Is it time to update your outlets? This may not be the easiest question to answer! Your outlets are a fairly commonplace thing in your home—usually if they’re not acting up, they’re pretty much ignored. Unfortunately, by the time you get to the place where your outlets are acting up, you could be putting yourself in danger of a serious electrical malfunction or fire.

So what are some signs that you need to update your outlets? Let the experts at Kolb Electric answer!

There are a few sure-fire signs you need new outlets.

Along with these signs, you could need a new outlet for any of the appliances listed below. If your home isn’t wired to appropriately power them, you could experience frequent tripped breakers!

Since the advent of the incandescent (and even before), quality of light has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Regrettably, that quality has mostly been unfortunate. When incandescent lights were the only choice, the early 20th century population complained about the glare and the possible dangers of electricity.

Case in point: on an episode of Downton Abbey (Masterpiece’s smash hit about an elite family living on an estate in the early 1900’s), the prim and hilarious Dowager Countess laments the new electric lamps:

“Such a glare! I couldn’t have electricity in the house – I wouldn’t sleep a wink. All those vapors seeping about. Feels as if  I were on stage at the Gaiety.”     

This Old House on how to use them in your home application.

1. THEY SAVE ENERGY

Yes, you’ve heard it a million times, but it’s true – LED is changing the future of lighting around the world. Residential LEDs — especially ENERGY STAR rated products — use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer, than standard incandescent lights. They are also used in developing countries with no access to electricity to help people study, complete tasks and increase their own safety.

2. THEY ARE GREAT FOR COMMERCIAL USE AND RESIDENCES ALIKE

LED technology is advancing so rapidly that there is hardly an application not suited for it.  Because of their highly efficient and directional nature, LEDs are ideal for many industrial uses. You have most certainly seen them used in in street and roadway lights, parking garages, parks and stadiums, refrigerated case lighting, modular lighting, and task lighting.