You don't need to have all the lights in your house suddenly go dark to need an electrician; it's good to call on this professional when your home needs repairs and upgrades long before they cause blackouts in order to ensure your safety of your home. Having upgraded and safe electrical systems will mean reducing your risk of an electrical fire and less wear and tear on your appliances. If your home's power should consistently go on and off or suffer slowdowns so that appliances stop working, this can wear out their motors, blowers, and other parts. Note a few reasons you want to call an electrician even before a blackout or before you experience these slowdowns and brownouts. 

1. Lack of 3-prong outlets

Many older homes don't have 3-prong outlets, and this can be inconvenient but also signal the need for an electrician. Not only might this mean that you cannot plug in a microwave or even your vacuum cleaner, but it may also mean that your home's wiring is dangerously outdated. Outdated wiring and plugs without that third prong are often not grounded properly so that you have an increased risk of electrical shock and other hazards when using those outlets. If you notice a lack of 3-prong outlets in your home, stop relying on adapters to plug in cords and call an electrician to update the wiring.

2. Rubber and cloth around wires

If you've ever opened up an outlet in your home and noticed bits of black rubber on the back, or you can see that the home's wiring is covered in cloth and not any type of plastic, this means that the wiring is not properly insulated. Very old types of wiring may have used cloth for insulation rather than plastic, and if the wiring is this old then chances are it is at risk for being bare or frayed. This lack of insulation can also be dangerous for the wiring itself. 

3. Shocks

You should never feel any type of shock or tingling sensation when you're using plugs and outlets properly and when the cord you're plugging into the wall is insulated and safe. If you ever feel any type of tingling sensation or shock when using a certain plug, this should be checked by an electrician. The plug may not have proper surge protection or be grounded properly. This can put your home at risk for an electrical fire and be very dangerous for you as well.