When do you need to call an emergency electrician?

Even though you may hesitate to call an emergency electrician,  particularly if the emergency happens late at night, and you believe it to be an easy fix, you should never attempt to repair electricals yourself unless you are a trained electrician. Doing so not only risks damaging the electrics more but can lead to severe injury or even worse.

But how do you know if you need an electrician?

There are a range of issues that will require an out of hours electrician, but if caught early can save you time and prevent a larger repair or replacement from being needed. Here are the signs to look for.

Dimming or Flickering Lights

Something almost all homeowners will have experienced before, yet this should not be ignored. First, check the bulb, try replacing the bulb to see if this fixes the problem. If the light now seems fine keep a note of when this happened, if the issue returns you should call an electrician to see what is causing the bulbs to burn out. If changing the bulb does not fix the issues there may be a fault with the wiring, and you will need to call an electrician as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration or damage.

A Tripping Circuit Breaker

While a circuit breaker that trips every so often isn’t really an issue, if it is tripping regularly it is likely a sign that the circuit has become overloaded. This could cause irreparable damage to the system and potentially result in an electrical fire if not assessed and rectified by a professional electrician as soon as possible.

Smell of burning

The smell of burning could be caused by a number of things in the household so before calling an electrician you should first check that any electricals such as ovens or straighteners haven’t been left on as this is more often than not the cause.

You should then check any electrical outlets, if the smell is coming from an outlet this means it has overheated and could be very dangerous. You need to unplug any devices from the outlet and make sure it is switched off to minimise the risk of further overheating which could cause an electrical fire. An electrician should be contacted as soon as you can, so they can safely carry out the necessary repairs.

Sparking Outlets

A sparking outlet could be due to short-circuiting, old age, or an issue with a particular outlet. Although these may seem like minor issues a sparking outlet could cause an electrical breakdown or even an electrical fire, so it’s important to get a professional to assess the situation quickly.

If ever you find yourself needing an emergency electrician for any reason, or at any time please contact our dedicated team immediately.