We’re going to cover some of the most common signs that your electrical system is in some sort of trouble in a minute, but first, we want to impress on you the importance of addressing issues before they get that far. Electrical problems can be among the most dangerous of household issues, inflicting damage like electrocution or house fires. That’s not something you want to risk. It’s far better to make sure that you schedule preventive maintenance every year, so that any issues developing in the system can be dealt with prior to becoming that serious.

During an annual electrical system inspection and maintenance appointment, your electrician will closely examine your system for any sign of something being off. Any developing issues can be repaired before they develop far enough to cause issues for the system. This can reduce the chances of a serious problem developing in the system by up to 90%. You can save thousands of dollars on repair costs over the life of your electrical system by scheduling preventive maintenance on a regular basis. Not to mention you’ll be much safer overall.

Professional maintenance services are great, but they’re not perfect. There are still ways for problems to develop between inspections, which is why it’s so important for you to keep an eye out for any and all signs that your system is developing some sort of problem. There are a lot of different signs that your electrical system might be struggling.

For example, hot spots on the walls should prompt an immediate call to an electrician. These spots are often caused when a short circuit in the wiring diverts some of the current into the wall around the wire. Another common symptom of electrical issues is if many lights are flickering throughout your home. This could indicate a problem with the circuit, especially if the outlets having issues are localized to one part of the home. Finally, you should always call a professional electrician if you smell something burning, but cannot locate its source in the home. Persistent burning smells could indicate wiring issues or some other issue with the electrical system. Better to be safe and have a professional check it out for you, than to ignore a potentially serious problem.