Winnipeg Electrical Services: Dangers of Plugging In Too Many Devices In One Outlet

We rely on electricity for many things, so when our homes don’t have enough electrical outlets, we are often tempted to use power strips to plug all our devices in. Overloading an electrical outlet is never a good idea because it can lead to severe problems inside your Winnipeg home. If you need more devices than your outlets can support, you can talk to an electrician in Winnipeg about alternate solutions. Here’s what you need to know about overloading electrical outlets and how you can prevent yourself from doing it.

Dangers of Overloading Electrical Outlets

You may not realize that using power strips can be dangerous. Your home is designed to handle a certain amount of electricity, and when you plug up a lot of devices at one time, you threaten to overload the system. When a single outlet is expected to hold too much wattage, it often leads to electrical fires. While many of these fires are minor, they can be deadly. It is best to limit the amount of electricity you expect each of your outlets to handle.

Ways To Avoid Overloading Outlets

Fortunately, there are ways to avoid overloading your electrical outlets without limiting the use of various devices. Use the following tips to keep from overloading a single outlet:

• Know the difference between constant use and occasional use:  Some devices use more electricity than others, and keeping two high-wattage items plugged into a single outlet at the same time can overload your system quickly. For example, you may only use a cell phone charger occasionally, but you use your refrigerator all of the time. Using ti devices that use high wattages of electricity on the same outlet is dangerous.

• Understand your breaker capacity:  Breakers are designed to handle all of the electricity that comes from your outlets. However, they can only handle so much power, so it is vital to know the capacity of your breaker. You can check your box for specific requirements, but in general, you should never expect your breaker to handle more than1,920 watts of electricity at once.

• Install additional outlets:  The best thing to do if you need more power in your home is to install extra outlets. Not only does this option give you more room to plug in devices, but it also levels out the amount of power each outlet has to hold. Installing new electrical outlets reduces the strain on your electrical system.

• Know which outlets correspond to which breakers:  Overloading a breaker can be as dangerous as overloading the outlet. You can avoid this problem by calculating how much power each breaker has to handle. A simple calculation is taking the number of watts of electricity your home uses daily and dividing it by 120 volts, which is the amount of electricity most buildings have.

Steps We Take To Help With Electrical Repair Services

All of the team members at Handyman Connection are experienced with these tools needed to provide you with electrical services. We know how to perform electrical repairs safely and minimize the risk of your electrical outlets causing a fire in your home. Our technicians can answer any questions you have about the possibility of overloading your outlets and what you can do to prevent that from happening. We are also ready to provide you with alternative solutions so that you can enjoy all your devices without worrying about overloading your outlets.

Schedule an Electrical Appointment Today

If you need any type of electrical repair or service, it is best to leave the work to a professional. The licensed technicians at Handyman Connection are ready to help you with all of your electricity needs. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.