The Importance of Electrical Maintenance

Routine electrical maintenance can help ensure everything in your home or business continues running safely and efficiently. 

However, the risk of electrical shock can cause many folks to put off these essential chores.

If you’re unfamiliar with these tasks, you’re in the right place! Join us for an in-depth look at the benefits of regular maintenance. 

What does electrical maintenance look like?

Electrical maintenance includes inspecting and testing electrical panels and equipment to prevent catastrophic failures. Some maintenance jobs, like testing your smoke detectors, are easy, but others require a working knowledge of electrical systems and safety protocols.

Should electrical maintenance be done professionally?

Some maintenance jobs are easy for homeowners to take on themselves, such as testing outlets and switches. But if you’re not an electrician, it’s worth it to have a professional inspect your electrical system. After all, the maintenance process can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. 

A qualified electrician will show up with a maintenance checklist and all the tools needed to do the job. They might find issues that need immediate attention or potential problems, allowing you to plan for future repair or replacement costs. 

How often should electrical maintenance be done?

To keep everything in working order and ensure your safety, many experts recommend an annual maintenance schedule. While folks in some places can get away with performing these tasks every three years, those in places with high humidity and rainfall need to inspect their systems more frequently. 

The benefits of routine electrical maintenance

Regular electric maintenance comes with many benefits. Here are some of the biggest perks you can expect. 

Protecting your appliances 

We rely on our household appliances for clean clothes, perfectly cooked food, and comfortable ambient temperatures year-round. But if your system isn’t functioning properly, fluctuations in electricity can take a toll on your devices. 

As a homeowner, it’s also critical that you read the instruction manuals that come with your new appliances to know how to best care for them. Refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, clothes washers, and dryers all have different needs. 

You can use a spreadsheet or a handwritten log to keep track of these tasks. Pick whatever method works best for you, just make sure these jobs are completed in accordance with the original manual. 

Maintenance helps save money in the long run

The cost of routine electrical maintenance is much lower than the price of repairing major damage. When you regularly inspect your system and address any minor issues along the way, you’ll not only extend the lifespan of the system, but you’ll also save money on costly repairs. 

Electrical maintenance helps save time

In addition to being expensive, electrical repairs also take a lot of time. If your system fails, you could be without power for days as electricians work to get you back on the grid. After all, they’ll need to find the source of the problem before they can fix it. 

This is a major headache for homeowners, but it can be even more devastating for businesses that must shut down for repairs. Remember, when these issues arise, the damage likely won’t be contained to a specific device. The affected area could be your entire building, and it could take lots of work to get things back in order. 

However, when you develop a relationship with a trusted local electrician who performs routine maintenance at your home or business, they can help you avoid these catastrophic situations. Even if they still occur, your maintenance technician can look back at previous records of past inspections to see where things may have gone wrong. 

Spotting outdated wiring and equipment

As your electrical equipment begins to age, your risks of energy fluctuations, power surges, and outages increase. After all, outdated systems can only handle so much usage at any given time. This makes your home or business more susceptible to electrical fires. 

A licensed electrician can easily identify outdated wiring and electrical systems that pose a threat. This allows you to make a plan to update obsolete equipment and avoid catastrophe. 

Promotion of energy efficiency

You can outfit your home or business with a full suite of modern, energy-efficient appliances, but if your electrical system isn’t up to date, you won’t see the cost-saving benefits all those gadgets promise. Of course, you already know that older systems are prone to energy fluctuations, and they can cause your appliances to continuously draw excessive power any time they’re plugged into an outlet. 

Compliance with warranties and insurance

The last thing you want to experience is an electrical fire. However, when these events occur, we depend on insurance and warranties to help replace damaged items. 

Many policies require beneficiaries to perform routine maintenance to avoid these issues. If you can’t prove that a qualified electrician has inspected your system, you might be out of luck. 

Residential or commercial, your electrical maintenance should be done with Young Cardinal Electric!

You can–and should–get into the habit of performing preventive maintenance on your electrical system. Unplugging appliances you aren’t using, ensuring power strips aren’t overloaded, and testing outlets are all easy tasks that don’t require much working knowledge.

However, you can’t beat an inspection by a licensed professional who knows which red flags to look for throughout your system. 

At Young Cardinal Electric, we specialize in residential and commercial electrical installation and maintenance. We care about our customers and can give you the peace of mind you need! Contact us today to get your maintenance plan on track!