Outlet issues
Electrical outlets are very useful, but it can also prompt electrical concerns. (Photo Credits)
Electrical outlets are very important electrical fixtures around the house, but like any electrical detail, it has to be checked every now and then because it too can have issues that could lead to a safety concern.
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Part of a routine electrical home safety inspection is checking out all electrical outlets around the home to ensure that they are working properly and that there are no signs that it is ill-maintained or malfunctioning. It is then very important for homeowners to be aware of possible signs that point to a problem in their electrical outlets so they could address it immediately.
So what are these signs that homeowners have to watch out for?
Home improvement website The Spruce has shared an article discussing common concerns with electrical receptacles or outlets. One of the issues they mentioned in their list are worn out outlets. Build Safe
“Receptacles have metal contact points for the hot, neutral, and ground connections that, over time, begin to wear and loosen their gripping power that holds cords in tightly. The downfall then is exposed contact points on the plug connection and little or no contact area with the receptacle contact blades. This builds the resistance and causes heat. The heat will cause problems in the wiring and likely lead to a circuit breaker tripping or a fuse blowing.”
Check out the rest of the material here.
Not enough electrical outlets
Believe it or not, in some homes, especially older ones, electrical outlets could not be enough. Older home improvement website ThisOldHouse.com says this is a common issue which should be remedied to avoid the dangers of routinely using extension cords. Electrician
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“Danger level: Minimal, as long as you use heavy-duty extension cords, 14-gauge or thicker. (The thicker the wire, the lower the gauge number.) Undersize extension cords (16-gauge or smaller) can overheat and ignite a fire if loads are too heavy. Solution: Add more outlets. Expect to pay an electrician about $100 per first-floor outlet and double that for second-floor work. (There will likely be a minimum charge.) This work requires cutting holes in walls and ceilings to snake the wires. Some electricians will patch the holes; others leave the patching to you.”
The rest of the write-up can be found here.
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Home design website Hunker.com meanwhile published an article on low voltage outlets, saying it is a common issue on electrical receptacles. In their article they mentioned the possible reasons, as well as possible ways to address the situation.
“Low voltage in an outlet can occur for a number of reasons, and those reasons usually can be divided into two categories. One reason an outlet may have low voltage is that it is worn out. Electrical outlets can wear out the same as any appliance or electrical device. The constant plugging and unplugging of cords into the outlet can loosen and wear down the connections. Another potential reason for a low-voltage reading is that the outlet’s wires are damaged.”
Read the rest of the information here.
Electrical safety inspections can prevent possible problems in electrical outlets from progressing into a safety hazard. Annual home inspections is indeed a must.
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2920 McGraw St San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 480-6559
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