Why a regular checkup is a great way to keep things humming
There are quite a few things in life that are just a given. Monday morning always comes too fast. No matter how vigilant you may be, if your kid’s playing with Legos, you’re going to step on one with a bare-foot. If you arrive late to work on Donut Friday, you’ll be lucky if there’s half a cruller left.
And there are plenty of things around the house we just assume will always happen too. When you twist a knob on the sink, you expect water to immediately come out. The same is true when you flip on a light switch (you should get light, not water; if it’s the latter, that’s clearly a problem).
Sometimes, we get so accustomed to things working that we just think they’ll always work without needing to do anything. Your electrical system is a great example of this. But to make sure the lights, outlets, and other components work as they should, things need to be looked at from time to time. But when, exactly, should your system be inspected?
Four indications that it’s time to get an electrical inspection
You’re experiencing issues
While you may not have water coming out of your fixtures if you’ve noticed things like flickering lights, shocking switches, or discolored outlets. These are all big warning signs telling you that things aren’t right.
You’re planning a renovation
Whether you’re putting on an addition, updating your kitchen (and its appliances), creating a media room, or anything else, you need to be sure that your system will be able to handle any added loads. If it won’t, you will be able to make the necessary changes and upgrades.
Your home was hit by a storm
As everybody in South Florida knows, storms can wreak quite a lot of havoc, especially the water they dump on us. If your home experiences flooding, you just never know what may have been affected, which is why an electrical system inspection is wise.
You’re buying a new house
Is a new home in your future? Before you sign on the many dotted lines, you’ll need to know what condition it’s in. While a general inspection of the house is important, you may also want to get one specifically for the electrical system, especially if it’s more than a few decades old.
Four benefits of an electrical inspection
To make sure it’s safe
If something’s not right with your electrical system, this can put your home – and its occupants – in severe danger. An inspection will root out any problems, like overloaded circuits or exposed wires. And if things are old, outdated, or just plain faulty, you will know what needs to be replaced.
To discover some DIY handiwork
Thanks to YouTube and the scourge of home improvement shows, many folks decide to strap on their toolbelts and take on electrical projects themselves. And if perhaps the former owner of your house was an avid DIYer, an inspection should be able to reveal what he or she did wrong.
To avoid problems in the future
Your electrical system may be humming just fine right now, but there may be some sort of issue that could lead to a problem down the road. Being proactive will let you take care of small things now before they become big – and expensive – things later on.
To save energy (and money)
Power bills higher than usual? Before you blame everybody in your household and the dang devices they’re always charging, the issue could lie elsewhere. If parts of your electrical system are outdated or perhaps things aren’t connected correctly, this could be the cause of your big bills. An inspection may be able to help reduce your energy consumption, which will save you money.
Think it’s time to have your electrical system inspected? Get in touch with the pros at Universal Electrical. We’ll let you know what condition your system is in and offer recommendations for upgrades or anything else that will improve its performance and make it more energy efficient to schedule an appointment.
