As warmer weather gets underway, homeowners need to prepare their homes for the strain of summertime heat. During the summer, your home has to work extra hard to keep cool. This can end up overloading your electrical systems if you aren’t careful.
Avoiding electrical overload is not just a safety necessity. These preventative measures can also help you reduce your power bill. When everything is maintained and working properly, your home uses less electricity. Through a few easy steps, you can support your electrical system during the summertime.
1. Avoid Running Multiple Large Appliances During Peak Demand
When a heat wave arrives, you will likely use your air conditioner non-stop. Air conditioners can make up more than a third of your electricity expenses in the summer. If you are also using washing machines, stoves, and other large appliances, your circuit breaker could trip.
A tripped circuit breaker can shut off the electricity to part of your home or your entire home. To prevent this, avoid using multiple large appliances during peak hours. For example, you can wait to use your dishwasher and washing machine until nighttime.
2. Invest in Whole-Home Surge Protection
Whole-home surge protection is especially useful if you have large appliances that don’t plug into a power strip. Normally, power strips prevent electricity surges from harming anything you have plugged into the strip. Large appliances, like washing machines and refrigerators, can’t be connected to basic power strips.
Instead, you can install whole-home surge protection. Electrical surges gradually weaken and destroy your appliances, so surge protection can help your appliances last longer. In the long run, this type of device can save you money on repair costs. It can also make your electrical system more resilient.
3. Limit Your Vampire Energy
Vampire and phantom energy are terms for electricity that appliances absorb when they aren’t in use. For instance, many homeowners keep their laptops, toasters, and televisions plugged in when they are not using them. Each year, vampire energy can add up to hundreds of dollars in unnecessary electricity costs.
Fortunately, this is an easy problem to fix. All you have to do is remember to unplug items when you aren’t using them. If you can’t remember to unplug electrical devices, you can always use an Advanced Power Strip (APS) instead. An APS can actively monitor your usage. It comes with a shutoff timer and can be controlled remotely, so you can turn it off after you’ve already left your home.
4. Incorporate Natural Light
While lights generally don’t use a large percentage of your electricity, it’s important to reduce your energy usage in every way possible. If the sun is shining outside, you can use natural light instead of indoor lighting. You can also install special windows on your roof that allow solar light to brighten your rooms.
5. Get a Transformer Update
A new transformer can improve your home’s efficiency. This is especially true if your transformer is old or has frequent problems. Many newer transformers are also more energy efficient, so you might want to talk to an electrician about your current setup.
6. Consider Panel Maintenance
If your system is frequently overloaded, your electrical panel might benefit from an upgrade. At Huft Home Services, we can replace your electrical panel and review your existing electrical system. We can also install surge protection and update your electrical wires.
Residents in Sacramento may need a new electrical panel if their system is frequently overloaded. An upgrade increases your system’s capacity so that it can distribute power more evenly. This reduces the odds of an electricity overload happening.
7. Don’t Turn Off Your Air Conditioner
When you’re away from home for a while, you shouldn’t turn off your air conditioner completely. It will end up using more energy to return to your ideal temperature if it has been off for several hours.
Instead, simply increase the temperature by a few degrees. While each homeowner has different comfort preferences, you can save money by maintaining your air conditioner at 80 F to 85 F when you’re away.
8. Inspect Your Wiring
Are you struggling with flickering lights? Does your electricity frequently shut off?
If you notice frequent problems with your electrical system, your wiring could be to blame. This is especially likely if your home was built decades ago. However, inspecting and replacing electrical wires on your own can be dangerous. To avoid potential harm to your home or family, you should reach out to a professional electrician for a wiring inspection.
9. Get Routine Maintenance
A professional electrician knows how to inspect and diagnose potential problems. Ideally, you should schedule an electrical system inspection at least once a year. If it has been more than three years since your last inspection, you should schedule an appointment right away.
The best time to catch a problem is before it causes noticeable symptoms. Our professional electricians can look for wiring issues, overloaded circuits, and faulty electrical panels. Then, they can recommend the best course of action to prevent overloaded electrical systems and other issues.
10. Calculate Your Electrical Load
One of the ways to avoid overloading your system is by figuring out how much it can handle. Electricians use the following formula to calculate the electrical load a given electrical system can handle.
Power (W) = Voltage (V) × Current (A)
Once you calculate the maximum electrical load of your system, the next step is figuring out the wattage rating of each major appliance. Then, you can compare the two figures to see if you are using too much power. To avoid fires and electrical hazards, you need to use less electricity than your electrical load. If you consistently use more power than this figure, talk to an electrician about updating your system.
Prevent Electrical System Overloads This Summer
Sacramento homeowners use a significant amount of power during the summer. This can lead to an electrical overload if you aren’t careful. If you notice the following signs, get help right away.
These signs can serve as a warning that your electric circuit is getting overloaded.
- Buzzing noises: Buzzing in your outlets and switches may mean there’s more electricity than normal.
- Circuit breakers tripping: If you hear a clicking noise, it may mean the circuit breaker has tripped because it is overloaded.
- Dimmed lights: Your lights aren’t supposed to dim when you turn on multiple appliances. If this happens, your system may be over its capacity.
- Warm outlets: When your outlets are warm to the touch, it means they’re pulling too much electricity.
If you’re dealing with electrical problems, we can help. Huft Home Services can help with outlets, switches, indoor lighting, and EV charging. Additionally, we provide repairs, maintenance, and installations for your heating, cooling, and plumbing systems.
To learn more about how Huft Home Services can help your Sacramento home, reach out to our team today.
