While most people take their homes’ electrical systems for granted, if you want everything to continue to run smoothly, keeping up with electrical maintenance is the key.

From simple performance concerns to the safety of you and your family, you simply can’t afford to skip your electrical systems’ maintenance needs, but the good news is that New London Electric is here to help. 

We’ve created a home electrical maintenance checklist for every season so that you have all the knowledge you need to stay safe and comfortable in your home all year round. 

Why Electrical Preventive Maintenance Matters

Your home’s electrical system requires regular maintenance to function properly, just like your car or anything else around your home. 

As you use your home’s electrical systems, everyday wear and tear will continue to build up, which isn’t a problem if you do routine checks. However, if you completely ignore your electrical maintenance needs, it could lead to some serious problems.

Efficiency tends to be the first thing to go, with electrical bills starting to skyrocket without much explanation, but this is just the beginning. Loose connections, aging wiring, and overloaded circuits can all do a lot more than cause minor inconveniences and inefficiencies. They can also cause serious safety hazards like electrical fires and complete power failures that can leave your family uncomfortable and annoyed at best, and in danger at worst. 

Electrical maintenance may seem trivial, but it’s anything but. The stakes are high, meaning that you simply can’t afford to ignore your maintenance needs for long.

Spring Electrical Preventive Maintenance Checklist

Every season puts different strains on your electrical system, and winter can be especially brutal. From the extra wear and tear that comes with running your heating systems all winter long to freezing temperatures and excess moisture that can cause serious damage, your spring home electrical maintenance checklist should be all about ensuring that winter hasn’t taken too much of a toll on your electrical systems. 

Here’s what you should include on your checklist for electrical maintenance in the spring:

• Inspect outdoor outlets, lighting, and landscape lighting for winter damage.
• Test GFCI outlets in your kitchen, bathrooms, basement, garage, and other areas with high levels of moisture.
• Check your circuit breaker panel for signs of tripping and corrosion 
• Review your HVAC units’ electrical connections before use picks back up in the summer.
• Look for exposed wires or worn insulation caused by ice and snow.
• Schedule a professional pre-summer electrical inspection

Summer Electrical Preventive Maintenance Checklist

When the heat of summer arrives, homeowners often use their electrical systems a lot more to keep their homes cool and their appliances running smoothly. In order to make sure that your home’s electrical systems are up to the task, you should:

• Check your breaker panel for signs of frequent tripping from overuse.
• Inspect extension cords, power strips, and surge protectors for potential overheating.
• Test ceiling fans to see if they work well and have proper balance.
• Check outdoor areas like pools and patio lighting for signs of wear and tear.
• Watch for flickering lights, which often indicate a loose connection, frayed wiring, or voltage irregularities.

Fall Electrical Preventive Maintenance Checklist

During the fall, temperatures start to drop, and homeowners begin to rely on their heating systems and both indoor and outdoor lighting a lot more. This means that every good fall electrical maintenance checklist should include:

• Testing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replacing their batteries if necessary.
• Inspecting wiring and outlets near central heating systems and space heaters.
• Checking whole home surge protection to confirm proper functionality.
• Calling an electrician to tighten the connections in your home’s circuit breaker panel.
• Preparing for holiday lighting by inspecting outdoor outlets

Winter Electrical Preventive Maintenance Checklist

Lastly, it’s time for winter. Again, winter weather brings freezing temperatures and excess moisture that can damage electrical systems, especially when trying to keep your home warm. Here is what you should include in your checklist for electrical maintenance in the winter.

• Inspect basement, attic, and crawlspace wiring for signs of damage.
• Check outdoor lighting and extension cords when snow and ice accumulate.
• Double-check that all outlets within 10 feet of a water source are GFCI outlets.
• Look at insulation around electrical lines to prevent heat loss or a buildup of condensation.
• Test your home generators if you have them.
• Consider professional thermal imaging or an infrared scan to identify any wiring issues you might miss.

Signs You May Need a Professional for Electrical Maintenance

Even if your electrical systems seem to be working fine, there could still be hidden problems that require maintenance. This is why it’s so important to keep up with seasonal preventive maintenance regardless of whether you suspect that something is wrong. 

That being said, there will be subtle clues that may be able to tell you that something isn’t quite right, and if you notice any of them, it’s probably a good idea to call a professional electrician to come check out your systems. Here’s what you should look for.

• Frequent breaker trips
• Flickering lights or lights that appear to be too dim
• Warm outlets or buzzing sounds
• The smell of smoke or burning near outlets or appliances 

Even if you don’t notice any of these signs, if you haven’t had a professional electrical inspection in over a year, you should schedule one as soon as possible to make sure that everything is functioning properly.

Contact New London Electric Today

Are you looking for a professional electrician that you can trust to help you with your electrical preventive maintenance checklist? Give us a call at 610-869-7325.

Our friendly team of local electrical experts is always here to answer questions and will happily help you schedule the specific services you need at a time that’s convenient for you. We’ll even offer you a free, no-obligation consultation and estimate so that you have all the information you need to fit our services into your budget. 

Don’t push off your electrical maintenance needs until it’s too late. Contact New London Electric and get the professional electrician you need today!