A licensed electrician can solve various wiring problems to restore the function of your home’s power system. Loveland Home Solutions provides licensed electrical services to residents in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri. Here are some things to know before you hire one of our contractors:
Discover the Problem
To fully understand the type of electrical services you require, we need to know what electrical issue you are experiencing. Buzzing sounds, strange smells, and flickering lights can all be symptoms of an electrical problem. Residents in older homes with outdated electrical systems, like aluminum wiring, may experience electrical shocks. If an outlet or light switch gives you a slight shock, you should not dismiss it as harmless static. This is a symptom of improper grounding, which occurs when electrical currents flow through unintended paths. Improper grounding may occur even if your home has a three-prong receptacle. Metal ductwork, water lines, and even furnaces may be electrically charged from improper grounding, shocking you when you touch them.
Excess heat from your lighting system and outlets may indicate faulty or damaged wiring. Most lighting fixtures generate a small amount of warmth while in use, but if the heat has spread into the wall or ceiling, it’s time to call an electrician. We recommend checking that each fixture contains the recommended light bulb wattage to avoid overheating.
Locate Power and Water Controls
Locating your power controls will help you inform your electrician of where to go when they arrive at your home. The location of your electrical panel may vary depending on your property’s configuration. Common places the panel can be found include the basement, garage, or outside of the home, near the city’s powerline connection. The electrical panel looks like a flat metal box with a cover that is mounted into a wall. Inside the cover will be rows of black plastic switches called breakers. Turning off your power in an emergency may help protect you and your family from sparks and fires until our electricians arrive.
To find your property’s water controls, begin by looking in the most common locations first. Basements, crawl spaces, and exterior walls can house the main water shutoff valve. Another tip is to look where the main water supply enters your home on the street side of your property, like laundry rooms or next to water heaters. Turning off your water during an electrical emergency or repair appointment helps prevent potential shock hazards.
How an Electrician Finds Solutions
Our licensed professionals will help you safely fix an electrical problem by diagnosing the issue in person. This is done by checking and testing your property’s grounding system, the health of your circuit breaker, and your electrical meter. We will also keep an eye out for rodent activity, as animals like mice can chew through wires or pull them loose, causing damage and hazardous conditions.
Before repairing or replacing your electrical system, we will shut off your property’s electricity to prevent shocks and fires. We then prepare your home with protective drop cloths and shoe covers to maintain a clean work environment. Simple tasks like breaker replacement may take a few hours to complete. Larger projects, like home renovations and rewiring, may take several days to weeks to finish.
Schedule Your Free Electrical Services Estimate
Loveland Home Solutions provides Missouri homeowners with quality electrical services, such as cooling and ventilation installation, wiring upgrades, and smart home integration. We offer free estimates to help customers create accurate budgets for their projects. Contact us today to schedule a service or receive a free quote.