Preparing Your Electrical For Summer in NE Ohio
Spring is here, are you ready for what’s coming ahead? Are you ready to start preparing your electrical for the Summer months? After everything thaws out and the air conditioners ramp up, all kinds of issues arise. Here are 5 Spring Preparedness Tips that you will thank yourself later for doing before summer hits Northeast Ohio:
5 Tips To Prepare Your Home For The Coming Warm Weather
Tip 1: Outages
Power hogging appliances like A/C units are the main reason for brown-outs. What have you done to get you ready for outages?
Do you have a portable back-up generator?
Portable backup generators are great for smaller loads like your freezer filled with all kinds of meat stored over the winter. But, have you checked your generator while it’s been stored for almost 6 months? You may want to perform your maintenance on it like changing the oil and making sure it kicks on when needed. Unlike standby generator systems, these need to be exercised manually. Don’t wait until the last minute—turn it on and check oil levels at the very least!
Do you have a whole house generator system?
When was the last time you had an oil change performed on it? Just like a vehicle, this is key to the longevity in service for your equipment. Additionally, have your battery tested. Over the winter months, the battery could be drained or almost expiring. Have your system checked to make sure you’re ready for the outages—they will happen!
Tip 2: Surge Protection
Ramp-ups and downs of energy consuming appliances like air conditioners are the primary reason for brown outs and even less visible—surges! Surge wreak havoc on your electronics not only from the electric company—but from within your own home! Have your electronics protected with a whole house surge protector wired in right on your electrical panel to stop surges from entering your home from outside forces as well as those generated by your appliances.
Tip 3: Air Compressor Maintenance
Dead leaves and dirt clog those fins around your air compressor and don’t allow for the heat to be moved as efficiently as when it was new. So many times we get called due to customers’ A/C not being cold enough it was nothing more than a dirty air compressor. Clean around the unit or we can come out and also blow the leaves out that were caught inside the unit. We can also check the capacitors for you to ensure proper function. This $10 part can be the difference between your comfort and suffering in the heat and paying out $4000 for a new system to a good sales person!
Tip 4: Sump Pump Power
Are your sump pump wells free and clear of debris? Don’t wait until the last minute to check how hard your pumps are working. Drain and clean them out with a wet-dry vacuum cleaner to prevent your pumps from overheating and prematurely wearing them out due to “heavy lifting.”
Tip 5: Landscape Lights
How often are these items overlooked? Worst of all, lights not working is an automatic assumption by the landscapers that they are just scrap in their way! Don’t let these often costly light fixtures get piled up in your list of scrap metal. With the snow, they undoubtedly got pummeled. When was the last time you checked to replace the bulbs? Straighten them out and verify the lamps on them are working. If you need bulbs, it is highly recommended to go with LED’s for long life and energy cost conservation.
Don’t put off Spring Cleaning this year! With a little bit of research, you can be ahead of the curb and save yourself thousands—you’ll be glad you did!
