Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your Outlets

July 11, 2018

damaged power cord

Safe outlets are a big part of sustaining a safe home. While most of the electricity in your home exists inside your appliances and walls, your electrical outlets are the place in which you come into the closest contact with it. Although there never is a thoroughly fool-proof option as it’ll come to electrical safety, there certainly are some measures to take to improve the safety of your electrical outlets. As you upgrade your electrical outlets, it’s possible to prevent electrical-associated accidents in your house and keep yourself and your loved ones safe from being shocked.

Change is a part of life. However, while the majority of families scramble to be on the forefront of technology in the home entertainment and smart device department, very few give any thought to the electrical services and electrical outlets that power their fun. Is the electrical system in your home stuck in the past?  Here are three signs that it is time to upgrade your electrical outlets:

You Constantly are Searching for a 3-Prong Outlet

Ungrounded, 2-prong outlets are more than inconvenient – they are a big safety risk. Posing a shock risk to you and the possibility to fry expensive and sensitive electronics, 3-prong, correctly grounded outlets ought to be at the top of your mandatory tech list. A simple electrical outlet swap, unfortunately, will not cut it. Rewiring the panel using a 3-wire circuit and verifying that the electric box is similarly correctly grounded is essential. Otherwise, newly installed outlets and surge protection devices will not work.

Your House is Stuck in the 1950s

The glut of electrically intensive devices today easily can overburden the systems of older homes. If the breakers are frequently tripping, or lights inside your home constantly flicker or dim, your panel needs an upgrade before overloaded wires cause shocks, fire, and overheating. Besides service panel upgrades, a few older houses might also require a service upgrade – which means the quantity of energy that is wired into your house from the electrical system now is only enough for bygone times and similarly requires an upgrade. If your residence operates on a 60-amp service, it is past time for a 100-amp upgrade. As a matter of fact, 200-amp typically is standard in newly constructed houses today.

You Have Had Some Wet and Wild Experiences

Instantaneously cutting off electrical current in case there is an overload, GFCIs have been required by national electrical code within all environments in which water is a factor. All electrical outlets in kitchens, baths, garages, laundries, unfinished basements, utility rooms, crawlspaces, poolside, spa, and exterior outlets ought to be GFCI outlets. Without this type of protection, your loved ones are at-risk of severe, possibly fatal electric shock in the event that appliances unintentionally touch the water.

Why Choose Powertec Electric?

Are you falling behind on the times? Allow the electrical professionals at Powertec Electric to assist you in getting with the program. You can preserve the safety of your electronics – and your loved ones.

For more information on upgrading your outlets contact the capable electrical contractors of Powertec Electric today!