| Home Electrical Inspection and other Electrical Tips The following tips are just helpful general tips for homeowners and building owners. 1. On fluorescent light fixtures change the bulbs once a year. Fluorescent bulbs gradually diminish in output, which puts a strain on the ballast and reduces the life of the fixture. This also results in reduction in quality of light. 2. If you have an outdoor fixture that is on 12 hours a night with a 100 watt bulb you can save from $25 to $50 annually just by changing it to compact fluorescent at 25 watts. 3. Use ceiling fans in your home. They can help reduce heating and air conditioning cost by circulating the air 4. Attic fans can also help save you in air conditioning costs. 5. Install a digital clock set back thermostat to control heating and air conditioning. This can save you money as well as provide additional comfort and automatic operation. 6. Protect all your electronic equipment with surge protectors including your TV, Stereo, DVD and VHS machines. 7. I can’t stress enough the dangers of aluminum wiring. If you have any in your home be especially aware of flickering lights or devices working intermittently. Call a licensed electrician immediately if you encounter this problem and shut the power off to affected areas if at all possible. Also be sure you have working smoke detectors. 8. Some of these you have heard a million times but I would be careless if I dismissed them 9. Never run extension cords under carpets or rugs. 10. Replace frayed or worn extension cords and replace broken or damaged plugs on appliances. 11. If you find any problems that I have addressed in this book please call a licensed electrician. I am a big fan of do it yourself projects, but electricity is not one of those. Even when someone knows some basics the simple mechanics of things like grounding and connections can cause serious injury to anyone in your home. One of the largest expenses is the electrical service so it is important to be sure that it is adequate. Another item that could be a very large expense is aluminum wiring. Most other problems can be rectified for a cost in the hundreds or less. I hope this information has been helpful. If you have any questions please visit our Forum or drop us an email. Thank you Paul Forte |
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Home Electrical Inspection Tips