During winter, many people enjoy a few extra lights on their home due to the shorter hours of sunlight. Whether you want to put in a couple more lights on your sidewalk or add some wrap around lights toyour porch, it can add a personal touch to your home during the cold and dark months of the year. If you have done this in the past you may have even experienced the confusion that comes from that lighting display suddenly going out. The team here at The Copper Connection can understand how frustrating that can be, so we want to help you discover how you can eliminate this common problem for good.
In order to fix an issue, first you need to diagnose what that issue is. In the case of the disappearing power, the answer is clear. An overloaded circuit. Having a stressed circuit cut out on you can be frustrating for more reasons than one. Often times, when a circuit is overloaded, it affects more than just the lights outside. Whatever is connected to the same circuit will be affected as well. Your refrigerator might go out, or your first floors lights may go AWOL, leaving you in the dark. So, what can you do?
First of all, if your system is installed properly, there is no need to worry that an overload on your circuit puts you at risk of having your house burn down. There are several standard failsafe items in place to prevent this from happening. For example, an “overcurrent protective device” at the main panel is equipped to switch off automatically before any damage is done. This will come in the form of a circuit breaker tripping or a blown fuse in the case of an older home.
The power you have access to is limited by the capacity of your main electrical panel. The panel’s job is to safely distribute power to the different circuits running throughout your house. Plug in more things than any given circuit can manage, and that’s when it will unexpectedly switch off. In order to prevent this from happening, you could be mindful of the things you have plugged into all your circuits. Things like heaters tend to draw a lot of power and many people rely on them for extra warmth during the winter. When using demanding devices such as heaters, try to unplug other things that you are not currently using so you can ease the stress on the circuit.
The ultimate answer for your power problem, however, is going to be adding more power. The Copper Connection is highly skilled in panel upgrades. You can let us know the scale of your lighting display, and we can appropriately assess how much added power you will need. With a permanent solution in the form of a panel upgrade, you will never have the power from your lighting display compete with what is needed inside your home again. Be sure to call us today so you can be prepared to light up the block this winter!
By The Copper Connection 10-1-2019