Electrical Outlet Installation in Clarksville, Tennessee

Electricity has become a daily necessity for homes. From watching TV, turning on the lights and running the refrigerator, families everywhere depend on electricity to conduct their daily functions. But electricity can only be used if there are outlets in the home.

Broken outlets or outlets that do not give much electrical flow to an appliance can be hazardous and disappointing at the same time. The repair or upgrade that a family needs for their outlets can be easily taken care of by their local professional electrician.

What’s new with electrical outlet installation?

It doesn’t matter if your home is older or newer, there are always upgrades that can be made. From GFCI outlets to USB and smart outlets, outlets have made considerable progress since the standard two dimensional models introduced in each home. You can review all the different types of outlets below to inspire you about the possibilities for your home when your next electrical outlet installation job comes up.

Switched Outlets

Usually, this sort of outlet has one port with a switch connected to the other port instead. This switch is capable of stopping or allowing electricity flow in the outlets, so it doesn’t have to be turned on all the time. Instead of having the device unplugged, what you can do instead is to just switch its outlet on or off.

GFCI Outlets

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets’ main task is to immediately halt electrical flow when there is ground fault present. This type of outlet will protect against electrocutions resulting from water, which is the main reason they’re required in bathrooms, kitchens, and other areas that are near water. They look just like the regular outlets but they have two buttons that are used to reset a tripped outlet. To protect your family from accidental shocks, it would be wise to have an electrician replace any outlet installed within six feet of a water source with a GFCI outlet if your older home doesn’t have them already.

AFCI Outlets

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter AFCI outlets only became standard in 1999, so older homes may not have them. Today, Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters are placed in a breaker box in order to prevent electricity jumping between wires, which is a fire hazard. If your home lacks AFCI outlets, you can have them installed by a professional electrician, either at the electrical panel or at the beginning of each circuit in your home.

20A Outlets

Some household appliances use more power than is available from the average electrical outlet. In areas in the home where such type of appliances are used you will find that there are 20A outlets installed there. These look just like the regular outlets, but they have a small slit on the left side of the opening to let you know that they are 20A outlets.

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. Fortunately there are now outlets that come with integrated USB ports. USB outlets contain two regular ports with two USB ports or they contain four USB ports with no regular ports. Whatever type of electrical outlet you need, a professional can come and safely install it in your home.

Smart Outlets

Anything plugged into a smart outlet can be controlled using voice commands into a smart phone speaker or by a smartphone app, with no need to flip a switch. Turning devices on and off is easier and homeowners can set a schedule for the use of lights.

When you are not at home, lights can turn on and off automatically which can deter any theft and make it look like someone is at home. Homeowners can also set times for the outlets to power on so that their energy efficiency will be increased. Smart outlets cost more than standard ones, but many homeowners are willing to make the investment to gain the benefits of flexibility and energy efficiency.

Don’t delay calling in a professional electrician if you have outlets that don’t work or have scorched marks on them. An unknown person who has no knowledge of the wiring system in the home can be at risk if he tries to fix any occurring problem. For assistance with any electrical outlet job, in order to avoid unnecessary risk, please call your local electrician.