Electrical Safety Tips That Every New Orleans Homeowner Should Know
Because we tend to make use of our electrical systems each and every day, it becomes easy to take for granted the multitude of different gadgets and devices that depend on it for their everyday use, but when your home's electrical system is suffering from any kind of issues, you might just find out the hard way what it's like to have to go without them. If you haven't had much experience with electrical systems, it might be difficult for you to identify electrical safety issues, especially if they aren't something that is readily apaprent to the casual observer. This is definitely not a good thing because many of these issues can go on to cause much more serious issues if they aren't taken care of in a timely manner. This is an incredibly important skill that every responsible homeowner should work at developing, and in an effort to help you do so, our team of New Orleans Electricians here at MK Electric Man have taken the time to put together a short list of several electrical safety tips you can keep in mind that can help you increase your awareness, and help you stay alert to any dangerous electrical issues your home might be experiencing so that you can have a licensed professional come out and take care of them before they have the chance to do more damage to your home.
Keep Track Of Your Home's Age
For electrical safety reasons, it is extremely important to make sure that you keep track of just how old your home is. It is generally a good idea to have a professional inspection performed on your home's electrical system at least once a year, especially if you have an older home. Older homes just weren't designed to handle the kind of electrical load that is demanded from most homes these days, and these inspections will be able to help you keep track of when your older wiring and electrical system has about reached its limit. Knowing the age of your home makes it easier to know whether or not your electrical system has been updated in order to safely cope with the increased power demand you and your family put on your electrical system.
Know Your Electrical Panel
Even as recently as the 1990's, faulty electrical panels were still being installed in homes all across the country. There were a number of different brands that were in wide use during this period of time that are no longer being manufactured, some of them for very good reason, and these can pose a serious risk of electrical problems and even fire hazards to your home overall. A good indication on whether or not your home's electrical panel is struggling to cope with your current electrical demands is to simply put your hand up against the box. Your home's electrical panel should never feel hot to the touch, and if it does, it's a good indication that your panel is struggling to meet you and your family's power demands. An overloaded electrical panel is a serious risk to your home, so knowing when to upgrade is extremely important.
Understand Your Breakers
While it can be annoying when your breakers trip and you have to go reset them, it is wise to take note of this, as they are trying to tell you something. If your breakers are tripping frequently, it might be in your best interest to pay attention to them, as constantly tripping breakers are a surefire sign that you have too many appliances or devices connected to the same circuit. If this is an issue in your home, it is a good idea to try and reconfigure how many appliances or devices are on the same circuit, and if your breakers continue to trip constantly, call in a professional to take a look at the cause of the issue.
Feel Your Outlets
Every now and then, it is generally a good idea to place your hand against the faceplate of the various outlets around your home and check their temperature. Outlets that are warm or hot to the touch can signify any number of different dangerous electrical situations that could be forming. Hot outlet faceplates could indicate that the load on that particular circuit is too high, wiring could be melting, or your wiring just might not be up to code. Another good indication that there is a problem of some kind is when an outlet wont hold onto a plug, or if the outlet feels loose on the wall. For any of these issues, it is important that you call in a professional to take a look at the problem right away.
