Your Home Office’s Electrical Requirements
With working from home the new normal, home offices are a necessity. Understanding, planning, and implementing your office’s electrical requirements will help you achieve an area that is not only functional, but also a space you enjoy being in.
Understanding, Planning, and Implementing Electrical Requirements for a Home Office
1. Consider the Power Requirements of All Needed Electrical Equipment
Take inventory of all the electrical equipment that you utilize to complete your work. Computers, laptops, servers, additional monitors, printers, routers, charging stations, your side lamp, that fan you have to have blowing at all times, etc. can quickly overload circuits causing service disruptions and/or damaging equipment. Ensure there is enough available voltage to power all the equipment of your home office without disrupting the rest of the house.
Next, map out the room including where you would like to place the equipment. Note where the existing outlets are located. Also note where you would like to have new outlets installed. Running daisy-chained extension cords is neither aesthetically pleasing nor safe.
2. Consider Heat and Noise Emissions from Your Office Equipment
All electronic equipment emits heat and noise to some degree. When planning your office electrical set-up, consider noise and heat emission. Additional cooling equipment may need to be installed to ensure that the temperature of your home office remains comfortable for both you and your equipment.
3. Dedicated Circuits For your Home office
The equipment used in your home office may draw more than the standard voltage requirements for your already established home. In this case, install a dedicated circuit. A dedicated office circuit has its own circuit breaker and electricity distribution in your home’s electrical panel. This circuit and breaker are “dedicated” for use with only your office system, allowing no other appliances or equipment to draw energy from this circuit. Dedicated office circuits ensure items such as your computers are able to access needed energy without overloading your system or tripping a breaker for the entire house. Whether you are using heavy processing technical gear or simply adding additional outlets, dedicated circuits help to avoid damage to your equipment and the rest of your home.
4. Electrical Panel Upgrades
If the electrical needs of your home office are really robust, a panel upgrade and new wiring may be the remedy.
5. Consult with an Expert
Seek an expert to review or design your office electrical set-up. For example, a qualified electrician can not only determine if the circuit can accommodate the power load, but can also help flesh-out requirements which may be overlooked by those not in the industry. An expert can also suggest ways to ensure your set-up is as energy-efficient as possible.
6. Use a Reputable Electrician to Complete the Work
It goes without saying, but when electricity is not handled properly it is very dangerous. Sparks and surges from overloaded circuits, improperly wired outlets, etc will cause great damage to your equipment - and worse yet, possibly to you and your family. Don’t take chances with your safety. Work with professionals that are licensed, bonded, insured, and have a positive reputation.
If you are in the Westchester and Fairfield county area and areplanning a home office space, call us at 914-591-0100. Consolidated Hudson Electric provides the best expert consultation for your electrical project.
