Home Electrical Safety Checklist for North Texas Homes: Room by Room

How do I use this checklist?

Print it or keep it on your phone and walk the house with it. Mark yes or no for each item. Items you can fix with a habit, such as moving a cord, are yours to handle. Anything that needs opening a wall, outlet, fixture or panel goes to a licensed electrician.

ESFI’s Home Electrical Safety Challenge is a similar room-by-room exercise. ESFI is clear that it is not a substitute for an inspection by a licensed, qualified electrician. The same applies here. This checklist helps you spot trouble. It does not replace a professional.

What should I check in the kitchen?

Check the cords, the surfaces and the outlets. Keep cooking areas clear of towels and pot holders. Keep cords away from hot surfaces and the sink. Plug countertop appliances into GFCI protected outlets, and test those outlets monthly. Unplug small appliances you are not using.

Use these questions from ESFI’s kitchen worksheet as a guide.

1. Are the range, oven and hood clean and free of debris?
2. Is the cooking area clear of towels, napkins and pot holders?
3. Is there room for air to flow behind the refrigerator?
4. Are electrical appliances kept away from the sink?
5. Are appliance cords in good shape and kept away from the toaster, oven and range?
6. Are there cords dangling where someone could pull or trip on them?
7. Are your GFCI outlets tested this month?

Call an electrician if kitchen outlets feel warm, buzz, spark, or lose power often. Read about the outlet in our glossary if you want the basics.

What should I check in living areas and bedrooms?

Check cover plates, cords, power strips, bulbs and fans. A hot cover plate or switch is a red flag. Do not run extension cords under rugs or use them as permanent wiring. Match bulbs to the fixture’s wattage rating. Keep fabric and paper away from lamps and bulbs.

Look at these items.

• Cover plates: Are they cracked or hot to the touch? ESFI’s worksheet asks about both.
• Extension cords and power strips: ESFI asks whether you use a cord as a permanent solution, and whether you rely on power strips because you have too few outlets. If yes to either, ask an electrician about adding outlets.
• Surge protection: ESFI asks whether computers and electronics are on a surge protector plugged into a grounded, three-prong outlet. Learn how a point-of-use surge protector differs from a whole-house unit.
• Bulbs: Do they match the fixture’s recommended wattage? Are they screwed in firmly?
• Ceiling fans: Do they wobble? Wobble can loosen the mount. Have it checked.
• Chargers: Unplug chargers and devices you do not need.

Bedrooms need working smoke alarms inside each sleeping room and outside sleeping areas. See our smoke and CO alarms guide for placement and replacement.

What should I check in the garage, laundry and utility areas?

Check the breaker panel, dryer, water heater, furnace and any large appliance. Keep the panel door clear and labeled. Keep lint and clutter away from the dryer. Do not store items in front of the panel. If any large appliance has ever shocked you, call an electrician.

ESFI’s worksheet for this area asks:

1. Is your breaker box labeled, and are circuits marked?
2. Have you replaced standard breakers with arc fault protection where appropriate, and tested them monthly?
3. Have you ever felt a slight shock from a large appliance?
4. Does the washer or dryer shake or move a lot?
5. Is the area around the dryer clean, and is the lint filter cleaned after every load?
6. Is the furnace cleaned and inspected by a licensed, qualified professional?
7. Is the water heater set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower?
8. Do you have a working carbon monoxide alarm on each level and outside sleeping areas?

Do not open the panel cover. A breaker panel has live parts inside, even with the main off. Only a licensed electrician should open it. If a breaker trips again and again, do not keep resetting it. Read our post on what to do when a breaker keeps tripping.

What should I check outdoors, around the pool and in the yard?

Check outdoor outlets, lights and cords, and keep water away from electricity. Outdoor outlets should be protected and have covers. Use only cords made for outdoor use. Keep ladders, pool tools and long poles far from overhead lines. If anything near water hums, sparks or tingles, stay out and call an electrician.

• Look for cracked or missing weatherproof covers on outdoor outlets.
• Check that outdoor and bathroom outlets are GFCI protected, and test them monthly.
• Keep trimming tools, ladders and antennas away from overhead power lines.
• Do not swim if you suspect electrical trouble in a pool or hot tub. Get out and keep everyone away. See our post on hot tub and pool electrical safety.
• Look at holiday lights and extension cords for damage before use.

TDLR adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code as the state electrical code, with a limited exception for GFCI requirements on certain outdoor outlets. Ask your electrician how it applies to a new outdoor outlet.

What should I do during storm season?

North Texas storms can cause outages, surges and downed lines. Prepare before the season. Know how to report an outage. Never use a portable generator indoors or in a garage. Stay away from downed lines. After a storm, check for water near outlets and for tripped breakers.

Plan ahead with these steps.

1. Know how to report an outage to your utility. Our post on power outages in Southlake, Grapevine and Keller covers who to call.
2. If you use a generator, CPSC says to run it outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the home, with the exhaust pointed away. Never run one inside a home or garage, even with doors and windows open.
3. Install battery-operated CO alarms or alarms with battery backup, as CPSC advises.
4. Unplug sensitive electronics during a storm if you can do so safely.
5. Consider a whole-house surge protector at the panel.
6. If you see a downed power line, stay far away, call 911 and call the utility.
7. After a storm, our post on electrical checks after a North Texas storm lists what to look for.

If your home has water in the panel or near outlets, do not touch anything. Call your utility and a licensed electrician.

How do I keep kids and older adults safe?

Cover unused outlets, cut down on cords, and keep small appliances out of reach. ESFI asks whether your home has tamper-resistant receptacles to reduce shock risk to children. For older adults, clear paths of cords, add night lights and keep alarms working. See what a tamper-resistant receptacle is in the glossary.

Simple steps for every household:

• Teach children never to put objects in outlets or pull on cords.
• Keep cords short and out of walkways.
• Keep liquids away from electronics.
• Check that people who are deaf or hard of hearing have alarms they can sense, such as strobe lights or bed shakers, as NFPA describes.
• Set a monthly reminder to test alarms and GFCIs.

When should I bring in a professional?

Call a licensed electrician for any warning sign, for older homes, and after big changes. ESFI recommends an electrical system inspection if your home is 40 years old or older, if you purchase a previously owned home, if there was a major renovation, or if you added major appliances in the last 10 years.

Stop and call for these signs:

Our guide to electrical warning signs explains these in more detail. To check a contractor before you hire, read how to hire a licensed electrician in Texas.

If you smell smoke or see fire, get everyone out and call 911.

Next step

Daniel Electric offers residential repairs and upgrades. Read about our residential electrician services, then call (817) 481-8606 or use the quote form at /contact to ask for a home electrical check or a repair.