It’s that time of year when we all start thinking about what we’re going to stop doing in the New Year. Who hasn’t uttered the “new year, new you” motto? It could be you’d like to lose weight, exercise more, spend less, you name it and there’s a resolution about it.
Well, it’s time to take those same notions and apply them to your house. Getting rid of the following will add a little ‘electrical wellness’ to the mix for a bright 2020. And who wouldn’t want that …?!
- Bunnies are cute – dust bunnies not so much. If they’re surrounding cords and outlets it is easy to have them ignite, so make sure to keep the floors clear of them.
- Do NOT overload your power cords and power strips but plugging a bunch together.
- Make sure that laptops (and other devices) are plugged in correctly and not sitting on top of flammable surfaces like rugs or beds.
- Have you replaced the batteries in ANY of the smoke or carbon monoxide detectors since you bought your home? Time to be honest and own it. You need to change out the batteries every 3-5 for carbon monoxide and 10 years for smoke detectors.
- How about swapping out your incandescents for some LED in the New Year? LED bulbs use 75% less energy and last 35-50x longer so that means less energy wasted = Good!
- No getting too cozy with electric blankets by piling other things on top of them. Try using at its lowest setting at night and turn off when not in use.
- Got GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupters)? They’ve been required since the 1970s in bathrooms and since the 80s in kitchens, for good reason. Surges are common and electronics today are particularly sensitive to them. We’re entering a new decade – are you up to code?
- Wattage check – make sure you’re checking the wattage limits on all your bulb sockets AND gauges your extension cords. Rule of thumb, the larger the appliance the larger the gauge extension cord needed.
- Run appliances like ovens and dishwashers and dryers when at home. Leaving them running while out of the house and unsupervised could lead to unwanted problems.
Say hello to a new decade with electrical health in place … Hello 2020, here we come! Schedule a service with Sylvester Electric for unparalleled Lowell electrical services.