Fall is the ideal time to schedule preventative electrical maintenance before winter comes along and puts added pressure on your system. With increased demand for things like heating and lighting, there’s nothing like the colder season to highlight weaknesses in your electrical infrastructure.
The good news is that many of the issues you may experience in winter with your electrics can be identified and addressed during fall maintenance. With that in mind, here are five electrical maintenance jobs that are well worth scheduling for your home or business this fall.
1. Inspect and Test Your Heating System
The first task on your checklist is to have a competent electrician, like the team at BreakerPro, inspect and test your entire heating system, including your electric boilers, underfloor heating (if you’re lucky enough to have it!), and any heating controls and wiring.
Your electrician should make sure that everything is functioning safely, as well as checking for signs of impending issues, like worn cables or loose connections.
2. Check Outdoor Lighting and Security Systems
Something you can easily do without the help of a professional electrician is to check all your exterior lighting and confirm that it’s working properly. Given that daylight hours are already starting to shorten, having properly operating exterior lighting is essential for your home or business’s security.
Speaking of security, if you use any electrical motion sensors and security systems, you’ll also want to test these to make sure they’re working reliably, especially as break-ins are more common over winter.
3. Inspect Electrical Panels and Circuit Breakers
Another job to take on yourself is inspecting your electrical panels and circuit breakers. Obviously, you shouldn’t meddle with anything dangerous, but it’s safe to look for signs of wear or corrosion that could lead to a bigger issue as you increase your electrical use over winter.
You can also check that your electrical system’s breakers are labeled correctly and functioning properly.
4. Review Smoke Alarms, CO Detectors, and Emergency Lighting
Fire safety is something that you absolutely shouldn’t overlook. Data from the U.S. Fire Administration estimates that there were around 344,600 residential fires in 2023 alone—how many could have been avoided with properly functioning smoke alarms?
Don’t just assume your smoke alarms are working properly. Test them monthly and replace the batteries once a year (ideally during your fall maintenance schedule). You’ll also want to test your carbon monoxide detectors and (if relevant) your building’s emergency lights and alarms.
5. Examine Extension Leads and Power Strips
A part of electrical testing that’s easy to forget about is checking the items plugged into your supply, including any extension leads and power strips.
During your fall inspections, check these items, making sure you can’t see any frayed cords or other obvious signs of damage. Also make sure you’re not overloading extension leads (which is a fire hazard), and check that your surge protectors aren’t outdated. If so, replace anything that needs replacing as soon as you can.
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