You’ve just unplugged a lamp from an outlet, but something out of the ordinary happened. This time, a little blue spark jumped out from the plug when you removed it from the wall – and now you’re worried. Is your home in trouble? Are you one lamp-removal away from catching something on fire? Should you avoid plugging anything in for the foreseeable future?

Lots of questions! They’re understandable since electricity is so volatile and can present legitimately dangerous problems in the blink of an eye. If your outlet is sparking, though, it might not always be something you need to worry about. To help whittle down the possibilities, here is a quick and easy guide to when a sparking outlet is something you can ignore, and when it’s more serious.

When It’s Not a Problem

Most of the time, if you’re seeing a sparking outlet, it’s nothing to worry about. After all, this is the point at which electricity connects to your device, so when a current is present, it’ll understandably jump from the plug to the outlet sometimes.

This spark, which is blue in color, isn’t anything to worry about if it’s happening every now and then. But if you notice it happening more frequently, then we recommend putting in a call to an electrician you trust.

When It Is

But there are times when sparking is out of the ordinary. If you notice one or more of these indicators, don’t run the risk of causing greater damage – stop using the plug immediately and call a professional.

• Longer sparking: Normal sparks don’t last very long – they’re gone in the blink of an eye – but sparks that last longer are ones you need to take more seriously.
• Charred/burned smells: If your nose picks something up that smells like this, then something has melted. This is obviously a sign that something is wrong and should prompt a service call as soon as possible.
• A strangely colored spark: Like we mentioned earlier, normal sparks are blue. But when you unplug a device, sometimes the color is white, yellow, or something else. This indicates a problem as well.

Why Sparks Occur

Sparking isn’t just limited to one cause. Things like water damage can lead to sparking, as can normally wear and tear that your electrical system undergoes over the years. Or, it could even be because a previous electrician installed wiring or an outlet incorrectly or didn’t repair something the right way.

It’s tough to tell why your outlet is sparking without taking a look at your specific situation. When you’re worried about whether the sparks you’re seeing are something to be concerned about or not, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Weeks Service Company is the League City and Houston-area service provider you can count on. We’ll figure out why your wiring is acting up and work with you to develop a solution that makes sense and will prevent this issue from popping up in the future.

Give us a call at 281-738-1362 to speak to a member of our team today!