Home electrical projects can be intimidating and they should be to some degree. Older homes weren’t designed to accommodate all of today’s appliances and gadgets. But homeowners can make good decisions and accomplish a lot with proper knowledge and safety practices.

1 Don’t overload your circuits. Although using multi-plug adapters means the whole family can charge all their phones, tablets and laptops, it could put a dangerous load on your home’s wiring. The best appliances are only as safe as the circuit delivering power to them. Adding more outlets is a viable option to avoid overheating. However, if you experience unexplained glitches, it’s better to enlist a professional who can evaluate the capacity of your electrical system make safe changes.

2 Replacing a bad outlet doesn’t always mean you’ve fixed the problem. Receptacles that won’t hold plug prongs firmly can cause arcing and ignite the dust or wood inside your walls. It’s best to replace them as soon as possible. But an improperly installed outlet can be just as hazardous. If you replace a receptacle or switch and it still doesn’t function correctly, you could be trying to fix a problem that’s tucked behind the wall thirty feet away.

3 Contact a licensed electrician if you have any questions about your outside or inside service panels. You wouldn’t try to repair the power line connecting your house to the grid, and those panels are distributing all of the electricity from that line to the wiring in your home. That’s why every project begins with turning the power off at the breaker box.

According to National Fire Protection Association estimates for 2011, 45,000 structure fires were caused by electrical failure or malfunctions and electrical distribution or lighting equipment. As a responsible homeowner, you can make twenty decisions every day that keep your home and family safe. One of the best choices you can make is to call Gary Houston Electric Company if you ever have any doubts about the integrity of the wiring in your home.

Contact us at 501-375-8330 or use the form on our website. We offer free estimates for residential electrical solutions — from new construction to repairs to renovations.