Home renovations serving San Jose make your house more valuable to you and anyone who might purchase it in the future if you decide to sell. You have to be careful when you renovate though, because you don’t want to mess with your electrical system without the help of your electrician. It might be the right time to upgrade your electrical panel when you remodel, and depending on how extensive your renovations are, you might need to decide where to put your outlets. Never work with a sketchy electrical contractor, and avoid doing so by asking for references. Here’s a look at the questions you should ask your electrician about your remodeling project.

Should I upgrade my electrical panel?

If you’re renovating your home because it was built a long time ago and you need to bring it into modern times, then this is the time to upgrade your electrical panel, as well. Older electrical panels aren’t as reliable or efficient as current models, so you could be wasting electricity without even knowing it. What’s more, malfunctioning models pose a threat to your safety. If you’re in the planning phase of remodeling, talk to your electrician and see if you should upgrade your electrical panel.

Where should my outlets be?

It’s aggravating when electrical outlets are located in inconvenient spots, and it’s even worse when your wire falls just short of reaching where it needs to reach. When you remodel your house, consult your electrician to see if you should add new outlets and where you should put them.

Do you have references?

You should ask the right questions about your remodeling project itself to make sure you’re on the same page with your electrician, but you should also ask questions about the electrician. References from past jobs can vouch for the quality of the electrician’s work, and these people are likely to be honest about their experiences. Don’t be afraid to ask your electrician about his or her experience, as these questions will help you choose the one that will help you through your remodeling project.

Your home is your sanctuary, where you can relax after work or hang out with your kids. However, at some point you might decide to sell it and move to a different house. In this case, you should do anything you can to make your home more valuable so you can get a better return on investment. Some people choose a full home renovation serving San Jose, while others go for smaller projects. Upgrading your breaker box and electrical outlets can help, so read on and see how else you can boost your home value with electrical upgrades .

Upgrading your electrical system makes it safer, more convenient, and more efficient, so it can boost your home value from all angles. A potential buyer will be turned off if he or she hears that you have regular problems with your electricity. In this case, home rewiring can save the day and help you make the sale for the price point that you want. New circuits are also more efficient than the ones they’ll replace, and new dedicated circuits can power heavy-duty appliances. Every electrical upgrade you make leaves less work for the people moving in, which makes your house more appealing and valuable.

A lot of the homes that we live in today were built a long time ago, which means the electrical outlets and circuit breakers might be a bit outdated. The good news is that all it takes is a call to your residential electrician in San Jose to make the upgrade. An outdated electrical panel puts your home and family in unnecessary danger and can cause blackouts, so you might not be getting the power you need for your appliances. Read ahead and find out how you can avoid the inconveniences of an outdated electrical panel.

Protect Your Home

Although you would call it more of a catastrophe than an inconvenience, outdated electrical panels could lead to a house fire. Electrical fires can be deadly, and they can destroy your home. When your panel stops distributing electricity the right way, you run the risk of experiencing one of these fires. Replacing your electrical panel will reduce your risk for electrical fires, as the panel will do a better job of safely and effectively distributing electricity. Don’t try to replace the electrical panel on your own though, as this is a job for an experienced electrician.

Minimize Power Outages

An old electrical panel won’t be as good at its job as a newer model. If your electrical panel is ancient, you might deal with frequent blackouts. Power outages are more than just inconvenient, and your frustration will only continue to mount as they happen more and more frequently. The food in your refrigerator could go bad, or you might miss a crucial part of the football game you were watching. If this happens to you, talk to your electrician about upgrading to a newer and better electrical panel to avoid these problems.

Get the Power You Need

Maybe you aren’t experiencing full power outages, but you notice that circuits are tripping when you’re only using a couple of appliances. This is also a sign of an outdated electrical panel, but your electrician can fix it with a simple replacement so you get the power you need.

Circuit breakers are designed to protect your home by breaking the circuit when the device is overloaded. In San Jose, circuit breaker tripping is most often caused by simply having too many electric appliances and devices running at the same time. Electricians also find that tripping breakers are caused by electrical wiring damage. For instance, an extension cord may have been damaged or a wire in the wall might have broken.

You can watch this featured video to find out more about circuit breakers. However, do call an electrician to make any needed repairs, instead of trying a potentially dangerous DIY approach. In some cases, homeowners may need to upgrade the electrical panel or replace some wiring.

Business owners have a lot to worry about, from expenses and payroll to sales and marketing. A commercial electrical safety inspection is much more than one more item on your to-do list—it’s an effective way to protect your customers, employees, and business. If it’s been longer than a year since your last electrical safety inspection, call a commercial electrician in San Jose right away. If you wait too long, you may learn the hard way that putting off preventive maintenance is a costly mistake.

By Protecting Your Customers and Employees

The main benefit of having an electrician inspect your commercial property is that it protects your customers and employees from harm. Electrical fires are particularly dangerous, since they can spark and smolder behind the walls, and stay undetected for a long time. By the time the fire is noticed and the firefighters arrive on the scene, it’s possible that your employees or customers have already been hurt. Even if the flames don’t burn them, the smoke inhalation can be deadly.

By Keeping Your Investment Safe

You’ve worked hard to build your company. You’ve probably gone through a number of ups and downs, but a devastating fire could be a problem that you can’t weather. Electrical fires cause more damage to companies than just property loss. Even after you rebuild, the fire will have kept your business closed for weeks, if not months. In the meantime, your customers will have gone somewhere else, and your employees will have found other jobs. As a result, you might have to start all over again. An annual commercial electrical inspection is a cost-effective and time-efficient way to protect your business.

By Maintaining Code Compliance

“Liability” and “code non-compliance” are scary words for business owners. If your electrical system isn’t up to code, you may incur penalties such as fines. And if a fire does happen, any affected customers and employees may file lawsuits to hold you liable for their medical expenses. Give yourself the peace of mind that comes from knowing your commercial property is safe from electrical meltdowns.

If you have an older home, there’s a good chance it has aluminum wiring. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the price of copper rose considerably, and so new homes were constructed with aluminum wiring instead. A residential electrician in San Jose can confirm whether your house has this type of wiring, and he or she may recommend converting to copper wiring to reduce the risk of a house fire. Only licensed electricians should perform this conversion.

Aluminum wiring by itself isn’t risky, but the way it connects to devices is. Electricians recommend converting to copper wiring because it doesn’t expand and contract with temperature changes the way aluminum wiring does. Over time, this can loosen the connection between the aluminum wiring and the circuit breaker, electrical fixture, electrical outlet, or switch. Loose electrical connections can cause overheating, which consequently, can trigger a house fire. Hiring a residential electrician to convert your aluminum wiring can give you peace of mind knowing that your family is safer.

It’s difficult for homeowners to determine if they need to have a residential electrician in San Jose rewire the building. The most effective way to protect your family from electrical fires is to schedule a professional inspection by a certified electrician. Inspections can be beneficial even if you haven’t noticed any problems, but you should definitely schedule an appointment soon if you’ve noticed any of the following issues.

You have an older home.

Have you recently bought an older home, or are you considering purchasing one? Or maybe you’ve been living in your current residence for decades, and can’t remember the last time an electrician visited. Any of these situations may call for electrical rewiring. The electrician will check for common problems associated with older homes, including the presence of aluminum wiring instead of copper wiring and ungrounded, two-prong outlets. In addition, if you have an extension cord at nearly every outlet, the wiring is likely inadequate for your family’s modern needs.

You’ve recently made major renovations.

Not every home renovation affects the electrical wiring. Simply replacing your kitchen cabinets, flooring, or bathroom vanities, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean an electrician should upgrade your system. But if your renovations include adding major appliances, like a hot tub or an extra chest freezer in the basement, then an electrician should inspect the system. It’s possible that you’ll need to rewire the home so that it’s capable of supporting the increased electricity needs.

You’ve noticed warning signs of electrical problems.

Your electrical system can give you some warning signs that a major malfunction could happen soon. Your electrician may need to rewire the home or upgrade the panel if the circuit breaker trips frequently. Other warning signs may include the following:

• The odor of something burning that isn’t caused by meal preparation
• Loose electrical outlets
• Sparking or arcing from an outlet when a cord is plugged in or unplugged
• Lights that frequently flicker or grow dimmer inexplicably
• Sizzling or buzzing sounds
• Frequently burned-out lightbulbs
• Light switch plates that are discolored or feel hot

Do not attempt to fix these problems yourself, as electrical malfunctions can be dangerous.

In the workplace, a great deal of focus is put on using the latest computer technology and choosing ergonomic office furniture. However, the importance of good lighting is often overlooked. If you’re considering calling an electrician to upgrade your commercial lighting in San Jose , then watch this video to learn about the toll that poor office lighting can take.

Bad lighting can refer to insufficient lighting, but it is often lighting that is too bright or has the wrong spectrum. Inadequate lighting can cause eye strain and affect your sleep, mood, and health, each of which may lead to poor work performance. To remedy bad lighting in your office, contact an electrician about LED lighting installation.

Tripped circuit breakers are electrical issues that most homeowners face at least once. If you’ve run into this problem with one of your circuit breakers in San Jose , then read on to learn about some of the possible causes.

Purpose of Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers play an incredibly important role in protecting you, your family, and your property. The purpose of these safety devices is to cut off the flow of the electricity through an electrical circuit when the current running through it gets too high. By doing this, circuit breakers can help protect your property from electrical fires.

Causes of Tripped Circuit Breakers

An overloaded circuit is the most common cause of a tripped circuit breaker. In this situation, more electrical load is trying to go through the circuit than is safe, and this problem is caused by plugging in too many devices. As each of the devices is turned on, more and more electrical current runs through the circuit until it exceeds safe levels, causing the breaker to trip. Another common cause of a tripped circuit breaker is a short circuit. One type of short circuit occurs when one of the wires leading to the power plant, called a hot wire, touches another hot wire or the wire leading into the ground, called the neutral wire, which can allow too much current to run through the wire. Short circuits can also be caused by problems like ground faults, faulty wiring installation, damage to an electrical component, or plugging in an improperly wired device.

Troubleshooting a Tripped Circuit Breaker

If one of your circuit breakers trips repeatedly, then start considering what devices you are using. If you have several devices plugged in and drawing power from a single circuit, then unplug all but one of these. After doing this, if the breaker doesn’t trip again, then an overloaded circuit is probably the problem. If unplugging devices doesn’t solve the issue, then you may be dealing with a short circuit and should have an electrician look at your breaker box.

There is a lot to think about when it comes to home renovations, and among the most important of these is the electrical system. Depending on the project, your home’s wiring may need to be addressed to account for the structural changes or new construction. For this reason, it’s important that you consult a home remodeling electrician in San Jose and learn what modifications or upgrades will need to be made to your electrical system. Also, by addressing the electrical aspects of the project early on, you can avoid having to make costly or time-consuming changes after beginning the remodel.

An electrician will be able to assist you with the electrical aspects of just about any home remodeling project, such as those for bathrooms, kitchens, basements, offices, dens, and room additions. Also, your electrician will be able to address everything from adding new circuits to rewiring your new home. Lastly, because electrical work should not be completed by inexperienced individuals, remember that upgrades like these should be left to the professionals.