Avoid Common Electrical Issues This Winter

Wilf Potter

November 15, 2022
4:11 pm

Having electrical problems in the winter can really be a real pain. It can be inconvenient and can end up being a safety issue. It’s no secret many people are hesitant when calling an electrician, and don’t seem to want to call one until a crisis takes place. But that’s the wrong way to go about it, as this can lead to the compromising of you and your family’s safety. To avoid any unfortunate events from electrical devices, along with surprising electrical fires, it’s best to call a Long Island electrician to make sure your electrical wiring and devices are maintained the right way. You can do your part by inspecting the devices you own that were stored away in the summer and brought out for the winter. Some of these devices may need replacing in order to add another level of safety. Festive lighting must also be checked up on, especially if the lighting has been used and stored away for many years. Tripping circuit breakers can lead to another series of unfortunate events within your home. Hundreds of homes go up in flames every year because people fail to notice and understand the signs.

Calling a Suffolk County Electrician can save you the time and hassle of inspecting your home for electrical issues in preparation for the winter. They can help you spot anything that looks like a potential hazard and can guide you in making the right decisions to fix or replace it. It’s never a waste when dealing with a professional. With years of experience, they have the focused knowledge to handle any electrical issues that arise. If you want quality inspection, repairs, and installations, we recommend you let Popkin Electric know.

Its good practice to inspect your older devices you’ve stored away before hooking them up to an outlet. Electrical blankets are at the top. Many people love using these in the cold of winter. Myself included, but while being mostly safe to use, worn blankets can pose a fire threat if the edges are frayed. It’s best to disregard older blankets and pick up a new one for the winter. These electrical blankets are widely popular and you can pick one up almost anywhere for a low price.

Electric space heaters can warm your bedroom up relatively quickly. They’re small and effective at what they do. But these guys pose a great threat. Every year thousands of houses go up in flames because of a faulty space heater. They can attract dust and dirt and with one spark, the device can end up igniting and turning into a massive electrical fire. Avoid plugging these guys into an extension cord if you can and always monitor and check them. Never leave them on unattended and replace older devices with modern newer ones. Space heaters can consume a lot of energy and this can cause issues with electrical circuits. Ever wondered why your lights dim every time you put on space heater? Many space heaters require a dedicated circuit, which can be installed by a professional. Just call your local Long Island Electrician for more information.

Holiday lighting is used by many homes here in the U.S, and they can be an amazing sight to behold. The standard each circuit breaker can handle is about 15, or 20 (with newer houses) amps of current. Although individually light strings draw only a couple milliamps, when you add more strings of light together you can muster up a lot of power. It’s good practice to read the instructions and figure out the maximum number of connections possible for your holiday lights. If you find a burnt out bulb, replace it as soon as possible. When other bulbs are burnt out an increasing amount of current is sent to the rest of the bulbs. The strain can cause other bulbs to fail at a fast rate, which is also known as the cascading effect.

What causes a circuit breaker to trip? The most common reason for a tripping circuit breaker is because it’s simply overloaded. When you run too many energy-consuming devices at the same time, on the same circuit this issue occurs. You can help avoid circuit breaker tripping by removing and relocating, heavy powered devices to another general-purpose circuit. You can also turn off some devices to avoid overloading.

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Since 1967, Popkin Electric has been servicing Nassau homeowners. We address every job, no matter the size, with integrity, professionalism and the understanding that your home is your castle.