The electricity running through your home from the main power grid is fast and hot. In the U.S., supply lines carry electricity at 115 to 240 volts. When you plug something in, you’re dipping into this current to power your appliances and lights, making the potential for electrical outlet sparking very real.

Sparks are no laughing matter. If they’re large and hot enough, they can even start a house fire. So when you notice electrical outlet sparking in your home, it’s important to take a closer look. While some sparks may be part of normal operation, other times they can be a sign of a severe issue. It all depends on the cause of the sparking.

While you want to get out of the house and on your way without worry, if you let things go or do not call the right electrician your house could burn down while you’re away at work. Many times electricians have pulled outlets and seen in the wall where small fires have started and the homeowners had no idea because it had not spread. Bathroom electrical outlet repair can save your family and possessions.

Yet it could be that your outlet is not secure and moves around too much from all the pushing and pulling. This is when you want an honest electrician to tell you that it is minor and can be repaired quickly.

If you have not scheduled an inspection of your electrical wiring and you are encountering problems like needing to have your bathroom electrical outlet repaired, it may just be the time to stop and have the whole house inspected while your licensed electrician is there. Not only can he fix your immediate need, but he can show you where you may have potential problems within the next six months to a year. It is always better to be proactive rather than reactive. If you wait for an issue to arise, you may have to pay extra for a service call during evening hours.

There is another issue when you discover your bathroom electrical outlet needs repair. It has already been mentioned that it could possibly be a fire hazard, but also a faulty live wire could electrocute or shock a person who has just plugged an object in – or is removing it after the outlet seems to have given up the ghost. While waiting for repairs, do not let children plug anything in. Safety comes first.

A good number of the calls I get during an average day at work fall into two categories;   customers who call to have something installed in their electrical system, and customers who tried to install it themselves and are calling me to come and fix the mistakes they made.  There’s certainly nothing wrong with trying to perform basic electrical work yourself if you have a good grasp on proper electrical safety techniques and what you’re doing.  On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with calling a top Dallas electrician to do the work for you either.  The best way to ensure the job is done right every time is to hire an honest, hardworking professional electrician who’ll stand behind his work.

Even tasks that can seem quite simple can be treacherous if you’re not sure what you’re doing.  This comes into play a lot when a homeowner is trying to perform a three-way switch installation.  It seems a lot easier to install than it really is; I generally recommend homeowners not attempt to install three-way switches without at least a electrician on the phone to walk you through the process.  Keep the following in mind:

There are tasks well suited for the do-it-yourself minded homeowner, though.  The easiest is wall outlet replacement, which is usually a very simple, straightforward procedure.   That doesn’t mean the haystack isn’t free of the odd needle that you can hurt yourself on, though.  Here are some of the more common problems I run into, along with some typical solutions or hints to keep them from happening to you: