Keeping your home’s electrical wiring system is excellent condition is not only about ensuring your comfort and convenience. It’s also an essential link in maintaining its safety. A lighting contractor can help you keep your home electric system in good working condition. You can also get home energy efficiency tips from a residential electrical contractor.
When to call a professional electrician
If you are in need of home electrical repairs, you should get a professional electrician who is qualified to make the repairs safely. Not only is the electrical wiring in your home extremely complex, there are all kinds of safety regulations that it must comply with. A qualified residential electrical contractor can ensure that your electrical system is up to code. A lighting contractor can also advise you on safety measures you need to take to prevent fires, such as installing smoke alarms and circuit breakers.
Ensuring the safety of your home
There’s a reason why there are all kinds of safety regulations in place for electrical wiring systems. Each year, electrical fires cause property damage worth $1.5 billion. They also cause injuries and loss of life. Many of these could be avoided by taking simple precautions. One of these would be to have your home electrical system professionally inspected to identify and correct potential hazards. The Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends such an inspection if your home is more than 40 years old or if you have had major new appliances installed or renovations done to your home.
Home energy efficiency tips
A lighting contractor can also advise you on how to make your home more energy efficient. This has two major benefits: it helps to reduce your energy bills, specially your heating and cooling costs. And secondly, using less energy is better for the environment. The steps you can take to improve your home’s energy efficiency basically fall under three categories: adding insulation, keeping your heating and cooling systems running efficiently, and using energy efficient appliances whenever possible.
- Add insulation
Adding insulation to your home can dramatically reduce your heating and cooling costs. Adding insulating curtains to windows and glass doors, blocking drafts and fixing cracks, and adding insulation around door and window frames can all help to keep your indoor temperatures steady and comfortable. They will also save you a packet on energy bills. - Keep your home heating and cooling systems running efficiently
Heating and cooling account for the biggest chunk of your energy bills. By keeping your furnace and air conditioning system in good condition you can make sure that no energy is wasted. HVAC systems should be inspected and ducts cleaned annually and filters should be replaced regularly. - Use energy efficient appliances
Whenever possible, newer energy efficient appliances should be used. Installing a tankless water heater will reduce energy costs since it only heats water when it’s needed, and doesn’t waste energy keeping a huge tank of water hot as traditional water heaters do.
For homeowners, finding an electrician who can advise them on the safety and repair of the electrical system as well as home energy efficiency tips is an important matter. A qualified lighting contractor can help you to keep your home functioning efficiently and safely.
