Electric currents are running through your home at all times, and if you’ve ever experienced an outage, you’re probably familiar with your circuit breaker box. These devices, according to the team at Gutridge Electric in Newark, OH, help regulate the flow of electricity throughout a structure to keep a steady amount that doesn’t overload systems and cause safety issues. It’s important to understand how they function and how to care for them, and an electrician from their team explains below.

How Do Circuit Breakers Work?

When electricity is sent to your home through the power grid, it runs in a full charge that not everything is built to handle. Before being used in your home, it hits your circuit breaker, which then regulates how power is distributed. A constant, unregulated flow could cause fires, damage devices, and in general, poses a serious safety risk. A circuit breaker controls this by acting as a doorway that allows the electricity in. If levels are too high in your home, it will close the door on a certain circuit to prevent more electricity from entering. It’s a detailed, necessary process, and a breaker box should never be installed or maintained by anyone other than an electrician.

How Do I Care for Mine?

You want to keep your circuit breaker safe from damage, so always ensure there’s a panel on it and that any items that produce too much heat, cold, or may interfere with it are further away. You also need to be careful when hanging anything near it so you don’t damage the wiring. Generally, cleaning dust regularly from your breaker box is enough to keep it well maintained. You can have an electrician take a look if you’re dealing with any issues and provide further advice based on their assessment of it.

The team at Gutridge Electric Inc. is committed to ensuring their clients safely get the most from their home electrical systems, and with over 35 years of experience, can assist with all your needs. Whether it’s electrical wiring on new construction or basic electrical repair, an electrician will work closely with you to resolve any issues you’re dealing with. Call (740) 349-7624 today to speak with their team. You can also visit their website for more details about their services.