As winter approaches, our minds often drift to holiday planning and home maintenance to-do lists. One area many people overlook is their electrical panel, which can be easy to overlook until there’s a problem. Cold weather causes your home’s electrical system to work harder, and festive holiday lights, shorter daylight hours and more time indoors can strain your panel. In this easy guide, we’ll walk you through basic steps to prepare your electrical panel for the colder months ahead.

Look for Signs of Wear and Tear

The most obvious signs that your electrical panel needs maintenance include rust, corrosion and moisture. If you spot burn marks or frayed wires, contact a professional electrician to come take a look.

Test Your Circuit Breakers

When you finally finish your grand holiday display, the last thing you want is for the lights to blow out. Testing your circuits now will give you a head start on any repairs that need doing before the holiday season. With your appliances unplugged, flip each breaker on and off. Make sure it operates smoothly and doesn’t stick or flip back into the Off position.

You should also take the time to label your breakers if you haven’t already. Make sure you know exactly what each one does and what part of the house it affects, so you aren’t stuck guessing during a winter outage.

Seal Gaps Around the Panel

If there are any noticeable gaps around your electrical panel, seal them to prevent moisture from entering and potentially freezing the wires. Use a fire-retardant sealant, like caulk or canned spray foam, to close small gaps without blocking ventilation. If you’re unsure how to do this, ask a professional. Electricians can offer the best advice on how to prep your panel and protect it in any season.

Schedule a Professional Maintenance Call

When’s the last time you called an electrician? Most people don’t think to have routine inspections, but doing so can spare you the hassle of outages and even the risk of electrical fires. Have a professional come and take a look at your entire electrical system. They can run tests to ensure your wiring is working properly, tighten connections, test voltages and check for overloads. If there are any issues, you’ll learn about them before you find yourself stuck in the middle of winter with no power.

Expert electrical service isn’t hard to find! Call our team at Wire Works in Lansing, MI, for professional help to prep your electrical panel for winter.