Love Your Home

Valentines day is all about showing love to those around you. And letting others know you care about them. Sometimes we forget we should show that same love to our homes. As time goes on the systems that keep our homes comfortable and safe can deteriorate. Take just a few minutes to show your electrical system some love by doing these few things!

1. Give Your Outlets a Temperature Check

An outlet should never be a source of warmth. If you plug something in and notice the cover plate feels hot or even slightly warm to the touch, it’s a red flag.

• What to look for: Discoloration (brown or melted plastic), a faint burning smell, or warmth.

• The Risk: Warm outlets often mean "arcing" or loose wiring behind the cover plate , which is a leading cause of house fires.

  
  

Our Advice: if any these things are happening, turn off power to that outlet and give us a call because those need to be replaced. And we would be happy to help you get those fixed!

2. Testing your GFCIs

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) are those outlets with the "Test" and "Reset" buttons, usually found near water (kitchens, baths, garages). They are designed to shut off power instantly if they detect a leak of power.

• The Monthly test: You should test these once a month. Push "Test" (the power should click off) and then press"Reset." All the way in

• When to Replace: If the "Reset" button doesn’t pop out during a test, or if it won’t stay pushed in, the internal circuitry has failed.

• Life Expectancy: Most GFCIs last about 10–15 years, but it’s always safe to check them.

Our Advice: in the situation that the “Reset” or  “Test” button don’t work, its time to replace it because the safety a GFCI brings needs those buttons to work in order to protect you. Give us a call and we can help you!

3. Don't Ignore Loose Connections (Loose Plugs)

We’ve all had that one outlet where the plug just... slides right out. It might seem like a minor annoyance, but it’s actually a serious safety hazard.

• The Grip Test: If you plug in a lamp or charger and it sags, falls out, or sits crooked, the internal tension springs in the outlet have worn out.

• The Danger of Arcing: When a plug is loose, it doesn’t make a solid connection. Electricity has to "jump" across the gap to reach the plug. This creates electrical arcing, which generates intense heat and can ignite the dust or insulation inside your walls. Which is one of the main causes of house fires in america.

• The Fix: There is no "tightening" a loose outlet; once the springs are gone, the entire outlet needs to be replaced.

  
  

Our Advice: loose outlets are annoying and tedious. There are a bunch of fixes that you see on the internet of power splitters, or tape that can “fix it” but those are actually more dangerous leading to more arcing. The only true fix to a loose outlet is to replace the whole thing.

4. Don't Overload the Power

We love our gadgets and electronics, but plugging too many into one spot can stress your system.

• Daisy Chaining: Never plug a power strip into another power strip.

• High Wattage Appliances: Space heaters, air fryers, and hair dryers should always go directly into a wall outlet, never a power strip or extension cord.

  
  

Our Advice: separate your high wattage appliances to different circuits to prevent overloading one circuit. Which could cause the wires in your house to heat up. And that could cause a fire to start within the walls of your house.

This Valentine's Day, take 10 minutes to walk through your house and check  up on these items. It’s the easiest way to protect your home and the people you love. If you need to change your outlets call a professional to help. If you need any help feel free to give us a call at 801-472-5735 and we can help fix those outlets for you.

Joke time: What’s the best Valentine’s Day dinner?………. A hearty one

Hope you can spend time with those you love this Valentine’s Day!

— Horizon Electric