Electrical Maintenance in Spring: 7 Tips & Tricks for a Safer Home

15 March, 2024 Hi-Lite Electric Inc.

Spring is a time of new beginnings! The flowers are blooming, the weather is warming up, and you start to see life coming out from hibernation. Spring is the season when you do your spring cleaning as well. So, it is a great time to do a safety check on your home, particularly the electrical side.

Remember to keep your living spaces safe from electrical hazards. You can enjoy checking out the spring blooms in Etobicoke or anywhere else in the GTA guilt-free and in an uninterrupted state of zen. So grab a comfy seat and an iced tea, and let us journey through some easy and effective ways to keep your electrical system running smoothly this spring.

1. Inspect your outlets and switches.

Let’s start with the very basics! Your outlets and switches are the entry points of electricity into your home. You should check them first to ensure they are in good working order.

The first thing to check is whether they are functioning and powering devices. Secondly, make sure they are not cracked or broken. You don’t want any exposed wiring sticking out, which can be extremely dangerous, especially if you have pets and young crawling children.

Speaking of which, you should look into buying electrical outlet covers so that your little ones don’t stick their tiny fingers inside them (as they definitely will try to).

2. Test your GFCIs.

Next, let’s give some love to the GFCIs (ground-fault circuit interrupters). These nifty gadgets look exactly like your normal electrical outlet, except if it is a GFCI, it will have a red button and a reset button in the middle.

That red button is the circuit interrupter. If pressed, it will turn off any device connected to the outlet. You must press the reset button to turn the device back on. If those steps worked as intended, you’re good to go.

3. Declutter and dust off

Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to clear out things you no longer need and ensure all your electrical appliances and devices don’t have anything blocking them. This fact is accurate for your main electrical control panel. You don’t want your main electrical panel to be hard to reach in emergencies when you need to shut off power to your whole house.

Also, ensure big electrical appliances, like fridges and air conditioners, don’t have junk around them that could be blocking their vents or the free flow of air around them.

4. Limit extension cord use.

We all use extension cords in our homes. Yet, did you know there is a certain protocol for using them? This means you can’t just plug in any device you want willy-nilly. Do not connect high-power consumption devices to extension cords. You should read the label on the extension cords to see the maximum wattage they can handle.

Small, low-power devices like phone and laptop chargers are ok, but avoid using extension cords with hair dryers or electric kettles. So, go around your house this spring and check the devices connected to them.

5. Upgrade your lighting to LED.

Switching to LED lights is a genius move for many reasons. They’re not just good for our planet and our wallets, but are also safer. You have many options when you’re replacing old-fashioned bulbs with LED lights. You can get plain old regular LED bulbs that work through your electrical switch in the wall.

You can also use Wi-Fi-controlled, smart LED bulbs you can control with your phone. With those smart ones, you can set schedules and timers for LED bulbs and even see the power consumption record.

6. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

This one’s a biggie but often gets overlooked. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are lifesavers, but we don’t even pay much attention to them. A broken or battery-less detector can be the difference between life and death (not to sound too dramatic, but it’s true).

You should go around your home and test each detector to ensure it has fresh batteries. If even a single one is broken, get it replaced ASAP. Maybe you can get a newer energy-efficient model and won’t have to replace its battery too often.

7. Schedule an annual electrical inspection.

Consider this as the annual health check for your home. Have a professional electrician in Etobicoke come out and examine your electrical system so they can spot any problems. The electrician will make sure your home meets the current electrical standards and put your mind at ease.

This is vital, especially if you live in an old house. Your electrical wiring, switches, circuit breakers, and other electrical system components might be faulty or need upgrading. Spring is the perfect time to have this annual checkup done.

Wrap Up

Spring is all about fresh starts, so what better time to ensure your home is safe? Keeping up with these simple seven tips and tricks ensures you and your loved ones are safe in all seasons, not just spring. Remember, electrical safety isn’t just a once-a-year thing, but spring is the perfect time to start on the right foot.

Are you looking for an electrician in Etobicoke to help with your spring electrical maintenance? Our licensed and certified electricians are ready to ensure your home is safe, secure, and free from electrical hazards.

Don’t wait for a minor issue to turn into a big headache! Call Hi-Lite Electric Inc. at 416-800-5523 or contact us for all your electrical needs!