If you’re unsure whether your home’s electrical system meets local safety standards, you have an older home, or you’re experiencing signs you need an upgrade — such as flickering lights or constantly tripping circuit breakers — it may be time to have a professional electrician check your system.
Portland area residents can contact Air Stars for a comprehensive home electrical safety inspection. We make it easy to ensure your home’s electrical system meets Oregon’s general industry electrical code and operates safely.
What Is Included in an Electrical Safety Inspection?
During electrical safety inspections, a licensed electrician carefully examines your home’s electrical setup. They’ll check outlets, light fixtures, and switches, test GFCI and surge protectors, examine your circuit breakers, and ensure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. They’ll also inspect your electrical panel, examine wiring, and assess your home for fire and electrical hazards.
Common issues inspectors look for during an inspection include:
- overloaded circuits
- outdated equipment
- damage
- unsafe wiring
- ungrounded outlets
- electrical box issues
If they find these or other important issues, they’ll let you know in a detailed report, along with recommendations for ways to address each issue and bring them back to the standards found in the National Electrical Code. This way, you can address problems quickly before they cause damage or become dangerous.
How Often Should You Get an Electrical Safety Inspection?
When you first purchase your home, have an expert do a whole-home electrical safety check to give you a baseline idea of the system’s capacity for future renovations or appliance upgrades. After that, consider having an inspection every three to five years. If your home (and wiring) is more than 40 years old, it’s best to schedule an annual inspection.
After any major home renovations, have a new assessment done to ensure your system is still to code. We also recommend having your electrical system assessed before upgrading or adding major appliances. For example, your home might not have enough capacity to run a smart washer and dryer, a state-of-the-art oven, and a hot tub at the same time.
Why Are Electrical Safety Inspections Important?
Personal safety is the number one reason to have a professional safety inspection done on your home. Reducing risks of electrical shock or fires is important, but there are other good reasons to have a pro check out your electrical system, such as:
- Your home can run more efficiently by optimizing the system, which reduces energy consumption while improving performance.
- You’ll save money by preventing damage to your home and appliances and reducing the amount of excess energy used.
- You’ll increase your home’s value by keeping it code-compliant.
- You’ll know whether you need to make important upgrades to comply with your home insurance policy’s standards and guidelines.
Can You Perform an Electrical Safety Inspection Yourself?
In some cases, performing electrical work on a home you own isn’t illegal under Oregon law, but electrical safety inspections are best left to professionals. The issues they address aren’t usually apparent to people who don’t know what they’re looking for. A licensed electrician knows about local safety laws and National Electrical Code standards. They’ll also be able to suggest cost-effective fixes for any issues.
What Should I Do To Prepare My Home for an Electrical Safety Inspection?
After scheduling your residential electrical safety audit with Air Stars, here are some simple things you can do to help prepare your home:
- Turn off all electronics and appliances that use electricity
- Clear all clutter, furniture, and rugs away from fuse boxes, outlets, and switches
- Arrange a place away from work areas for pets and small children to stay for their safety
- Gather information about your home’s electrical system ahead of time, especially if you’ve had work done in the past
Use these tips to make your appointment quicker and easier and help the electricians get the job done right the first time.
Our Electrical Services
The following are some of the electrical services we offer at Air Stars.
Electrical Repair
The licensed electricians at Air Stars can handle any electrical repair job, big or small. Our team will be on-site on time and ready to solve the problem, alleviate worries, and get your electrical system back in good working order as soon as possible.
Electrical Panel Replacement
Your electrical panel routes electricity through your home, making it one of the most important components of your electrical system. If your panel is damaged, not working properly, or outdated, our experienced electricians can perform a full electrical panel replacement. This increases your circuit capacity to handle future renovations or appliance upgrades while increasing home safety.
Smoke Detector Installation
We’ll install your hardwired smoke detector according to code while making sure it works reliably when it matters most. Our team can also help integrate your smoke detectors into other home security systems or connect all detectors, so if one sounds, the rest go off as well.
Whole-house Rewiring
If you’re thinking about rewiring your whole house, call Air Stars. We’ll assess your needs and create a comprehensive plan that works for your space. As part of our service, we install new wiring and remove all the old components.
Ceiling Fan Installation
Installing a ceiling fan involves connecting it to your house’s wiring. The unit must be installed properly for stability, so it’s better to have a certified electrician do the job. Trust the Air Stars team to handle the hard work so you can relax in the cool breeze.
Why Choose Air Stars for Electrical Services?
When you choose Air Stars for electrical services, you’ll get help from certified electrical safety inspectors, electricians, and technicians with decades of experience and knowledge under their belts. Each member of our team is licensed by Oregon State. We offer a high level of customer service, with up-front and honest costs and timelines. Count on us to show up on time and leave your house better than when we arrived.
Contact Us for Electrical Safety Inspections
When searching for electrical safety inspectors near you, choose Air Stars. We’re available to answer your questions and find the best electrical solution for your needs.
Whether you’re in Salem, Keizer, or Portland, our qualified technicians are here to help Oregon families with electrical issues. Contact us today to schedule your professional electrical safety inspection.
