It's one thing if a power problem is outside your home.  You’ll tell your friends the next day, “There were trees falling.  I hate storm Damage to my Electrical lines.”  All you need in this situation is some sympathy and the utility company to deploy its professional crews to safely restore your electrical service.

Then there are problems that you face alone.  At least, it can feel like you’re alone because Electricity is a scary thing.  The truth is, electricity can be dangerous, even deadly, but you can get answers and you are not alone.

Assess the Situation

If lightning strikes your home—or even close to it—and you smell smoke, get out immediately!  While less than a quarter of lightning fires occur in homes, they are associated with almost 90 percent of deaths, 76% of injuries, and 68% of property damage.

If there is no immediate danger, then the easiest fix is make sure the circuit Breaker didn’t trip and cut power.  Lightning damage or even surge damage, which can occur on a beautifully, sunny day, can make the breakers do what it was designed to do: protect your home’s wiring and the devices plugged into your outlets.

If resetting your breaker doesn’t help, verify where the power is out, say, in half of your house or specific rooms.

Decide on a Next Step

Unless you are a licensed electrical contractor, you will quickly decide to get need help from a professional electrician.  Spending the money to hire a qualified residential electrician who accurately diagnoses the problem will save you from needlessly replacing appliances when you really need your circuit breaker fixed.

Ask Questions

When you invite a professional contractor into your home, you can learn more about the systems in your home.  If your house is old enough, you may discover how easy it is to change from fuses to breakers and why a simple investment now can pay for itself in no time.

Once you find an electrician you can trust, you can rely on that person for advice on everything from ceiling fan replacement to adding an outlet for Christmas lights.  Money you don’t waste by ignoring problems can go to fixtures you have been wanting for years, like recessed lighting or other lighting upgrades for your home.

Call Harrison Electric if you need help replacing old light fixtures, outlets, and switches because they are no longer safe after a storm or because they are acting “funny.”