Category: Electrician Blog

Knowing how to do little projects around the house when they come up is a great skill to have. This way you know that when you have a clogged toilet or a light bulb that has gone out, you don’t have to call a professional and pay the extra money – because, you can do it on your own. Unless the maintenance job is something a bit more complicated.

One of these situations is when you need to change a light bulb, but the glass of the bulb is broken, leaving nothing for you to hold onto and twist.

This situation can happen for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes, it is in a lamp that has fallen over and the light bulb broke. Or, maybe your overhead light fixture was broken by a rogue ball that shouldn’t have been thrown in the house.

In any case, it is no longer a simple task of changing a light bulb. Now, you have to worry about the broken glass and the potential for being electrocuted.

Here are some steps that you can follow to safely change a light bulb that has broken:

• The first step is to ignore any advice that you have heard about using a potato to remove a broken light bulb. This is definitely not something that we recommend.
• Then, go to the breaker box for your home (the metal cabinet that has all of the switches) and turn the switch off for that particular socket. You can purchase a voltage detector from your favorite home improvement store, which will test and confirm that the socket does not have any power to it.
• Next, make sure to put on a pair of heavy-duty leather work gloves. This is to protect your fingers from the broken glass or sharp metal edges.
• Grab ahold of any part of the light bulb that you can, and begin twisting until it starts to loosen. The metal might start to rig apart, and that’s fine because it will rip into a long ribbon until it is out.
• If using your fingers does not work, grab a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Pinch the metal or bit of glass and try to twist the light bulb out.

Sometimes the maintenance projects around your home get a little bit complicated. Sometimes, they are not as simple as you planned for them to be and, the situation suddenly gets a little more dangerous than expected. Follow these tips for help!

Thousands of families across the Country watch their home go up in flames every year. The lucky ones only lose all of their possessions.

Thankfully, there are many ways that you can avoid electrical fires in your home, and the month of February has been named National Electrical Safety Month to create awareness of just such things. Often times, people use electricity in their homes without much thought.

We flip on the lights, turn on the dishwasher, and use the television or computer all without thinking much about the electricity that helps to power all of these things.

The fact is, your home’s electrical system is surrounding you at all times while you are inside of the house. There are wiring running in all of the walls, ceiling, and even in the floor that work to bring power to the place in your house where you need it.

Unfortunately, that means that your home is always at risk for some kind of electrical issue. With time, the electrical system in your home can break down and become corroded. Things like raccoons or mice burrowing in your attic will wreak havoc on your electrical system. And, just plain not making smart choices about using electricity in your home can lead to serious damage and fire.

Here are a couple of safety tips that you can follow to safely use electricity in your home:

• Never put more than one kitchen appliance that produces heat into an outlet at one time. For instance, do not run the coffeemaker and then make toast while they are both plugged into the same outlet. This can cause the outlet to get too hot and burn up.
• Never keep electrical appliances in your bathroom. There is a lot of water in the bathroom between running the sink and taking showers, it is too easy for an electrical appliance to get knocked into the water.
• Only use extension cords for temporary electricity. They should never be used as a permanent source of electricity in your home.

The number one cause of house fires in the US is something related to the electrical system of the home. Whether it is an appliance with faulty wiring, an extension cord that has been used as permanent wiring, or a misuse of an appliance, electrical issues will quickly lead to house fires and significant damage to your home.

Using space heaters during the winter months is just one way that people use to keep warm. If you have a home that is a little drafty or, if your primary source of heat is a fireplace and there are some cold spots around your home, a space heater might be an excellent solution.

Just like with any electrical items, space heaters should be used with a level of safety in mind so that everyone is kept safe from injury, and your home isn’t at risk of catching fire.

Here are just a few ways that you can safely use space heaters inside of your home:

• Never use a space heater when it is plugged into an extension cord. Plug your space heater into a designated electrical outlet. Make sure there aren’t too many other electrical devices overload the outlet.
• When you are finished using your space heater, make sure to turn it off, unplug it, and store it until the next time that you will need to use it. It is essential that the mechanisms of your space heater are protected when it is not in use, so that there is no risk of fire next time you use it.
• Do not keep space heaters in rooms where children are left unsupervised. Various injuries could occur, but also if you children knock the space heater over and it is not put upright quickly, a serious fire could start
• Keep your space heaters at least 3 feet away from items like furniture and curtains. If these items are up against the space heater for a long period of time, they could catch fire or melt. If they melt, the residue could attach to the heater, which will create a fire the next time you use the heater.

Staying safe during the winter months is important both when you are outside and inside of your home. When you are preparing meals in your kitchen, you are sure not to cut yourself with the knife or burn yourself on the oven. Make sure that you are being just as thoughtful about space heater safety.

Now that the chaos of the holidays has come to a close, it is time to start planning your day of uninstalling holiday decorations and lighting. When you are thinking about taking down and storing holiday lighting, whether inside or outside, it is important to do it safely.

Holiday lighting might seem unassuming but, it is electricity just like anything else and should be handled with caution.

This is especially true because holiday lighting is stored for a majority of the year, so any damage that is incurred while installing or uninstalling the strands could be compounded while sitting in storage. Then, the next time you go to use your lights, you could be in for a big surprise – and injury!

Follow these tips for storing your holiday lighting so that it is safe all year long:

• As you are taking down your lighting, take the time to wrap each strand around some cardboard. Two tubes of empty wrapping paper taped next to one another works well for this project. It doesn’t need to be anything expensive, the main thing is to make sure that the strand is not overlapped or wrapped in a way that is disorganized.
• The box that these wrapped lights are stored in should be sturdy and have a lid. It is preferred for this box to be made from heavy duty plastic rather than cardboard. While your lights are in storage, they could be subject to damage from any flooding or moisture in the shed, garage, or attic where they are stored. Also, rodents like to chew on cardboard, and if they chew through the box and discover your lighting, they will chew on the plastic sheath surrounding the wires.
• When you store the box of lighting, make sure to label it clearly with a label and permanent marker. This is important so that you can identify which box has your lighting, in the event that you need to move the box quickly. For instance, if you store your lighting in your garage and the water heater bursts and floods the garage with water. You will want to make sure and move your lighting, and being able to quickly identify which box will be essential.

As you are uninstalling your holiday lighting this year, follow these tips for storing the lights safely. This ensures that when you bring your lights out for next year, they will be undamaged and ready to use without any risk of electrical malfunction.

With the holiday season in full swing people everywhere are buzzing around getting meals prepared, shopping for outstanding deals on gadgets and gizmos, and pulling out the tubs and boxes of decorations from the attic or garage.

This is the time of year when people everywhere enjoy stringing lights, inflating lawn ornaments, and adding extra sparkle to the inside and outside of their homes.

But, with all of these activities comes a certain amount of hazard. Each of these activities includes an element of electricity, and in that case it is important to follow some specific safety guidelines.

• Holiday lights are only used once per year, and the rest of the time they are stored away. This means that they are vulnerable to damage caused by a great many things including water and rodents. If you notice that your holiday lights are frayed, broken, or corroded make sure that you discard them. Instead purchase a new strand of lights to replace the damaged ones. Also, it is a good idea to store your holiday lights in plastic, air and water tight containers during the months that you are not using them.
• If you choose to have a real tree this season, make sure to keep it well-watered. A tree that is allowed to dry out is much more likely to catch on fire as the needles and branches become dry. Keeping your tree well-watered reduces the flammability and the likelihood that it will catch fire.
• If you choose to have an artificial tree, there is still some risk of fire. Make sure that the tree that you purchase is flame retardant. And, if it is a pre-lit tree it should have a label from Underwriters Laboratory that certifies its safety.
• If you choose to burn candles in your home, whether for tradition or decoration, make sure they are set on a flat surface that is sturdy and out of the reach of children. Make sure to blow them out before you go to bed or leave the house. Never leave a candle burning unattended.

Safety is a very important measure to take this holiday season. There is a lot of chaos and excitement with all of the out of town visitors and events, make good choices that will keep yourself and your family out of harms way.

During the fall season many people are using more electricity than usual. During the warm weather months, families prefer to be outside doing fun things in the sun. But, this time of year activities like hiking, camping, and playing in the water are not on the agenda and so more time is spent watching television and using various other electronics.

With your family being inside more, and the weather being cold, your heating system will also be in use much more. For many people, their heating system has a large impact on their overall energy usage. The increased amount of energy usage this time of year can quickly lead to power surges in your home. In fact, nearly 80% of all power surges are caused by electrical appliances.

A power surge in your home can be very damaging to your appliances and electrical equipment. Unless, you are using surge protectors. Both whole-house surge protectors and individual plug-in surge protectors can be very beneficial in protecting your electrical equipment.

Here are some specific benefits:

• A power surge can be very damaging to your electrical equipment and appliances. When you have surge protectors in place, the device absorbs the surge of electricity and prevents it from getting to your appliances. This helps to increase the lifespan of your appliances and reduce the cost of repair and replacement.
• Because power surges can happen several times without the homeowner knowing about it, installing surge protectors can help to protect your heating and cooling systems and reduce the service calls that you have. In fact, if you always seem to have trouble with your heating or cooling system, it could be due to power surges that are shorting it.
• Surge protectors are very affordable and easy to get. Whether you have a whole-house surge protector installed or, you purchase individual surge protectors at your local home improvement store, the overall cost is much less than the price of replacing your appliances and electrical devices.

With the extra use of your electrical system this time of year, it would be very beneficial for you to invest in surge protectors. In addition to protecting your equipment, they could prevent electrical fires from a shorted electrical device.

For decades, people have been using electricity to keep warm. Whether in the form of a water heater, heat pump, or even an electric blanket. These items are all important parts of a warm and cozy fall season.

But, as with all things electrical, it is important to use these items with care and safety. Every year, thousands of house fires are started due to improper use of electricity. Many of these fires could have been prevented by using some simple safety measures.

Here are some electric blanket safety tips for you and your family to use this fall:

• Don’t put your electric blanket in the washing machine. While the blanket is obviously unplugged during this process so there is no immediate electrocution threat, the twisting and pulling motion of the washing machine can seriously damage the heating coils inside of the blanket. Any damage to these coils could lead to electrical shock or fire once the blanket is plugged in.
• Don’t purchase your electric blanket second-hand. While there are plenty of things that you can buy from a second-hand store that still have a lot of use in them, it is not recommended to purchase an electric blanket second-hand. There is no way to ensure the integrity of the blanket, the heating coils, or electrical cord. All of these areas of the blanket could cause serious injury when the blanket is in use if they are damaged.
• Don’t have your electric blanket dry cleaned. The chemicals that are used during the dry cleaning process can be damaging to the heating coils that are inside of the blanket. When the blanket is plugged in, this damage could easily lead to an electrical spark and thus a fire.
• Don’t allow the cord of your electrical blanket to run between the mattress and box spring. The confinement could cause the cord to overheat and begin to melt. Also, any pulling on the cord due to being trapped between the two places could damage the cord or pull the insulated covering away from the wires.

Electric blankets have been around for years, and many people use them because they remember their parents using them around the home. While the design of these items has come a long way in both safety and integrity, it is still up to the user to be careful and use common sense.

In addition to some very fun holidays and beautiful changes in the landscape, fall also can bring severe storms with heavy rain and high winds. These fall storms often include power outages, which can be disruptive and scary.

When the power goes out in your home during a storm, the first thing to do is to stay calm. Then, call the toll-free number for the power company and listen for the pre-recorded message telling you what has happened and how long the power is expected to be out. Next, follow these tips:

• If the power is going to be out for more than three hours, the food in your refrigerator will need to be discarded and replaced. This is a good time to start eating what is in there so that as little is waste as possible.
• Make sure that you have plenty of flashlights so that you and your family can find your way around the home in the dark.
• The water in the hot water tank will stay hot for a few hours, this is a good time to take a bath or a shower before the hot water cools off. However, if there is a lightning storm outside, avoid being in the water.
• Unplug your television, audio equipment, computer, and any other small appliances while the power is out. When the power comes back on, there could be a surge that causes serious damage to your electronics.
• Do not bring your barbeque grill, outdoor heater, or any other item that is meant to be used outdoors – inside. These can cause dangerous health situations when used indoors due to a build-up of toxic gasses.
• If the power is going to be out for several hours and you are worried about staying warm, choose a bedroom in the home for everyone to move into. Use towels under the doors to seal off the cold air and, if the room has hardwood flooring, lay down blankets or rugs to insulate.

The power company works hard to make sure that power outages are as brief as possible. However, it is not always in their control and sometimes power outages last for quite some time. Make sure that you and your family are protected by following these tips.