4 Signs You Need an Electrician Right Away in Kitchener

4 Signs You Need an Electrician Right Away in Kitchener

If you suspect there is a problem with your home’s electrical system, you need to contact a professional skilled in electrical services in Kitchener right away. Electrical problems can lead to issues with your lights, appliances and electrical fires. Attempting to fix an electrical problem yourself could lead to even more damage or danger to your safety or your property. At CJ Brubacher, we can help solve your electrical problems quickly. Here are four signs you need to call us right away.

1. Flickering Lights

A common sign that there is a problem in your electrical work is if your lights flicker. If you have light fixtures that consistently flicker, there may be a problem with your wiring. It’s also problematic if your lights flicker when you use appliances, hair dryers or your air conditioner. When lights are flickering, there may be loose wires, a short or something loose in the fixture. An electrician can check out your lights and electrical panel to determine the following steps to fix the issue.

2. Electrical Shocks

The next big clue that there is something wrong with your electrical system is if you experience electrical shocks. If you feel an electrical shock when you plug something into one of your outlets, that could indicate a problem. An electrician can determine the cause of the electrical shock and remedy the situation.

When this problem occurs, it may be due to an unstable electrical circuit, damage in your circuit or problems with the power cord for your appliance. Ignoring this issue could create a fire hazard in your home. If you ever experience a powerful electrical shock after plugging something in, you may need to seek medical attention or you may need to call 911.

3. Burning Smell

Another dangerous sign of a problem with your home’s electrical system is a burning smell. If you notice a strange odour in your home, it’s essential to get it checked out immediately. A smoky smell may be indicative of a wiring issue that could quickly turn into a fire. Make sure you call a professional with expertise in residential electrical services so the power can be turned off in your home to avoid a potential fire hazard.

A burning smell may be due to a variety of factors. You may have loose or frayed electrical wires that are starting to melt or burn. It could also be from an overloaded circuit that can’t handle your home’s power needs.

4. Buzzing Sound

Finally, in addition to paying attention to the smells in your home, you also want to listen carefully for any unusual sounds that may be associated with electrical wiring failures. If you hear buzzing in your walls, that may be related to an electrical system problem and needs to be looked at immediately.

An electrical buzzing sound may be due to problems with your wiring. It could also be from outlet failures or your wall switches malfunctioning. A licensed electrician can check out the noise and help you with the next steps.

Professional Electrical Services in Kitchener

Homeowners should never wait around or delay service if there is a potential electrical system fault. The average DIYer is not knowledgeable or skilled enough to fix electrical wiring or outlet damage issues. To avoid injuring yourself or causing significant damage to your home, reach out to a professional, licensed electrician to determine the cause of your issue and get it fixed safely and quickly.

Connect with CJ Brubacher for your residential electrical system needs. We provide immediate emergency services for potentially dangerous situations. We can also help with electrical panel upgrades, light fixtures and outlet installations and maintenance of your entire system.

Kitchener Electrical Repair: Why Outlets Spark

Kitchener Electrical Repair: Why Outlets Spark

Having an outlet that sparks when you use it can be alarming. When you have electrical trouble, you need expert service that you can trust to do the job right the first time and for less. We are CJ Brubacher Ltd., and we specialize in electrical services in Kitchener, Ontario and the surrounding areas. As experts in our field since 1923, we frequently receive questions about sparking outlets.

There are several reasons why an outlet may spark. Some are cause for concern and should be dealt with right away, while others may not warrant worry. To help you identify the nature of your situation, let’s take a look at eight potential reasons for your outlet trouble.

1. The Wiring Is Loose or Frayed

While it may not be visibly noticeable, if the outlet’s wiring is loose or frayed, it can produce a sizzling sound when you use it. Common causes for loose or frayed wiring include improper installation, age and rodent damage.

2. The Wires are Short-Circuiting

If an outlet produces too much heat, it can cause the wire casing to melt, leaving wires exposed and dangerous. This issue needs to be addressed to prevent an electrical fire.

3. It’s Old

Time is not kind to electrical systems. If your home is older, its wiring probably has not been updated. Older wiring can wear out, leading to the issues mentioned above. Depending on the age of your electrical wiring, you may be due for a rewiring.

4. Improper Repairs Were Made

Unfortunately, unless you are the only one who has ever owned your home, it is hard to know the level of experience with which electrical repairs were made. If repairs were improperly made, this can lead to dangerous outlet sparking and a host of other electrical concerns.

5. The Outlet Is Overloaded

You may have too many things plugged into the same outlet. It is never advisable to use multiple outlet extensions, as doing so can overload the electrical outlet and cause issues, and sparking is one of them.

6. The Plastic Is Damaged

An often overlooked source of sparking, damaged outlet plastic can expose the inner workings and contact points of the outlet and lead to sparking. If your outlet looks a little worse for wear, it may be time to get it replaced to prevent fire damage.

7. Water Has Reached the Outlet

Often, outlets are placed too close to sinks. If the outlet comes into contact with water, sparks may result. Additionally, if you’ve recently had a plumbing leak, water may be interfering with the wiring in the vicinity. A professional needs to take a look if you believe water damage may be to blame for your outlet sparking.

8. It May Just Be Normal

Because electricity flows quickly, it can sometimes jump around too fast when you plug something in. If your outlet produces a blue spark when you use it, but it does not regularly spark, it is most likely just a normal occurrence. If you are unsure, reach out to schedule an appointment to have one of our electricians take a look.

If you have one or multiple sparking outlets that are causing concern, give us a call right away. Our technicians can accurately diagnose the problem and get you quickly on your way to a safe and functional home. No matter what the source of your sparking outlet may be, you can trust CJ Brubacher Ltd. to put your mind at ease.

You can reach our service team by phone or fill out our online contact form. No matter which method of contact you prefer, you will receive friendly, knowledgeable assistance from our professional team. Your safety and comfort are our priority and we look forward to serving you with our top-notch residential electrical services!

Benefits of a Ceiling Fan This Summer

Kitchener Electrical Services: Benefits of a Ceiling Fan This Summer

If you’re looking for a smarter way to cool your home this summer, consider mounting ceiling fans in the rooms in which you spend the most time. They’ll boost your comfort while doing less damage to your pocketbook and to the environment.

Here we’ll talk about just a few of the benefits of adding fans to your home. Then when you’re ready to play it cool by installing ceiling fans, contact an expert in electrical services in Kitchener like CJ Brubacher to review your options.

Lower Your Energy Bills

It’s a good thing that vacation time comes in the summer since you’ll need some major relaxation after seeing your first electric bill of the season! Each time you crank up the air conditioning, it sends your monthly charges soaring higher than the temperature. Fortunately, installing ceiling fans is a low-cost way to reduce your electricity bills.

Because overhead fans boost air circulation, they do a great job of moving conditioned air around your living spaces. With ceiling fans, your bedrooms, dining room, and family areas feel more comfortable even when you run your AC less.

By improving airflow with ceiling fans, your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to cool down your rooms. You’ll save money by raising your thermostats a few degrees so your unit turns on less often, yet you’ll feel no noticeable warming. Top-quality ceiling fans draw little more energy than it takes to run a light bulb, so adding them to your home won’t cut into the savings you gain by operating your air conditioner less.

Stay Cooler

In addition to improving cold air circulation, ceiling fans make you feel cooler even when you’re not running the AC at all. This sensation isn’t just wishful thinking but rather the impact of wind chill, which is the cooling effect created by wind blowing over a surface.

In a room with a ceiling fan, perspiration and body heat are blown away from your skin by the spinning blades, making you feel colder than the air around you. You can even open a window and enjoy some fresh air, knowing that the hot outdoor air will feel cooler to everyone in the room when you’re running a fan overhead.

Help the Environment

Although modern air conditioners are more energy-efficient and emit fewer pollutants, they still have a negative impact on the environment any time they’re operating. Adding ceiling fans reduces your reliance on your AC units, allowing you to run them less frequently without sacrificing comfort.

Because of the wind chill effect, a ceiling fan shifts the focus from cooling a room to cooling the people in it. There’s no need to run your AC in an empty room so it’s comfortable when you want to spend time in it; instead, you can be kind to the environment by switching your thermostat and your ceiling fan on only when you’re ready to settle in.

CJ Brubacher Is Here To Help

Now that you know some of the benefits of installing ceiling fans in your home, it’s time to start feeling cooler and saving money and Mother Nature in the process. Work with an experienced residential electrical services team like the folks at CJ Brubacher Ltd. to select the best ceiling fan models and placement for maximum impact.

Call us at CJ Brubacher for any of your electrical, HVAC, or plumbing needs. We’ve been helping families and business owners in Kitchener, Elmira, and Waterloo for nearly 100 years, and our A+ Better Business Bureau rating reflects our commitment to customer satisfaction. Schedule an appointment today and enjoy a cooler home this summer!

How CJ Brubacher Can Help With Commercial Electrical Maintenance In Kitchener

How CJ Brubacher Can Help With Commercial Electrical Maintenance In Kitchener

When you work in a commercial building, maintaining your electrical system is vital for the success of your company. Your employees can’t be productive if they can’t work due to malfunctioning electrical sockets. If you live in Kitchener and need assistance maintaining your electrical system in a commercial building, CJ Brubacher is here to help. You should never attempt to perform commercial electrical services yourself because you likely do not have the tools and experience necessary to take care of any issues. Here’s why you should call us for help with electrical services in Kitchener.

Maintenance Keeps Your Power Running

Losing power is never good for a business. You may not even think about how much your company relies on electricity for day-to-day tasks, but even a power outage that lasts only a few hours can cost you a lot of productivity and profit. The best way to prevent this from happening is to keep your electrical system in good shape.

Regular maintenance is the best way to make sure your system is functioning properly. During a maintenance visit, the technicians from CJ Brubacher will complete the following steps to check your electrical system:

  • Ask about any potential issues you may be aware of
  • Check connections and secure them when necessary
  • Clean wires and connections
  • Replace any components that aren’t working properly

Maintenance Ensures Safety

Electrical systems can be dangerous if they are not maintained properly. If your system malfunctions, it can catch fire and calls significant damage to your company building. Some electrical fires are so bad that they completely destroy business buildings.

Electrical systems are also dangerous to the people who service them. Is never a good idea to mess with electricity if you don’t know what you were doing. If you touch an exposed wire accidentally or make connections improperly, you could cause the entire system to crash. You could also cause significant harm to yourself. It’s always best to leave any type of electrical work, including maintenance, to professionals.

Add a maintenance visit, your technician can chat to make sure your electrical system poses no fire hazards. Keeping up with regular maintenance is important for ensuring the safety of your system as well as keeping it in top performance.

Maintenance Can Reduce Major Problems

Minor electrical issues can turn into major problems quickly. It is always more cost-efficient to catch issues and resolve them when they are still small. However, if you don’t keep up with routine maintenance, you probably won’t know that there is a problem until it needs major repairs that are significantly expensive.

Scheduling appointments for regular maintenance allows technicians to examine your electrical system several times each year to check for bad components. When we can replace aging parts before they start causing problems, we can save you a lot of money on major repairs.

Keep Your Electrical System Maintained

Electrical systems are complex, so you never want to maintain them yourself. You need to hire a professional technician to keep your system working properly. The experts at CJ Brubacher have all of the knowledge and tools necessary to keep your electrical system running at peak performance and reduce the risk of any issues arising.

Trust CJ Brubacher To Help With Electrical Maintenance

Any time you lose power to your commercial building, it causes you to lose productivity and can cost you a significant amount of money in profits. You may not be able to prevent power outages due to sudden storms, but you can prevent most other electrical problems by keeping up with regular maintenance. CJ Brubacher offers both commercial and residential electrical services in Kitchener. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for electrical maintenance.