GFCI Standards Cook Electric
Written by Larry Cook

Electrically Prep Your Home for Winter – Part 1

Getting your house electrically ready before winter will help ensure you have power during the colder months. An HVAC system consumes a lot of energy, and your home’s electrical system must function properly to ensure you and your family are comfortable and warm during the colder months. We will discuss six methods for electrically preparing your home for winter.

Electrical Safety Inspection

A defective electrical panel during the winter will make it miserable for your family, and it will be expensive to repair. An electrical panel requires replacement every 30 years to ensure it can meet your household’s electrical demands. Over that time, an electrical panel has to stay dependable, so your home has daily power.

If it has been a long time since your home had an electrical inspection, making an appointment for one during the fall would be smart. Power consumption during the holiday season grows significantly, so asking a licensed electrician to perform a safety inspection of your electrical panel and system will help ensure the safety of your family and home.

Improving Energy Efficiency

Improving energy efficiency helps prevent your electrical panel from being overextended. For example, even an appliance that is turned off can still consume electricity. You can reduce your home’s energy consumption by unplugging unused appliances. A power strip can make this easier because one flip of the switch will cut electrical usage by several electrical devices.

Inspect Standby Generator

Have a service technician knowledgeable about the make of your home standby generator perform tests to ensure it is working properly. In the Mid-Atlantic region, Maryland can experience hurricanes and blizzards that can bring down power lines, resulting in extended power outages.

Not having electricity during an Arctic cold spell will be unsafe and uncomfortable for your family. A winter power outage can damage your home if frozen water bursts pipes. If your home needs a standby generator, call a licensed electrician and discuss an installation this fall, so your family can stay protected during winter.

Part 2 will discuss three additional ways for electrically preparing your home for winter.

Electrical Peace of Mind

Providing professional electricians since 1988 in Maryland, Cook Electric is the company you can rely on for all your electrical service needs. For knowledgeable, fair, honest, reliable, and conscientious service, call Cook Electric today at (410) 266-9040. We will be very glad to help you.