The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed our day-to-day lives in unprecedented ways. With most institutions adopting remote work for employees to prioritize their safety, many people are new to the work-from-home world. Workplace decentralization and the rise of the gig economy employment model mean that remote working may be here to stay. As such, it’s crucial to make your work environment as comfortable as possible. Here we come to electrical upgrades that can do this.
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Even if you haven’t thought about it, it’s helpful to have a separate workspace in the home. Having an optimized home office can tremendously improve productivity. Whether you’re converting an old bedroom or the basement, the proper electrical upgrades play a crucial role in making your work experience the best it could be.
Electrical Upgrades
Here are four electrical upgrades that will improve your remote work productivity:
Improved Lighting Provisions
Lighting may be the last thing on your mind, yet it can make or break your work experience. One of the most popular electricians in Dover notes that dim lighting leads to eye-straining, drowsiness, and an inability to focus. From having better visuals in meetings to improving the workspace’s ambiance, lighting is crucial for creating a productive home office environment.
Be sure to have adequate overhead lighting to provide adequate general room light and ambient lighting to help create the mood you find most productive. Task lighting is also essential, especially when handling assignments. It’s advisable to adopt LED lighting for your home office, as it’s cheaper, consumes less electricity, and lasts longer.
Hard-Wired Internet Connection
When it comes to working from home, nothing is as critical as high-quality and uninterrupted internet access. From attending online meetings to accessing online working platforms, almost every remote-work aspect relies on internet connectivity. Even though most devices offer a Wi-Fi option, drawbacks such as inconsistent connection and hacker vulnerability may hamper your productivity.
As such, a hard-wired internet connection may save you the hassle of dealing with sketchy video-conference performance and high latency. Such connections also allow you to add multiple devices without affecting the internet speed. Given office work may take up a lot of bandwidth, it’s advisable not to share the same Wi-Fi as the rest of the house.
Surge Protectors
Office work requires numerous electrical appliances and outlets. Thus, it’ll increase your electricity demand. Depending on your electrical circuit, increased demand may lead to electrical malfunctions. Aside from that, you need to protect the equipment from sudden power surges that can occur in the home due to other reasons such as electrical storms.
Ensure your electrical circuit is fitted with safety provisions such as surge protectors, circuit breakers, and insulated wiring. On top of protecting your investment, you’ll be keeping your home and family safe from electrical fires and other electricity-related mishaps. It’s advisable to use the same professional electrician even if your home office is on a separate circuit.
Electrical Panel Upgrade
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Setting up a productive home office means adding more power outlets, separate circuits, and increased electricity demand. It’s therefore imperative to make sure that your electrical infrastructure can handle the added provisions. If your electrical circuit is more than ten years old, it’s advisable to bring in a professional to examine its ability to handle the extra demand.
While doing so, remember to consider your HVAC system, kitchen appliances, and other existing electrical equipment. Some electrical panels, if overworked, can lead to electrical fires. Upgrading it may be necessary to avoid unwanted strain on the electrical system. Remember, your and your family’s safety is paramount.
Create The Perfect Working Environment
There are plenty of reasons to improve your home office setup, especially with companies migrating to remote-first workplace models. Enhancing your productivity will have a positive impact beyond work. You’ll have more time to spend with your family. Keep your home office electrically optimized to reassure your clients and employers that you’re just as productive, if not more, at home.
In case you have architectural, structural, and MEP design requirements, feel free to contact us. We provide you with the full permit set design + T24.
