Our Atlanta electrician recently received an emergency call due to an electrical burning smell. An open neutral on the power company wire was damaged by squirrels, causing the surge protector to almost ignite in flames. So we installed a superior surge protector, while the power company fixed the damaged wire.

(Damaged surge protector)

(New surge protector)

This customer was fortunate their electrical system and, most importantly, their home didn’t suffer any substantial damage. It’s imperative to be aware of the early signs of an electrical wiring issue in order to prevent minor issues from becoming major ones.

The following are telltale indications that there is a problem is your electrical wiring:

• Flickering or dimming lights – Sometimes, large appliances or portable HVAC units can be wired to the same circuit. Speak with an electrician about moving lights to various circuits or adding a line dedicated for major appliances.
• Sparking – If an outlet, breaker or fuse box is sparking, immediately notify an Atlanta electrician. If sparks are coming from an appliance, call an appliance repairman so he can test it, along with the outlet which powers it.
• Funny odors – If you detect a burning smell deriving from an outlet, shut it off and unplug anything connected to it. If your breaker or fuse box has an odd odor, have a professional electrician inspect the issue immediately.
• Frequent blown fuses and tripped breakers – In order to prevent overloading, fuses and circuit breakers are designed to fail. If this occurs regularly using an outlet, the circuit is most likely overloaded.
• Buzzing – Typically, electricity flows quietly and smoothly between connections. However, if a buzzing sound is evident, it may be due to a fraying wires, loose prongs or outlets.

If you’re experiencing any of these issues, our Atlanta electrical contractor is capable of taking care of them. We are available 24/7, so contact us if an electrical problem occurs at any time.