A homeowner may make the mistake of assuming that they can handle certain electrical jobs around the home if they seem somewhat simple and straightforward, or that there are electrical issues they may need to simply overlook. There are many electrical jobs that are not as simple as you might expect, and which can become downright dangerous if you were to mishandle them. There may also be reasons to consider having an electrician address other issues that you're ignoring. Note some questions you might have about calling an electrician from a company like Home Cabling Solutions to your home and the work they might do.
1. Can you replace a two-prong plug with a three-pronged grounded outlet?
Upgrading from a two-prong plug to a grounded outlet with three prongs is not a matter of simply changing the outlets themselves. A three-prong grounded plug has a ground wire behind it and if this wire is not installed, you cannot simply swap out the outlets. An electrician can note the wiring behind an outlet and then install the proper ground wire along with a new grounded three-prong outlet for you.
2. Isn't a surge protector enough to protect my computer and electronics?
A surge protector you plug into the wall can protect your computer and electronic devices, but note that these devices only protect the items you have plugged into them. If you move your laptop to another area of the home or are charging your smartphone without plugging it into the surge protector, this can mean damage in case of a sudden storm or other reason for a surge of electricity. A whole house surge protector can actually be installed so it then doesn't matter what plug or outlet you're using.
3. Why not just put up with a circuit breaker that frequently trips?
If you turn on an appliance or other device and a circuit breaker frequently trips, you may assume you should just put up with this inconvenience as you can easily turn it back on again. However, this often signals that the device you're using is overpowering the wiring and in turn, that wiring may become frayed and bare. This can increase your risk of an electrical fire. Constantly turning on the power after something has switched off can also mean added wear and tear on its parts; a refrigerator fan and blower may wear out sooner from having to constantly restart, as one example. Rather than simply put up with this, have an electrician rewire the circuit or upgrade the wiring as necessary.
Share21 January 2016
Welcome to my blog. My name is Mia. A few years ago, my partner and I bought an old home. It needed to have all new wiring installed, and through that process of working closely with a fabulous electrician, I learned a lot. I learned everything, from which questions to ask, to how to do a bit of wiring on my own. If you are hiring an electrician, you need to explore my posts. I hope they help guide you in the right direction. Now, that our home is finally, for the first time, not in the midst of a repair or project, I decided to start this blog. In addition, I also like to fish and read.