Steps for Proper Electrical Maintenance

Remember the golden rule: Safety first

You should never start any home maintenance or repair work without proper preparation and safety tools. When working with electrical items, make sure to unplug the unit or turn off the power to the specific circuit. Don’t forget that water and electricity don’t get along, so make sure to unplug anything electric before cleaning. Never use a metal ladder when performing electrical tasks.

Use electronics accordingly

It’s important to be smart about how you’re using electronics. Avoid plugging in too many things into one circuit, which can overload it and cause a power outage. Be mindful of where you place small appliances and electronics, such as toaster ovens and hair dryers. Make sure they’re not under any vents that could potentially drip on them or are too close to a source of water, such as sinks and showers. Further, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends installing ground-fault circuit interrupters for all of the outlets in wet locations, such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms. They’re designed to turn off electric power immediately in the event of an incident, which can be a potentially life-saving feature.

Be mindful of plugs, outlets and wires

Treat your plugs kindly and don’t force them to fit into outlets. Don’t try to bend and adjust the prongs, as this could cause an electric shock. Alternatively, if it’s loose inside the outlet, it may be time to replace the cord for a fresh plug. Replace old outlets with new electric sockets with advanced safety features, such as built-in surge protectors. Unplug extension cords when you’re not using them to avoid an electric and fire hazard. When you’re outside, only use cords and electrical items that are specifically for the outdoors.

Schedule routine professional check ups

Electricity can be dangerous, so never hesitate to call a licensed electrician for help. In fact, one of the most important steps in good electrical maintenance is having a professional inspect your system at least once a year. An electrician can check your electric panel, replace damaged wires and test circuit breakers.

Electrical Safety & Maintenance Tips

• Consistently tripped breakers (or blown fuses) are an indication of electrical system problems.
• Flickering or dimming lights are warning signs of an overloaded circuit.
• A burning odor or a mild shock coming from an outlet are also signs of an overloaded circuit.
• Make sure that all the breakers or fuses in your breaker box are clearly labeled.
• Never plug two or more extension cords together.
• Always check an extension cord for damage before plugging it into an outlet.
• Only plug one major appliance (refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers) into a receptacle outlet at a time.
• All major appliances should be plugged directly into a receptacle outlet.
• An overreliance of extension cords indicates that there are not enough outlets in your home.
• Never use a three prong plug in an outlet with only two slots.
• Never attempt to use an extension cord as permanent wiring.
• Never use an electrical cord outside that isn’t specifically designated for outdoor use. Indoor cords are not designed to withstand the elements.
• Extension cords should never be placed underneath rugs or in the path of a heavily trafficked area.
• If you have toddlers or young children, make sure that you replace all your easily accessed outlets with tamper resistant receptacles.
• Only use the appropriate wattage bulb for a lighting fixture. An incorrect wattage might start a fire.
• Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) are required by the National Electrical Code in every room/area where there is a water fixture. Homes built before 1970 might not have GFCIs installed in outlets.
• Check your home’s outlets for GFCI protection. If the outlets do not contain a red rest button, they have not been replaced with GFCIs.
• Arc-Fault Interrupters (AFIs) protect against dangerous arc-faults. AFCI Breakers should be installed in your home to combat arc-faults caused by damaged, overheated or stressed wiring.
• AFCIs should only be installed by licensed electricians.
• If your home is over 40 years old or has recently had a major addition, renovation or large appliance added it should be inspected by a licensed electrician.

Tips To Maintain Your Electrical Wiring

• The presence of live current in switch boards and sockets, however mild they might be, can be a sign that your wiring has been exposed to water or is not getting earthed right. If a switch in the washroom or kitchen gives you even a tiny shock when you turn it on and off, chances are that there is an issue.
• Notice frequent dips in voltage, flickering lights once in awhile or bulbs fusing more often than they should? Definitely a sign of internal electrical wiring damage.
• Appliances can get damaged by short-circuiting, but there are times when the only sign of the fluctuation or short circuit is through the appliance malfunctioning itself. If your plug sparks when it is in the socket or an adapter heats up and doesn’t work even though the voltage is appropriate, then there could be a problem with the electrical outlet.
• Each circuit board has a specific limit to the load it can take, but within that limit, the appliances connected to it should function perfectly. If the turning on of the dishwasher or air conditioner causes lights to dip, the circuit may be damaged and unable to take the load.
• Besides visible signs, make sure that you keep an eye out for open wiring being chewed by rats or raccoons in the attic, or rainwater accumulating around the circuits in the basement. Even though the impact may not be immediate, any noticeable damage to the wires can lead to serious internal havoc.

The far-reaching effects of faulty wiring bring to mind the much used saying ‘better safe than sorry’. A small investment in a professional, DIY check-up of your electrical wiring or getting the home warranty for your home can be imperative to keeping you and your loved ones safe. Repairs are costly and maintenance is no doubt an easier way to prevent future problems, so we bring to you seven simple tips to keep track off and maintain your entire electrical wiring system.

Routine Testing

Mark your calendars and keep a monthly check on your electrical outlets, you can do this by yourself and won’t need any assistance. The testers are inexpensive – you can find them at any home hardware store. A three-prong plug, the tester will have indicator lights on each prong. As you plug the tester into each outlet, the lights indicate any problems with the individual outlet. The earlier you know the problem the easier it is to get it solved and the risk of fire or a greater electrical malfunction is avoided.

Electrical Safety Checklist for Your Home

• If you have breakers tripping and fuses blowing on a regular basis,it’s time to bring in a professional to inspect your home.
• Be sure all your circuits are properly grounded. A circuit consists of wires transporting electrical current to your lights and appliances, so properly grounded wiring is connected to a ground wire in your home.
• All outlets near wet locations such as kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms should be Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI).
• Water and electricity don’t mix, so unplug any appliance before you wash or wipe it down.
• If you have children or grandchildren, put protectors in all your outlets or replace them with tamper-resistant outlets, as these outlets are now required by code in all new homes.
• Replace any frayed wires in your house, as they can potentially cause shocks or fires.
• Replace all plugs that wobble or fit loosely in the socket.
• Never force a plug into a socket, and never attempt to adjust a plugs metal prongs to make it fit. Both actions are dangerous!
• Make sure all plugs and cords are kept a safe distance from heat sources such as radiators or space heaters. Don’t place furniture on top of cords, and don’t run cords under rugs or blankets.
• Any indication of dimming lights, flickering lights, a sizzling sound, or a burning odor mandate a prompt professional investigation.
• Never plug a generator directly into your home’s electrical system, as this can unintentionally damage appliances or even put you at risk. Hire an electrician to get it done safety.
• When outside, only use cords (and items) labeled for outdoor use.
• Extension cords are a temporary solution. They shouldn’t be used to power home appliances on a permanent basis. Most extension cords aren’t built to handle high-powered items such as air conditioners, refrigerators, or space heaters.
• Don’t leave extension cords plugged in if they’re not in use, as they can create an electrical or fire hazard.

Why Have Electrical Wiring Maintenance?

Keep Your Home In Good Condition

So to keep your home in the best condition possible, follow these top tips. Not only will you keep your home in better condition for longer, but you can save yourself a few extra pounds on your energy bills. We hope that this article was helpful if it was then why not share on social media?

Replace Don’t Repair

If you find out that you have a problem with your home’s electrics and you’re given the option to replace or repair, we always recommend repairs. Simply because with repairs you can’t always foresee how long the repair is going to last before it becomes faulty again. With a replacement, you are guaranteed a brand new working part that you know is reliable. Sometimes things can be repaired but only for a short amount of time, which is why we always recommend replacing over the repair. Even if it does cost slightly more than a repair, you will save money in the long run on frequent maintenance and repairs, as well as saving on your energy bills.

Have Your Appliances PAT Tested

PAT testing is a legal requirement for all commercial properties, landlords and business owners, each must ensure that all kitchen appliances and other electrical appliances have gone through PAT testing Milton Keynes before they can be used. In the case of a faulty appliance in the workplace that causes injury to yourself or others both the landlord and business owner are liable for not creating a safe environment. Read more about safety at work here.

Don’t Overload Your Electrics

Overloading your electrics is easier than you would think. The worst culprit of this is extensions leads. Extension leads are extremely popular in homes and allow you to give a wire extra length to sit further away or in a different place. Extension leads are commonly plugged into each other while also having other appliances plugged into them.

Never Attempt DIY Electrical Work

Electricity is extremely dangerous and can cause severe injuries if it’s tampered with by someone inexperienced. Always rely on an electrician to carry out any electrical work within your property or commercial building. Qualified electricians are always the safest option, and by tampering with your own electrical wiring, you have the possibility of causing more damage which will end up costing more than an electrician would.

How to Identify Wiring

Service Panel

When you open an outlet, it can be useful to figure out the position of the outlet or switch in the circuit, as well as the function of each wire. This knowledge can help you pinpoint problems and connect wires to the correct terminals when making repairs.

If you can’t find the source of a problem with an outlet, work from that point back to the service panel, troubleshooting each load on the circuit and its connections until you locate the fault.

End-of-Run Outlet

When there’s only one cable entering an outlet box, it means the outlet is the last fixture on the circuit. Power comes from the service panel along the black (hot) wire through other outlets, switches, and light fixtures on the circuit and begins its return to the source through the white (neutral) wire attached to this outlet. The black wire attaches to a brass terminal; the white wire, to a silver terminal.

Middle-of-Run Outlet

Two cables entering an outlet box indicate that the outlet is not the last fixture on a circuit. One of the black wires receives power from the service panel; the other sends it on to other loads on the circuit. The white wires allow current passing through the outlet and the other loads on the circuit to return to the panel.

Electrical Wires

The black wire is the “hot” wire, which carries the electricity from the breaker panel into the switch or light source.

The white wire is the “neutral” wire, which takes any unused electricity and current and sends them back to the breaker panel.

The plain (or it can sometimes be green) wire is the “ground” wire, which will take electricity back to the breaker panel, then outside to a rod that’s buried in the ground. This is to prevent the electricity from running through you!

How to Trace Electrical Wiring in a Wall

If you need to find the wires inside your walls, you’ll probably want a non-invasive way to look for them. After all, without a method to your madness, you’d just be hammering unsightly holes through your drywall in a vain attempt to cross paths with your wires. Instead, there’s a better way: With the right tools and techniques, you can locate, or trace, your wiring without damaging your walls.

Tracing electrical wiring in walls can be tricky, and it involves more than just looking for the wires themselves. To figure out exactly where the wires are, you’ll look f­or the outlets and appliances that each wire connects to. You’ll also figure out which circuit breaker applies to which section of your home’s wiring.

You may be wondering why someone would go through all that trouble just to figure out the locations of wires. Knowing where your wires are can help you make repairs, plan for home improvement projects and even make your home safer. By knowing which outlets are on which circuits, you can decide where to plug in power-hungry appliances without overloading your electrical system. If one of your outlets is on the fritz and you don’t have an electrical blueprint of your home to use as a reference, tracing the wiring can help you figure out exactly where the problem is. If you want to run new wires to a home theater system or other electronics, knowing your current wires’ locations can help cut down on electrical interference, which can lower the quality of your picture and sound. And you’ll definitely need to know where the wires are if you plan to do any renovation or demolition projects to your inside walls. Breaking into a live wire could damage your home and cause serious injury.

Tips for Easier Home Electrical Wiring

Uncoil Cable Without Kinks

Pulling plastic-sheathed cable through holes in the framing is a lot easier if you straighten the cable out first. If you simply pull the cable from the center of the coil, it’ll kink as you pull it through the studs. The trick is to lift a handful of coils (four loops will reach about 12 ft.) from the center of the roll (left) and toss them across the floor as if you’re throwing a coiled rope. Next, walk along the length of cable, straightening it as you go (right). The electricians we talked to prefer this method because they can keep the cable contained in the plastic wrapper for easier handling and neater storage.

Pack Electrical Boxes Neatly

If you’ve done much wiring, we’re sure you’ve had times when you could barely push the switch or outlet into the box because there were so many wires. The solution is to arrange the wires neatly and then fold them carefully into the box. Here’s how to keep wires neat and compact: First, gather all the bare ground wires along with a long pigtail and connect them. Fold them into the back of the box, leaving the pigtail extended. Next, do the same for the neutral wires. If you’re connecting switches as shown here, you don’t need a neutral pigtail. Leave the hot wire extra long and fold it back and forth across the bottom of the electrical wire box. Put a wire connector cap on the hot wire to identify it. The neatly packed box makes it easy to identify the wires and leaves you plenty of room for the switches.

Remove Sheathing from Underground Feeder (UF) Cable

Underground feeder (UF) cable has a tough plastic sheathing that allows you to bury it directly in the ground without running it through a conduit (of course, it has to be buried deep enough to satisfy the electrical code). But that tough sheathing is also difficult to remove—unless you know this trick. Start by separating the black and white wires from the bare copper by grabbing each with pliers and twisting (top). They’re easy to tear apart once you get them started. Pull them apart until you have about a foot of separated wires. Next, remove the sheathing from the insulated wires by grabbing the end of the wire with one pliers and the sheathing with another pliers and working them apart. After you get the sheathing separated from the insulated wire at the top, just peel it off (bottom). Repeat the process to remove the sheathing from the black wire. Finally, cut off the loose sheathing with scissors or a knife.

No-Snag Fish Tape Connections

After going to all the trouble of working your fish tape to its destination, the last thing you want is to lose the cable or get your tape stuck on something inside the wall as you pull it back. Here’s how to avoid both problems. Start by stripping an 8-in. length of cable. Using a side cutters, cut off all but one wire. Cut at a steep angle to avoid a “shoulder” that could catch on something. Then bend the single wire around the loop on the end of the fish tape and wrap the whole works with electrical tape to form a smooth bundle. Now you can pull the wire without worrying that it might fall off, and the smooth lump won’t get snagged by or stuck on obstructions.

Check the Whole Wall Cavity With a Stud Finder

A decent stud finder is a must-have for every wire-fishing job, but don’t throw it back in your pouch after you’ve located the studs. Use your stud finder to check the whole wall cavity for obstacles like blocking and abandoned headers. You don’t want to find out the hard way that you should have fished your wire one stud cavity to the left or right.

All About Electrical Wiring Types, Sizes, and Installation

Electrical Disconnect Switches

An electrical disconnect switch provides a means to shut off the power to a home’s electrical system from an outdoor location. It is typically mounted below the electric meter, either on the side of a home or on the utility company’s power pole. Not all homes have a dedicated disconnect. They are commonly used when the service panel (which also serves as the main disconnect) is located indoors and therefore is not accessible to emergency responders or utility workers. Like electrical service panels, a disconnect must be installed by a licensed electrician.

Wiring an Electrical Circuit Breaker Panel

The electrical panel, or service panel, is the power distribution point of a home electrical system. This is where all of the individual circuits of the house get their power and where they are protected by breakers or fuses. Wiring an electrical panel is a job for a licensed electrician, but DIYers should have a basic understanding of how a panel works and the critical role that breakers play in any system.

Maximum Number of Wires Allowed in Conduit

When running individual electrical wires inside conduit, there is a limit to how many wires are allowed. The maximum allowable number is known as the “fill capacity,” and this depends on several factors, including the size of the conduit, the gauge of the wires, and the conduit material. Metal (EMT), plastic (PVC), and flexible conduit all have different fill capacities, even when they’re nominally the same size.

How to Strip Electrical Wire

Stripping electrical wire involves removing the plastic insulation surrounding the wire’s metal core. It’s important to do this carefully so there is no damage to the metal. The procedure is simple but requires a special wire stripping tool and an understanding of how to use it. This is a critical skill—and tool—for DIYers to have for any wiring project.

Direct Burial Cable

Standard electrical cable is designed to be run indoors, where it stays dry and is protected by wall, ceiling, or floor structures. For outdoor projects or when running wiring underground, you must use direct burial cable, which can be installed underground with or without conduit (depending on local building code rules). With direct burial cable, the individual conducting wires are embedded in solid vinyl to fully protect them from moisture.

Essential Tips for Safe Electrical Repairs

Box and Clamp It

The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that all wiring connections be made in an appropriate enclosure. In most cases, this means an electrical box. Enclosures not only protect the connections—and protect people from accidental contact with those connections—they also provide means for securing conductors (like electrical cables) and devices.

Respect Grounding and Polarization

Grounding and polarization are essential for the safety of modern electrical systems. Grounding provides a safe path for stray electrical current caused by a fault or other problem in a circuit. Polarization ensures that electrical current travels from the source along “hot” wires and returns to the source along neutral wires.

Make Tight Wiring Connections

Electricity travels along conductors, such as wires and the metal contacts of outlets and sockets. Tight connections between conductors create smooth transitions from one conductor to another. But loose connections act like speed bumps, restricting the flow and creating friction and heat. Very loose connections can lead to arcing, in which electricity jumps through the air from one conductor to another, creating tremendous heat.

Check Amperage Ratings

All electrical wiring and devices have an amperage, or amp, rating. This is the maximum amount of electrical current they can safely carry. Most standard household circuits are rated for 15 amps or 20 amps, while large-appliance circuits (such as for electric dryers and ranges) may be rated for 30, 40, 50 amps, or even more.

Test for Power

The best way to prevent electrical shock is to ALWAYS test wires and devices for power before working on them or near them. Simply shutting off the power isn’t good enough.