You may not give the lighting inside of your home much thought, but there are some times when you may need to make upgrades or repairs to electrical connections on light fixtures. But how do you know when that time is?
You can keep reading to learn some of the signs that your home lighting needs to be repaired or replaced. Then you can give us a call to schedule your service for indoor lighting in Barrington, IL. Lighting problems can be dangerous when the issues are electrical, so it’s important to schedule service sooner rather than later.
Bulbs That Don’t Last
When you purchase lightbulbs, the package should estimate how many hours of use you have out of the bulb. The usage estimates can span anywhere from 2,000 hours to upwards of 20,000 hours or even longer. If your lightbulbs are dying sooner than they should, your light fixtures themselves may be to blame.
This may not seem like a huge deal. You just have to replace your lightbulbs more often than you would otherwise. But light fixture problems can have a greater impact and even pose hazards to your home and family if they are left unaddressed.
Flickering or Dimming
You might also notice that your light bulbs flicker or dim. This can happen when you use other electrical components around your house, or it can just happen randomly. Either way, flickering and dimming lightbulbs should be considered a red flag of something being wrong with the electrical system or light fixtures themselves.
It is not normal for the lights to flicker, even a little bit. Power to your lights should be strong enough to provide consistent lighting without any flickering. If your lights do flicker, that’s a sign of faulty wires, faulty switches, or even a possible overload to the electrical panel.
Humming Sounds
The lights in your home should never make any type of sound. The only sound you should hear related to your lights is the clicking sound of the switch when you turn on a light. If you turn on lights and begin to hear them humming it’s most likely because there is an imbalance between the wattage of the lightbulb and that of the fixture.
This is common in older homes that do not have the capacity for modern lightbulbs and lighting technology. You can either purchase lightbulbs that are a little less powerful or upgrade the fixtures. We recommend making upgrades as they will be beneficial for years to come.
Signs of Rust
If you notice any rust developing on your lightbulbs or the fixtures themselves, that’s a red flag of moisture getting into the sockets. This is dangerous because water and electricity definitely do not mix. Sometimes rust can be wiped or sanded away.
They even make special paints designed to prevent rust on light fixtures. However, we encourage you to enlist the help of a professional from our team before attempting any DIY repairs of your own. There may be a larger problem that needs to be addressed. We can assess the situation and help with repairs or offer services to replace fixtures and upgrade your electrical panel.
Contact Althoff Home Services today to schedule an appointment with our professionals. Chicago’s Choice Since 1961. Hand It Off to Althoff!