Why Is Air Coming From My Electrical Outlets?
In the average home today, we rely on our ability to plug in all our devices to our electrical systems. When our systems are working great, we won’t even give it a second thought. But, if you start to feel cold air coming from your electrical outlets, it can be a cause for concern.
What’s Creating the Air Problem?
If you press your hand against your outlets and you feel cold air, it’s a sign that your home isn’t insulated. The feeling is the cold air from outside seeping into your home via the outlets on your exterior walls. To fix this issue, you’ll need to better insulate your home.
How to Fix This Issue
You can insulate all the walls of your home to reduce the amount of airflow from your electrical outlets. But, that may not always be an option for your budget. You can insulate your electrical outlets with a very cost-effective solution. These are outlet gaskets, and they’re made of polyethylene foam. You can find these gaskets at many of your local hardware stores and online. You’ll need to buy a foam gasket that has the appropriate electrical outlets to match your setup. Some homes have a standard three-prong outlet on the top and two USB ports underneath that. For this set up, you’ll need to buy a gasket that matches that specific setup. Sometimes, you can’t find a foam gasket to insulate that matches your desired shape. If that’s the case, then you can buy a full foam gasket and cut it to match your individual needs. When you go to install the gasket, you’ll need to remove the screws that hold on the wall plate cover. You should place the foam gasket behind that wall plate cover. Make sure that you apply pressure to the wall plate and your foam gasket as you’re screwing them in place. This prevents it from moving from its proper place.
Why Call an Electrician for Help?
It’s always a good idea to contact an electrician when you have air coming from your outlets. You want to bring them out and have them assess the condition of the outlet as well as its surrounding location. You don’t want it to experience any moisture coming from the outdoors. You also want to avoid any other adverse conditions that could damage your outlets or hurt you. You can ensure that your outlet has proper insulation and gain necessary peace of mind.
Call Us Today
If you’re struggling with cold air near your electrical outlets, then it’s time to contact us. Let our helpful electricians help you insulate your outlets. We can reduce any air coming through them.
