Is it Time to Upgrade Your Outlets With USB Chargers?

Quick question – how many devices that charge with a USB drive live in your home right now? 4, 10, 25? It’s crazy how fast those smartphones, tablets, earbuds, and other devices start to add up, right? Next question: How much time do you spend running around looking for an adapter for the outlet so you can plug in your USB device? We can’t do much about how many devices your family loves, but we can stop the scramble for the chargers. It’s time to upgrade your outlets to include USB chargers.

Why USB?

Here’s the thing with outlets and USB chargers. There is an unwritten law from the land of Murphy that states these two items cannot coexist in the same room between charges. You know the feeling of sitting down to make a call or scan some email, and your battery is running on red. You glance to the outlet and the side table, not a charger in sight. So now, before you can accomplish anything, you need to search for the charger. Frustrating, isn’t it?

The easy way to solve the problem is to have USB ports installed right with your electrical outlets. So now, wherever it makes sense to put an outlet, there’s automatically a spot to recharge your device, no matter how many other things are plugged in.

Not Everything Has a Port, You Know

As smart as the world gets, good old electricity is still the connector of it all. Many homes, especially older homes, suffer from an outlet shortage. Some older homes still have outlets with only two prongs and no grounding prong or GFCI. Electricity comes into your home on a hot wire and exits on a neutral or ground wire. If that neutral wire has damage from a rodent or wear, it could be a fire hazard. A 3-pronged wire prevents that, as does a GFCI in the outlet.

Are Your Outlets GFCI Equipped? 

GFCI stands for “Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.” Electricity needs to ground and will always search for a way to do so. One way to make certain you don’t risk fire hazards is to make sure your outlets are GFCI outlets, with the ability to interrupt the circuit when it is subject to too much power imbalance built-in and a little button to reset the circuit. Even just one GFCI outlet on the circuit can be enough to protect your home. 

Grounding is an important issue for outlets with USB connections, so you don’t need to worry about damage to your connected devices in a power surge. 

Leviton USB Outlets Installed for You

With highly-trained electricians who have mastered the techniques of smart home technology, you have a winning combination to update the outlets and the technology in your home. 

At Wilcox Electric, we install Leviton USB outlets along with a full range of smart home technology. Check out our smart home bundle right here, and then call to make your appointment today. Request services online now or call (202) 546-1010. We can't wait to hear from you!