The modern home relies upon electricity to do just about everything on a daily basis. From powering the refrigerator or the TV to simply turning on lights, your family depends upon electricity for virtually all their daily functions inside the home. But having electricity without outlets is pretty much pointless.

Broken outlets that cannot supply enough electricity to an appliance can be frustrating and dangerous. The repair or upgrade that a family needs for their outlets can be easily taken care of by their local professional electrician.

Regardless of the age of your home, it might benefit from upgrading the electrical outlets. Outlets have come a long way and current options include GFCI, USB, and “smart” outlets. Consider whether any of the outlets featured below might be good for your home.

Switched Outlets

This kind of outlet comes with a port that that has one switch attached to it. The switch can control the flow of electricity to the outlet so whatever is being powered by the outlet doesn’t have to be turned on at all times. You can simply disconnect or connect the outlet by switching it on or off instead of taking out the device.

GFCI Outlets

GFCI ground fault circuit interrupter outlets impede the flow of electricity if there’s a short circuit or ground fault detected. This type of outlet will keep you from being electrocuted if water is introduced to it, which is the primary reason they’re required in bathrooms, kitchens, and other areas near water. They look very much like a regular outlet, with two buttons that allow you to reset the outlet in the event it is tripped. If you have an older home, you may not have these installed near water sources, but it’s an easy fix. Just call in a professional and have them installed to protect your family.

AFCI Outlets

Many older homes may not have these outlets present at all, as Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets did not become standard until 1999. Nowadays, an AFCI outlet is installed right at the breaker box, and it helps to prevent electricity from jumping from wire to wire which is something that can cause fires. To protect electric wire lines in older homes, qualified electricians can install ACFI outlets either at a breaker box or the start point of each circuit.

20A Outlets

Some appliances like electric ranges and clothes dryers typically require more power than is supplied by the average outlet. Laundry rooms and kitchens typically have 20A outlets for appliances with high power demands, such as washers and dryers or refrigerators. The only visible difference between a regular outlet and a 20A outlet is a small slit that runs perpendicular to the prong opening on the left side.

If your breakers are continually tripping or an appliance needs more energy than your outlets can provide, an electrician can help you switch to these 20A models and easily get your appliances to run at full strength.

USB Outlets

Most modern devices use USB power cords but you can’t plug them directly into an outlet without using an adapter, which makes it inconvenient. Fortunately, some types of outlets have USB ports on themselves so you don’t have to worry about not having an adapter when you need to power your device. Typically USB outlets can have four USB ports and no regular ports or two regular ports with two USB ports. An experienced electrician can easily install USB outlets wherever you like in your home.

Smart Outlets

Anything plugged into a smart outlet can be controlled with your phone, tablet, or smart speaker instead of having to use a switch. This makes it easy to control your devices and even allows you to set schedules to turn them off and on when you want to.

You can schedule your lights to turn on and off at certain times so it looks like somebody is home in order to prevent theft. Landlords can set a timetable for smart outlets to be more cost-effective and reduce their power bills. While a smart outlet does cost more than a standard one, they have a variety of benefits and applications.

An electrician must immediately check outlets that don’t work or look like they have burn marks on them. Working with electrical power can be risky for those new to the various wires and the home’s system, especially if issues are currently present. That is why to prevent the risk of injuring yourself in the process, simply call for your local electrician to fix it.