Upgrade your Home with USB Combo Outlets
How often do you find yourself struggling to find a plug in your home to charge your newest electronic gadget? Outlets that are a combination of traditional plugs and USB ports can be a fantastic benefit in your Pinellas County, Florida, home.
USB Combo Outlets
USB combo outlets are similar to the standard outlets you have around your home; the difference is that a couple of USB ports are located between the traditional plug outlets.
Some models of USB combo outlets have only USB ports, doing away with the traditional outlets completely. For office spaces or other places where you heavily use technology, these might be a great addition.
The Advantages of USB Combo Outlets
There are many advantages to USB combo outlets; from reducing clutter to the reasonable price, there’s no reason not to upgrade your home’s power outlets.
Reduces Counter Clutter
By getting rid of bulky power adapters for your electronic devices, you get to improve the visual sleekness of your power outlets. Now all you need to charge your electronic device is the USB cable. Make sure to unplug the cable when you’re finished charging or you’ll have energy vampires.
Choose Your Own Style
USB combo outlets weren’t very popular a few years ago, so there weren’t many style or color choices. Now, you can find these types of plugs almost anywhere, and they come in every color and style that traditional plug outlets come in.
Reasonable Price
As the USB combo outlet becomes more popular and technology advances, the cost is coming down. USB combo outlets can be found for as little as $10, with prices sometimes ranging from $20 to $40. For those low prices, you can put USB combo outlets in every room, even the kitchen!
One thing to keep in mind when choosing your USB combo outlet is electrical safety regulations. It can be tempting to buy the cheapest USB combo outlet, but it’s important to look for good customer reviews and the UL-rating which proves electrical safety.
Where to Buy a USB Combo Outlet
You can find USB combo outlets at your local hardware store or online. You’re likely to have tons of color and style choices online that may not be available at local retailers. You may never have noticed what the outlet plates look like in your home, so be sure to take a look at them before ordering USB combo outlets.
When buying a USB combo outlet, it’s also important to note the USB amperage. If the seller doesn’t make clear the amperage for the traditional plugs and the USB ports, look for another product. If you want to charge larger devices, such as tablets, you’ll want a 2A USB port.
USB Combo Outlets in Older Homes
Installing a USB combo outlet isn’t totally simple. Most models of USB combo outlets are twice as deep as traditional outlets. This means that in older homes, the junction box may not be large enough to accommodate a USB combo outlet.
Older homes can be retrofitted to include USB combo outlets, but it takes a little more effort. To install a larger junction box, your electrician may need to cut and patch the surrounding wall.
One other thing to keep in mind with older homes is the amount of amperage that your home has. Older home will have lower amperage, meaning that your devices may charge at slower rates. For most modern homes, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Installation of USB Combo Outlets
If you’re a handy DIYer, feel free to install your own USB combo outlet. This isn’t a difficult task for someone with a little electrical know-how. Be sure that if you are installing your own to flip the break before you start.
If you have any concerns about installing your own outlets, don’t hesitate to call a skilled and knowledgeable electrician. When rewiring outlets, there are potential electrical problems that only a trained electrician can help you with.
If you’re ready to make the switch to USB combo outlets, give Luminous Electric a call anytime to set up an appointment. Our trained electricians will be more than happy to help you make the switch and safely install the USB combo plugs in your home.
