Fixing Serious Electrical Problems

The spring season brings with it higher temperatures, longer days, and changing demands on your home's electric system.

To keep your home operating as safely, effectively, and efficiently as possible, you should take care of some spring electric maintenance tasks in the coming weeks.

The following are five home electric tasks to take care of this spring:

Inspect outdoor outlets and make sure that they are protected from precipitation

During the spring months, homeowners can expect increased amounts of rainfall in many parts of the country. For this reason, it's a good idea to inspect outlets in the spring. 

Outdoor outlets should have coverings over them that will keep wet weather out. During the winter months, stormy conditions can sometimes damage these covers.

Make sure your outdoor outlets are protected from moisture before you start using them in the spring months. 

Inspect your extension cords and replace any that are damaged

Homeowners typically use extension cords to do work outdoors more in the springtime once the weather warms up.

If you use an extension cord for power landscaping equipment, make sure that your extension cords are not fraying or damaged in some way before you use them to get power around your yard. 

Switch the direction that your ceiling fans are turning in

If you use ceiling fans in your home, you'll want to change the direction that they're turning in when the season changes in the spring.

Fans pushing air down into a room will keep interior air cooler. On the other hand, fans pulling air up will prevent conditioned air from reaching household residents and detract from the efficiency of AC equipment. 

Ensure that you have surge protectors to protect your appliances

In the springtime, thunderstorms tend to happen more often and increase in severity.

Thunderstorms create hazards for your home's appliances because they can cause the voltage in a home's electrical system to suddenly and significantly increase. This can destroy appliances that are plugged into outlets at the moment thunder strikes the home.

The way to protect a home's appliances against the hazards of thunderstorms is to install surge protectors in your electrical syste so that spikes in voltage won't cause any damage. 

Test outdoor lights and replace bulbs as necessary

Outdoor bulbs often burn out during the winter because they are used more to provide light during shorter days. However, outdoor lights are often important for providing security around a home.

Test your outdoor lights and replace bulbs to ensure that your yard will be adequately lit this spring. For more information, contact a local electrical contractor.