5 Things You Should Know About Your Home’s Electrics (But Don’t)

If you’re stumped by your home’s electricity, then you’re not alone. A lot of people struggle with them. The good news, though, is that once you’ve learned about them, you’ll no longer be looking over key details. This way, you can better manage your property and live in it the way that you want to live in. You can also prevent fires and shocks. 

Your breaker panel is where all your home’s electrics converge

One of the things you might not know is that your breaker panel is where all of your home’s electrics converge. These systems literally distribute power throughout your house and protect it from overloads.

One of the things you’ll want to learn is how to shut off the breaker panel in an emergency, usually there’s a master switch although the labelling can be difficult to interpret. You’ll also want to know how to shut off particular circuits around your home, and these are often also individually labelled. So don’t ignore them. 

Circuit overload is a leading fire hazard

Another thing you should know about your home’s electrics is that circuit overload is a leading fire hazard. However, many people don’t realise how many individual appliances and attachments they’re adding to each circuit. This is because they don’t know where their circuits are in their properties. If you can avoid daisy-chaining power strips and high-usage appliances, that’s a good idea. Don’t attach two high-wattage items like a hairdryer and a space heater to a single socket. Try to avoid overloading with anything more than 2,500 watts as this can be dangerous and lead to electrical fires. 

GFCI outlets save lives

You might also want to talk to your electrician FTI outlets. These save lives in wet weather because they turn off the power immediately when they come into contact with water. These are actually a requirement in many garages, kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoor areas. It’s also a good idea to test them regularly if they have a test button to see if they’re still functioning the way they should. 

Two-prong outlets don’t have proper grounding

If you just have two-prong outlets in your home, these don’t usually have proper grounding. That’s a problem because if there’s a short circuit or your body completes the circuit in some way, you want all of the electrical energy to take the shortest route to Earth, which is usually through the grounding point. However, if there isn’t a grounding point, all of the electrons will try to travel through you, which is extremely dangerous. Therefore, if you don’t have grounding already, consider trying to add it. A lot of modern circuits now offer this.

Aluminum wiring is a serious risk

Lastly, you should be wary of aluminum wiring, especially if your home was built in the 1960s or the 1970s. The problem with aluminum is that it contracts and expands differently from copper and it’s less conductive, meaning loose connections have a higher fire risk. If you think you might have aluminum in your home, get a professional inspection.