How to properly pack electrical equipment

Each time you move, it's pretty much a guarantee that you'll have to deal with moving electrical devices. And many people aren't exactly sure how to tackle this task. It's not the same thing as packing your kitchen plates, sofas, let alone clothes. In fact, these little devices are probably among the most valuable items you own. So, it's strongly advisable to learn how to properly pack electrical equipment for relocation.

Of course, you'll have a lot of things to do by the time your movers arrive. All these additional obligations you get with relocating can often overwhelm a person. And you shouldn't forget about home maintenance tasks either. So, to help you get through everything without breaking any of those expensive gadgets you have, we created this guide. 

Before you start packing electrical equipment

Back up your files

Before you start packing anything, make sure that you have all of your data saved. For instance, all of us use computers for storing all kinds of different information. If we don't want to lose that information, we need to back up our computers fairly regularly. We can't stress enough how important this is if you're preparing to perform a commercial relocation. 

Backups don't have to be scary or complicated either. It's just a simple matter of dragging whatever you don't want to lose onto a separate USB flash drive. This is the easiest and one of the safest ways of securing your data. The best of all is that it's so portable you can have everything in your pocket at all times.

For backing up your files, you don't need anything else besides a USB flash drive.

Take a lot of pictures

If you have any electrical devices that need to be disassembled before moving, be sure to take as many pictures of their current assembly as you can. This is an easy enough thing to do with smartphones that we carry at all times, and it can save you from lots of stress later.

On the other hand, if you don't want to deal with thinking about where all those wires should go, you can always get help from the experts. In all honesty, even some household devices can be more than a bit confusing to connect correctly. So, there's nothing wrong with seeking assistance from professionals.

Additional preparatory tips

After you have backed all your data up and removed all cords properly, there are a few more things to do before you jump into packing. 

• Fold the cords and secure them with rubber bands;
• Keep all the accessories for each device in one place;
• Take the batteries out of all electronics and remotes;
• Eject any CDs or DVDs you may still have in your devices;
• Remove toners from printers and protect them from dust with plastic bags;
• Clean all small household appliances before disassembling them.

Packing your electrical equipment

Gather packing supplies

Now that you know all the preparatory steps, we can explain how to pack electrical equipment properly. If you choose to do everything by yourself, you'll have to focus your attention on the types of packing materials you'll need. 

It's worth mentioning that the original retail packaging is always the best way to go, if possible. So, before you start shopping for supplies, check if you can find the original boxes for anything you need to transport. 

If you don't have that option, there are a few things you need to get your hands on. These include paper tape, electrical tape, packing tape, static resistant plastic wrap, and cardboard boxes of different sizes. Similarly to performing a home inspection, you must make sure not to skip any steps. You'll need all of the items we mentioned to be able to do everything correctly. 

The quality of your packing supplies is one of the most important factors for anyone who knows how to properly pack electrical equipment.

Carefully wrap everything

Once you have all of your supplies ready, it's time to start wrapping your equipment. Static resistant plastic bags are always the first level of protection when dealing with these types of devices. These are here to protect your precious gadgets from static electricity that can accumulate on other packing supplies during the transport. It's hard to believe it, but a single static discharge that could happen in the back of a moving truck can wipe your whole hard drive out.

Choose a box for each device that isn't much bigger than the device itself and cushion it with plastic wrap or towels. Try to fill any space inside the containers, so your equipment doesn't wiggle around. For this, you can use packing paper or newspapers.

Close the boxes and seal them with strong packing tape. This is acting as another level of protection, even from moisture. So, it's one of the electrical safety tips that could save your life. If you're moving something extra fragile, it's wise to double-box. Also, label these boxes as fragile and note which side of the box has to stay up. 

Unpacking and reinstalling your electronics

To some extent, packing your electronics is just half the battle. Therefore, we have also prepared a few tips for getting all of your devices up and running again quickly. 

Be careful when unpacking

Always unpack boxes that contain your electronics in the rooms where you'll install them. Go through all the packing materials and supplies to find any small items like cables or screws that may be hardly noticeable. If you've made an inventory, make sure to consult it before throwing anything away. If not, wait with waste disposal until everything is up and running properly.

Check your box inventory list to make sure you unpacked everything before tossing them away.

Getting your head around the cables

One of the trickiest parts of unpacking and reinstalling electronics that people always complain about is making sure everything is connected and working. Luckily, there's a simple shortcut to getting there.

Just unpack one item at a time, and don't go over to the next one until the first start functioning. Begin with the devices that have the most connections and cables and work your way down.

And that's pretty much everything there is about how to properly pack electrical equipment. Take your time with packing as well as with unpacking, take all the precautions, and you won't have any problems.