If you’re a first-time home owner or are moving into a new home, you need to familiarize yourself with the electrical system. This should be part of the introduction to your new home, not an afterthought after you’ve moved in all the furniture, filled shadows with lamps, and designated that back room with one outlet as your home office. Here’s the tour you should take, preferably with a home electrician you trust:

1 Before you go inside, take a look around for overhead lines. In the event of a storm, you’ll know exactly where downed lines may be. Follow the lines to the main service connection. If you live in town, these power lines will likely be underground.

2 You can find the main nonetheless, because it’ll be by your electric meter on the outside of your house. Your meter should be weatherproof, secure, and readily accessible to the utility company.

3 Follow your home’s electrical system through the service entrance – the opening in your home that connects the meter to your circuit panel. This opening should be optimally sealed against moisture.

4 The circuit panel is your control center for the electrical circuits in your home. A licensed electrician should verify it is properly grounded and functioning correctly. It is your first and best defense against dangerous electrical problems.

5 The circuits in the breaker box should be clearly labeled so anyone who needs to turn off power to part of the house can do so in an emergency. Test the outlets with a small lamp to figure out what circuit they are on.

6 Circuit breakers are one of the world’s best safety innovations, but they are no substitute for updated wiring. Depending on condition, knob & tube and aluminum wiring are outdated and can possibly be hazardous. They are also excluded on many home owners’ policies, which can leave you with no coverage in the event of a fire.

Understanding all the parts of your electrical system and how they provide power to you home is more practical in an emergency that having the best electrician on speed dial.

If you don’t know if you should be concerned about the wiring in your home, you need the most trusted electricians in Little Rock AR. Call Gary Houston Electric Company at 501-375-8330 or use the form on our website. We’ve serviced families and businesses in central Arkansas for over thirty five years.