Electrical Inventions: Our Past, Present And Future
Our love of all things electrical has taken us on an amazing journey of electrical inventions.
The past
In the beginning, only the bare bones basic necessities were invented. A lightbulb. A telephone. Sure, we love those things, but they’re necessities. Humans are curious and insatiable. When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, it was a game-changer. No longer were we using electricity for the basics such as light and rudimentary communication. We’d finally crossed the threshold to using electricity for our own joy.
Since that time, the world has become flooded with inventions. The first public tv broadcast was in Germany in 1929. The first programmable computer was developed in 1941. The first home VCR came out in 1963.
Over fifty years later, we have everything from 3D printers to virtual reality. Technology moves so fast that the information taught to an incoming freshman IT engineer student today will be obsolete by the time he graduates.
The Present
What does the past have to do with the average homeowner today?
The answer is, potentially nothing. But, realistically, it would be greatly advantageous for him to keep up with mainstream technology. For one thing, the value of the average home is directly connected to electrical upgrades like energy efficiency, Smart technology, and solar power.
The world is moving at a swift pace, and as homeowners, we have the opportunity to move forward with it in order to protect our home, which is our primary real estate investment, from becoming dated or even obsolete.
A home that has mainstream technology will always appeal to people with higher incomes, which is generally the market we want to target when we decide to sell our homes.
The future
What if a homeowner decides this is his forever home?
That being the case, he will have an even greater opportunity: to provide himself and his family with the safest and best possible lighting, technology, security, and comforts that an upgraded electrical system can provide.
In caring for a home electrical system, the breaker panel has to be of high enough amperage to be able to handle the electrical load of the home. Most people opt for a 200 amp service unless it’s a large home, which can need up to 400 amps of service. Smaller, older homes can have a lower amp service in their breaker panel, but an upgrade should be planned.
The circuit breakers in the main breaker panel should be adequate to provide service to each room, set of outlets, or individual breakers dedicated to large appliances. In older homes, fuse boxes are used.
The wiring of a home should be of sufficient quality in good repair. If lights flicker, there is an odor or the breakers trip frequently, it’s time to upgrade the wiring.
Electrical sockets should a GFCI in areas where water is present, and should all be three prong receptacles.
If the home lacks enough electrical sockets for an electronically-oriented family, Lack of electrical outlets is one of the biggest complaints we hear with regard to electrical technology.
Hopefully, this has offered some insight into our rapidly-expanding electrical future. Our amazing and ongoing adventure into electrical inventions and upgrades will eventually be wireless. But, for now, at least, we owe it to ourselves to connect with our world by keeping up with basic safety options and upgrades as we look forward to the inventions of the future.
