Southwest Florida Electric Inc. is a family company that’s locally owned and operated.
Since opening our doors in 2010, we’ve become a trusted residential electrician, serving thousands of customers through Fort Myers, FL, and the surrounding area.
Our electricians deploy the latest technology to ensure you get the most reliable and safe system for your needs, and we guarantee our work 100%.
Contact us today when you need professional electrical repair or installation.
Our electricians keep you and your property safe with our code compliance repairs. Call us for more information.
Electrical Troubleshooting & How To Know When To Call A Professional
Your household electrical system is complex and serves so many appliances and electronic devices that it’s only a matter of time before something goes wrong.
Some issues result from bad habits, while others are deeper and require the help of a trained professional.
Here are a few common household electrical issues you can troubleshoot before calling a certified electrician.
Circuit Overloads
With so many devices and appliances plugged into our homes, it’s easy to overload a circuit and cause a breaker to trip.
Most overloaded circuits are caused by trying to draw too much power from a single outlet, and you can solve this by relocating devices to a different circuit to spread out the power draw.
Frequently Burned Out Bulbs
If you have a situation where light bulbs are constantly burning out more quickly than they should, try swapping them out for lower wattage LED lights to see if it solves the problem.
Recessed Lighting Issues
Recessed lighting systems contain safety features to help them dissipate heat. If your recessed light bulbs tend to turn on and off, it could be they’re triggering these safety features.
Often, we replace bulbs with ones that are incompatible with the system, so read your user’s manual and determine if you’re using the correct bulb.
Do-it-yourself electrical troubleshooting can be dangerous. Still, if you remember the golden rule of turning off the breaker supplying the outlet in question before troubleshooting, you should be safe.
When to Call a Pro
As we’ve seen, there are a few relatively safe troubleshooting scenarios you can do yourself, but here are ones where calling a professional is warranted.
Dimming or Flickering Lights
If you have lights that dim or flicker, it could mean there’s a loose or faulty connection that requires a professional to safely and quickly diagnose.
Malfunctioning Outlets
Buzzing or burnt outlets is another situation where it’s always safer to hire a professional because, in most cases, outdated or damaged wiring is the cause.
Repeated Breaker Trips
If you’re experiencing overloaded circuits and redistributing devices to other outlets doesn’t solve the problem, you probably have a short circuit in the system resulting from exposed or touching wires or a ground fault.
Breaker Panel Buzz
If you hear buzzing coming from your breaker panel, it usually means you have a faulty breaker that’s overloaded and won’t trip as designed. This dangerous situation can result in an electrical fire if you don’t deal with it as soon as possible, so call a certified electrician for help.
If you’re scratching your head over your home’s electrical issues, you can try diagnosing them yourself, or better yet, call the experts at Southwest Florida Electric Inc. to be safe.
Our Electrical Repair Services
When you hire us, you’ll never need another electrician. Our mission is to provide high-quality, safe electrical repairs at fair prices and a satisfaction guarantee.
Here’s a small sample of the electrical services we offer:
- Electrical Repair
- Maintenance
- Wiring
- Commercial and Residential Lighting
- Exterior Lighting
- Generator Installation
- Home Wiring
There’s no job too big or small for us!
Keep your family safe with a childproof outlet installation. Call us to find out more!
