By September, things start settling into a routine again — school's back in session, the frantic pace of summer starts to ease up a little. It's also a good time of year to do a quick walk-through of your home's electrical safety, before the busier holiday season and colder weather hit.
Here's a simple checklist I'd suggest running through this month:
Test your smoke detectors. Not just a quick press of the button — actually confirm the battery is good, and check the age of the unit itself. Smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years, even if they still technically work.
Check your GFCI outlets. These are the outlets with the "test" and "reset" buttons, usually found in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoor areas. Press "test" — the outlet should cut power. Press "reset" — it should come back on. If it doesn't behave that way, it needs attention.
Look at your extension cord situation. If you've got extension cords running semi permanently to power something in your home, that's usually a sign you need an additional outlet installed, not a longer-term extension cord solution. Cords aren't meant to be a permanent fix.
Walk your outdoor outlets and fixtures. Check for any cracked or damaged outdoor outlet covers, especially after a summer of storms and humidity. These are supposed to be weatherproof, and damage here is a real safety issue, not just cosmetic.
Think ahead to holiday lighting. If you're planning outdoor holiday lighting this year, now's a good time to confirm you actually have outdoor-rated outlets where you'll need them, rather than finding out in November that you don't.
None of these take long individually, but doing them all together once a year is a good habit — catching a small issue in September beats discovering it during a busy holiday season or a cold snap in January. If anything on this list turns up an issue, or you'd just rather have someone else run through it for you, give us a call.