Modern homes rely on more electricity than ever, which makes smart safety upgrades one of the best investments you can make in your family’s protection and your home’s value. Anything beyond basic checks like testing a breaker or replacing a light bulb should be handled by a licensed electrician from Northern Water and Power to keep your system safe and code-compliant.​

Why Electrical Safety Upgrades Matter

• Electrical failures remain a leading cause of residential fires, and many older homes were never designed for today’s loads (HVAC, electronics, EV chargers, etc.).​

• Modern safety devices—GFCI, AFCI, and surge protection—are now recommended or required by current electrical codes and insurance carriers in many areas.​

• A professional inspection can reveal hidden issues like loose connections, aging aluminum wiring, overloaded circuits, or ungrounded outlets long before they cause shocks, nuisance tripping, or fires.​

For any concerns beyond simple outlet testing or flipping a tripped breaker, schedule an inspection with Northern Water and Power’s journeyman electricians serving North Idaho and Eastern Washington.​

1. Install GFCI Protection in Wet Areas

• Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) monitor the current leaving and returning to a circuit and shut power off in milliseconds if they detect a dangerous imbalance, dramatically reducing shock risk.​

• GFCIs are required in locations where water and electricity can mix—kitchens, bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms, unfinished basements, and outdoor outlets—but many older homes still lack proper protection or use outdated, unreliable devices.​

If an outlet near water is not GFCI-protected, or if your “TEST/RESET” buttons don’t work reliably, that’s beyond DIY—have Northern Water and Power replace or add GFCI outlets or breakers and verify grounding and wiring are correct.​

2. Upgrade to AFCI Breakers for Fire Prevention

• Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) breakers detect dangerous arcing conditions caused by damaged insulation, loose connections, or deteriorated wiring—issues that standard breakers often do not catch.​

• AFCI protection is now required or strongly recommended for many living areas such as bedrooms, living rooms, and hallways because it can significantly reduce the risk of electrical fires.​

Installing or retrofitting AFCI breakers in your panel involves working inside your electrical service equipment, which should only be done by a qualified electrician from Northern Water and Power.​

3. Add Whole‑Home Surge Protection

• Whole‑home surge protective devices (SPDs) installed at the main electrical panel protect sensitive electronics, appliances, HVAC equipment, and well systems from voltage spikes caused by lightning, utility switching, or large appliances cycling on and off.​

• Many homes still rely on cheap plug‑in strips, which only protect devices plugged into that strip and offer no real protection for hard‑wired equipment like furnaces, pumps, or refrigerators.​

Because SPDs tie directly into your panel and must be properly sized and grounded, this upgrade should be handled by Northern Water and Power’s electrical team, especially if your home also relies on a well pump or other critical equipment.​

4. Modernize Your Electrical Panel and Circuits

• Older panels may lack capacity for today’s loads, rely on obsolete or unsafe breaker designs, or show signs of overheating, corrosion, or double‑tapped breakers—all of which can be serious safety hazards.​

• Upgrading your panel can provide additional circuits, improve reliability, reduce nuisance tripping, and make room for future additions like hot tubs, shop equipment, or EV chargers.​

Any signs of rust, buzzing, warm breakers, frequently tripping circuits, or a panel older than a few decades warrant a professional evaluation—panel work is never a DIY project and should be performed by Northern Water and Power’s licensed journeyman electricians.​

5. Replace Outdated Outlets and Wiring

• Ungrounded, two‑prong outlets, visibly damaged receptacles, or discolored faceplates can indicate aging or overheated wiring that no longer meets modern safety standards.​

• Upgrading to grounded, tamper‑resistant receptacles and addressing any aluminum or deteriorated wiring improves both safety and usability, especially in homes with children or heavy electronics usage.​

Replacing receptacles, troubleshooting frequent outlet failures, or addressing suspected wiring problems should move straight to a service call with Northern Water and Power, where experienced electricians can diagnose and repair safely rather than “band‑aid” issues at the device level.​

When to Call Northern Water and Power

• You experience repeated breaker trips, flickering lights, warm or buzzing outlets or panels, burning smells, or shocks when touching appliances.

• You are planning a remodel, adding large appliances, installing a hot tub, EV charger, or new well pump, or your home is more than 20–30 years old and has never had a full electrical checkup.​

For any electrical work beyond basic troubleshooting, Northern Water and Power offers 24/7 support, safety‑focused journeyman electricians, and integrated expertise in both electrical and well systems—helping protect your home, water, and family with professional-grade upgrades.