Best electricians near Mount Vernon, MO

Yes, in a new home, ground wires are mandatory. Some older homes may not be grounded, but if you decide to renovate, you will need to have your electricity grounded at that time. Remember, grounding helps keep everyone in your home safe from sudden electrical surges. It’s best to hire an electrician to inspect and work with your home’s wiring.

Any light bulbs made from toxic materials, such as CFL bulbs and fluorescent light tubes, should not be thrown in the garbage. These bulbs need to be sent to hazardous waste collection sites run by your municipality or sent through a specialized mail-back recycling program. Earth911 allows you to search and find a recycling location near you.

Even if you don’t have children living in your home, The National Fire Prevention Association still recommends installing tamper-resistant outlets when you’re replacing your existing outlets. 

Not only is your home likely to change hands at some point, but you may have young children over as guests. Making the switch even if you don’t currently have children living with you at the moment will help protect any future pint-sized visitors to your home.

While most electrical items can be plugged into a GFCI outlet, some appliances with internal or stationary motors, such as refrigerators, vent fans, and fluorescent lighting, can cause nuisance tripping. This happens because they experience a small, normal amount of current leakage, which can cause the GFCI to trip even when the appliance is working correctly. Although this is not a safety hazard, it can be inconvenient and may cause the GFCI outlet to wear out faster. For this reason, it is often better to plug these types of appliances into a standard outlet. Additionally, electrical circuits over 100 feet long can sometimes cause tripping. Some appliances, like hair dryers, have their own built-in GFCI protection, so connecting them to a standard outlet is fine.