Mixing Water With Electricity

We do that a lot around here in January. No, no. It’s not what you think!!  Of course you never want to mix these two together. What we mean is that during January we do a lot of repairs of water leaks and electrical problems.
 
It’s been an especially dry winter so far here in northern California, but it’s never too wet or too dry to inspect your inside water supplies for leaks and drips. It’s also a good time to check your electrical outlets for overloading or those forgotten extension cords you used to power holiday decorations.
 
Here is a handy checklist so you can discover any problems BEFORE they become dangerous or expensive.
 
Water:

• Check under your kitchen sink for drips or wet areas.
• Inspect under your bathroom sinks and fixtures for leaks.
• Is the seal around your toilet dry?
• Does your toilet run when it hasn’t been flushed?
• Does water pool anywhere in your bathroom after you’ve bathed?
• If you have a second floor bath or kitchen, go to the room underneath and check for wet spots on the ceiling.
• Inspect your ceiling for water marks or damp spots.
• Check for flooring that feels soft, which indicates structural damage.
• Check around windows for cold air or dampness.

Electricity:

• Check your outlets for overloading.
• Do you have any extension cords left over from the holiday décor?
• Make sure you’re not using an extension cord as a permanent power source.
• Do your lights flicker or dim at any time (but you don’t have a dimmer switch)?
• Do you frequently have breakers switch click off?
• (Please tell us you don’t) have breakers taped in an on position.
• Do all outlets have covers or plates as needed?
• Has your GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet been installed (and is it working) properly?

It should be noted that proper installation of a GFCI is crucial. This device is meant to monitor electrical flow and if it detects an imbalance, it trips the circuit. So if you’re doing something dangerous, like standing in water operating an electrical device, the GFCI senses the imbalance in the flow of electricity and cuts off the electricity to the outlet. That’s why proper installation is so important. If you’re not sure, ASK!
 
BONUS – if it seems dangerous, it probably is. We’ve recently had calls asking if something was dangerous and what should they do about it if it is.  Our guidance is, if it seems dangerous, it likely is. Things like:

• Cabinets leaning or pulling away from walls
• Ceiling fans that wobble
• Wires hanging out of or off of walls
• Appliances sparking at the outlet when you plug them in
• The wall near an outlet is hot

These are all indicators that you have a problem that should be fixed without delay!
 
Important Note: Your safety is the most important thing! Many of the problems we describe in these check lists aren’t dangerous for most people to repair. The challenge is that unless you do these things all the time, it’s likely it will take longer than you want it to and the repair won’t turn out as well as you like. When it comes to electrical problems however, unless you are an electrician, it’s best to have someone else take care of it.
 
If you’ve discovered any items with our handy check list that need work, don’t just worry about it! Call in the experts (that’s us) and get it fixed before it becomes a big problem! This month, we’ll include one free hour of handyman work when you hire us for 3 hours of handyman or electrical work (Remember, electrical work is $100 an hour and handyman services are $60 hr.)  
 
Read on for our Check List Check Up Special