As the temperatures start to drop in Fenton and St. Louis, MO, homeowners will start to spend more time indoors. We rely on our electrical systems to accomplish things like heating our homes, powering our lights, and keeping appliances functioning. Here are some steps you can take to prepare your home’s electrical system for winter with the help of our knowledgeable team here at Potts Electric.
Considering Your Exterior Electrical Components
While the outlets inside your home are important, it’s also essential that you consider your outdoor outlets prior to winter. They should be inspected for any signs of exposed wires or damaged covers. Repairs or replacements should be made as needed. You can upgrade to weather-resistant outlet covers, which prevent moisture and cold temperatures from meeting your electrical components. This can decrease the risk of shock, damage, or fire.
Checking Grounding
Grounding is an essential safety measure that protects both people and equipment from electrical issues. Our team can check your electrical system to ensure that it is properly grounded to redirect any excess levels of electricity if a fault occurs. If improvements need to be made, we can do this for you as well.
Circuit Breaker Inspection
Your residence’s circuit breaker is an important component of your home that can provide safety to all your electrical system and related appliances. We recommend having your circuit breaker inspected yearly prior to winter. This provides us with the opportunity to spot any signs of damage, including loose connections or broken wires. This could lead to overheating or even posing a risk of fire. By preventing electric overload, you can reduce the need for emergency electrical issues in the future.
Checking Detectors and Alarms
Your home should be well-equipped with different safety devices, such as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. Because homeowners are using their heating systems more often during the winter months, it’s essential that these pieces of equipment function optimally and reliably. In addition to testing your detectors and alarms, change their batteries once per year. If this equipment is wired into the electrical system in your home, we can inspect these connections for you to ensure everything is working properly. This can provide you with peace of mind all winter.
Outlets and Switches in Your Home
Because many of your outlets and switches are situated on the exterior walls of your home, cold temperatures have the potential to affect them in the winter months. This can lead to equipment malfunctions that interrupt your power supply. We check for loose connections, visible damage, worn-out components, and more. Adding insulation to these exterior walls can help protect your sensitive electrical components.
Considering Your HVAC System
Some residential HVAC systems are powered using electricity. Even if yours is not, there are electrical connections within your system that should be inspected routinely. HVAC professionals are trained to work on the basic electrical components of an HVAC system and can provide routine HVAC maintenance. However, more involved issues or extensive electrical maintenance may require the assistance of an electrician. Addressing elaborate wiring issues or an undersized breaker panel can prevent your HVAC equipment from breaking down. It can also boost the efficiency of this equipment so you spend less on your energy bills each month.
If you have other equipment installed onto your HVAC system, their electrical components should be inspected as well. This includes things like UV lights, whole-house air filtration equipment, whole-house dehumidifiers and humidifiers, and more.
Don’t Forget Your Generator
If your home has a generator installed, you’ll want to have this setup inspected before winter begins. This provides you with peace of mind that you have access to backup power if your primary electricity turns off because of inclement weather or malfunction.
If you don’t yet have a generator installed, consider having our team set you up with one. It’s an essential piece of equipment in this area of the country. You can use it to heat your home, cook your food, keep the lights on, and power electronic devices.
Understanding Space Heater Safety
Some homeowners choose to have space heaters in the residence to provide secondary heat if the primary HVAC system malfunctions. Unfortunately, these units can be dangerous and commonly cause house fires. Make sure that you always keep your space heaters away from flammable materials. Do not plug them into extension cords, which can pose a safety risk as well as a tripping hazard. Don’t overload your circuits with too many space heaters or items.
Consider Surge Protection
Surge protection safeguards your home and devices from spikes in electric voltage. Our team can install surge protection devices throughout your home. We encourage you to have us assess your home to see where vulnerabilities exist. We can help you choose the appropriate devices for your needs. Some devices need to be replaced after a major surge. There are other options that can handle a major surge and continue to provide protection. These are units that have a joule rating of around 4,000 or higher.
Addressing Electrical Issues
It’s imperative that you address electrical issues promptly. There are several things you should watch out for, including flickering or dimming lights, circuit breakers that trip repeatedly, outlets and switches that are warm to the touch, and buzzing or humming coming from outlets. Sparks and smoke are other obvious signs of electrical issues and should be handled immediately.
It’s essential that you’re working with a licensed and experienced electrical team that can inspect and handle all the issues that are occurring in your home. Improper installation or failing to spot an issue can lead to fires, electrocution, and equipment malfunctions.
Winterizing Your Home
In the winter months, you’ll want to keep the elements outside where they belong. You should seal up any cracks and gaps that exist around your foundation, windows, and doors. You can use caulk, weatherstripping, and expanding spray foam for this job. By minimizing drafts and moisture issues, this can help protect your electrical system throughout the winter months. This can also improve the overall efficiency of your electrical system by reducing your energy consumption, even saving you money on your utility bills.
Boosting the insulation in your home can protect electrical connections and improve your home’s energy efficiency as well. This includes insulation in your walls, in your attic, in your basement, and around things like your water heater and ductwork.
Potts Electric is here to help with all your electrical needs in the areas of Fenton and St. Louis. In addition to inspecting and winterizing your home’s electrical system each year, we also install car charging stations, provide electrical repairs, set up generators, install surge protection, complete new construction projects, and much more.
Contact Potts Electric to schedule an appointment for electrical services in Fenton and St. Louis today.
