10 Reasons Electrical Maintenance is Important

You rely on electricity to charge your cell phone, light your home, and run your air conditioner, yet you probably don’t give it a second thought most days. You simply expect the lights to turn on when you flip the switch and devices to power up when you plug them in. Plus, you probably only call an electrician when your light fixtures, outlets, or switches act up.

While your home’s wiring is often a case of “out of sight, out of mind,” electrical maintenance goes a long way toward improving efficiency and avoiding safety hazards. Here’s a look at what electrical maintenance entails and why it’s so important.

What is Electrical Maintenance?

When you schedule electrical maintenance in Fort Collins, a licensed electrician comes to your home to perform the inspection. Here are the steps you can expect to take place:

• Verify proper light bulb wattage
• Check for shock and electrocution hazards
• Ensure proper operation and condition of light switches and wall outlets
• Verify that arc-fault and ground-fault circuit interrupters work correctly
• Confirm grounding systems
• Check security safety lighting
• Validate correct surge protection
• Verify proper placement of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
• Test all detectors
• Inspect the electrical panel for proper amps, operation, and labels
• Check the whole house surge protection system, if applicable
• And more

Once maintenance is complete, you’ll receive a detailed report of what your electrician found, along with any recommended repairs to address immediate safety hazards and potential upgrades to improve your electrical system’s performance.

DIY Electrical Maintenance Checklist

You can take several steps to keep your system running as it should between formal electrical maintenance visits. Here’s how to do some of your own electrical maintenance:

• Avoid storing anything within three feet of your electrical panel.
• Keep water away from your electrical panel.
• If your home floods, switch all your circuit breakers off to avoid electrocution.
• Minimize heat buildup in the room that houses your electrical panel.

Why is Electrical Maintenance Important?

The most critical times to schedule electrical maintenance include when you’re buying or selling a home, installing a major appliance, adding outlets, or hoping to improve electrical safety in your older home. Here are the top 10 reasons why electrical maintenance is so important.

1. Improve the reliability of your electronics: Whether it’s a computer you use for work or a piece of life-saving medical equipment, electrical maintenance ensures your devices operate as they should so you can always rely on them. Scheduling the necessary inspections can even help extend the life of your electrical equipment.
2. Prevent major electrical problems: Without an inspection, you’ll never know your electrical system is developing an issue until it’s too late. Preventative measures make it possible to identify minor problems before they cause major headaches, giving you a chance to conveniently and affordably repair them.
3. Keep your property safe: Electrical problems don’t just come in the form of power outages—they can also cause significant safety hazards, including shock and electrical fires. Even minor overheating or sparking can be problematic if you have old, unsafe wiring.
4. Reduce your energy costs: Unnoticeable problems may cause your electrical equipment to use more energy than necessary. An electrician can determine any energy consumption problems and propose solutions to save you money.
5. Prevent power disruptions: There’s no such thing as a convenient time for the power to go out. Electrical maintenance can help keep the lights on and minimize disruptions to your daily routine.
6. Protect your equipment from power surges: Most people think of power surges as the significant events that occur during thunderstorms. While these are certainly a threat, they’re not the only source of power surges. Something as simple as turning on a hairdryer or vacuum cleaner can cause a surge that could damage sensitive electronics on the same circuit. A maintenance visit is an excellent time to bring this up and see what solutions your electrician can offer.
7. Identify electrical mistakes: Previous homeowners or unlicensed contractors tend to make errors when changing the electrical system. An inspection can reveal these mistakes and give you a chance to correct them before an incident occurs.
8. Spot dangerous, outdated wiring: Old knob and tube wiring is no longer approved or permitted in homes because it’s a fire hazard. The connections used in aluminum wiring systems are also a concern. These and other outdated electrical components can be spotted during maintenance, allowing you to take steps to have them replaced.
9. Meet insurance risk assessment requirements: Your homeowner’s insurance provider may require an electrical inspection as part of your risk assessment before offering you a quote. Insurance companies know how important it is to maintain your electrical system and may deny your request for coverage if you fail to meet this requirement.
10. Enjoy peace of mind: Nothing compares to the peace of mind that comes from knowing your electrical system has the all-clear from a licensed electrician. You’ll find it easier to go about your day, knowing the chances of shock, power outages, and electrical fires are as slim as possible.

Schedule Electrical Maintenance Services in Fort Collins

If the time has come to maintain your electrical system, turn to Allen Service for a job well done. We draw on 60 years of experience serving Northern Colorado with exceptional electrical, plumbing, and HVAC services. Our electricians can help you get the most from your wiring and light fixtures while keeping you safe from fire and other hazards. To request a visit, please call us at 970-484-4841 or contact us online today.