Angie's List: Electricity maintenance

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - As you work to keep your home in good shape, when was the last time you checked the electricity? Odds are you haven't. But, you shouldn't take all that power for granted.

The constant use of an outlet for a vacuum or any home appliance can lead to loose connections that eventually create a hazardous situation said Dennis Sheets, Vice President of Barth Electric.

"If you know where you plug your sweeper in all the time then that ought to be the outlet that is constantly checked. Because that is the one with typically the most stress in the house," said Sheets.

"People care about it most when it doesn't work. But often times we don't think about maintaining it," said Angie Hicks of Angie's List .

Angie said information on hiring an electrician is among the top five requests at Angie's List. She said while the state of Indiana doesn't require a license, many municipalities do including Marion County.

"Ask for an actual copy of their license. And then check their experience. Check their references," said Angie.

She also said check your home for potential electrical problems.

Sheets said, "A very good indication is to walk up to the panel and just run your hand kind of down the outside of the breakers and see if any of them are warm."

Sheets said warm is ok, hot is not. And he said there are a couple of small appliances to watch carefully.

"Hair dryers, curling irons, a lot of times ladies want to hook their curling iron up and turn around and put the hairdryer on at the same time. That will probably overload a circuit," said Sheets.

Sheets recommends trying not to use extension cords. And don't overload an outlet. It's also important to know if you have aluminum wiring in your home. It requires extra maintenance and needs to be checked more often than copper wire.