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8 Electrical Safety Inspection Tips For Fall

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An electrical safety inspection should be on your to-do list this fall or else you may encounter a long season of higher energy costs, an increased risk of electrical fires, and danger at every turn in your home. The last thing you want this season, or really at any time of year, is to put your family in danger. However, if you allow something like frayed wiring or damaged outlets to go unfixed, the risk of residential fires and electrical shock rises considerably. Neglecting your electrical safety may also see you without reliable lighting or appliances, jeopardizing your level of convenience for the season. A lack of consistent electrical power is unfortunate at any time of the year, but especially during the fall and winter when night falls earlier. Imagine having to spend a stormy fall evening with flickering lights and malfunctioning appliances; that’s not something anyone would want to experience this season.

Calling Ryan Gath Electric for a Top-Notch Inspection

Fortunately, Ryan Gath Electric is here to provide an electrical safety inspection that won’t leave a single wire out of place. Our electricians will look through every area of your home and conduct an electrical repair on any problem they encounter. We can inspect the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, whole house surge protection, security lighting, electrical service panels, outlets, cords, and so much more. Ensuring your safety is the goal of all our electrical services, but our inspection puts it front and center. One quick inspection on our end can go a long way in guaranteeing your comfort for the fall. You will be able to spend more time enjoying the season and less time worrying when the next electrical emergency will break out in your home.

8 Helpful Tips for Electrical Safety

Though Ryan Gath Electric can provide the most comprehensive electrical inspection in the area, you do not have to sit back and wait for us to do the work. As a responsible homeowner, you also need to take action to keep your home’s electrical system safe. If you want to know how you can better your electrical system for the fall, please follow these 8 tips for both indoor and outdoor electrical safety:

  1. Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: While an electrician at Ryan Gath Electric will make this an important part of an electrical safety inspection, you should also test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on your own time. After all, the chances of a fire or carbon monoxide exposure will skyrocket the instant detectors stop working. Conducting a test may reveal you will have to replace batteries for either before the season begins.
  2. Be Careful of Electrical Lines: If you plan on doing some outdoor work this fall, you need to be cautious of the placement of electrical lines and wires across your landscape. If you are doing work requiring you to climb a ladder, be careful not to accidentally yank wiring loose. Even just making the wrong move can either bring damage to the wiring or result in electrocution.
  3. Consider Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI): GFCI outlets can immediately shut off electric power to reduce the risk of shock or fires. They are installed in areas of your home where water and electricity are likely to mix, like bathrooms, garages, or kitchens. This may be an important update to make this fall, as it can single-handedly keep your family away from any safety hazards.
  4. Check Outlets & Switches: Since you rely on your outlets and switches many times a day, you need to make sure they are working at their best. If they feel hot to the touch or are resulting in frequently blowing fuses or circuits, you need to call an electrician at Ryan Gath Electric immediately. Your outlets will need to be replaced if you have outdated two-prong or builder-grade outlets.
  5. Pay Attention to Your Lighting Wattage: Every lighting fixture in your home is rated by a specific wattage. However, you need to pay attention to wattage requirements. A lighting fixture with wattage over the requirement can cause an overload on your wiring and potentially result in a fire. There is also danger in having lighting fixtures that are under the requirement, as it can bring further stress to your home’s electrical system.
  6. Inspect Wiring for Damage: You need to inspect your wiring this season or else it may be the reason behind any short circuits or electrical shocks. While it is expected for older homes to sport some significant wear and tear, it is highly dangerous to keep faulty wiring in your home and requires you to seek full-scale home rewiring altogether.
  7. Check Outdoor Power Tools: You will get plenty of action out of your outdoor power tools such as leaf blowers or trimmers this season. However, they may have older cords showing signs of damage. Check these tools before their first use this fall to determine if they will be safe to use at all. Any frayed or damaged cords will need to be inspected to determine if replacement is necessary.
  8. Remove Any Clutter: For both indoor and outdoor electrical fixtures, you need to keep any objects or personal belongings a safe distance away from them. This is especially true for any warm outlets, which can produce a single spark that will result in a major fire. Common indoor sources of clutter are piles of laundry or highly flammable objects. Outdoor fixtures during the fall can be blocked by leaves, dirt, and debris due to the often windy, stormy weather of the season.

Contact Ryan Gath Electric today if you want to guarantee the highest level of security thanks to an electrical safety inspection!

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