Garages are often a neglected part of the home because people think they are just a place to park the car and store the holiday decorations. Garages can be a functional part of your home, and there are plenty of reasons why you should give your garage some attention. You can update your garage and make it a more livable space by updating the wiring and outlets. If it doesn’t seem like a priority, it should because we’ll all need to update our garage wiring sooner than later.
Why Your Garage Wiring Needs an Upgrade
Updating the wiring in your garage seems like something that can wait, but there are multiple reasons that it should be on the top of your to-do list.
Potential Danger
Old or damaged wiring is more than just annoying; it can be dangerous or even deadly. If you notice signs of potential bad wiring, like a persistent burning smell or a tingling feeling when you touch plugged-in appliances these could be signs of a dangerous wiring situation. Even without any signs, there could be potential danger lurking behind the wall, so if you don’t know the date of your last electrical inspection, it’s a good idea to have a licensed electrician give it a look.
Modern Day Electronics
If you live in an older house, your wiring is likely not up to today’s needs. Whether you use your garage to have a beverage and watch the game or a workspace where you are using multiple tools, your wiring may not be able to keep up with the power needs. As electric yard tools become more popular, the ones that plug in are usually plugged into the garage and require consistent power.
The Electric Car Wave
Even people with modern wiring are finding that they have to rewire parts of their garage to meet the needs of electric cars. Like them or not, electric cars are the future of land travel, so whether it is now or ten years down the road, your garage will need to be ready to handle an electric car.
More Outlets
It is possible that your wiring is just fine and you are getting plenty of power to your garage, but you don’t have as many outlets as you like. If you are tired of plugging and unplugging tools in your garage or sick of having extension cords running back and forth, it’s time to add more outlets.
Common Electrical Problems in Garages
If you notice any of these problems, your wiring likely needs attention.
Tripping Circuit Breaker
Your circuit breaker controls electric flow to every part of your house, including your garage. It may trip to prevent your garage outlet circuit from overheating.
Blown Fuse
If the power to your garage is from a fuse box, you may lose power from a blown fuse. A damaged fuse isn’t always clear to see, but sometimes you can tell from discolored glass or melted meal inside the fuse.
A tripped or faulty GFCI outlet
If the lights are on, but the outlets aren’t working, it could be that a GFCI outlet is tripped. While resetting one of these outlets is easy enough, if it happens often, it may be a symptom of a more significant problem.
Burned Out Outlets
The outlets in your garage have the potential to stop working because they are burnt out. This is often caused by strong electrical currents that create small electrical fires in the wiring. A lot of times, you can see a burned-out outlet because there will be burn marks around the outlet.
Call an Electrician
Whether planning for the future or making your garage safe today, you want your electrical work done safely the first time. Electrical work can be dangerous, and a professional should always do anything more than switch an outlet. A licensed electrician with JDP Electric will ensure that your wiring is safe and up-to-date for all of your future needs.