End-of-Summer Electrical Check: Is Your Home Ready for Fall?
After a long North Shore summer of running air conditioners, fans, dehumidifiers, and other appliances, early fall is a great time to give your home’s electrical system a little attention.
Based in Gloucester, MA, ERW Electric, LLC provides professional residential and commercial electrical services throughout Gloucester and surrounding North Shore communities. From simple electrical repairs and outlet replacements to panel upgrades and larger projects, we help keep local homes and businesses safe, efficient, and ready for every season.
Your Electrical System Worked Hard All Summer
Window and portable air conditioners can put significant demand on your home’s electrical system, particularly when multiple units and other appliances are operating at the same time. Older homes—something we have plenty of here on the North Shore—may also have electrical systems that weren’t originally designed with today’s power demands in mind.
As you begin shutting down the AC for the season, take a few minutes to look for signs that something may need attention.
1. Check Outlets and Plugs
Look at the outlets where your air conditioners and other high-use summer appliances were plugged in. Discoloration, scorch marks, melting, unusual warmth, loose plugs, or a burning smell should never be ignored. Stop using the outlet or appliance and have the issue evaluated by a qualified electrician.
2. Think About Tripped Breakers
Did you frequently trip a breaker when the AC was running? While a breaker can occasionally trip because a circuit is overloaded, repeated tripping may indicate that the circuit isn’t adequately handling the electrical load or that another issue needs to be addressed.
Never repeatedly reset a breaker that continues to trip without finding out why.
3. Inspect Extension Cords and Power Strips
Air conditioners draw a substantial amount of power and generally should not be connected through ordinary extension cords or power strips. If you found yourself relying on extension cords because you didn’t have an outlet where you needed one, fall may be a good time to talk with an electrician about installing additional properly located outlets.
4. Pay Attention to Flickering or Dimming Lights
Did your lights dim or flicker when the AC turned on? Have you noticed buzzing switches, warm outlets, or other unusual electrical behavior? These can be signs that your electrical system deserves a closer look.
5. Consider the Age of Your Electrical Panel
If you live in an older North Shore home and have added air conditioners, appliances, home-office equipment, or other electrical devices over the years, your electrical needs may have changed significantly.
An electrician can evaluate your existing electrical panel and circuits and determine whether repairs, additional circuits, or a panel upgrade may be appropriate.
6. Get Ready for Fall and Winter Power Demands
The AC may be turning off, but your electrical system doesn’t get much of a vacation. Fall and winter bring their own demands, including space heaters, holiday lighting, electric blankets, humidifiers, kitchen appliances, and more time spent indoors.
Taking care of electrical concerns now can help ensure your home is prepared for the colder months ahead.
Your Local Electrician in Gloucester, MA
At ERW Electric, LLC, we provide reliable electrical services for homeowners and businesses throughout Gloucester and Boston’s North Shore. Whether you need a simple switch or outlet replaced, troubleshooting for an electrical problem, new circuits, lighting installation, or an electrical panel upgrade, we can help.
Summer may be winding down, but your home’s electrical system works year-round. If something didn’t seem quite right while your AC units were running this summer, now is the time to have it checked.
Contact ERW Electric, LLC for professional electrical services in Gloucester, MA and surrounding North Shore communities.