As the cold winter weather gives way to the warmer spring months, many homeowners are beginning to prepare their homes for the upcoming summer season. While you may be concerned with scheduling HVAC maintenance and cleaning out your gutters, it is important not to overlook your home’s electrical system. Below, we will share some valuable tips on how to properly maintain your electrical system and keep it in good working condition for the year ahead.
Test Smoke Detectors
A great place to start your electrical safety inspection is to test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You may even want to consider replacing their batteries at this time of year. Additionally, you’ll want to check to ensure that your fire extinguisher is properly rated for electrical fires and is in an easily accessible location for everyone in your home. Electrical fires require a type C or type ABC fire extinguisher to be put out effectively.
Test Outlets and Switches
Now is the perfect time of year to walk around every room in your home and test all your outlets and light switches. You want to ensure that everything is working properly while assessing the physical condition of the light switches and outlets. Visually check for any signs of discoloration or scorch marks. Check if the outlets or light switches feel loose in the wall or are making a buzzing noise when you use them. These are all signs that there may be an issue requiring repair service from one of our helpful electricians.
Test GFCI Outlets
Your home should have multiple GFCI outlets in locations where there is water, including bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. As part of your electrical inspection, you should press the test and reset buttons to ensure these outlets are working properly. Just as with other outlets, you should also perform a visual inspection for signs like discoloration that could indicate a potential problem with the outlet.
Inspect Cord and Power Strips
If you use power strips to supply more power to certain locations in your home, you need to inspect them during springtime. Look for signs like frayed wiring, physical damage to the power strip itself, discoloration, scorch marks, or other potential issues. Additionally, this is a great time of year to inspect all the cords for your electronic devices to check for any unnecessary compression or damage to the outer insulation layer.
Trim Back Branches and Vines
Your electrical inspection should also include checking outside at your weather head and where the main power line enters your home. If there are any low-hanging branches or vining shrubbery that are in contact with or very close to your weather head or power line, they need to be trimmed back. It is typically best to hire a professional to trim near these locations, as power lines can be extremely dangerous to work around.
Inspect Your Panel Box
Your electrical panel box is one of the most important components of your home’s electrical system. Now is a great time to give it a thorough inspection to ensure that everything is in good working condition. Look for visual signs of wear or corrosion on the unit’s housing. If it feels hot to the touch, it may be overheating. Ensure that all your electrical circuit breakers are properly labeled so that anyone can access the panel in case of an emergency.
Get a Professional Inspection
One great step to ensure that your electrical system remains in good condition is to get an annual inspection from one of our electricians. They will come to your home and inspect every outlet and switch in your electrical system to determine if there are any problems. They will look for any exposed wiring due to the potential hazard of the wiring being pulled accidentally or someone tripping on the exposed wiring. They will also test to ensure that your circuits are not overloaded, which significantly reduces your risk of experiencing an electrical hazard, such as an electrical fire.
Exceptional Electrical Inspection Service
E&W Electrical Solutions offers exceptional electrical inspection services for the Paris, TN, community. We can also assist with all your electrical panel replacement, installation, and repair needs. Call our office today to book an appointment with one of our friendly electricians.
