While our modern electrical needs are important, we can’t let them get in the way of what really matters. There’s nothing more important than your family’s safety. Tens of thousands of house fires are caused every year in the US by electrical issues, and approximately 200 people die each year from electrocutions in their homes.
There’s no need to expose yourself to such risks when taking some basic precautions could make all the difference. What can you do to keep yourself, your home, and your family safe from fires and electric shocks? Schedule a home safety inspection with an electrician.
Our homes and lifestyles have required more and more electricity in recent years. Sometimes, we don’t know much about what work was done in our homes before we purchased them. Systems may have become overloaded or modifications made because of these increased electrical needs. Your electrician can provide you with all the information you need to stay safe. Here’s what they’ll do.
- Switches and Outlets: These will be checked for any safety risks in the wiring and to make sure they’re operating properly. This also includes GFCI or ground fault circuit interrupters, used in areas with exposure to water such as kitchens and bathrooms, and AFCI or arc fault circuit interrupters, used to detect dangerous electrical arcing and shut down the circuit for safety.
- Wiring: Does your home have any unfinished or exposed wiring? What about very old wiring, such as the knob-and-tube wiring that was in use in homes through the 1930s? If there are any risks being posed by your wiring, your electrician will locate and identify the problems so they can be resolved.
- Surge Protection: Many homes have surge protection devices to save their electronics from potentially-destructive surges in electricity which can happen during storms or malfunctions. But they’ll only provide that protection if they’re working properly! Your electrician will inspect them, too.
- Grounding Systems: To give electricity a safe path to the ground, preventing it from damaging you or your home, your house needs to have a grounding system. Your electrician will inspect it to make sure it’s in tip-top condition.
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: These are generally hard-wired into your home’s electrical system these days. Your electrician will make sure all your existing detectors are in good working condition. They’ll also make recommendations about the number and location of detectors, in case you need to make some changes to ensure your safety.
- Outdoors: Do you have outdoor lighting, outdoor outlets, or power running to a garage, shed, or other structure? These parts of your home electrical system will be inspected as well.
- Electrical Panel: This is the most critical part of the system, which acts like a traffic conductor, making sure every part of your home is safely supplied with all the electricity that is needed. It, too, must be inspected for any safety concerns.
You’ll rest easier knowing that you’ve had a thorough electrical safety check in Columbia, SC.
Contact Fulmer Heating & Cooling today for an electrical expert in Columbia, SC!