Fountain Valley, CA Electrical Outlet Installation Services

Electricity has become a daily necessity for homes. From running the refrigerator to using the television, to turning on the lights, families rely upon dependable electrical power for practically the majority of their everyday activities inside the home. But electricity without the appropriate outlets is pretty much useless.

It can be dangerous in a home to have a broken outlet that cannot power up an appliance. When a family needs a repair or an upgrade to their outlets then it is a local electrician that can make sure that this job is done properly and safely.

What’s new with electrical outlet installation?

Regardless of the age of your home, it might benefit from upgrading the electrical outlets. We’re no longer limited to the standard two-prong models and have the option of choosing GFCI, USB, and/or smart outlets. Continue reading to learn more about your options for upgrading your home’s electrical outlets.

Switched Outlets

Usually this sort of outlet has one port that is connected to the other port by a switch. This switch on it can control the flow of electricity coming from the outlet. Instead of needing to unplug your device, you can just switch the outlet off or on.

GFCI Outlets

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter is used to hold back electricity flow when a short circuit or ground fault is present. GFCI outlets are required in areas where water is present, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, because of the risk of electrocution. They look a lot like a regular outlet, but have two buttons that can be used to reset it when it’s tripped. Typically, an older home is not going to have these installed, but it’s an easy fix. Just call a professional electrician to have them installed.

AFCI Outlets

It was only in 1999 that Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter AFCI outlets became standard, so your older home may not have them. Since 1999, AFCI outlets have been installed at electrical panels to prevent electricity from jumping, or arcing, between wires, which is a common cause of electrical fires. Electrical experts can have AFCI outlets installed in older homes either at the breaker box or toward the start of each circuit to secure the entire line.

20A Outlets

There are some appliances that need more electricity than the standard outlet can supply. For example, the kitchen and laundry room are often places where 20A outlets are installed to supply appliances that use the most energy. Such outlets may have the appearance of regular outlets but the difference is they have a slit.

If there is constant tripping in your breakers you may have to upgrade to the 20A outlet styles.

USB Outlets

Lots of devices today use a USB cord to provide power, but they are unable to use a traditional outlet without also having an adapter, which is a nuisance for many reasons. Some outlet styles are available in the market these days that integrate USB ports into the outlet. Most often, a USB outlet has two regular ports and two USB ports or offers four USB ports but no regular ports. The type of outlets that you will get for your home will of course be dictated by your family’s electrical needs.

Smart Outlets

Anything plugged into a smart outlet can be controlled with your phone, tablet, or smart speaker instead of having to use a switch. You have all new kinds of control when you use smart outlets, even the ability to turn items on and off from locations anywhere in the world.

To prevent cases of theft while away, some lights can be scheduled to go on and off at specific periods and make it seem like you’re at home. A homeowner can set schedules for outlets in order to lower energy bills by increasing their efficiency. Smart outlets will initially cost higher than the standard ones but there are many benefits that you can get from them.

If the outlets are out of order or they have burn marks on them they should be inspected by an electrician. People who are unfamiliar with their home’s wire system can cause more harm than good. To avoid these risks, contact your local electrician for help with any electrical job required.