Just like with anything in life, the more you know about a certain topic, the more capable you are of treating it right. This is especially true for your home’s electrical fixtures. Making sure electrical devices are working right means knowing how they work, how to keep them safe, and when it’s time to call a professional for help.
Keeping your home’s electricity working great just means being knowledgeable, which is where this post comes in. Let us help you learn more about how your home electricity works so that you can keep it working its very best.
Know how all the individual parts come together
In a nutshell, here is how energy works in your home. First, in most situations it’s brought to your home by traveling along aerial, outdoor transmission lines. It enters through your meter, which records the amount of electricity you use and then redistributes it to where it’s needed.
After that, your circuit breaker panel divides the power into separate circuits for different parts of your home. Then, your home’s wiring (most frequently copper) distributes the electricity to your electronics, outlets, lights, and so on.
Know about the biggest home electrical no-no’s
There are a lot of very obvious no-nos when it comes to your homes electricity. Do research to make sure you’re aware of what they are so you can avoid them. Some big ones include: connecting wires to circuits that don’t run the same number of amps, using the wrong type of wire for home electrical, having an overloaded box (if it looks like a huge mess, it’s overloaded), being unable to find junction boxes, and having improperly spaced outlets.
Know where your main panel is
Your central breaker panel is the hub of all electricity running into and through your home. If you have a house-wide problem, the central breaker is where to go first. They can be located in a variety of locations throughout the home. They’re usually down in the basement. Wherever yours may be, make sure you know before a problem occurs, as opposed to after.
Know when a problem is occurring
If you’re having frequent shorts, outlets are smoking or smell, or if you’re blowing a fuse constantly, something is probably wrong. Don’t ignore small signs! The longer you do, the more likely they are to become big problems. Nobody wants that.
Know who to call when things go wrong
Once you’re aware of the most common signs of home electrical problems, you can then be prepared to contact professionals as soon as they pop up. Do a little research into the best companies in your area, so you have a phone number prepared before a problem pops up (hint: we recommend Mike Diamond).
After reading this blog, you’re ahead of most homeowners out there when it comes to knowing and caring about your home’s electricity. Good job! We’re proud of you – and you should be proud of yourself.