Adding Electrical Outlets in Your Home

Adding Electrical Outlets

Are you running low on outlets? Are you tired of having to run from room to room, or crawl under the furniture, just to start your curling iron, charge your phone, blend your smoothie and watch TV?

Whether your outlets are low in number or placed in weird, hard-to-reach locations, you do have options. A professional electrician can set up new circuits and new outlets that will make your life a lot easier.

When You Need More Outlets

• You live in an older home with the original outlets.
• You’ve added power-hungry appliances like a washer and dryer.
• You’re installing a hot tub or a home sauna.
• You want to run outdoor lights, fountains and security lights.
• You want your computer, television, and modem to run on the same outlet.
• Your outlets are inconveniently placed.

Don’t Overextend Yourself

According to government figures, overheated electrical outlets cause more than 5000 home fires every year. Don’t let a temporary problem become a permanent disaster.

For the occasional party when you just want to play your music outdoors or fire up an electric grill, you’re probably going to use an extension cord. Similarly, plugging an appliance into a power cord because its own cord won’t reach the outlet is fine as a temporary fix. The key word is temporary.

Play it Safe

Don’t rely on these fixes as frequent or long-term solutions. As This Old House electrician Scott Caron says, “Electricity is not a hobby.” If you need more power in a room, you need more outlets and if you need more outlets, you need to hire a professional who can install them safely.

Outlet Types

The type of outlet you install will depend on what you plan to use in that room. Your SESCOS electrician is the best source for determining what type will work for your usage.

GFCI outlets. Outlets with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) are designed to shut off if the electrical current gets overloaded or encounters an unexpected block. You’re probably familiar with the red button on some of your appliances, especially those used in the kitchen and bathroom. That button allows you to reset the appliance after a GFCI cuts it off.

AFCI outlets. Not as well-known as GFCI, arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) provide an additional level of protection by turning the current off if there is arcing in the wire. Arcing occurs when electricity jumps from one wire to another. Since 2002, the National Electrical Code has considered AFCI outlets a requirement for all bedrooms.

20A outlets. If you’re planning to run a large, heavy-duty appliance, a hot tub, a sauna or another type of energy hog, you’ll need outlets specifically made to handle that much power. This type of outlet should only be attached to a circuit rated at the same level.

Smart outlets. Some outlets have a switch that allows you to turn the outlet on and off with a switch similar to a light switch. If you have a home hub, you can take switch outlets up a notch. Use your smart hub and smart outlets to control all your outlets, turning them off and on from a smartphone.

The Right Questions

At SESCOS, we can answer all your questions about installing the right number of outlets for your home. If you’re planning to attempt it yourself, you should know the right answers to these questions.

• Do you know how to remove insulation and wiring from the main panel?
• Does your toolbox contain the necessary tools and knowledge to do this yourself?
• Do local laws allow people who aren’t licensed electricians to perform this kind of work?

Get the Power You Need

Dont wonder and worry, call SESCOS and get new, conveniently-placed, plentiful outlets that will keep your whole house humming.

You’ll enjoy the flexibility and convenience of using your electrical items when and where you want. At the same time, you can rest assured that by adding electrical outlets with SESCOs, all your new outlets were installed properly and safely.

Call SESCOS today and get the power you need to live your best life.