Summer is quickly approaching and you don’t want to be caught in the dark when it hits. Adding some new lighting around the outside of your home could be exactly what you need to brighten up those summer nights and help you enjoy the outdoors in the comfort of your own backyard. Here are a few suggestions that the electrical contractors recommend that to help you enjoy the summer.

The professional experts have other great tips, to offer, regarding lighting and general electrical tips that we can all use round the house.

• Install floodlights on the sides of your home for safety. These can be set up with motion sensors or on a switch.
• Adding low voltage landscape lighting will subtly highlight your yard and beautify your home at a low cost.
• Install coach lights on the front of your garage, not just for safety, but to give your home a welcoming touch.
• Install a few extra outlets for your holiday lighting so you don’t overload your circuit.
• Make sure you have bubble covers on all exterior outlets to help keep water out and defer little fingers from prying.
• Add GFI outlets inside and outside your home to help prevent dangerous and painful shocks.
• Install outdoor ceiling fans on your back patio and stay cool while you entertain your guests on these hot summer nights.
• Put your coach lights and patio lights on a timer to give outsiders the impression that someone is home.

Don’t know much about the electrical needs around the rest of your home? Don’t worry! Here are some handy tips and ideas you can put to use.

• If you have an extra fridge or freezer in your garage, do not plug it into a GFI outlet. The compressor on the motor will trip the circuit.
• Make sure you change your smoke detector batteries at least once a year and replace all of your smoke detectors every five to seven years. All the dust in the Arizona air will clog the filters and render them useless.
• Be sure that the wattage on your lamps matches up with the wattage required by your light fixture. If they are different, it will burn up your fixture faster.
• Check to see if your microwave is on its own dedicated circuit. When used, it draws on a significant amount of energy and can take down a whole circuit if it is not by itself.
• Replace all existing incandescent bulbs with LEDs or CFLs to save energy.
• Installing ceiling fans in all of the rooms in your home will not only keep you cool in the summer, but helps distribute heat evenly when reversed in the wintertime. In addition, your A/C unit will run less, saving you money.
• Install a surge protector in your panel in order to shield your electrical system from harmful surges, which are especially common around the monsoon season.
• If you have flickering lights throughout your home, call a licensed electrician to check your panel for loose connections and weak breakers.
• Installing an attic fan keeps your house cool and your bills low.
• Make sure you have an electrical safety inspection annually.
• Have your home checked for an outdated and hazardous aluminum wiring system. Aluminum wiring has been known to start fires in the panel, whereas copper wiring is considered to be much safer.
• Add ARC fault breakers to protect all bedrooms, especially kid’s rooms, from hazards.
• If breakers in box are arcing or not making good connections, they pull more energy as they try to make a connection. This will unnecessarily raise your electric bill.