FAQ

If you notice a strong burning smell coming from your outlet, it is a clear sign that replacing your electrical outlet is an immediate priority. If you touch an outlet and it feels hot, this is also a sign of electrical trouble.

The sound of sizzling or popping near an electrical outlet should also be taken very seriously and means that your electrical outlets need to be inspected as soon as possible.

Flickering lights can be caused by minor issues or serious electrical problems. If your lights are frequently flickering throughout your home or just in a single fixture, you should always call your electrician. In many cases, lights flicker because of an outdated electrical system, and your electrical panel or wiring will need to be replaced.

In other cases, it can be a loose wire, insufficient power supply, or another appliance on a circuit drawing too much power. In any case, it is best to have the problem diagnosed by a certified electrician.

It’s not uncommon for homeowners to immediately spot an electrical issue. Any good handyman will tell you that they can fix it themselves without a problem. Unfortunately, there is a problem. Handymen are not qualified to handle electrical work.

Electricians have to undergo years of extensive training and certification processes to obtain his or her license. Sure, a license may seem like a piece of paper, but that paper is something that can save your life.

When you reach to your light switch to turn it off, only to find that it is hot to the touch, you have a problem. This is not a normal phenomenon, and it indicates that there are serious issues hiding behind your walls. If you don’t get help right away, you could end up facing a serious electrical fire in your home.

As the summer or winter months roll around, you probably start to experience more power outages than usual in your home. In fact, these are the times of the year when the experts Electrical Works Limited receive the most calls from the community.

Your first option is to check the circuit breaker box. The rows and rows of switches make it almost impossible to guess which one is linked to which appliance, so naturally, most people just flip the switches that are out of alignment to get everything working again. However, we should warn you this doesn’t always solve your problem.

Breakers can trip simply because they are worn out/older. However, they could also be tripping because of an underlying problem with a wire or an appliance. Check the circuit and appliances the breaker is on to see if that could be the root of the issue. In most cases, breakers are cheap and just have to be replaced overtime by an certified electrician.

Outlets can stop working because of they are on a switch, they are simply broken, the wiring is bad, or the breaker has tripped.

You should test the breaker and other bedroom switches first, and then try replacing the outlet. Furthermore, understand that outlets are typically on a circuit. Therefore, if a circuit is interrupted before any outlets, all of the other outlets/power down the circuit will stop operating.

Fuses and breakers both are in place to accomplish the same task. When a fault is sensed in an electrical circuit, both devices will break the flow of electricity. While fuses blow out and need to be replaced every time they do their job, a circuit breaker is a simple switch that can be flipped once the problem is resolved.

The fastest and most reliable way to know if an electrical panel is unsafe is to call an electrician. You can also check the brand and compare it with reports on the Internet. Electrical panels that were installed more than 20 years ago should usually be replaced.

If you would like to find more answers to commonly asked electrical questions, or if you are interested in our suite of electrical services, please contact Electric Works or fill out a contact form on our website.