It’s been a hot summer in central and eastern Massachusetts. The summer heat doesn’t just bring humidity and sunburns. Electrical systems can run into problems during hot summer weather. Landry Mechanical is here to break down the most common summer electrical problems: how to prevent them.

Damage From Insects and Pests

Humans aren’t the only animals that seek the shade when heat waves hit. Small animals like mice, rats, squirrels, and chipmunks can all nest within your home. These pests chew through electrical wires causing issues. Insects like termites and ants can build nests within your home’s electrical system leading to damaged fixtures and outlets.

To keep insects and small animals out of your home consider the following:

Inspect your attic and garage wiring at least once per season
Inspect the outside of your home and look for potential access points
Use mouse traps, ant bait, and other poisons to kill small animals before they can build nests
Consider hiring a pest control company to remove pests from the home

Termites like this one can eat through electrical wires!

Did you end up finding any electrical damage from pests? “Just Call Landry” Our local electrical experts can help with electrical repair & troubleshooting to find and fix your problems.

Pool & Hot Tub Wiring Issues

Water exposure from pools and hot tubs can cause electrical issues. To prevent electrocution, it’s important to make sure your electrical system is running properly.

Consider checking the following before your next pool party:

Check any pool or hot tub wiring for cracked conduits or exposed wiring
Check GFCI outlets and make sure the outlets are functioning

GFCI Outlet Outdoors — GFCI outlets protect your home from power surges and keeps your outlets safe from water damage

Need a new GFCI outlet for your pool or hot tub? “Just Call Landry” Our electricians can install and repair GFCI outlets to keep your backyard safe.

Faulty Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting can add ambiance to any backyard pool party or cookout. However, summer weather can degrade wires and bulbs leaving your event in the dark.

Here are some tips to keep your backyard lit up:

Use Proper Outdoor Lighting Fixtures that are Weather Rated
Check all lighting fixtures for corroded wires
Switch to LED’s to prevent overheating
Change any broken bulbs

IP Rating Chart for Outdoor Lighting — IP Ratings are important when it comes to outdoor lighting. The higher the rating the better the protection!

Need help with your faulty outdoor lighting? “Just Call Landry” our expert electricians offer tailored outdoor lighting solutions to light up your summer!

Overheated Electrical Panel

High heat with increased electrical usage can lead to overheating your electrical panel. Overheated electrical panels are dangerous and can cause electrical fires and breaker failure.

Here are some tips to prevent electrical panel overload:

Inspect your electrical panel for loose connections or rust
Ensure your electrical panel isn’t near anything flammable
Ensure your electrical panel is in a well-ventilated area
Have a Landry Electrician evaluate panel load and balance the circuit

Rusty Electrical Panel — Does your electrical panel look like this? Time For A Replacement From Landry!

Need a new electrical panel? “Just Call Landry” Our local electricians can inspect, repair, upgrade, and replace electrical panels!

Power Outages

Higher electrical use and thunderstorms often lead to power outages that can damage electronics.

Here are some steps you can take to stay safe during power outages:

Be prepared by keeping batteries, flashlights and candles in an easy to access place
Consider installing a whole home generator to keep electronics running smoothly
Install Whole-Home Surge Protectors to keep appliances safe from surges

Interested in a generator or whole-home surge protector? “Just Call Landry” our local electrical experts can install generators and surge protectors to keep your home safe.

Air Conditioner Overload

Air conditioning units use a lot of power. If the circuit isn’t built to handle this increased usage it can cause breakers to trip or overheated wires.

Here are some tips to prevent A/C Overload:

Ensure your A/C filter and coils are cleaned regularly
Confirm the breaker size matches your A/C’s amp draw
Check to see if your A/C is on a dedicated circuit
If your circuit is undersized, “Just Call Landry”

Dirty A/C Filter — Does your A/C Filter look like this? Time to clean or replace it!

If you’re worried about air conditioner overload it’s best to “Just Call Landry” Our electrical experts are standing by ready to make sure your A/C runs smoothly this summer!

Conclusion

New England summers can cause many problems for your home’s electrical system. By taking preventive measures you can keep your electrical system running smoothly this summer.

If you run into any issues, “Just Call Landry” and we’ll do our best to keep your comfortable this summer.

Landry Mechanical We Take COMFORT in YOUR Comfort!

How To Prepare Your Electrical System For Thunderstorms

It’s been rainy in New England recently. Massachusetts summers often bring thunderstorms with them. Lighting strikes are dangerous, and summer storms can cause issues with your electrical system. Landry’s Electricians are here with tips on how to prepare your electrical system for thunderstorms.

Stock Up on Survival Supplies

Many homeowners in Central and Eastern Mass are not properly prepared for a thunderstorm. It’s a good idea to stock up on survival supplies before the lightning rolls in.

Here are some common survival supplies that you should have in your home.

Long Extension Cords
Power Strips With Built-in Surge Protectors
Solar Chargers To Provide Light and Charge Phones
Candles and matches in case of power outage
Flashlights & Batteries

These tools can both provide light in case of power outages and protect your electrical system from sudden surges.

Make an Unplug Checklist

Having an unplug checklist can make summer storm prep easy. There are certain items that you can leave plugged in. Refrigerators, routers, TVs, and medical devices do not need to be unplugged during a storm. However, here are the devices you should unplug.

Washer & Dryer
Microwave
Outdoor String Lights
Indoor lamps
Coffee Maker & other Kitchen Appliances

Washer and dryer combo — Unplugging your washer and dryer can keep it safe during power surges

Make Necessary Repairs & Upgrades

Don’t procrastinate on necessary electrical repairs or upgrades. If you frequently encounter power surges, installing a whole home surge protectors can be an ideal solution. This can protect your appliances, gadgets, and your home’s electrical system.

Install surge protectors before thunderstorms can also prevent electrical fires from starting.

Interested in electrical services or upgrades for your home? “Just Call Landry” Landry’s Electrical experts can repair your electrical system before the storm season starts. We can also install whole-home surge protectors to keep you home safe.

Invest In a Generator

Having a generator provides energy even in case of emergencies. There are 2 types of generators, portable, and whole-home generators. Portable generators are cheaper than whole-home generators. If you have a gas-powered generator, make sure you have fuel on hand.

Whole-home generators are more expensive, but they kick on automatically allowing you to have power during outages.

Generac Whole Home Generator — Whole-home generators can keep your home powered during summer storms

Interested in a whole-home generator for your home? “Just Call Landry” Our electrical experts can install whole-home generators to prepare you for the summer storms ahead.

Prepare Your Outdoor Outlets

Outdoor outlets are at risk during thunderstorms. Are your outlets high enough from the ground to prevent damage? Do they have covers to keep rain out? Are they GFCI outlets that prevent electrical fires and surges?

If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions it’s time to “Just Call Landry” Our electrical experts can install GFCI outlets with covers to make sure your outlets are safe during storms.

Conclusion:

No one can predict summer thunderstorms or severe weather. However, you can be prepared. By following this guide, you can protect your homes electrical system from severe damage. Run into any issues? Not sure if you’re prepared? “Just Call Landry”

We Take COMFORT In YOUR Comfort!

Tag: Electrician