May is National Electrical Safety Month! It’s important to always use caution when it comes to your electrical features. Your home’s electrical system is not built to last forever, and the older your wiring and appliances get, the more repairs and safety hazards you have to worry about. If you’re thinking of making upgrades to your home, start with your electrical system! Here are a few electrical upgrades you should consider:
Electrical Upgrades To Consider
Your home is full of electrical components that can wear and tear from use and could be costing you in utility bills. Investing in a few upgrades can spare you the extra cost in bills and repairs, and help you save money. Your comfort, safety, and finances are important, which is why it may be time to consider the following upgrades.
- Wiring. Outdated wiring is much worse than fumbling with an outlet or making the occasional trip to the circuit breaker. If your home’s wiring is old, it puts you at risk of an electrical house fire. Old, outdated wiring is prone to overheat when overloaded. Your wiring is also located between your walls and insulation, and any damaged or exposed wiring can result in starting a fire when in contact with the insulation.
- The electrical panel. Whether your home is in need of rewiring services, there is still the issue of your electrical panel. An outdated electrical panel is just as problematic as outdated wiring, as it can’t handle your home’s current electrical load. Updating your home’s electrical panel also spares you the risk of a house fire, and can even help you save money your electric bills.
- New surge protectors. Whether your home already has surge protectors, or needs them, updating your home’s surge protection is always a good idea. Power surges can be a common problem, but some of them can wind up devastating your sensitive electronics. Surge protectors aren’t built to last forever, and usually after one nasty power surge, it’s time for a new one. Upgrading your home’s surge protection ensures that your sensitive electronics, such as your computers and entertainment systems, won’t be fried during a power surge.
- Better outlets. Depending on the age of your home, and maintenance records, it’s possible that not every outlet is up-to-date and grounded. One electrical upgrade that shouldn’t be ignored is your outlets, or more specifically, the lack of ground fault circuit interrupter (gfci) outlets. Installing gfci outlets is cheap to do and it helps prevent dangerous and harmful shocks.
- Energy-efficient appliances. If you decided to upgrade your home’s electrical system, upgrading your current appliances can help. Major appliances such as your HVAC system and water heater, can eat up a lot of electricity and make for costly utility bills. Upgrading to energy-efficient models can not only help cut costs but take a lesser load on your electrical system.
- Standby generator. It’s best to be prepared for a major power outage, especially if you live somewhere prone to power outages. Installing a standby generator prevents most problems that can happen from a lack of power such as throwing out a fridge full of food, thawing frozen pipes, clearing a flooded basement, or replacing damaged appliances from a power surge.
Financing Is Available