Signs Of Possible Electrical Fires In Your Lilburn Home

2/8/2017 (Permalink)

Electrical fires are a leading cause of house fires.

Indications Of Electrical Fires

Electrical fires are a leading cause of house fires. Because of this, you need to pay particular attention to any signs of malfunction of your electrical outlets. You should take care of these problems sooner rather than later, and hire a professional electrician to check out any issues right away. If a fire does occur, you want an experienced fire damage restoration company to help you out. SERVPRO is ready to help you whenever you need and has the experience and professionalism you expect.

The six signs below of burning around an electrical outlet or plug should not be ignored in your Lilburn home to prevent fires and fire damage. These include shocks and sparks, discoloration, crackling or sizzling sounds, burning smells, flickering electricity, and an outlet that is hot to the touch.

Discoloration Around An Outlet Or Plug
One of the most significant warning signs, brown, yellow or black marks around the outlet or plug is an indication that plastic or wiring is burning. It is a strong indication that the outlet is failing or damaged. If you see this discoloration, turn off the breaker and don’t use it until it is inspected. You can replace the outlet cover; however, you should not replace the outlet as there could be damage to the wiring you cannot see, causing the problem to become worse if not fixed.

Sparks And Shocks
When plugging in an appliance, you feel a shock or tingling sensation; this is a sign the outlet is not working correctly. It can be an indication that the outlet has too much current going through the wire, causing the appliance to ignite.

When the outlet sparks when plugging an appliance in, stop using that outlet until you get it repaired. Even if this happens only once or twice, it shows there is a much bigger problem that you should not ignore, as this could lead to a fire or severe injury. If you do have a fire spark, call in SERVPRO as soon as you can after the fire is out so that they can remediate any damage.

A Burning Smell
One of the most common signs of an electrical fire, this smoke is acrid, pungent and unmistakable. Contact your fire department right away if you smell burning, and trip the breaker.

Sizzling Or Crackling Sounds
If you are hearing these noises coming from your electrical outlets, this is a sign that it is shorting and sparking. You could also hear sizzling. Contact an electrician if you hear these sounds, and stop using the outlet right away. You should never ignore odd sounds from your outlets.

Flickering Electricity
A variety of problems can be apparent with this issue, including faulty wiring. It can be happening deep inside the walls of the structure of your home. It is something an electrician needs to inspect.

An Outlet That Is Hot To The Touch
Outlets should not ever feel hot to the touch. Unplug any devices if you notice this issue and get it inspected, as it could be a sign of outlet failure and could combust if you keep using it.

Electrical fires are serious events. If your home has suffered through one, you need to get a hold of us at SERVPRO of North Lilburn right away. We can be easily reached by dialing (770) 709-3266 at any time.