We’re finally through another summer in Texas. Our air conditioners are being turned off for the first time in months, and we’re all looking forward to watching that power bill drop. Now that your electrical system is under less stress, it’s the perfect time to make sure that the system is working the way it should.
Why Regular Electrical Inspections Are Important
Nobody should go years without performing maintenance on their vehicle. It just makes no sense to throw away the investment you made on a vehicle. And yet, people regularly go years and years without having their electrical system inspected on their home. Typically you spend a lot more on your home than a vehicle, yet both can be dangerous if you don’t do regular maintenance!
Electrical Maintenance Tips
With this in mind, I wanted to share some important electrical system maintenance with you that can help keep you safe and even keep your power bill low! Keep in mind that the things I’m going to share with you aren’t really things you can do on your own; you should always contact a Licensed Dallas Electrician to implement any of these tips.
With That In Mind:
- Have your wiring checked for potential unseen damage. This happens more often than you think; rats and other vermin can get into parts of your home you never see, and they love to chew on wiring.
- Have power conditioners installed. I can’t say enough about how useful power conditioners can be. When properly installed in your system, a conditioner helps keep the voltage running through your lines constantly, preventing dips in the line voltage or line static from being transmitted into your appliances, which can extend their life. If you have sensitive electronics like a home theater system, you absolutely NEED one of these on that line to keep the equipment working like new and protect it from damage.
- Have surge protectors installed at your main electrical panel. One of the bad things about power surges is that they aren’t just isolated to one part of your system; they can spread through your home like wildfire, causing untold damage and heartache. Properly installed surge protectors can prevent this from occurring and will save you a lot of trouble down the road.
- Have standard home inspections. Don’t be afraid to ask for it by name; any reputable electrician will know what you’re looking for. These inspections are a really good deal and can stop a huge number of electrical problems before they start. Though the exact details of the inspection can be a little different depending on what electrician you deal with, the inspection I perform (for a very reasonable price, no less!) involves the following:
- Opening the electrical panel and tightening every wire and screw
- Checking every breaker for overheating
- Ensuring your panel is properly grounded; a poorly grounded panel is a power surge waiting to happen
- Checking the connections at your meter site, where the power flows in from the power lines
- Checking that your electrical safety equipment, particularly your Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) and smoke detectors are properly installed and working correctly
- Inspecting your lights for overheating and flickering that could be signs of poor wiring or wiring failures
- Checking your attic for chewed wiring and dangerous open-wire splices left by disreputable “electricians”
- Confirming the voltage and polarity of the electrical current throughout the house
- We can even pull every single outlet to check that it’s put together tightly and that the wires are in good condition! (This isn’t a requirement for every time you have your home inspected, but it’s a good idea to have this done every so often.)
For more Electrical System Maintenance tips or information about power conditioners and surge protectors, or to contact Electric Man! We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so don’t ever hesitate to give us a call!