Electrical wiring is an area that is best left to the professionals. There’s plenty of ways that improper wiring could leave your home unsafe. From outdated wiring and small breaker panels to improper light bulbs, find out common mistakes made in home wiring and discover how to keep your home safe.

Outdated Wiring

Ever since electricity was introduced into the home, there has been a wide range of improvements made. Many of these improvements were designed to make the electrical wiring safer. Some of the earliest wiring, which may still be used in homes built in 1920 or before, is called knob and tube wiring.

Knobs and tubes are used to keep two wires apart as they travel through your house to your outlets and fixtures. This type of wiring doesn’t feature a ground wire and is prone to accidental electrocutions and fires. If you have this or another type of outdated wiring in your home, it’s essential that you contact an electrician for an upgrade.

Undersized Breaker Panel

Breaker panels have also changed throughout the years. Your panel size is typically measured in amps. A smaller amp panel is only designed for a specific amount of use. As home wiring is asked to power larger electronic devices and appliances, make sure your home uses a correct breaker panel to support it. Outdated panels have glass fuse plugs, which should be replaced with modern circuit breakers for safe and efficient use.

Improper Light Bulbs

Perhaps one of the most common home wiring mistakes is improper light bulbs. Each light fixture has a specific rating, typically 60 watts. Using a bulb that has a higher wattage than the fixture could cause it to overheat. Keep your home safe by using only the recommended bulb size and wattage, having an electrician inspect your panel and replace any outdated wiring still being used in your home.

You eat when you’re hungry, put gas in the car when it’s empty and answer the phone when it rings. With all these automatic responses that happen every day, why do people ignore electrical repairs when something goes wrong? Perhaps it’s a lack of money, perhaps it’s a lack of knowledge or perhaps it’s simple procrastination. One thing is for sure: these repairs need to be done in a timely manner so you can avoid additional problems and enjoy the following benefits.

1. Safety – Faulty or exposed wires pose a health hazard to individuals living in or even visiting the home. Damaged electrical outlets or appliances also pose a threat. When the repairs are taken care of immediately, fires, injuries and even death can be avoided.
2. Preparedness – When you have a faulty electrical situation, having it repaired quickly will keep you prepared for the future. For example, if you notice the breaker flips every time you use the microwave, it could eventually cause permanent damage and leave you without any way to cook your dinner.
3. Convenience – Contacting the professionals for immediate electrical repairs will almost always be the most convenient solution. It might not be the most convenient situation to be in, or even the most convenient time of day. When the damage is repaired quickly, however, you can get on with your day and have access to the electricity you need to run the multiple devices and appliances in your home.
4. Savings – Some electrical damage will cause more damage as time goes on. Rather than waiting for this to happen, it’s more cost-effective to have the initial problem repaired on time.

It’s obvious the right thing to do when faced with electrical repairs is to have them taken care of in a timely manner. If you suspect electrical damage in your home, contact the professionals to see what they can do about it and when they can have it taken care of.

DIY projects are all the rage. With the rise in home improvement television shows, blogs and other quick resources, homeowners are realizing there are a lot of things they can do on their own to save a little money.

What you need to keep in mind is while it might be easy to reupholster your dining room chairs or resurface the bathroom counter, there are some projects that should always be handled by the professionals. This includes electrical repairs. The smallest amount of misinformation and the tiniest lack of knowledge can have largely devastating effects.

The Whys

Electrocution isn’t a small issue in the United States. Statistics point to over 4000 non-fatal injuries and 400 electrocutions each year as a result of unsafe electrical practices. Additionally, over 140,000 fires per year are reported to have started from electrical problems.

These things are happening because the untrained homeowner doesn’t understand how electricity works. They may not know the difference between a live wire and a dead one. They might not understand whether the breakers need to be flipped or not. They can’t assess a situation and recognize the serious hazards facing them. Trained, experienced professionals can, and that is why you should always contact a professional electrician when you need to tackle any type of electrical repairs.

The Results

Contacting a professional electrician will offer any homeowner some of the most positive results when it comes to their needed repairs. They include:

• Time – Tackling DIY projects on your own can cost you a lot of time. When something goes wrong, you’re out even more time. Hiring a professional eliminates this issue.
• Money – After trying an electrical repair on your own and having it go wrong, you have paid for the parts, the repairs to any additional damage you created, possible medical costs and still have to pay a professional to do the job correctly. Hiring a professional in the first place will save you money.
• Safety – Because of their experience and training, licensed electricians will ensure the job gets done safely.

As you can see, it’s important you contact the professionals when it comes to electrical repairs. The next time you find yourself in need of an electrician, don’t hesitate to call.

Your older home is amazing in many ways. It has the charm, the character and the sturdy bones you’d expect an older home to have. What it doesn’t have is the electrical capacity today’s gadgets and appliances require. Don’t ever feel like you can’t upgrade your refrigerator, television or other electronic devices because your house can’t handle it. There’s a solution and the solution is easy.

While it handled power just fine when it was built, things have changed and your old breaker box is simply outdated. The good news is a professional electrician can perform electrical panel upgrades in a short amount of time, allowing you to get connected to all the conveniences you’re used to.

Signs You Should Contact the Professionals

It’s always time to call in the professionals when it comes to electrical repairs and upgrades. Wiring and other components are dangerous and can turn a safe situation bad in the blink of an eye. A licensed contractor is your answer when you experience the following.

• Struggling Appliances – This could include a refrigerator that has a hard time cooling off, a computer that turns on quite slowly or a blow-dryer that has pulsing air flow.
• Flickering Lights – This might happen when you turn on the dryer, when you run the microwave or for no apparent reason at all.
• Tripped Breakers – This might happen when you run more than one appliance at a time in the kitchen or when you use your amazing entertainment system.

Struggling appliances, flickering lights and tripped breakers should not be happening. You should be able to use the things you need to use on a daily basis without having any electrical repercussions. Professional electrical panel upgrades can help you avoid these things and get your home back in top shape again.

Contact your local professional electricians to learn more about electrical panel upgrades today and to find out how quickly and easily they can get the job done.

One challenge that modern homeowners face is ensuring that their homes can support their family’s electricity usage. While blown fuses and tripped circuit breakers are common ailments in mid-century and Victorian-era houses, even homes built between 20 and 30 years ago aren’t immune to these problems. It’s vital to understand how your electrical service panel plays a role in distributing current within your home, as well as typical signs that you could be due for an electrical panel upgrade.

 

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From flickering bulbs to dead outlets, electrical problems in your home are frustrating. While it may seem like the easy solution is to try to fix the problem yourself as quickly as possible, that is also a dangerous and potentially expensive mistake to make. You should always call a professional electrician for all electrical repairs to ensure that your job is completed safely and to code. When you call up a professional, it’s important to have the following questions in mind to ensure they’re a great fir for the job.

 

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When something goes wrong in your home, it’s always tempting to tackle the problem yourself. While finding a Do-it-Yourself solution to the scuff on your floor may prove to be an excellent way to save a little money, when it comes to electrical repairs you should always turn to a professional. Trying to work on your home’s wiring without the proper qualifications isn’t just a potentially costly mistake, it’s a potentially fatal one as well.

 

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