Is Your Electrical System Grounded Properly?
When power surges do happen, they can sometimes cause fires, or even electricity-related deaths.
In the event of a break or interruption in the circuit, your house's ground wire acts as the shortest path back to earth.
Electricity will naturally flow to the ground, through any substance that conducts electric current.
If an appliance has a shorted wire, the electricity may try to find another path to reach the ground.
It is important to keep your electrical system grounded correctly so that the electrical current will stay safely confined within the appliance and not cause personal harm.
An Atlanta electrician can help you determine if your home is properly grounded and recommend any necessary steps of action.
Determining If Your Electrical System Is Grounded Properly Electricians will use a tool called a circuit tester to determine your home's current grounding state.
In most modern electrical systems, the U-shaped slot of standard electrical receptacles is representative of the ground wire.
Once the circuit tester is properly connected, it should become illuminated to indicate if the outlet is grounded.
Special Considerations For Older Homes Many residents of older homes may discover that their house is not grounded at all.
Often the electrical outlets in these locations are not the standard three-prong type, which means that the outlet is not grounded.
In this case, it is not safe to use electrical outlets until the issue is resolved by replacing the receptacles to the three-prong variety that is standard in modern homes.
Relying On An Electrician To Keep Your Electrical System Grounded Correctly Got grounding problems? You should call a local electrician.
If you're in Atlanta, consider calling someone specialized in your area.
Atlanta electricians should be contacted to take the necessary measures to fix the problem and provide advice.
They can also ensure that the overall electrical system is up to code in your home.
This will prevent long-term problems while ensuring the safety of residents and visitors.
It is important to have the peace of mind that comes from keeping your electrical system grounded correctly, even if you move to another residence.
Renting? It is always a good idea to ask your landlord for confirmation of grounding, and if in doubt, ask your electrician to investigate the matter to a satisfactory degree.
The matter of a properly grounded home is too important to sacrifice, but luckily it can be resolved quickly at a reasonable price by a qualified electrician.