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Do you find yourself frequently searching for an open outlet around the house? Do you rely on power strips or surge protectors to meet your increasing electrical demands? If that sounds like you, there’s a definite chance you’re putting your home and safety at risk by overloading your existing outlets. At Harrison Electric, we know electrical demand is increasing at a breakneck pace, and we’re here to help you keep your home and family safe amid your growing power needs. When it comes to electricity, periodic upgrades are necessary to maintain system safety and efficiency, so if you lack outlets, here’s why you should seriously consider electrical upgrades:

Overloaded Outlets: A Major Electrical Hazard

As electrical device usage has risen over the past decade, many homeowners have found their existing electrical outlets no longer meet their demands. In many cases, homeowners then rely on surge protectors or power strips to supply their additional outlet needs. While these handy devices are undoubtedly convenient, if you’re plugging too many devices in at once, you could be putting your home and safety at risk.

Drawing excessive power from a single outlet over an extensive period can result in overheating and dangerous power shortages. Because these power strips should only function as short-term fixes for low-load devices, the only viable, long-term solution for outlet shortages is electrical outlet replacements and upgrades. At Harrison Electric, our residential electricians can consult with you concerning your home’s typical energy requirements and recommend the most appropriate upgrades to meet your needs.

Is Your Home Designed to Handle Increasing Electrical Demand?

Beyond outlet shortages, many homeowners have another issue when it comes to increasing electrical demands: outdated wiring. As electronic device and appliance usage is only set to increase, your home’s electrical design must advance to meet the increasing demand.

If your electrical wiring is significantly out of date or not up to code, installing additional outlets can do more harm than good because the wiring is not designed to handle the increased power draw. If you’re still using outdated fuses, a residential electrician can replace your old fuse box with an updated electrical panel and install additional circuits to handle the load.

Upgrading Your Outlets for Improved Safety

If your home doesn’t contain GFCI outlets, you’re putting yourself at a higher risk for electrocution. Ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets are designed to constantly monitor electrical flow and cut power to plugged-in devices when they detect interruptions in electrical current. You can identify these outlets by their “test” and “reset” buttons located in the center of the outlet panel. If you don’t see any outlets with these buttons, it’s time to seriously consider outlet replacements. After the widespread adoption of this technology, the instance of accidental homeowner electrocution deaths dropped nearly 75%.  

At Harrison Electric, we’ve been serving Twin Cities homeowners for over 30 years, and we’ve seen the tremendous rise in electrical demand over the past couple of decades. We know how dangerous operating an outdated electrical system is, which is why we’re dedicated to installing safe and efficient upgrades to meet the modern homeowner’s demands. We specialize in electrical outlet replacement, rewiring and upgrades, code compliance, and much more. To learn more about how we can upgrade your home’s electrical system, or to schedule your service appointment, call our team at 763-544-3300, or you can send us a message on our contact page.