Unless your house is brand new, fire hazards could lurk behind the walls in your electrical wires.
Frayed wires, loose connections and overloaded circuits could be dangerous.
If your house is more than 20 years old, schedule an inspection right away. You need to know if your home’s system can handle today’s load of computers and large electronics, and you should install ground fault circuit interrupters to prevent electrocution.
Before the electrician arrives, do your own mini-home inspection. Look for:
- Outlets that spark when you insert or remove a plug, and loose outlets that won’t hold a cord. Have the electrician replace deteriorated outlets.
- Overloaded outlets. If every outlet requires a power strip, have your system upgraded with several more outlets and proper circuit breaker protection.
- Extension cords that have become permanent fixtures. Extension cords are made for temporary use only, so rearrange furniture to move your electrical device closer to an outlet so you won’t need the longer cord.
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