School is back in session and winter is around the corner, which means snowstorms, cheery family get-togethers, and more of a reliance on indoor power systems. To ensure a fun, trouble-free holiday season, you need to take care of some important things while the weather is still pleasant. Here are three electrical maintenance tasks you should take care of before winter hits.
1. Service Your Generator
Frigid winter days can be exceptionally hard on the local power grid, especially if most people in your city use electric heating systems. With the influx of usage also comes an increase in outages, which is why you are smart to invest in a residential generator. However, like other home appliances, generators need routine professional maintenance to stay in peak condition.
Although home generators should last for thousands of hours, most people only use their systems infrequently, which can actually be hard on the system. Settling dust can accumulate on moving parts, and internal oil and gas can gel or degrade.
Nearby environmental issues can also cause problems for generators. For instance, a nearby water leak could allow part of the generator body to rust or corrode, making this dangerous to use when you need it.
To keep your generator working well, have an electrician perform routine preventive maintenance before winter hits. In addition to checking fuel levels and checking the integrity of electrical connections, electricians can also check for loose wires or drained batteries, making repairs that will help later.
2. Upgrade Your Light Bulbs
When the days get shorter, you rely more on interior lighting to keep your house bright and welcoming. Unfortunately, if you use older incandescent lights, your fall and winter power bills might be higher than they need to be. For this reason, go through your home and upgrade your light bulbs with more energy-efficient varieties.
A traditional 60-watt incandescent light bulb will last about 1,200 hours and costs about $150 for 25,000 hours of use. On the other hand, CFL bulbs last about 10,000 hours, and only cost $35 for the same amount of use, while LED bulbs last 25,000 hours and lower your total cost to $21.25 when used as much.
Although the savings of a single light bulb might not be much, expenses can add up fast when you consider the expenses involved in lighting an entire home. For instance, if you have 12 can lights lighting your kitchen and dining room, you could save about $1,545 worth of power by replacing your 60-watt incandescent can lights with LED versions over the course of the bulbs’ lifespan.
3. Invest In Electrical Safety Accessories
Whether you host a family dinner or everyone comes over for Christmas morning, your home needs to be ready for all of your guests — and not just the adults. To keep your guests safe, invest in electrical safety accessories such as outlet covers and tamper-resistant extension cords.
Before people come to your house, think about the smallest member of the party, and view your place on their level. Make sure you cover every outlet, and check your place for trip and fall hazards such as strung electrical cords. This might seem like a simple thing, but investing in a few supplies to have on hand could keep the holidays merry.
Whether you need to upgrade your home lighting or you want to invest in a residential generator, our business can help. Here at Oak Electric, we are committed to providing superior electrical services to our customers while maintaining our commitment to safety.
In addition to installing and servicing generators, we can also help with solar panels, HVAC systems, plumbing, and routine electrical work. Give our office a call to set up a consultation.
