Electricity is an essential feature of any home, no matter how small or large it is. It not only gives light, but it also runs appliances, heats bathwater, and helps to cook our food. If electrical outlets are not maintained, they can be a dangerous threat of fire to your family and home. When you buy a new home, you will not know how safe the electrical wiring is unless you have it checked by a licensed expert electrician. Here are some tips that will help you get a head start.
Electrical Outlets
Electrical outlets and switches should be clean and secure. You should go into each room of your prospective new home in Santa Cruz and look at every outlet and switch. If you see any blackening or exposed wires or chips and cracks in the covers, it’s a sign that the property’s wiring is not in top shape. Short circuits and sparks may have already happened and given shocks to people, especially children.
It’s also a good idea at this time to count the outlets to see if there are enough for your needs. If you have an idea of how you will place your furniture, you can make sure the outlets are in the right place. Overloaded outlets and extended use of extension cords are two main reasons for electrical problems.
Up-to-Date Breaker Boxes
The breaker box is the place where the circuit breakers reside for all the wiring in the house. If there’s a problem, especially an overload, they will automatically stop the connection. This helps avoid fires and serious damage to wiring.
If the breaker box is too old, it may not be up to handling the needs of a modern home. You may see dangling wires and unlabeled circuit breakers. We will install a modern breaker box that is well labeled and able to handle all of your electrical needs.
Old Wiring
The area around Santa Cruz has some beautiful old homes near the redwood forests that may still have their original wiring. Old wiring may work well for years, but it will naturally wear out and can be chewed by rodents and insects. This will cause your circuit breaker to frequently switch off. Some signs that the wiring has seen its last days are damaged wire insulation covers, buzzing sounds from outlets or inside the walls, and sparks appearing when you plug in a TV or kitchen appliance.
These are some tips you can check yourself, but before you commit to a new home in the Santa Cruz area, have the electrical outlets and wiring inspected by our professionally licensed electricians at Fisher Electric. We have the tools and expertise to test all the wiring — even inside walls — and we can detect warning signs that may not be obvious to you. We can also help you save a lot of money in the future by avoiding major disasters and huge repairs.
