Home electrical safety checklist: what to check, and how often

By Torriono Kelly, master electrician · New Orleans

Most electrical fires and shocks start with something small that went unnoticed for months. A short routine, run a few times a year, catches nearly all of it before it becomes a repair or an emergency.

New Orleans homes work harder than most. Heat and humidity age wiring and connections faster, storm season puts water where it should never be, and a lot of our housing stock was wired for a different era of electrical load. The checklist below is what a licensed electrician looks at, written so you can run the safe parts yourself and know when to bring someone in.

1. The main electrical panel

Once a month, open the panel door and look, without touching the breakers. The panel should be dry, free of rust, and quiet. Rust streaks, scorch marks, a warm cover, a buzzing or crackling sound, or a burning smell all mean stop and call an electrician. Make sure nothing is stacked against the panel and that you can reach it easily, because one day you may need to in a hurry.

Every three to five years, have the panel inspected properly. Move that up if your home is more than about 25 years old, still runs on a fuse box, or has a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, since those brands are known to fail without tripping. Any panel that has been rained on or flooded should be inspected before you rely on it again.

2. GFCI outlets and breakers

Ground fault protection is what cuts the power before a shock near water becomes fatal. You will find it on outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, laundry areas, and anywhere outdoors, either as an outlet with TEST and RESET buttons or as a breaker in the panel.

Once a month, plug a lamp into each protected outlet, turn it on, and press TEST. The lamp should go dark. Press RESET and it should come back. If pressing TEST does nothing, or the outlet will not reset, the device has worn out and needs to be replaced. GFCIs have a lifespan, and an old one can quietly stop protecting the circuit while still passing power.

3. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Press the test button on every alarm once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year, even in hardwired units that have a battery backup. If an alarm chirps, or goes off when you cook or shower, do not pull the battery and leave it. Move it, clean it, or replace it.

Alarms wear out. Replace a smoke alarm 10 years after its manufacture date, and a carbon monoxide alarm every five to seven years, or on the date printed on the back of the unit. If you have gas appliances or an attached garage, a working carbon monoxide alarm on every level is not optional.

4. Exterior outlets, covers, and cords

Walk the outside of the house a few times a year. Every outdoor outlet should have an intact weatherproof cover that closes over a plugged-in cord, and every one should be GFCI protected. Look for cracked covers, loose boxes, corrosion, and outlets that have pulled away from the wall.

Before storm season, and again before you hang holiday lighting, check that outdoor cords and timers are rated for outdoor use and are not cracked or taped. Running heavy loads through a worn extension cord is one of the most common causes of an outdoor fire.

5. Grounding and bonding

Grounding and bonding are the parts of the system you cannot see and cannot test with a lamp. They give fault current a safe path and keep metal parts of the home from becoming live. Older New Orleans homes often have grounding that was correct when it was installed and no longer meets the load the house carries today.

Have an electrician verify grounding and bonding every few years, and any time the home changes in a meaningful way: a panel upgrade, a generator, a pool or hot tub, a major appliance, or a renovation that opened up walls. Two prong outlets throughout the house are a sign this needs attention.

6. The warning signs that mean call now

Some things do not wait for your next check. Stop using the circuit and call an electrician the same day if you notice an outlet or switch plate that feels warm, a burning or fishy smell near an outlet or the panel, lights that dim or flicker when an appliance kicks on, a breaker that trips again and again, a shock or tingle from an appliance, or scorch marks around a plug.

If you smell burning at the panel itself, or see smoke, get everyone out and call the fire department first.

When to bring in a licensed electrician

The monthly looking and testing is yours to do. The rest belongs with someone licensed: opening the panel, replacing a GFCI or breaker, anything involving grounding, and any of the warning signs above. In Louisiana, work on your home's permanent wiring should be done by a licensed electrical contractor, both for safety and for insurance if anything ever goes wrong.

TK Electric is family owned and has served New Orleans for more than 20 years, led by master electrician Torriono Kelly. Call or text (504) 514-8224, or request a free estimate.