Electricity plays an important role in every day living. Electronic appliances, devices, and high technology equipment will not run without it. Regardless of how useful it is, electricity requires proper management and constant maintenance.
What is the importance of electrical maintenance?
Homeowners need to do regular electrical maintenance to ensure a well-functioning electrical system. Electrical maintenance covers encompassing aspects of testing, monitoring, fixing, and replacing elements of an electrical system. Any electrical maintenance can be generally categorized as either corrective or preventive. Electrical preventive maintenance ensures that the electrical system is clean, safe, and functional. It helps reduce unexpected power outages and protects house appliances from damage. On the other hand, electrical corrective maintenance involves the repair or replacement of a part that has broken down.
Of the two, corrective maintenance tends to be more expensive. It usually involves damaged parts of equipment or appliance. Such damage may cause multiple damages–to other parts of the equipment, and worse, to the entire electrical system.
How often should you rewire a house?
You can rewire your home electrical system, or any part of it as often as you want. But if the original electrical system has been up for more than 20 years, the entire system requires updating.
It is a good practice to do a periodic inspection every 5 years and do regular checks as well. With this, you will be aware of the current condition and prevent possible hazards in advance.
What electrical maintenance can you do on your own?
As a safety rule, major electrical works should be done by the pros. But there are mini-projects that you can do on your own. You can do this basic electrical maintenance:
- Changing a light socket
- Removing a broken light bulb
- Installing a dimmer light switch
- Troubleshooting telephone wiring
- Resetting a tripped circuit breaker
- Rewiring a lamp
- Repairing Christmas mini lights
- Installing an outlet receptacle
- Changing ballast on a fluorescent light
- Changing cords from 4-wire to 3-wire
When to call the electrical pros?
With the help of tutorial videos or articles from handyman websites, one may be confident about doing electrical fixes on their own. Essential electrical works, however, should be left to pros. Electricians are professionals, trained, and licensed in installing, managing, and repairing electrical systems. They have in-depth knowledge of wiring, switches, outlets, electrical panels, among others. They are the best persons to work on your home’s electrical system.
A local handyman is an alternative. A handyman is knowledgeable on how to perform a variety of home maintenance tasks. The major consideration should be is that: handymen are not licensed to work on electrical wirings. So, you won’t be insured for damages that may occur should they commit a mistake while working with your home’s electrical system.
Smokes, burns, unusual sounds, flickering lights, overheating cords usually indicate a faulty electrical system.
What to look for in an electrical pro?
Get a professional electrician to ensure quality workmanship for any preventive or corrective electrical maintenance in your home. Choosing an electrical pro is as crucial as entrusting your home and family safety. Check the past performance, background, training, and licenses to determine its qualification. Hiring incompetent personnel may lead you to costly repairs, damages, and other possible electrical hazards.
Contact our professional electrical contractor
We highly recommend doing a regular inspection of your home as a preventive measure. Call us today at 647 782 4178 or email us at help@ashcare.ca.
