Nowadays, people take indoor lighting for granted even as it’s made modern life possible. When it comes to maintenance, some may think it’s enough to change a burnt-out lightbulb or wipe a bulb off if it gets too dusty. But there are maintenance tasks homeowners should do to make sure their lighting not only works, but works safely.
Check the Entire System
Every year, you should check your entire lighting system. You may need to call in an electrician to help you with this, as a layperson may not be able to identify problem areas. While much of this inspection concerns how well the system is working, there’s also an aesthetic component. You may find places in your home that need more light or a different type of light. You might also want to swap out an uninspiring fixture for something with a little more pizzazz.
Clean Regularly
Don’t wait till there’s a fuzz of dust on your light fixtures and lightbulbs to clean them. This fuzz is not only unattractive but also dims the light from your bulbs. Make sure to clean off your lighting fixtures at least once a week.
Look for Wear and Tear
Along with making sure that bulbs and fixtures are clean, you should check for wear and tear. This is important because fixtures with damaged or deteriorating components can be fire hazards. Check for loose or fraying wires, connections that are no longer secure and sockets with suspicious burn marks or other problems. Have an electrician repair them if you’re nervous about doing it yourself.
Replace Dead Bulbs
If you have a fixture that uses more than one light bulb, be sure to replace any bulb that goes out. A chandelier with one or more dead bulbs is no longer beautiful. Not only that, dead bulbs stress the rest of the fixture. You should even replace the bulb in a one-bulb fixture as soon as practicable to prevent the part of the room it’s in from standing in darkness. Make sure to choose the right bulb for the fixture. Screwing in a bulb whose wattage is too high for a table lamp, for example, can be dangerous.
Don’t Forget Exterior Lights
Exterior lights are subject to far more stress than your indoor lights, but it’s still easy to overlook them. Make sure that whatever waterproofing and weatherproofing they have is sound.
Contact Us for Tips on Lighting Maintenance
Though there are a lot of things you, as a homeowner, can do to care for your lighting, there are times when you may need to call a professional. If you ever need electrical service in Hendersonville, North Carolina, get in touch with our electricians at Champion Comfort Experts.
