Your Charlotte home’s electrical system is more complex than you may realize. As with any complex system, there are risks that can develop over time that can put you and your family in danger. Fortunately, you can greatly reduce these risks with a professional electrical inspection from Putnam Mechanical. To better understand the importance of an electrical inspection, here is a basic explanation of what’s included in these crucial safety checks.
Use Only a Licensed Electrician
For any type of electrical inspection, it’s important that you use a licensed electrician. An electrician’s license indicates that they meet certain requirements that will help them perform the inspection correctly. Plus, licensing requires that electricians are insured. This eliminates your risk as a homeowner if an electrician should be injured while they’re at your home. It’s also important to look for a company with a good reputation in the community. You want to be sure that your electrician is honest so that you don’t end up paying more than necessary. This will help you make the most of your electrical inspection.
Damaged Wires
One thing that all electrical inspections check for is damaged wires. Wires can sustain damage in a variety of ways, such as animals chewing on the insulation, furniture rubbing on the wires, and old wires cracking after prolonged exposure to the elements. If the insulation on a wire comes off, it can expose the wire. This can lead to an electrical short that can cause a fire. At Putnam Mechanical, we perform a thorough visual inspection of all visible wires and use a remote camera to check any sections of wire that aren’t visible.
Light Bulb Wattage
One mistake that many homeowners make is using light bulbs that draw too much power for the socket they’re mounted in. For example, if you install a 60-watt bulb in a fixture that’s only intended for 40-watt bulbs, the extra power draw could cause the wiring leading to that fixture to overheat. Even newer LED bulbs that draw less power than incandescent bulbs should still be matched to the appropriate fixture based on their incandescent equivalency. If you need to upgrade your fixtures to provide more light, Putnam Mechanical can install the new fixtures for you.
Overloaded Circuits
Another common mistake that homeowners are often guilty of is overloading electrical circuits. After all, there will always be certain outlets in your home that are more convenient to use than others. While you may be able to get away with overloading a circuit for a short time, you could wind up with major problems down the road. To help protect your home, an electrician from Putnam Mechanical will calculate the draw at each outlet and match it with each circuit to make sure everything is within safe operational limits.
Inspection of GFCI Outlets
If you have outlets near a water source, then GFCI outlets are an absolute must. These outlets can interrupt the flow of power instantly if they detect a short. This action can help prevent electrocution. Although Putnam Mechanical recommends that you test your GFCI outlets every three months, many homeowners don’t adhere to this schedule. That’s why Putnam Mechanical includes GFCI outlet testing as part of every electrical inspection. Even if you do test your GFCI outlets regularly, your outlets may need to be replaced if they’re more than seven years old. Putnam Mechanical can perform a more detailed inspection for older outlets to see if they’re past their prime.
Check for Proper Grounding
In addition to proper protection through GFCI outlets, your entire home should be grounded through a ground wire. This wire has to be installed in a specific way to ensure that it works when you need it most. Since the wire is in contact with the ground, it can wear out over time. An electrician from Putnam Mechanical will ensure that the proper grounding connections are in place and that all of the grounding wires are in good condition. The electrician will also check to make sure that each outlet in your home is properly connected to the ground wire.
Expert Electricians Ready to Help
At Putnam Mechanical, we are proud of the quality of service that we provide to our customers. That’s why we work hard to provide great electrical inspections, lighting installation, electrical remodeling, furnace repair, air conditioner installation, and much more. Our A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau speaks to the experience and integrity that we bring to every job. To learn more about electrical inspections, contact us at Putnam Mechanical today.
