Electrical Maintenance: Three Critical Elements to Consider During Inspections

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Inspecting the electrical system in your home on a regular basis is beneficial. The assessment will help you identify underlying problems in the setup which could cause electrical fires, energy inefficiencies and appliance damage. As a result, you will have an opportunity to resolve the issues before they can escalate. In general, electrical inspections should be performed by an experienced and licensed electrician. However, you should also perform a visual inspection of the system and identify any signs of malfunctions or damage. Here are the most critical elements to consider during your assessment of your electrical system.

Service Panel

Most homeowners ignore the electrical service panel until a circuit breaker trips. This negligence can be detrimental to your home. In simple terms, the service panel is unlikely to fail in a single day. Often, the element experiences gradual deterioration until the components become useless. You should check this unit even when it is functioning correctly. Review the general panel for signs of ageing, rusting or wear and tear. Mechanical damage should also be noted because it could indicate the presence of internal problems. Dark and smoky residue around the panels should be considered to be a symptom of degradation. If you notice any of these issues, you should contact your electrician for further examination and repair.

Electrical Wiring

Electrical wiring problems can be hazardous in a home. Therefore, you should look out for issues which indicate that the wiring in your house is in a poor state. In general, if you have an old home, you should check whether the building has aluminium wires. These conduits were used in the past, but they are prone to looseness in connection and experience fast degradation. These issues can result in electrical fires. Also, you should be on the lookout for flickering lights and frequent tripping of breakers. These problems could indicate overloading of the wires or poor transmission of current. Consider having an official inspection and plan for complete rewiring.

Outlets Condition

Finally, you should check the status of the outlets in your home. Numerous accidents arise at these points because they are used daily and are considered harmless. Ideally, you should ensure that all your plugs have three prongs because these provide proper grounding when in operation. You should also make sure that you have enough sockets to handle your needs. Limited power outlets force the use of extension power strips, and this can translate into overloading. Additionally, if you have sockets in a wet area, you should confirm that they have ground fault circuit interrupters. 


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