We often forget how important it can be to call an electrician if a problem arises with a home’s electrical system. In fact, most homeowners are complacent that their wiring system is just fine and needs no care or maintenance. More often than not, the only time a licensed electrician is called to a house when something is going wrong. It’s important to understand how to recognize when you may need to be preemptive about electrical problems and subtle signs that your electrical system needs maintenance or repairs. Keep an eye out for the following issues that could arise, indicating a bigger electrical problem in your home.

If you’re a fan of power strips, that’s not necessarily a problem right away. The problem happens when you start to overload a specific circuit in your home. Attaching a power strip and then packing it full of energy-heavy devices can quickly cause circuit breakers to flip. In addition to that risk, they can quickly become a fire risk when used inappropriately. Opt for power strips with surge protectors and be careful concerning how much you plug into them. If you need more outlet availability in a space, that’s when you need to call a local electrician.

While the rugs themselves aren’t a sign of electrical problems, the wires and cords run under them are. More and more people are adapting older homes to their current needs, leaving exposed cords and cables throughout the house. You don’t need to run them under carpet and rugs. In fact, that can be a tripping hazard. An electrician can quickly run wires and cables through the walls to get the cables out of sight and out of mind.

If you own an older home, you may have noticed how your outlets don’t look quite like outlets in newer homes. For a long time, two prong outlets were the standard. No many appliances use a three prong plug style in order to provide a ground for the electricity. Don’t be someone who just cuts the third prong off of their appliances or bends it back to make it fit in the two prong outlet; upgrade your outlets instead. Properly grounded outlets can reduce the risk of electrical fires and other risks due to electricity.

It’s important to regularly check your home’s main service panel. Regular visual checks and professional checks by an electrician can help to prolong the life of the panel and help avert any problems from improper care. When you visually inspect the panel, check for any signs of problems, including potential rust. If your panel is rusting, it’s time to have an electrician install a new one for safety and performance.

If you’ve ever turned on a light switch and found that the plate was warm to the touch, then you should call an electrician. Points where power is utilized in the wall should never be warm, and definitely not hot. It’s a sign of a bigger electrical problem that could be a safety hazard.

A gas furnace is an economical way to heat your home, and a yearly furnace tune-up is essential to keep your appliance at peak performance. The more efficient your furnace, the less energy it uses. It’s better to get yearly service, while the weather is still warm, than to be faced with no heat on a cold Colorado night. In the long run, you’ll save money with periodic tune-ups. Here are some of the ways an annual visit from a Colorado furnace repair technician can cut down on your costs.

Minimizes Repairs

A furnace tune-up reduces the incidence of repairs. Think of it as preventative medicine for your home. With regular checkups, you nip problems in the bud and avoid costly emergency service. Technicians clean and inspect your appliance. If anything is in need of maintenance, it can be done on the spot or scheduled for later.

Keeps Your Home Safe

Keeping your family safe is even more important than saving money, but sometimes the two things go together. While heating systems are not hazardous under normal conditions, a gas leak in your home leads to dangerous conditions. Evacuating to a hotel, either because of a leak or because of no heat during frigid conditions, is expensive. During a furnace tune-up, a technician will check that the combustion process is precise and safe.

Proper Airflow

The correct airflow is essential to the function of your heating system. If the airflow is faulty because it’s restricted, it puts a strain on the furnace and can shorten the life of your appliance.

Improved Efficiency

A clean, well-maintained furnace performs better than a dirty one. Efficiency leads to less wasted energy, and that translates into lower bills for you.

Maintains the Warranty

Most manufacturers void a warranty if the furnace doesn’t get regular maintenance. Protect your investment by following the manufacturer’s suggestions for tune-ups

After you’ve been around something for a while, you start to take it for granted.

Things like dissolvable cornstarch packing peanuts.

It took one imaginative 11-year-old boy and an email from a happy customer to remind us just how nifty these little earth-friendly peanuts are.

If you’ve received a shipment from Pegasus Lighting in the past few years, your box most likely had a sticker on it with those words. Inside the box is a note that shares the reasons behind our choice to use biodegradable cornstarch packing peanuts, not the least of which is because they are really fun to play with.

Thank you, Happy Customer, for restoring our packing peanut fascination by sending this great note and photo of your son’s clever art sculpture (whatever you decide that it will be)! Oh, and for the record, I’m voting Rocket Ship.