As winter weather bears down, homeowners must prepare electrical systems, outdoor equipment, and landscape lighting installations for potential issues like moisture, freeze damage, power outages, and more. Contacting professional electricians ahead of time ensures essential winterization through electric panel installation, wiring inspections, landscape lighting installation checks, and additional protection strategies. This article details the top priorities for fully readying properties for winter’s inherent electrical challenges.
Inspect the Main Service Entrance & Electric Panel
Among the most crucial preparations, electricians commence winterization projects by examining the main service entrance feeding electricity into homes along with electric panel installations housing internal branch circuit breakers. Key areas of focus involve inspecting cable sheathing for cracks potentially exposing wiring to moisture intrusion, checking conduits/seal fittings guarding entrance points against outdoor elements, and verifying no damage or deterioration has occurred due to age, weathering, or animal activity.
Address Outdoor Receptacle & Equipment Protection
Next, electricians evaluate exterior duplex receptacles, hot tubs, and irrigation or pool controls reliant on uninterrupted power supply during cold snaps. These installations require special safeguards like GFCI-protected circuits, waterproof in-use covers, and protective enclosures maintaining operating temperatures between freeze points, sealed outdoor junction boxes, and removal/storage of unnecessary equipment when possible. Electricians also check landscape lighting installation to ensure fixtures are rated for wet locations sufficiently sheltered. Discuss scheduling maintenance like draining/blowing out plumbing to prevent freezing.
Inspect Interior Branch Circuits serving Exterior Areas
To fortify circuitry potentially impacted by exterior conditions, electricians trace supply routes powering outdoor components backward into interior distribution panels. Visually tracing and tightening all joints, splices, and terminations eliminates problems originating internally. Thermal imaging cameras detect loose hot connections endangering safety before issues emerge. Capacity checks confirm branch circuits won’t overload from simultaneous equipment startup following outages too. Suggested upgrades include adding outlets near eaves to thaw frozen pipes with space heaters as needed.
Review Whole-Home Backup Power Options
For homes reliant on good pumps, boilers, sump pumps, or other vital equipment during power outages, electricians discuss practical backup power plans through a permanently installed generator, battery storage, or portable gas-powered units. Backup panels transfer designated circuits for continuous operation of priority loads, protecting plumbing from freeze damage even when utility providers experience grid failures due to winter weather events. Sizing options, automatic transfer switches, and maintenance routines help decide the most suitable solution.
Prepare Landscape Lighting Installations
Electricians ensure all landscape lighting installations incorporate waterproof connections, sealed junction boxes, and GFCI protection according to code. Timers, photo sensors, and wiring get checked and adjusted to keep fixtures from operating unnecessarily overnight or during precipitation. Low-voltage transformer locations protected from snow drifts prevent damage. LED conversion upgrades reduce power use for cords and controllers. Temporary storage or specially rated covers shield breakable fixtures from ice and falling tree limbs too.
Partner with Experienced Electricians
By working closely with licensed residential electricians, homeowners gain full confidence that all electrical systems, outdoor equipment, and landscape lighting installations can withstand demanding winter conditions unscathed. Experts perform thorough inspections, recommend prudent safeguards, offer valuable counsel on backup power needs, and perform maintenance keeping homes functioning through the season’s variable stresses. Following professional winterization advice pays dividends through protecting properties and investments all winter long.
