Winter and Christmas Electrical Tips for Your Safety

Winter is here and many homeowners need to start preparing for the extreme winter weather and conditions that can impact an electrical system. From excessive precipitation and gusting winds, to heavy snowfall and ice storms, winter weather can certainly make it difficult to keep your electrical system operating effectively. With that said, our team of skilled professionals would like to provide a few electrical tips to keep every home and family safe during the winter and Christmas season ahead.

IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS

Here are some important electrical tips to give focus to this winter and holiday season.

• Indoor space heaters – Many homeowners not only look for ways to provide supplemental heat in their homes, but also look for ways to reduce their heating costs. To add heat to a drafty room in the house, many people turn to portable heating devices. This may be an ideal short-term solution, but it is important to avoid using an extension cord or a power strip of any kind to power up your portable heater. Be sure to always keep the space heater on a flat surface. Also, never run the cord of your heater under furniture pieces or carpets since this can easily result in fires.
• Don’t overload your home outlets this Christmas – During the winter holiday months, it is best to plug in only one high-watt holiday decoration into your wall outlets so as to avoid overloading your home’s electrical outlets. We also recommend you use surge protectors to avoid voltage spikes when plugging in your Christmas trees.
• Use outdoor extension cords for all those outdoor decorations – Many people do not realize that there is a difference between indoor and outdoor extension cords. The outdoor extension cords are equipped with three prongs and with insulation that protects the wires from fluctuating winter temperatures and moisture. The insulation also prevents damage that can occur from sunlight and other chemicals. For all your Christmas decorations, be sure to identify extension cords that are specifically for outdoor use.
• Perform a system inspection – Before the frigid winter weather sets in, it is important to ensure that your electrical system is operating at peak levels. To accomplish this task, homeowners should schedule a thorough inspection. Our team of skilled electricians is on hand to perform a system inspection in their efforts to identify any potential issues and provide effective solutions to any such problems.
• Avoid storm conditions and downed electrical wires – The winter season often presents with circumstances that can interfere with the typical flow of electricity and power to your home. Many times, a winter storm can result in downed electrical wires. If and when this occurs, our team wants to remind you that you should never come near to, or in contact with, downed wires or any other damaged electrical wires that may run directly to your home. It is important that you immediately reach out to the power company and notify them of the downed wires. Never attempt to fix or alter downed wires.

THE PROS WHO STAND READY TO SERVE YOU

With winter and the holidays right around the corner, Gervais Electric Inc. would like to remind all our valued clients to give focus to these important electrical tips that are sure to contribute to the overall safety of your home and family. We also want to remind you that if you find yourself in need of electrical services, whether winter, spring, summer, or fall, our team of skilled and experienced professionals stands ready to serve you. Our award-winning team is committed to providing you with only the highest quality electrical products and services. Give us a call to schedule your service appointment today. We look forward to serving you with all your home electrical needs.