Outside air coming into your home is the number one culprit of counteracting your home’s heating and cooling effectiveness. Exterior wall switches and electrical outlets can serve as an easy entry for outside air. Insulating these likely thermal leaks is straightforward and economical to do.
Purchase reasonably priced foam outlet covers from any hardware or home store. These are plain foam insulators; die cut, which you place between your plate and the wire box located inside your wall. These foam shields can generally shut off air seepage entering your home Alternative Careers For Electricians from outlets and switches. You will also want to put small pieces of insulation between your box and your wall if there is a gap so that air will be stopped from leaking through those holes as well. This insulation can be purchase in the same department as the shields.
Disconnect the power source directly to your outlet or switch.
Remove the switch plate or outlet cover.
Choose the correct foam seal and discard the die cut portions.
Lay the shield over the face of the wire box and align the holes with the switch or outlets.
Place insulation strips between the Electronic Equipment List box and the wall if there are gaps.
Replace your outlet cover or switch plate.
Turn the power back on to your switch plate or outlet.
You may effortlessly insulate your switches and outlets in one day. If you find you need to insulate double-switch boxes (or more), purchase the correct foam insulators for each outlet. Purchase the insulating outlet seals instead of the outdoor insulation seals which cost triple what the indoor seals cost. Be sure to turn off the power to anything before working with your switch boxes and outlets.
While you’re poking around inside your switches and outlets, check to see if all the wires are secure, complete and not worn. If there seems to be a hodgepodge of wires in there, and you’re not sure if they’re safe or not, it’s best to call in an expert to check everything out. This is certainly preferable than having a fire hazard waiting for you or a low of power to crucial outlets and switches. Check the company out to make sure the electricians are employees of the company rather than the company hiring sub-contractors. Employees are more likely to treat you well as a good customer, have more time for your questions and concerns as well as be there for follow-up and future issues which might arise. Customer service is important to electricians who feel ownership in their company. And don’t we all crave good customer service these days?
You may want to call in an electrical contractor to conduct an electrical audit of your home to make sure your energy efficiency is up to par. It’s easier to keep energy costs down when you’re paying attention to places in your home that may be wasting energy without your knowledge. It’s a good way to help keep your home “green”.