How important is it for you to Safeguarding your home from electrical fire hazards?
Well, consider this: According to a report by National Fire Protection Association, between 2010-14 the US municipal departments responded to about 45,210 home fires that involved some sort of electrical failure or malfunction.
While these numbers can look staggering, you can take some preventive steps to protect your home. You can change the electrical receptacles and outlets, but sometimes you may require repairing and updating the complete electrical system of your house. Even though a complete rewiring may seem like a huge expense, it pales in comparison to how important it is to keep your home safe from a fire.
Here are few warning signs that you can look out for:
- Frequently blowing fuses and tripped breakers
- Tripping circuit breakers
- Flickering, buzzing or dimming lights indicate circuit overloading or a loose connection
- Frequent light bulbs blowing out in a socket, which signals improper fixture
- Burning smell
- Discoloration or scorch marks on the outlets
- Hot or warmed up switch plates, cords, or plugs
- Sparks from outlet when you plug or unplug a cord
- Chewed or damaged wiring
- Loose outlets
- Burning or odd odors at the point of outlets
- Cracked, broken or cut insulation
- Gives out electric shock when plug in or touching a chord
Fixing electrical circuits or even a blown out fuse on your own can be dangerous. No matter how tempting it is to attempt to fix electric work at home using DIY methods, some jobs require professional assistance.
Here are few points you need to think of before hiring a licensed electrician near you.
Avoid being overconfident
The wiring in your house may look simple to you at first, but what you may not be knowing is that it involves a much wider interdependent network. You might get into other systems and circuits, and could end up making your problems much worse, costing you a lot more in repairs.
Doing the job safely
It is known that working with electrical wires and circuits on your own can be risky if not approached with caution and a superior expertise. An electrical job done incorrectly can lead to safety hazards, including fires and electric shocks. Therefore, it could be risky to do any electrical work at home on your own.
Get guaranteed professional work done
By hiring an electrician near you, you will make sure that the job is done right the first time by calling someone who knows what they’re doing. A professional electrician will know what job is to be done for a particular problem and will be able to do it more efficiently. You might be wasting time and money trying to fix it yourself and getting nowhere.
Well trained and licensed workers
A well-trained electrician will have the skill, knowledge, and experience to get the job done at a faster pace and in the most cost-effective manner. A licensed electrician will be familiar with building permits and local codes that he will conform to while doing the job.
Upfront costs that you can manage
A professional electrician will provide you with a written estimate for the work that is to be performed, including the cost of labor and materials required. Hiring an electrical contractor can cost you a lot less in the long run as it won’t cost you extra whenever there is any issue with the electric system in the future.
Warranty and worker’s insurance
A reputed and licensed electrician will offer a warranty and guarantee satisfaction and smooth operation of all the systems that they repaired or installed for a particular period of time. Electricians normally charge around $250 for a lifetime warranty, which includes any cost incurred for replacement of parts and services. The insurance protects you from any injuries that happen to the worker on your premise while working on the job.
It is not worth the risk to do electrical repairings on your own when you can hire a professional electrician near you. Ensure that you hire a professional, licensed, and insured electrician to perform any repairs or replacements in your house
