Electrical outlets or wall outlets are the primary points of interaction most people have with their home electrical systems. Those of us who aren’t electricians or electrical contractors, may not ever open our main electrical panels, but we plug and unplug things from our outlets every day. Those electrical outlets don’t last forever, and they will eventually wear out. They may need to be upgraded and replaced at some point to help protect the safety and security of your home and family. Read on to learn when it’s time to make the switch.
Don’t Take Electrical Outlets for Granted
Given their steady, reliable performance delivering electricity to our appliances and devices, it’s tempting to take our outlets for granted, but they do actually have a lifespan and can become potentially hazardous over time. Especially if you live in an older house, your outlets and the wires they are attached to may be deteriorating. What’s more, older electrical outlets might not be in compliance with your local building code standards for electrical safety.
So why should you care? Old outlets can turn into major safety hazards, most notably being the source of many house fires. Sometimes, the wires connected to the outlets become loose or frayed, creating an immediate fire danger. This can be prevented by installing new electrical outlets. When you upgrade to the latest, up-to-code outlets, you can also add safety features like ground fault circuit interrupters, which decrease the possibility of electrocutions. You can also have an electrician install convenient features like combo outlets that can charge your USB devices, night-light outlets or kid-safe outlets in areas that are accessible to children.
When to Call a Licensed Electrician
The easiest way to know when you need to update your outlets is to have an electrician inspect your home. There are also other warning signs that will let you know it’s time to make a change:
- You live in a home that is more than a few decades old
- There are visible sparks when you plug in your devices
- The circuits in your home get tripped frequently for no apparent reason
- Sockets in the outlet become wobbly or loose
Obviously, if you detect smoke or a burning odor coming from your outlet, you should call an electrician immediately. Fires can spread quickly within your walls before you even realize you have a problem. If you have any question about the safety of your home’s electrical system, you can call a Mister Sparky electrician for a home electrical inspection.
Mister Sparky Electrician Houston, America’s On-Time Electrician, serves Houston, Texas and its surrounding cities including Katy, Sugar Land, Cypress, Spring, The Woodlands, and Kingwood with a team of certified electricians. In addition to emergency electrical repairs, some of the electrician services provided by the company include electrical outlet/switch repair, ceiling fan installation, lighting installation, aluminum wiring repair, landscape lighting installation and home electrical inspections. Call us today at (713) 428-2120 to schedule an appointment!
On Time Guarantee
We’re Here Whenever You Need Us
“We’re on time you’ll see or your electrical repair is free”. We back our superior electrical service with not only integrity, transparency, and dependability, but also our On Time Guarantee. We understand your time is valuable which is why we guarantee we will be there when you call.
When you need expert electrician services in Houston or surrounding areas, just give us a call at (713) 428-2120 or click here to book your appointment online so we can send a Mister Sparky technician to help you as soon as possible.
Red Carpet Treatment
The Respect you Deserve
Our technicians understand the value of being neat and considerate while working in your personal space, which is reflected in how we leave your home after solving eletrical issues.
Mister Sparky protects your home while he’s working: he slips on shoe covers (“floor savers”) and will even go the extra mile and roll out a red carpet to protect your flooring from dirt, scuffing, and scratches. Work completed, he vacuums the area to ensure that he leaves your home as clean or cleaner, than he found it.
Starched White Shirt
The Mister Sparky Standard
Because of Mister Sparky’s commitment to excellent service, we believe in hiring only the most professional and knowledgeable Houston Electricians. This means that in addition to technical excellence, all Mister Sparky electricians must uphold our Starched White Shirt standard for conduct and professionalism.
You can easily recognize a Mister Sparky electrician by his clean-cut, freshly shaven appearance and his signature starched white shirt and gray pants.
