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Yes, tamper-resistant outlets are designed to be safe for use in homes with children. They feature a spring-loaded shutter that blocks the electrical slots when not in use, which helps protect children from electric shock if they try to insert an object. While they are the safest option available and highly effective, it's important to note that few things are truly 'childproof.' Children may still try to imitate adults by inserting a plug. For this reason, it's best to use tamper-resistant outlets over less effective solutions like plastic covers, which can be removed or pose a choking hazard. Always supervise young children around any electrical outlets or devices.

To upgrade electrical systems in older homes, you might need to reroute new wires with lath and plaster walls. That’s because it’s more challenging to get inside the walls of an older home compared to a modern home, which usually uses drywall. But there are easier ways to level up your electrical game in an older home. For instance, you can swap out an old furnace for a new electric heat pump, or you could use a heat pump for water heating.

You can add an electrical outlet outside by sending a wire through the wall from an existing interior outlet. Without having to open up walls, you can thread a new electrical cable from the existing outlet through the wall and to the exterior. You’ll need to cut a hole in the siding to place your new outlet. Ensure that your outdoor outlet is a GFCI outlet (ground fault circuit interrupter outlet) per the National Electrical Code. It’s best to hire an electrician to add an outdoor outlet unless you have previous electrical experience.

Three-way switches are only replaceable with three-way switches. A single-pole switch won't work if you replace one or more of a pair of three-way switches. By electrical code, three-way switch configurations are necessary at the top and bottom of a staircase between residential floors.