If you are like most homeowners, you cringe at the thought of hiring a professional to take care of maintenance or repairs at your home. They always seem to cost more than you expect, and it is a pain trying to figure out who to trust. The problem with foregoing calling a residential electrician when you need one is that some problems can be risky to delay. Every year there are thousands of house fires resulting from electrical causes. In order to avoid problems, you should know these signs that you should call a residential electrician right away.

Circuit breaker trips often — Circuit breakers are designed to stop power from flowing when they sense a problem down the line. If it continues to happen, one of two things is happening: there is either an overload on that circuit or a short circuit in the wiring somewhere. Either of these could result in a fire if not resolved.

Burning smell — Often, the earliest indication that a fire is imminent is a burning smell. This could be a smell like burning plastic or rubber, or more of a wood smell. In either case, it is best to shut off your power at the main box and vacate the home while you wait for a residential electrician. If you see smoke, you should also call the fire department.

Odd sounds — If you hear popping, buzzing, or crackling, these can indicate there is a short circuit that is sparking. It could be in your home’s wiring or an electrical appliance.

Black marks at an outlet or switch — This indicates that the outlet or switch has burned out. It is not enough to just change it out because there could be an underlying problem that caused it to happen. These components typically last decades, so if they are burning out on you before that it is cause for concern.