaker to that area if possible while you wait for an electrician to assess the problem.

These are some of the most common electrical outlet issues that you may encounter. Reach out to an electrician today for help troubleshooting and your electrical problems. They can provide further information regarding electrical repair.