Electrical outlets, just like other electrical fixtures, are susceptible to damage, malfunction, and wear and tear. Serious damage to outlets usually calls for their replacement. After all, the cost of an outlet replacement is often way below the cost of the damage the outlet can cause. The following are some of the telltale signs that may mean your outlets are due for a replacement.
Old electrical wiring increases your house’s risk of electrical shock, fire, and damage. A wiring upgrade can help you get rid of or minimize these risks. Here are some of the specific reasons old wiring is dangerous.
Degraded Insulation
Electrical insulation protects you from the electrical current that flows along your electrical wiring; insulation does this because it doesn’t conduct electricity. Insulation materials include things like PVC (a type of plastic), ceramic, and rubber, among others, but PVC is one of the most common.
If you have a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV), you may grow frustrated trying to find public charging stations. Hire a licensed electrician to install your own personal charging station or outlet at your residence. Here are five facts to know about the installation of home car chargers.
Many cities and municipalities — including Chicago — require homeowners to obtain electrical permits before they have any professional wiring-related work for their electrical systems. Since you may need a new circuit-breaker box in your garage or a new branch line run to power your charger, you’ll most likely need a permit to install a car charger in Chicago.
From major power outages to an outlet that does not work, many homeowners face electrical issues. The only question is, does your electrical problem warrant a call to your emergency plumber?
If you experience any of these residential electrical issues, contact an emergency electrician right away.
Your Home Floods
In new construction and older home renovation, installing an electrical system with adequate sized wiring is a must. However, you can increase the energy efficiency of your home by asking your electrician to use a larger gauge wire than the minimum recommended size.
Upsize the wires in your home for additional benefits of safety, flexibility, and expandability. Here’s what you need to know about home wiring and wire sizes.
Electrons Move Slowly Through Wire
If a storm, fallen tree, or vehicle collision causes your power pole, line, or roof mast to topple, you must be very careful to avoid electrocution. Here are five tips to remember when you face a power-pole drop or downed power line in your yard.
When your home’s interior wiring is damaged or overloaded, circuit breakers in your main service panel will trip to stop electricity from flowing to the affected branch. You must find the problem, and then flip the breaker to restore power to that line.
Rodents, including mice, rats, and squirrels have perpetually growing teeth. For this reason, chewing is a primary pastime of the rodent home invader. Your household wires are a convenient and available chewing material when mice or rats build nests behind walls or in the attic.
Cold weather encourages mice, rats, and squirrels to come indoors to human spaces. Prepare for rodent entry into your home this winter — and protect your home’s electrical system — by following the tips given here.
Experts claim that the offspring and subsequent generations of a single pair of rats can number a half-billion rats over the course of three years. Mice are also prolific breeders. You may think one or two mice aren’t a big deal, but one mouse can become hundreds of mice in a very short time.
The occasional short circuit occurs in nearly every home, but what do they mean, and should you be concerned? Electrical problems can be some of the most frustrating issues homeowners face. A short circuit is a sign that something is wrong with your wiring, and this problem may pose a serious fire hazard to your home.
Responding to short circuits correctly can mean the difference between lights switching on as intended and an emergency situation. Read the information and tips below so that you can keep your home safe.
Understand Short Circuits
A short circuit happens when a wire comes into contact with another conductive material, such as another wire. The electricity transfers between the two materials. Any excess electricity, if it
If you’re building a new home, you must have arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) installed to protect your home’s wiring. The National Electric Code (NEC) requires the installation of AFCI breakers or receptacles on designated circuits.
Homeowners in residences with older wiring should also have AFCI protection installed on their wiring to reduce the possibility of electrical fires in the home. Here’s what you should know about AFCI and your home’s wiring.
Electrical Arc Faults Are Hot and Dangerous
An arc is a glowing plasma discharge that occurs when electrical current flows through an air gap. The arc flows from a part that’s energized to a part that’s grounded. An arc fault occurs when the plasma discharge flows in an unplanned path from a current source to another object.
If you’ve seen a lightning strike, you’ve witnessed an extreme electrical arc fault created by nature. Now, imagine that lightning on a smaller scale in your home’s wiring.
Is your home on the aged side? Homes built many years ago were not guided by the same electrical standards used today. Did you buy a DIY wonder home with weird wiring issues and cheap switches? Modern safety rules might have been bypassed when electrical receptacles and switches were installed.
If you doubt the safety of your wall switches and receptacles (also called outlets), hire a licensed electrician to inspect and replace questionable ones. Here are three important reasons to have all of your switches and outlets replaced.