December Brings the Highest Electrical Demand of the Year

Between cold weather and holiday living, December becomes “peak load season” for most homes. Your panel is the traffic controller for everything powered in your house — and in December, it’s working overtime.

• Space heaters

• Holiday lights

• Heated blankets

• Ovens and stovetops

• Laundry appliances

• Furnaces and fireplace blowers

• Inflatable yard décor

• TVs, chargers, and endless electronics

All running at once = heavy demand.

⚡ What Happens When a Panel Is Struggling

Panels are designed to handle a certain amount of electrical load. But older panels, outdated breakers, or loose internal connections struggle during high-demand months.

Common warning signs include:

• Flickering or dimming lights

• Breakers tripping more often

• Outlets or switches feeling warm

• Buzzing sounds from the panel

• Burning or “hot plastic” smells

• Certain appliances causing lights to droop

These signs often show up first in December — not because the problem started now, but because the load finally revealed it.

🔌 Why Older Panels Are at the Highest Risk

Homes built before the early 2000s often have panels that weren’t designed for today’s usage. Add holiday décor + winter appliances to a panel already near capacity, and you get overloaded circuits and constant tripping.

This is especially true for:

• 100-amp panels

• Homes with electric heat

• Homes with hot tubs, EV chargers, or additions not originally planned

• Panels 25+ years old

• Homes with known problem brands (Federal Pacific, Stab-Lok, Zinsco, Challenger)

🛠️ What a Panel Inspection Can Prevent

A simple panel inspection can:

• Identify loose or overheated breakers

• Check for worn bus bars

• Locate overloaded circuits

• Spot dangerous wiring issues

• Confirm if your panel is sized correctly for your home

• Prevent holiday or winter power outages

• Reduce fire risk during the driest time of year

A small fix now can prevent costly damage later.

🎄 Don’t Let Holiday Power Problems Ruin Your December

The last thing homeowners want is flickering lights on movie night, tripping breakers during dinner, or losing heat because a breaker failed. A quick check today keeps everything running smoothly through winter break and holiday hosting.

📞 Call Bowman Electric — We’ll Make Sure Your Home Is Winter-Ready

If you’re noticing ANY electrical changes this month, your panel may be telling you it’s time for a checkup. From full panel inspections to upgrades and load calculations, we’ll make sure your home is safely powered through the entire holiday season. Call or message us today to get on the schedule!

Prepping Your Home’s Electrical System for Thanksgiving Cooking Week

Thanksgiving week brings family, food, and… a huge spike in electrical demand. Between ovens preheating for hours, multiple countertop appliances running at once, guests plugging in devices, and the cold weather pushing space heaters into action, your home’s circuits are under more strain than almost any other time of year.

Here’s how to stay powered, safe, and stress-free before the big day. 🍂⚡

🍳 1. Your Kitchen Uses More Power Than You Think

Ovens, microwaves, air fryers, crock pots, roasters, mixers — all running back-to-back — can overload circuits fast.If you’ve ever had a breaker trip mid-cooking, it’s usually because:

• Kitchens are on dedicated circuits

• High-draw appliances share the same line

• GFCIs or outlets are worn out

• Older wiring can’t keep up with modern appliances

Doing a quick test today ensures no holiday-meal interruptions.

🧯 2. Extension Cords Aren’t Designed for High-Heat Appliances

We see this every year: someone plugs in a roaster or electric skillet using an extension cord and… poof. 🔥High-wattage appliances → direct wall plug only. If you need more outlets: we install countertop-safe, code-approved GFCIs and circuits.

🛠️ 3. Space Heaters + Holiday Cooking = Peak Load

Cold Thanksgiving mornings mean space heaters are usually running at the exact same time as kitchen prep. This combo is one of the most common reasons circuits blow on Thanksgiving Day. If your kitchen lights dim when the heater kicks on, you’ve already got a warning sign.

📱 4. Guests Plugging In Everything = More Load

Extra phone chargers… extra lighting… gaming systems… electric blankets — it all adds up fast. When you’ve got a house full of people, every outlet gets used, and the demand on your panel climbs. If your panel is already near max capacity, this added load can easily push it over the edge.

⚡ 5. A Pre-Holiday Electrical Check Can Prevent a Thanksgiving Disaster

A quick service call can reveal:

• Loose or worn-out outlets

• Weak GFCIs

• Overloaded circuits

• Panels running at or near capacity

• Heating appliances sharing the wrong circuit

• Signs of overheating

These can be fixed before you're juggling turkey timers and breaker resets.

📞 Need help pre-Thanksgiving? We’ve got you.

Bowman Electric offers kitchen outlet upgrades, circuit testing, panel checks, and emergency troubleshooting so your holiday meal goes smoothly — and safely.

Call or message us today so you can cook with confidence! ⚡406-880-4777

Holiday Lighting Safety: What Homeowners Should Check Before the Decorating Rush

The weekend after Thanksgiving is the unofficial kickoff to holiday decorating. Before boxes of lights come down from the attic and inflatable snowmen go up in the yard, there’s one thing many homeowners overlook: electrical safety.

Outdoor holiday lighting can add unexpected stress to older outlets, worn extension cords, and circuits that aren’t designed to handle cold-weather conditions. Spending just a few minutes checking your setup now can prevent blown breakers, damaged light strings, and potential fire hazards once everything is plugged in.

Below is your homeowner-friendly breakdown of what to inspect before the decorating begins.

🔌 1. Inspect Your Outdoor Outlets

Outdoor outlets take a beating from weather, temperature swings, and moisture.

• Make sure your exterior outlets are GFCI-protected

• Test the Reset/Test buttons — they should click firmly

• If they won’t reset or feel loose → that’s a red flag

• Outlets exposed to snow or rain must be in weatherproof in-use covers

💡 Why it matters: GFCI protection prevents shock hazards in wet winter conditions.

🎯 2. Avoid Overloading Your Circuits

Holiday lights may look light and delicate, but they draw more power than people assume.

• Older incandescent strands pull heavy wattage

• Plugging too many strands into one outlet can overload a circuit

• LED lights use up to 85% less energy and stay cooler

💡 Pro Tip: If your outlet feels warm, breakers trip, or lights dim → the circuit is overworked.

🧊 3. Check All Light Strings for Wear & Tear

Every year, we see the same issues:

• Cracked insulation

• Exposed wires

• Loose bulbs

• Damaged or bent prongs

• Rodent-chewed cords

• Brittle wires from cold storage

If anything looks questionable — toss it. Holiday lights are cheap; your home is not.

🌧️ 4. Only Use Outdoor-Rated Lights & Extension Cords

Indoor cords and lights are not made to withstand snow, moisture, and Montana cold.

• Look for UL-listed outdoor-rated products

• Use heavy-duty extension cords

• Keep all plugs off the ground or snow

• Avoid running cords through doors or windows

💡 Tip: A weatherproof cord reel or stake box keeps everything tidy and protected.

⚡ 5. Consider Upgrading Outlets or Adding a Dedicated Circuit

If you decorate heavily (or plan to!), upgrades can save headaches and hazards:

• Install a dedicated outdoor circuit

• Add more GFCI outlets

• Upgrade aging outdoor wiring

• Convert old incandescent lights to LEDs

These upgrades protect your home and reduce the risk of blown fuses or flickering displays.

🛠️ 6. Have Your Outlets Checked Before Thanksgiving Weekend

The best time for a quick outlet inspection or small upgrade is before your lights are hung — not during a snowstorm or when the kids are halfway through decorating the tree.

A simple 15–20 minute check can make sure everything is ready for the season.

⚡ Need a Quick Check Before You Decorate?

If your outdoor outlets feel loose, your GFCIs won’t reset, or you’re not sure your wiring can handle this year’s holiday setup, we can take a look before the Christmas lights go up. A simple inspection or small upgrade now can save you from blown breakers, flickering displays, or unsafe conditions once everything’s plugged in. Send us a message anytime — we’ll make sure your home is ready for a bright, safe, trouble-free holiday season. 🎄✨