Electrical Outlet Installation in Red Deer, Alberta

The typical home requires electricity to do just about every function within it. From operating the fridge, to watching television, to switching on lights, families rely on reliable electricity for virtually all of their everyday home functions. But electricity without the appropriate outlets is pretty much useless.

Broken outlets or outlets that don’t give enough capacity to a device are irritating and can even be risky. If a family needs to fix or update outlets inside a home, a local professional electrician can ensure that the job is done properly and that all safety standards are met for proper operation.

What’s new with electrical outlet installation?

Regardless of the age of your home, it might benefit from upgrading the electrical outlets. From GFCI outlets to USB and smart outlets, outlets have progressed significantly since the standard two-dimensional models were introduced in each home. You can have a look at these modern kinds of outlets below.

Switched Outlets

This kind of outlet generally has one port with a switch on it in place of the other port. The electricity can be blocked or allowed from the outlet so that it doesn’t always have to be powered on. Rather than unplugging the gadget, you can basically turn the outlet on or off.

GFCI Outlets

The purpose of a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlet is to halt the flow of electricity when a short circuit or ground fault is detected. 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 like a standard outlet, but come with two buttons that you can use to reset it once it’s been tripped. 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

Such outlets have become the norm in 1999 so homes that have been built before this year will not have Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets in them. Since 1999, AFCI outlets have been installed at electrical panels to prevent electricity from jumping, or arcing, between wires, which is a common cause of electrical fires. A professional electrician can install AFCI outlets in an older home, and would do so either at the breaker box, or right at the beginning of each circuit so the whole line is protected.

20A Outlets

Certain devices need a larger amount of power than the usual outlet can supply. The laundry room or the kitchen usually have 20A outlets that supply the appliances with more power than regular ones. 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.

In case the breakers that you have are not supplying your devices with the needed amount of power, an expert can come and help you to install 20A models and ensure that every device is running at maximum capacity in just a second.

USB Outlets

Modern devices usually use USB cords for powering themselves but the conventional outlets are not suitable for them without an adapter, which is pretty inconvenient. Fortunately, some outlets today have integrated USB ports into themselves so homeowners don’t have to worry about bringing the adapter for powering devices. Most often, a USB outlet has two regular ports and two USB ports or offers four USB ports but no regular ports. Depending on the needs of your family and the area of the home in question, you can choose and mix-and-match these two different styles to best accommodate your needs, and an electrician can install them.

Smart Outlets

If you use a smart outlet, you can use an app or even voice-controlled speaker to manage the plugged-in device. This makes it much easier to turn your devices on and off and even allows you to set schedules for your appliances throughout the day.

Smart lights can be scheduled to turn on and off at certain times so it looks like someone is home to deter theft. Some homeowners prefer outlets that can be programmed on a certain schedule to help control their energy use and electric bills. Smart outlets will cost more than the basic ones but you get much more benefits and applications from it.

You must call an electrician to examine and check if you have switches which seem to have burnt wires. Working with electricity can be dangerous for those who are not well-versed with the various wires, particularly if there are problems. Please call your local electrician for help with any electrical outlet job you need to avoid any unnecessary danger.