We hear a lot about new tools and devices, including everything from energy-efficient light bulbs to ultra-modern thermostat systems. But what about the electrical systems that power our home? Technology has also come a long way in shaping the systems preferred by today’s residential electrician, too.
If you are interested in getting better safety, features, and efficiency out of your home’s electrical, you may want to ask your residential electrician for advice on what improvements and modernizations would benefit your house. Modern innovations can involve a variety of projects from parts upgrades to major retrofitting projects.
Safety upgrades from your residential electrician
If you have an older property or if it was built without safety in mind, you can make changes to your electrical system to make it run more safely and to make everyday life safer. A residential electrician can install many key safety upgrades including:
- Meeting local, state, and federal laws enacted since the build.
- More modern smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- More outlets (for convenience and to avoid overuse of extension cords).
- Lighting fixtures placed away from flammable materials and with proper protective boxes for wiring.
- Fixing or replacing old wiring and switches.
Updates to match real estate trends
Modern electrical systems can also help bring your property up to snuff when it’s time to sell the home: buyers can be chased off by a house that appears to require too much time and money for repairs and upgrades.
Ask your trusted residential electrician for advice on what trends they’re seeing in your neighborhood. You may want to add dimmer switches and other small touches, or you could swing from special wiring to install a generator to use in case of natural disaster (generators often need bigger power outlets than standard home outlets).
Energy efficiency
Eco-friendly infrastructure has transcended its earlier days and become a necessary and expected part of the home. While your choice of large appliances and light bulbs can greatly impact your energy bills and carbon footprint, there are also innovative techniques and materials that your residential electrician can install to help.
For many homes, the switch to CFL and LED bulbs has felt difficult because people have been simply plugging the new bulbs into existing lighting fixtures—and at times we’re displeased with the results. In these cases, a residential electrician can customize your home infrastructure for the new materials to improve the results. For instance, LED bulbs do not light very well in recessed fixtures, but some simple adjustments to the fixtures can make them work beautifully and brightly.
Your residential electrician can also help with larger projects like installation of solar panels or even small wind systems. These units can work seamlessly with existing systems to provide green energy, and you may even be able to drastically reduce your on-the-grid energy bills.
High-tech advances
Today’s residential electrician can tell you about how the smarthome of the future will feature integration with our mobile devices, the Cloud, and other emerging technology. You might be surprised at how accessible and affordable these features are already.
If it’s time to modernize some components of your home electrical system, a residential electrician who keeps up with trends and technology can recommend features such as:
- dynamic thermostats with improved sensors and smart programming options you can control from a mobile app
- security systems featuring audio/video components, multi-sensory detection, and biometrics
- advanced lighting systems with automated features and custom designs
- multimedia entertainment systems with wired systems and wireless networks throughout the house
