Important Facts Every Homeowner Should Know About Their Electrical Service | Bedford, TX
It is fairly common for homeowners to think about electrical service as only encompassing the activities and services provided by an electrician. But, nothing is further from the truth. Electrical service involves much more than the installation, maintenance, and repair of your home’s electrical system. It also involves the transmission and distribution of electrical power within your home. Because of the ease with which this term can be misconstrued, this article will cover all the important facts you should know about electrical service and how they pertain to your home. So, read on to find out what you’ve been missing. Let’s get started.
What Are You Talking About?
If you are like many other people you are wondering exactly what we are referring to when we use the term “electrical service”. Well, the first thing it’s not is a series of activities aimed at keeping your electrical system in good working order. Instead, it is a term used to describe your home’s complete electrical system, from the moment electricity enters your home through its connection to the public utility pole, to its final destination at your outlets and switches. An electrical service encompasses all the wiring, pipes, grounding elements and panels in an electrical system. It is, in essence, the complete group of elements that distribute electricity throughout your home.
Are There Different Types of Service?
The short answer to this question is yes, there are various types of electrical service, all of them based on the voltage required by the final user. Most residential services belong to the 120V type. They are perfect for most home requirements, and even though it is usually described as being adequate for a small load, this is meant to include the wide range of appliances that any homeowner could connect to the service, including a refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, and more. Each different type of electrical service is used for different applications. In this manner, the 208V and 347V services are also quite common, especially for larger residential or commercial applications. Because the different types of services can vary greatly in the voltage they handle, it is important for you to know how your entire system might be impacted by a different type. For example, there is no sense in requesting an industrial type of service for your home if you aren’t planning on establishing a factory on the premises. Because of this, it is very important to talk to a reputable electrical contractor about your current or planned electrical system.
Why Is It Important?
Your home’s service is the literal heartbeat of your house. Without it, you would not be able to use any electrical appliance, and you would spend your nights in complete darkness. Your home’s service is possibly the most important part of modern-day living. If it fails, you and your family could be facing a dangerous situation. Because of this, it is recommended you perform regular inspections of your home’s electrical system. These inspections aim to find potential problems before they become hazardous and damage your property. With this in mind, we can say that, effectively, your home’s electrical panel is the hub of your everyday life. This is why having it serviced is so important. Without it, nothing would work.
Keeping Your System In Good Shape
Now that you know why your home’s electrical system and service are so important, and can understand why a certain type is necessary, you are probably wondering about what actions to take to keep it working efficiently without any malfunction that could put your home and your belongings in danger. This is where a regular maintenance program can prove to be most helpful. Most homeowners don’t give electrical maintenance a second thought and only call an electrician for help when something goes wrong. But, certain electrical issues take time to develop until they manifest and start a fire. A good electrical maintenance service will provide an annual inspection of your home’s electrical system. Starting at the point in which your service connects to the utility pole, and will continue along its entirety, paying special attention to the electrical panel, any sub-panels you might have, your outlets and switches, and any areas where an overload could lead to a fire hazard. In some cases, it is possible your electrician might suggest you upgrade your current service. This is common in old homes, especially those where the outlets are not adequate for three-prong connections. They might also recommend a service upgrade if your current service is insufficient for the number and type of appliances and applications that are connected to it. A good example of this is when your washing machine, dishwasher, and refrigerator are all connected to the same circuit. In cases like this, a licensed electrician might suggest installing separate circuits to prevent a catastrophic overload of your system.
In the end, the ability of your electrical system to perform in the way you desire depends on several factors, including the type of service installed in your home, the applications connected to it, and the quality of your maintenance program. While most experts suggest biannual inspections of your electrical system, it might be safer to perform them annually, depending on the actual condition of your service and the demand that is placed on it every day. Contacting a reputable electrical contractor to evaluate and determine the condition of your current system is also a good way to determine how often an inspection should be performed.
At Tioga Plumbing & Electric, we specialize in all aspects of residential and commercial electrical service. When you are in need of the installation, maintenance, or repair of your home or business electrical system, we have the knowledge, experience, and training to ensure you will always be satisfied with the work we perform. So, don’t hesitate, when you want the highest quality electrical service available, just pick up your phone and give Tioga Plumbing & Electric a call!
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