Springtime Electrical Safety Checklist for Your Home

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According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, there are 33,500 injuries reported to emergency rooms involving cooling systems and IAQ products, and 7,400 reported home structure fire incidents due to A/C with up to $200 million damage. Now that the warmer weather is here, it is essential to monitor your electrical system and contact your local electrician for immediate repair.

Here is the springtime electrical safety checklist for your home:

Inspect Cords, Outlets, and Smoke Detectors

Be sure to create a note to inspect all your indoor and outdoor cords and outlets, as this one is often forgotten and neglected. Look for loose-fitting plugs and frayed wires. Inspect your smoke detectors as well. Check the low-charged batteries and replace them. Call your local electrician to see if your electrical connections and gas detectors are in good working condition.

Secure Electrical Lines on Your Swimming Pool

Make sure that the electrical connections on your swimming pool and hot tubs are fully grounded. Use a water-resistant outlet cover on your outdoor receptacles found near the swimming pool and use a ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) protection for all your pool power outlets. If you opt to use a wet-dry vacuum cleaner or pressure washer, follow the manufacturer’s instruction.

Have an Energy Audit

Now that the winter months are over, it is a good chance for you to sit down and compute your electric costs and make some improvements. Spring is the best time to replace your air conditioner if it is on its last leg. Consider upgrading your lighting system also to minimize your overall energy cost. Sometimes, home improvements like LED fixtures or water heater setting adjustment can make a big difference in your power usage. Contact your local contractor to help you decide with all of these.

Schedule a Regular Electrical System Inspection

Some electrical equipment like air conditioners and fans have been sitting idle for months. Before you put them into overdrive, consider scheduling a professional electrical check-up from the pro. This helps prevent costly repairs, address inefficiency, and detect potential dangers. The last thing you need when the warmer months set in is a broken cooling system. So be sure to call the pro before it’s too late.

Ignoring your electrical system this spring season will not just put your property in great risk, but you are compromising your family’s safety as well. Let us help you solve your electrical issues and give you an added peace of mind and safety. Contact us at Hightower Service today!

Spring HVAC Maintenance Checklist

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Annual maintenance is essential for your heating and cooling system in Arlington, TX. It helps keep your equipment running in peak efficiency, condition, and performance all year long. But what is the ideal season to do annual maintenance? Our experts at Hightower Service recommend doing it in the spring to get your system ready for the extreme summer heat.

Here’s the spring heating and cooling maintenance checklist:

  1. Inspect your air handler to ensure proper operation.
  2. Clean and adjust your blower components for proper airflow and greater comfort level. Take note that poor airflow can reduce your unit’s efficiency by up to 15%.
  3. Change your air filters at least once every three months or whenever necessary.
  4. Inspect all electrical connections and repair broken and exposed wires. Also, measure the current and voltage on motors. Faulty electrical connections can lead to fire hazards and reduced lifespan of your unit’s major parts.
  5. Check the performance of your outdoor fan motor and compressor.
  6. Clean your A/C’s condenser and evaporator coils. Dirty coils can reduce your unit’s performance and cause your system to run much longer, reducing your unit’s lifespan and increasing your energy costs.
  7. Check your refrigerant for low charge or leaks and replace or adjust it whenever possible. Insufficient or too much refrigerant can affect your unit’s efficiency, overall performance, and lifespan.
  8. Check your air conditioner’s drainage hole. It is found at the base of your unit. Use a wire or paper clip to poke through your drainage hole to make sure it is free from blockage.
  9. Check your thermostat’s setting to know if it regulates the most efficient and comfortable temperature level for your home.
  10. Lubricate all the moving parts. Parts without proper lubrication may cause friction and consequently, increase your energy consumption.
  11. Check your HVAC’s condensate drain. A plugged condensate drain may result in water damage and poor humidity levels.
  12. Inspect your system’s controls to ensure safe and proper operation. Check its starting cycle to make sure it starts, runs, and shuts off properly.
  13. Check all gas or oil connections, burner combustion, gas pressure, and heat exchanger to prevent fire hazards and health-related problems due to gas poisoning.
  14. Check your outdoor unit for debris and blockages.
  15. CALL THE EXPERTS! This is the most important tip you should not forget to get all the listed works above properly done.

Our team at Hightower Service have been helping many homeowners in Arlington, TX and nearby locations for all their spring HVAC maintenance needs. We do fast and reliable services without hidden charges. Request a service call today!