Winter is the perfect time in Springfield, MO, to enjoy holiday gatherings and outdoor activities like sledding and ice skating. But inside your home, winter weather can give your electrical system problems. It’s important to take precautions before the colder months each year. Let’s look at these common issues and how to prevent them.
Power Outages During Freezing Temperatures
Power outages are quite common in the winter in Springfield. Many homeowners install whole-home generators to ensure they have power during the outages. This makes it much easier to avoid frozen pipes and dangerously cold indoor temperatures. If you don’t have a generator, keep a winter emergency kit on hand. This way, you’ll have flashlights, blankets, and extra batteries ready to use.
Electrical Overloads
Overloading an electrical panel is easy during the winter, especially when you plug in lots of holiday lights and decorations. Having an electrician inspect your panel to ensure it has sufficient capacity is paramount to prevent tripping breakers. Having too many items plugged in can overload the entire electrical system.
How to avoid electrical overloads with holiday decorations:
- Use LED holiday lights
- Spread loads across circuits
- Inspect cords for damage
- Limit high-wattage appliances
- Use outdoor-rated extension cords
Tripped Breakers That Won’t Reset
If a certain breaker keeps tripping repeatedly, you can’t just reset it to fix the problem. There’s likely a short circuit or an overloaded wire contributing to the issue. Our electrician can inspect the circuit and test the wiring to determine the repairs needed. We may need to upgrade certain components to keep the breaker from repeatedly tripping. You never want to attempt breaker repairs yourself. If you do, you increase the likelihood of shock or fire. Only a trained electrician can safely and effectively troubleshoot the problem.
Damaged Wiring From Ice or Moisture
Springfield is accustomed to ice storms, and they can bring moisture hazards and ice buildup on wiring and outdoor fixtures. You may notice flickering lights, buzzing outlets, or random breaker trips. If the ice builds up enough, it can crack outdoor outlets, rendering them completely useless.
What to do when you notice ice on wiring or inside outlets.
- Shut off power immediately
- Avoid touching wet outlets
- Check for visible damage
- Keep the area dry
- Call a licensed electrician
Failing Generator or Backup Power Issues
Generators require regular maintenance and care to keep them in good condition. Failing to inspect, clean, and test can lead to a unit not turning on when you need it most. Having our electricians replace worn spark plugs and change the oil is a smart way to avoid unexpected breakdowns. You must make sure you use the correct fuel and store it properly to prevent contamination or degradation.
Other ways to take care of your generator to avoid backup power problems include:
- Run monthly exercise cycles
- Check battery health regularly
- Inspect fuel lines for leaks
- Keep exterior vents unobstructed
- Replace air filters as needed
Burning Smells From Overloaded Appliances
If any of your appliances produce a burning smell, shut them off right away and call us immediately. This odor is a sign that signals a problem with the wiring or internal components. If you don’t take immediate action, you risk electrical fires and other hazards that can put everyone in your home at risk. Plus, the appliance itself becomes vulnerable to overheating and permanent damage.
Other Ways to Protect Your Home Against Winter Electrical Problems
Keeping your electrical system safe during the winter starts with proactive prevention strategies. Certain upgrades can make a huge difference in reducing seasonal dangers.
Install Whole-Home Surge Protection
When power surges occur during the winter, your appliances and electronic devices can experience damage from the excess current. With a whole-home surge protector, you won’t have to worry about sudden voltage spikes that can cause damage to your appliances. A whole-home surge protector provides coverage across every circuit and outlet in the home.
What to look for in a whole-home surge protector:
- UL 1449 safety certification
- Compatible with main panel
- Fast response time rating
- Indicator lights for status
- Easy maintenance access panel
- Meets local electrical codes
Upgrade Aging Electrical Wiring
When was the last time you had your home’s wiring upgraded? Outdated materials, like knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring, make the home unsafe and may not comply with modern electrical codes. We can assess your home to determine whether you need a full or partial wiring replacement.
What are the safest wiring materials for homes in Springfield?
- Copper wiring
- NM (Romex) copper cable
- PVC/thermoplastic-insulated conductors
- UL-listed, NEC-compliant wiring
Keep Electrical Panels Clear and Accessible
When something goes wrong with your electrical system during the winter, it helps to have clear access to the electrical panel. Our electricians will find it much easier to fix problems if we don’t have to move clutter out of the way. Taking the time to keep the area clear of boxes and storage items will speed up troubleshooting and assist with better safety.
Use Smart Monitors to Detect Overloads
The best way to make sure you don’t overload your circuits is to have a device in place that sends alerts when your usage approaches unsafe levels. We highly suggest installing a smart monitor. Our electrician can install the monitor in the main electrical panel, allowing you to track real-time energy usage.
Ways that a smart monitor makes the home safer include:
- Improves overall circuit management
- Shows long-term usage trends
- Identifies failing appliances early
- Detects unusual electrical patterns
- Prevents hidden fire risks
Weatherproof Exterior Electrical Connections
All your outdoor electrical outlets and wiring connections need proper weatherproofing to avoid moisture intrusion and electrical shorts. Using winter-rated cables to power holiday lights and outdoor decorations is an excellent way to stay safe. You’ll also want to add weatherproof covers to exterior outlets to keep melting snow from seeping inside. There are several types of covers to choose from, including flip-up, in-use, and gasket versions. The latter usually works best when you want to seal the outlet from moisture and wind. Flip-up styles offer basic splash protection but don’t provide a complete seal against harsh weather.
All Klear has nearly two decades’ worth of industry experience. We offer emergency service for problems that require immediate help, such as power outages and electrical shorts. We’ll help you upgrade your home with improvements that make your entire electrical system much safer and more reliable. In addition to electrical installations, repairs, and replacements, we also offer lighting repair and generator services. Contact All Klear today to hire a skilled electrician in Springfield.
