• The Light Over Your Head

    Light Source of Today

    We all recognize the cartoon indicator for a good idea being the light bulb over somebody’s head. These days, due to lighting efficiency standards, it’s wise to make sure that light over your head is LED. Take a look at this good link to one of the new product by CREE which can be for home or business application.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xf2ZR4whwQ&list=PLtECghye06-nJXptANjND2NdDYCN0MG8M

    I also came a very excellent demonstration done by Home Depot which I posted below showing an electric meter running on incandescent light or LED light, watch that meter spin!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fIvcSqSp1Y

    LED is only the fourth lighting technology developed in human history, and this recent development is set to revolutionize lighting the world over by delivering real and measureable advantages. It really has made a measurable difference in our own homes and our customer’s home or business with energy use.

  • Common Sense Electrical Advice

    Your tripping breaker.

    A breaker that trips immediately after its reset is telling you that there’s an electrical problem. Sure, sometimes the breaker itself is to blame, and in some cases there may just be too large an electrical load operating on that circuit. A circuit breaker has an amp maximum, you can usually see the number of amps on the breaker, 15, 20, 30 and so on. If you put more demand on it than the circuit breaker is rated, it will do what it is designed to do, trip the circuit and shut it down. But sometimes the breaker is tripping because there’s a severe electrical problem, something is not right in the electrical system. Keep pressing or resetting that breaker, and you’re likely to cause a fire.

    Know when to fight and when to flee, or better safe than sorry.

    Firefighters recommend that if you have any doubt about fighting a fire, you’re best bet is to get out of the house as quickly as possible. Once you’re safely outside, and then call 911. Never put yourself between a fire and your exit out of the house to try and fight the fire.

    Never throw water on an electrical fire.

    This is just common sense, electricity and water don’t get along well, but in the heat (ahem) of the moment, throwing water can seem tempting, Water conducts electricity (this is why you don’t want to be in water during a lightning storm), so spraying water on the fire could cause it to get larger. Instead, use your chemical fire extinguisher and remember first the advice above about better safe than sorry, know when to flee.

    Lights that flicker or trip the circuit breaker

    Possible Cause: Loose wiring splice, or a light fixture that’s worn out and needs to be replaced.

    Solution: Call a qualified licensed electrician who can check if the cause is loose wiring or something else.

    Outlets with a faceplate that’s warm to the touch or a burning smell.

    Cause: An overly large electrical load operating on that outlet, undersized wiring or a loose electrical splice. (Note: it’s not unusual for dimmer switches, especially large ones, to be warm. Unless the switch face is actually too hot to touch, a warm dimmer is not a hazard in most cases)

    Solution: Best to shut off the power to that circuit until you can have a qualified licensed electrician evaluate what is causing the problem.

    Extension cord use is not the best solution to not enough outlets for your stuff.

    Sure, extension cords serve a useful function when you need to get power where there is no plug. But using an extension cord as a permanent solution in places where you frequently find you need power can be dangerous. Especially when you find yourself putting things over the extension cords because they can be unsightly. Never ever place a rug over an extension cord, this is a fire hazard. Best solution is to have an electrician install an outlet in that place you seem to be always using an extension cord, it’s a much safer solution to this problem.

    Loose switches or outlet receptacles and plugs

    Hey, they still work so why get them fixed, why not wait until they don’t work anymore and then I’ll have them repaired? Loose switches and plugs can cause a lot of problems and are a safety issue. The plug and the switch should be secure, they are electrical devices designed for use and not surprises in the form of shocking you, tripping your breaker or causing a fire when the wires inside start touching.

    Ceiling fans that slowly wobble

    Likely cause could be whoever installed the fan did not use a fan rated box to secure the ceiling fan to the ceiling. While this may work for a while, over time there is a danger the ceiling fan could suddenly drop down from the ceiling and be hanging by the wire providing power. No one wants that to happen over their head!