We all use electricity at home, in an office, or at a job site. Each time your electrical system is in use, it works hard to provide an optimal output, just like any other system. If used daily without proper maintenance, it can malfunction, resulting in a loss of power. Luckily, preventive maintenance exists and is a great way to safeguard your electrical equipment from sudden vulnerability. 

What Is Preventive Maintenance?

Preventive maintenance tasks are just what they seem—maintenance activities designed to prevent electrical problems from happening. A preventative maintenance plan can include cleaning, wiring maintenance, etc.; a preventive maintenance program is designed to help ensure all electrical equipment operates at its peak condition every day.

By addressing potential electrical vulnerabilities early, you can significantly reduce equipment downtime and costly repairs. You will also lower the chance of electrical malfunctions, which can lead to devastating fires. 

5 Ways To Save Money Through Preventive Maintenance

Let's look at the benefits of preventive maintenance and how it can save you money in the long run:

Reduced Downtime

If you do not focus your efforts on preventative maintenance, some electrical machinery and systems may malfunction, resulting in downtime. This downtime can become extremely expensive in a workplace setting—after all, "time is money." However, downtime can be equally frustrating in a home, so an effective preventive maintenance plan is vital. 

Greater Operational Efficiency

When a professional implements preventive maintenance properly, the upkeep of your electrical equipment results in optimally run machinery that doesn't need to use as many resources and energy. Your machinery will work much more efficiently when regularly maintained. 

Reduced Costs

Preventive maintenance is designed to help you avoid corrective maintenance, which can be incredibly expensive. When something electrical breaks unexpectedly, you will have to hire a maintenance team as soon as possible and pay a premium for their emergency service—not to mention the cost of added parts and major repairs. 

Lengthened Equipment Reliability & Lifespan

Implementing preventive maintenance means regularly maintaining your electrical equipment, thereby extending its lifespan. When all your machinery works optimally, you can be sure it will last longer and give you more bang for your buck, as you won't have to replace machinery as often. 

Reduces Overall Risk 

Add a preventive maintenance schedule to your regular maintenance schedule—both these maintenance programs can be done in tandem in your home or office. This will ensure the area is free of risks such as fire hazards or a breakdown of your entire electrical system. The fewer the risks, the more at ease your mind will be about everyone’s safety. 

Implement A Preventive Maintenance Program Today

As we’ve seen above, preventive maintenance is an extremely valuable practice that can help save heaps of time and money. If you think preventative maintenance could help you, speak to the pros at Powertec Electric and get started with preventative maintenance in Winnipeg today. 

With pets, some shocks are unavoidable - like the shock of an unexpected medical bill or the shock of your cat knocking over your favourite vase at 3 AM. Static shocks can be hard to avoid, too - if you’re walking around your carpet in wool socks all day, your dog is going to get the surprise of its life when you pet it.

Serious electrical shocks, on the other hand, can and should be prevented. Let’s look at a few of the ways you can reduce the risk of your pet being harmed by electricity:

Why do pets chew on cables?

Furry and feathered friends of all kinds love to nibble on cables. You might think that seems strange, but if you’ve ever had Livewire candy in your life, you may start to see the appeal.

Realistically, animals chew on cables for a wide variety of reasons. Your cat might think cables look similar to rodent tails. Your dog may love to chew on everything: Bones, chew toys, cables, and whatever else they can find. 

Anxiety, dental problems, boredom - all of these things and more can cause your pets to chew on cables. Pets are complex, and we can’t predict their behaviour - so we need to do our best to make the environments they live in as safe as possible.

Proper cable management 

The first step is getting cables away from your pets - out of sight, out of mind. 

Cable management is time intensive. You’re going to have to unplug all of your cables, tie them together with cable ties (zip ties work, Velcro ties are better), then feed them through cable raceways or cable sleeves to protect them before plugging them back in.

We recommend following The Lazy Gamer’s Guide to Cable Management - the content is catered toward gamers, but it will work beautifully for home offices and home theatres. The best part? It’s incredibly simple and direct - which helps reduce some of the labour involved in the project.

Once your cables are hidden, protected, and tucked away together, your pets should be less inclined to chew at them. Every once in a while, however, an industrious, cable-loving animal will still find a way to chew on electrical cords. When that happens, we recommend buying bitter or spicy animal-safe sprays from the pet store and spraying down your cables.

Not so safe and warm

Pets - especially cats - love finding a warm spot to sleep. Sometimes that spot is behind electronics, like dryers and computers. When possible, correct this behaviour - but we know pets can be stubborn. If all else fails, make the area behind your electronics and appliances inaccessible to pets. You might have to move things closer to the wall, or use pet gates or other barriers. 

Walking hazards

So far, we’ve addressed electrical shocks at home - the main theme of this article - but we wanted to take a moment to address electrical shocks that can occur while you’re on a walk with your pet. In wet conditions, including our brutal Winnipeg winters, electrical currents can sometimes occur on metal surfaces. When it’s wet or snowy outside, guide your pets away from storm drains, light posts, and other metal surfaces. 

Love and care go a long way

Pets will often chew on cables because:

• They don’t know it’s dangerous
• They’re bored
• They’re anxious
• They’re experiencing discomfort in their mouths

Chewing cables is often a sign of a deeper problem. Take your pet to the vet. Find your pet other chew toys and playthings. Be sure to spend plenty of time with them, and show them lots of love! 

Our electrical contractors in Winnipeg love pets - but our work can be dangerous to your furry friends. When you call us for electrical work, let us know in advance that you have pets. That way, we can show them a bit of extra love - and we can work around them to keep them safe.

Who of us hasn’t blown a breaker before? We’ve all made the mistake of turning on two power-hungry appliances at once, like using the microwave while we make toast. 

Every electrical circuit has its limits. When you overload a power point, all of your appliances and lights will abruptly shut off. Depending on your electrical system, you’ll either need to replace the blown fuse or reset the breaker to repair it. 

Let’s start by defining what a power point overload is. A power point is any electrical outlet in your home. If you draw too much power from the outlet, the electrical circuit will be overloaded. 

In most homes, there are several safety measures to prevent fires from overloaded circuits. One is a circuit breaker; if it detects too much current, it will cut off the power so that the wires aren’t overloaded. 

Still, you want to avoid drawing too much power. Try out these energy-saving tips to avoid tripping breakers or blowing fuses:

Spread Out Your Appliances

Do you have too many high-power appliances in one room? A few signs that a power point is overloaded include:

• The smell of something burning
• Flickering or dimmed lights
• Lack of sufficient power (your devices may charge more slowly)
• A buzzing noise
• Burn marks near the plug

If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to move some of your electronics around. Two appliances that draw a lot of electricity (or produce heat) should rarely be plugged into the same power point. That is, unless you know the outlet can handle it. But don’t leave it to chance.

Instead, try to shuffle around the placement of these appliances. Perhaps you could move the microwave to one end of the kitchen, and plug the toaster into a different outlet. 

Use Power Bars

These days, it seems like we always have more electronics than we do electrical outlets. Most rooms have 1 to 2 power points, but you might need to plug in 5 different devices. What can you do? 

Using a power bar, you can add more power points to one outlet. One great feature of power bars is that when you’re not using them, you can simply turn off the power switch. This prevents appliances from drawing power when they’re out of use; it lowers your electrical bill, and prevents appliances from overheating. 

A word of warning: you also need to avoid overloading the power bar itself. Check the product package to see how many amps the bar can handle. 

Upgrade Your Electrical Capacity

Maybe you’ve tried all these tricks, but your breaker is still overloading. Not only is this an inconvenience, but it’s also a safety hazard. What would happen if your electrical circuit failed to shut down? You could be at risk of a house fire or electric shock. 

Power point overloads are especially dangerous with knob and tube wiring; these outdated electrical systems have a higher risk of overheating. For your safety, we suggest replacing your electrical system.

At Powertec Electric, we can upgrade the electrical circuits of your home, add more power points, and replace knob and tube wiring. Click here to learn more about our services.

Most of us plug our electronics and appliances in without a second thought. It’s such a common task that we rarely step back to take a closer look at our electrical outlets. 

If an electrical outlet is slightly loose, is it really dangerous to plug something into it? Here’s our advice: don’t plug anything into an outlet that isn’t flush with the wall. If you do, you may see sparks flying - and not in a good way.

As time goes on, electrical outlets often become damaged or loose. They can start to sit further away from the wall and hang from the wires. Sometimes, when you plug something in, it may fall right out of the outlet only minutes later. Not only are these things annoying, but they’re also downright dangerous.

We’re going to describe why outlets wear down, what hazards this may cause, and why you should call your local electrician for repairs:

Why Do Outlets Get Loose?

Over time, many appliances and systems in your home start to deteriorate. Electrical outlets are no different. Here are a few common reasons why outlets come loose:

• The connecting pieces are worn out due to poor quality or frequent usage. 
• The outlet box is too deep within the wall. Over time, this causes the outlet to become loose.
• The receptacle plug is worn out.
• The outlet is outdated.
• You often pull cords from the wall with force.

Regardless of why the outlet is damaged, one thing remains the same: for your safety, it’s best to schedule repairs ASAP.

Potential Hazards

Since we use electrical outlets every day, it’s easy to forget how dangerous they can be. To protect ourselves from the high-voltage electric current, we rely on secure wiring, a stable outlet box, and a plastic shell that sits securely against the wall.

House fires are fatal for hundreds of Canadians each year, and cause injuries for thousands more. Unfortunately, loose outlets often cause these devastating fires.

If your electrical outlets lack the proper protection, you could be exposed to an electrical shock. This may occur the next time you plug something into the outlet. Depending on the voltage of the shock, it may cause burns, or even be fatal!

Another hazard is that the wiring could become frayed or exposed. When electric current flows through faulty or loose wires, it may start a fire. 

Finally, the instability of the outlet can damage your electronic devices. If the outlet is loose, it will result in an inconsistent connection with your phone charger, desktop computer, or kitchen appliance. 

Call Powertec Electric Today

If you have a loose outlet, be sure to avoid using it until you can have an electrician repair it. We strongly recommend that you do not try to fix the outlet yourself; doing so can put the health and safety of your family at risk. 

Doing electrical work without the proper licencing and permits will affect your home insurance; if you eventually make a claim, your home insurance provider may decline it.

At Powertec Electric, we’re passionate about helping people prevent electrical hazards in their homes and businesses. If you have any electrical issues at your residential or commercial property, we’re here to help! To read more, visit our website today.

Many of us are familiar with the most common electrical hazards in our homes. If we plug something in and sparks fly out, we know to call an electrician ASAP.

But what about the hazards that aren’t so obvious? Watch out for the following electrical hazards and signs that indicate lurking danger:

Flickering Lights

Is someone playing a prank on you? Perhaps it’s a ghost?

Probably not—the most likely cause behind your flickering lights is an electrical hazard. If you notice that the lights flicker when you plug in a high-powered appliance (like an air conditioner, laundry machine, or refrigerator), chances are it's due to a limited power supply. The wire themselves may be overheating or faulty.

A Cord is Pinched

In areas like your home office or the entertainment room, it can be tough to find places for all your cords. If they’re left strewn about the floor, someone could easily trip and injure themselves. Naturally, you move cords behind furniture and under tables to keep the floors clear. But if cords are covered completely, they’re at risk of overheating.

Another danger is when heavy objects sit on top of cords. This can damage the casing that protects the wires, creating a fire hazard. 

You may need to use a cable management system to keep your cords protected and out of the way. 

 

The Breaker Keeps Tripping

How many of us have used the microwave and the toaster at the same time, then tripped the breaker?

This safety feature is designed to prevent a circuit from being overloaded, which can cause an electrical fire. A breaker that trips frequently indicates that too much power is being drawn, or that the circuit can’t handle it.

Old Wiring

There’s something undeniably unique about a character home. They just don’t make homes like they used to anymore! 

When it comes to things like electricity, that’s for good reason. Many old homes have knob and tube wiring, an electrical system that is dangerous for several reasons: it doesn’t do well with moisture, it can’t handle modern electricity demands, and it lacks ground wires.  

Powertec Electric offers knob and tube replacements if you’re concerned about the wiring in your home.

A Power Strip is Hot

Power bars are convenient (you get more usage out of a single outlet) and save you money (you can shut off unused devices to save electricity). However, when used incorrectly, they also pose a safety hazard.

Overloading a power bar can put excessive demands on your home’s electrical system. Try not to plug any heat-producing appliances into a power strip since they require a lot of energy.

A Smoke Detector with a Dead Battery

While this isn’t an electrical hazard itself, a dead smoke detector will fail to alarm you if an electrical fire starts. By the time you figure out that there’s a problem with your wiring, it may be too late.

Inspect your smoke detector regularly to ensure that the battery is in working order. 

If you’re looking for electrical companies in Winnipeg, contact Powertec Electric. We’re committed to helping home and business owners make their properties safer. Give us a call if you’re concerned about hidden electrical hazards.

As a tenant, you hope that the next home you rent has safe electrical wiring. But how can you be sure?

Electrical fires claim hundreds of lives each year and cause thousands of injuries. Your landlord is responsible for ensuring the electrical safety of your suite. Here are the safety requirements that a landlord must provide:

The unit needs to be safe before the tenant takes possession. 

Your new suite doesn’t have to have the latest appliances or the best paint job, but it does need to be safe. Any wiring that’s faulty or electrical sockets that pose a danger put the tenant at risk of serious injuries.

A home without functioning electricity is considered uninhabitable.

 

Smoke alarms must be installed.

If an electrical fire occurs, your tenants might not realize it until it’s too late. That is, unless their suite has a smoke alarm. These need to be installed with a functioning battery for the safety of all building occupants.

 

Respond to tenant concerns.

Residents may notice that when they plug in appliances, the outlet gets hot or even produces sparks. When light bulbs flicker or breakers trip, it’s up to the landlord to address these concerns. Ignoring them is not an option. It is important to keep your building safe and respond to tenant's concerns when they arise. 

 

The building must have enough power outlets.

Extension cords are great for temporary use, but they pose a danger if they’re used for an extended period. Running high-power appliances on extension cords (like laundry machines or dishwashers) poses a safety hazard. 

 

The light bulbs must match the recommended wattage.

Whenever you purchase a new light bulb, you’ll notice a number on the package that indicates the wattage. It refers to how much power is used to produce light. Make sure that the light bulbs are suited for the outlet, or else it could overheat. 

 

Repair any frayed or faulty wiring.

If the coating over a wire is worn away, it leaves a live piece of metal exposed. This is extremely dangerous, as it can cause an electrical fire. Whenever a tenant reports a faulty wire, the landlord must make it a priority on their to-do list. 

 

Set up appliances safely.

It’s bad practice to hook up several heat-demanding appliances to one outlet, never mind an extension cord! If the suite has laundry machines or other power-hungry appliances, they must all be hooked up safely. 

 

Regular inspections.

Landlords need to do more than install electrical wiring properly—they also need to maintain it. Scheduling inspections every few years ensures that any electrical issues are detected early.

 

Repairs must be completed within a reasonable timeframe.

With minor repairs, the landlord will have a window of time to schedule a repair with an electrician. But emergency repairs are more urgent and will require immediate attention. For example, it’s unacceptable to have a tenant live in a suite without electricity. 

 

Don’t wire electricity by yourself.

The electrical work in a suite must be done by a licenced and insured electrician. Doing it yourself can have deadly consequences.

To certify the safety of your rental property, you need to contact one of the top electrical companies in Winnipeg. At Powertec Electric, we can help you keep your building safe for all tenants.