The holidays don’t start in December anymore, they start now with a smattering of Halloween lights that lead right into Thanksgiving decorations and the December holidays, including New Year’s. But you won’t be enjoying decorative lights a whole lot if you need miles of extension cords to get them lit and your inside lights are flickering as soon as your decorative lights come on. While we may be making light of things here, overloading your system or even overloading an outlet can be a serious safety risk. But the electrical experts from D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., can help ensure that your home is ready for festivity!
Adding Outlets
Overloading an outlet is a serious problem. Most outlets can only handle a maximum of 1500 watts, which is equivalent to two small appliances. Piggybacking, or adding multiple extension cords by plugging one into another, is a sure-fire way to guarantee that your outlet will become overloaded. Overloaded outlets can char or even catch fire, and plugged-in cords can melt. A much better solution is to have your electrician add GFCI outlets to your home to accommodate your need for more outdoor seasonal lighting.
Upgrading Your Electrical Panel
It won’t matter how many outlets your home has if you don’t have enough total power coming into your home. If you have experienced flickering lights when a major appliance is on, or the constant tripping of breakers, it’s time to have a pro determine if you need to add more power to your home’s electrical panel.
Updating Old Wiring
Old wires, particularly aluminum wires, can be dangerous. The main problem with these kinds of wires is that they can’t handle the heat generated by the electrical flow and they become too hot. They can become so hot that they start a fire. Allowing an expert to replace your old or aluminum wiring can make your whole home safe.
Nothing makes a house more festive than seasonal holiday lights, but you want to know that yours are operating safely and efficiently. If your electrical system needs a little updating before you start plugging in your decorative lights in Helotes, give our pros a call!
