Of all the myriad of questions in the home services industry that gets asked over and over by homeowners as well as commercial property owners is:

Who should I call; an electrician or a plumber?

There are numerous things that can transpire in the home or company workplace that will cause one to ask this questions. For example, you may have a hot water heater that is not functioning properly or producing hot water but as a layman, it is hard to determine if the problem can best be fixed by an electrician or by a plumber. There are many other examples like this that can be perplexing to any intelligent individual. One of the first things you can do is visit the website of a local plumber or electrician Fort Lauderdale to see what type of services he provides. Many provide overlapping services and you can “kill two birds with one stone” by just having one come out.

(Note: We highly recommend that when in doubt, call an electrician to come out to assess the situation and eliminate any potential hazards that may exist or may potentially exist as a result of recent events. Remember, when in doubt, call an electrician to come out and prevent a life threatening situation.)

Some other great examples are pool equipment, home appliances like washers and dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators that develop leaks, drips, erratic starting and stopping, etc. as well as that testy pool pump that shuts down for no reason. These are all indications that you may have a plumbing issue but at the same time, a potential electrical issue.

So who do you call first?

When in doubt, we recommend that you try to discern the problem and come up with some potential issues that are causing the problem. For example, if you have a bad pool pump that shuts off, was it after a storm or power surge in the immediate area? If so, you may need both an electrician to inspect any potential harm done to the fuse box or electrical set-up and you may also need a pool expert to replace the pump.

This same type of example can be used inside the home when appliances start acting up. Washers and Dryers, as well as other home appliances are sensitive to the entire electrical “grid” at the home or business so oftentimes you might have a plumber or home appliances repair technician come out only to find out that the expertise of an electrician is what is needed. We could go on and on, but as referenced above, it is always best to be safe than sorry when you and your family could be in danger.

So whether it’s the pool pump or a faulty water heating unit, and you aren’t sure what’s going on, it is always best to consult with an expert or call both a plumber and an electrician to get their input. You can always tell if they are genuinely trying to help you, or just collect a service fee.

So in conclusion, assess the situation and its causes, make a coupe phone calls and have someone come out but if you’re in doubt, call an electrician first for the safety of yourself and your loved ones!