Home electrical safety comes down to three things: wiring that stays cool, breakers that hold, and protection near water. Warm outlets, a burning smell or breakers that keep tripping mean it’s time for a check. In Florence, SC, Quality Service Company, LLC finds the cause and explains your options before any work starts.
What are the warning signs of an electrical problem?
Many wiring problems show warning signs first. Watch for these:
- Outlets or switch plates that feel warm or look scorched
- A burning or hot-plastic smell with no clear source
- Buzzing or crackling from an outlet, a switch or the panel
- Breakers that trip again and again, or fuses that keep blowing
- Lights that dim or flicker when the AC or a big appliance starts
- A tingle or small shock when you touch an appliance or switch
- Plugs that slip out of loose outlets
One sign alone can be minor. Several together, or any burning smell, needs a check soon.
Why do older homes in Florence and the Pee Dee need a closer look?
Many homes here are decades old. In the City of Florence, the median home was built in 1983. Census figures show nearly half were built before 1980.
Several nearby towns have even older homes:
- Darlington: median build year 1967
- Timmonsville: median build year 1975
- Hartsville: median build year 1978
- Manning: median build year 1980
Two-prong outlets, fuse boxes and small panels are common in homes this age. Now that same panel may feed a heat pump, a home office and an EV charger.
Your tech checks the panel first, because it decides what else the house can handle. If yours is full or worn, read about electrical panel upgrades. If outlets have no ground wire, wiring and rewiring may be the fix.
What can I check myself?
You don’t need tools for these checks. Leave the inside of the panel to an electrician.
- Press TEST, then RESET, on each GFCI outlet. If it won’t trip or reset, it needs a look.
- Test smoke alarms. Replace each one by the date printed on it.
- Label your breakers so you can shut off the right one fast.
- Keep the space in front of the panel clear.
- Don’t run extension cords under rugs or use them as permanent wiring.
- Plug space heaters and window AC units straight into the wall, not a power strip.
Summer adds load here. Florence averages about 70 days a year at 90 degrees or hotter, per NOAA. A breaker that trips whenever the AC and dryer run together is telling you something.
Where do GFCI and arc-fault protection belong?
A GFCI outlet cuts power in a split second if current leaks toward water or a person. They belong in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, basements and outdoors. That matters most in a house with small kids or an older parent.
An arc-fault (AFCI) breaker watches for small sparks from a damaged wire or loose connection. Those sparks can start a fire inside a wall.
South Carolina enforces the 2020 National Electrical Code, with state changes. In an older home, adding this protection is often worth it.
How do storms affect home electrical safety here?
Lightning is part of life in the Pee Dee. State climate records list 16 lightning events in Florence County from 1950 to 2020, one of them deadly. On July 8, 2025, lightning started structure fires in the county.
Surge protection, at the panel or at the plug, helps shield electronics and appliances from spikes.
Outages bring their own risks. Federal and utility guidance is clear:
- The CDC says to run a portable generator outdoors only. Keep it more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, and never in a garage.
- The CDC also advises battery carbon monoxide alarms in the house.
- FEMA says never connect a generator directly to home wiring. Generac warns backfeeding can electrocute utility workers.
- Duke Energy advises a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician.
After a flood, don’t turn power back on to anything that sat in water. NEMA guidance says water-damaged breakers, fuses, GFCI and AFCI devices, surge protectors and wiring devices should be replaced.
When should I call an electrician?
If you see smoke, flames or sparks, get everyone out and call 911.
Turn off that circuit’s breaker if you can reach it safely, then call soon if:
- An outlet or switch is hot, scorched or buzzing
- You smell burning near the panel
- A breaker trips again right after you reset it
- Someone got a shock
Book a check for less urgent cases, too. These include adding a big load, buying an older home, or flicker that won’t go away. Learn more about electrical repairs in Florence.
Your tech will find what’s causing the problem and explain why. Then you get your options before any work starts.
Quality Service Company has served Florence and the Pee Dee since 2003. We’re independently owned by Chris McDonald and Chuck Polk, and our people live where we work. HVAC, plumbing, electrical and generators. One company, one number.
Common questions
How often should a home’s electrical system be checked?
No single schedule fits every home. Get a check when you buy a house or add a big load, like a heat pump or EV charger. Also get one after a flood or a lightning strike. Older homes with fuses or two-prong outlets deserve a look sooner. So does any home showing warning signs.
Is a breaker that keeps tripping dangerous?
A breaker that keeps tripping is warning you about a problem. The cause may be too many things on one circuit, a failing appliance or a wiring fault. Never swap in a bigger breaker to stop the trips. That can let the wires overheat inside the walls. Have the circuit checked instead.
Are two-prong outlets unsafe?
Two-prong outlets are not an emergency on their own, but they have no ground wire. That means less protection for people and electronics. A plug adapter does not add a ground. Depending on what your tech finds, options include adding a ground, adding GFCI protection or rewiring the circuit.
Do I need a permit for electrical work in Florence County?
Florence County requires a permit to alter or repair a building. The City of Florence has its own trade permit form, which includes electrical work. Which permit applies depends on the job and your address. For county questions, call Florence County Building Inspection at (843) 676-8600.
Call (843) 920-2004 or book online.