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Preventing Electrical Injuries on Pets

Electrical Safety for Pet Owners

Their safety should be prioritized too. (Photo Credits)

Electrical injuries on home occupants can be prevented especially when precautions are taken, and religious maintenance is observed.

What homeowners should not forget though when making their home safe is the safety of their pets. Domesticated animals are very vulnerable to electrical injuries, and at the same time can also start electrical fires. Electrical Association

Petcha.com shared safety tips for pet owners.

“Dogs on walks in colder climates may be at risk of electrical shock, according to the ASPCA. Stray voltage currents on city streets can be a threat to animals seeking outdoor exercise in winter. Most often present in northern climates and urban areas, stray voltage occurs when dormant utilities leak excess electricity. When streets are wet and salt-based ice melts, this combination can cause shock, injury, and even death for some pets.”

Check out the rest of the tips here.
Additional Safety Tips
Safer Pets also came up with their own advice for pet owners, emphasizing in home areas frequented by pets. Electrician

“Do not allow your pet to nap behind electrical appliances, such as computer equipment, stoves, fridges, washers and dryers. Be careful with freestanding lamps and exposed bulbs – some can reach very high temperatures (eg, halogen lamps) and if knocked over by a pet in play, could easily start a fire. If you have an aquarium, make sure all the electrical cords coming out of the aquarium are equipped with drip loops, which will ensure that any water running down the cord will fall to the floor rather than travel up the cord and into the electrical outlet.”

Print out all the safety tips from here.
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By LightningV|July 27th, 2017|electrical, Electrician, San Diego|Comments Off

Electrical Safety for the Elderly

A Home Should Be Safe for Senior Citizens

Make a home safer for elderly occupants. (Photo Credits)

Older people are more prone to accidents and injuries given their advanced age, more sensitive immune system, not-so-strong bodies, and sometimes because of the effect of their maintenance medicines.

To avoid certain accidents especially those that involve electricity and fire it will be best to carefully maintain the older person’s home’s electrical fixtures on a regular basis.

Independent Homes for instance came up with a write-up on ensuring safe electrical bathroom fixtures for senior residents. Electrical Association

“Bathroom outlets, in particular, must have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). These electrical add-ons have the ability to detect when there is a mix of electricity with water. When such combination is detected, the current is immediately turned off to prevent electrocution and shock. If your bathroom outlets do not have GFCI, make sure to have it installed as soon as possible.”

Read the continuation here.
Safe Space for Older People
It is important that elder people have a safe space. And since electricity is one of the leading causes of home fires, it is critical that this area be consciously checked on a regular basis by a professional electrician contractor.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International came up with a very helpful infographic and tool kit for older homeowners and their children or other relatives. Electrician

“This toolkit includes safety tip sheets that provide information about fire hazards related to cooking, heating, and electrical equipment, major causes of home fires every year. Tip sheets for smoke alarms and escape planning are also included. The Home Fire Safety Checklist is a convenient tool for giving your home a fire safety “check-up.” While the Emergency Information Sheet and Smoke Alarm Maintenance Calendar […]

By LightningV|July 20th, 2017|Electrician, San Diego|Comments Off

Fixing Frayed Wires and Cables

Repairing Damaged Wirings

When wirings get damaged. (Photo Credits)

Frayed cables and wires are not just an annoyance and an eyesore, they are also an electrical emergency waiting to happen. Homeowners better be vigilant in addressing these electrical issues so as to prevent any injury or accident. Electrical Association

The website Spruce.com came up with an article on how to deal with frayed wires. “This condition is very dangerous and can create short circuits and fire hazard. Ordinarily, you can just wrap 2 or 3 wraps of electrical tape around the damaged area. However, with old, brittle insulation, it will come apart and be made worse as you try to wrap the old wire and insulation with electrical tape. Fortunately, this can be fairly easily fixed using something called “Heat Shrink Tubing” as I’ll describe in the next step.”

Read the whole article here.
Dealing with Frayed Electrical Wires
The website Handyman How To also came up with a detailed illustration plus tutorial on dealing with damaged electrical wiring. Electrician

“This splice repair technique is useful for fixing damage when there’s not enough slack in the electrical cable to rejoin the ends together with wire nuts in a single junction box. For example, if a squirrel or rodent has a chewed through an electrical cable in the attic, or in my case, I also had to reroute the wire to correct a building code violation.”

Check out the rest of the tutorial here.
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The website e-how for its part shared an instructional video on wiring repair.

“If you have discovered a damaged electrical wire or cable, you […]

By LightningV|July 13th, 2017|electrical, Electrician, San Diego|Comments Off

Chandelier and Light Fixture Installation

Installing ceiling light fixtures

The beauty of chandeliers. (Photo Credits)

Installing a chandelier in a living room or dining area, will certainly create another dimension in terms of home aesthetics. It is not as easy as it looks though because when the light fixture is classified as heavy, additional support will be needed to ensure the safety of the whole household.

E-How came out with a basic tutorial on how to undertake such a project. Electrical Association

“When installing light fixtures, the basic rule is that a common round ceiling box can support up to a 50-pound light fixture, while heavier lights must be attached directly to a solid support. However, it’s better to play it safe and avoid possible injuries or lawsuits, as well as destroying the light, by hanging lights that weigh more than 25 pounds from a specialized fan brace rather then from a common ceiling box. Follow the steps below to see how it’s done.”

Read the guide here.
Installing heavier chandeliers and fixtures
For heavier lighting fixtures, The Family Handyman came up with a how-to guide. Electrician

“For practical purposes, make sure your electrical box is securely fastened to solid framing before you hang a new light fixture from it. If your light fixture weighs more than 50 lbs., it has to be supported independent of the electrical box. An easy solution is to install a fan brace box (available from home centers and hardware stores) that’s designed to be installed without cutting any additional holes in your ceiling. Check the label to make sure the box is designed to support more than 35 lbs.”

Read the rest of the material here.
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By LightningV|July 6th, 2017|electrical, Electrician, San Diego|Comments Off

Replacing a Faulty Light Switch

When to fix and when to replace

Fix faulty switches first before deciding to replace them. (Photo Credits)

Faulty switches can be very inconvenient. And this is the reason why most homeowners would want to have it repaired right away.

But before deciding to replace a light switch, one must first ensure that it is already beyond repair. American Lighting Association

Homeguides SF Gate shared a great guide in diagnosing a failing light switch.

“Note the symptoms of the faulty switch. If the light flickers or shines dimly, there is probably a loose connection on the switch or inside it. If the lights don’t come on at all, however, the circuit power may be off. Make sure the breaker controlling the switch is on, then look around the house for tripped GFI outlets and reset any you find. This simple procedure may solve the problem.”

Read the continuation here.
Problematic Light Switch
If in case the problem indeed lies on the light switch, DIY.com provided a useful step-by-step instructions in replacing light switches. They however were quick to tell their readers to exercise utmost caution for their safety. Master Electrician

“Never take risks with electrical safety. Before you start any type of electrical work, you must follow these following safety precautions: (1) Remember to switch off the mains power at the consumer unit/fuse box. Isolate the circuit you plan to work on by removing the circuit fuse. Put this in your pocket to avoid accidental replacement Or switch off the breaker and lock it if you can; (2) Attach a note to the unit to advise you are working on the circuit.”

Read the continuation of the safety precautions, plus the step-by-step guide here.
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By LightningV|June 29th, 2017|Ca, electrical, Electrician, San Diego|Comments Off

Fixing a Flickering Light Bulb

What to do with Flickering Light Bulbs

When the lights flicker, get down to the issue. (Photo Credits)

Flickering light bulbs can be a hassle, but it may also be an indicator that there is a deeper issue in a home’s electrical system. Electrical Association

There are a number of reasons why lights go off and on intermittently, and for each reason, there are corresponding solutions.

The website 1000Bulbs.com for instance explained that flickering lights may mean that there is a voltage problem. This, it says, merits a call to the electrician.

“If your lights flicker when you turn on an appliance with a high wattage, the reason could be because the voltage in your home is fluctuating too much. If the flickering lasts longer than the use of the appliance, this could be a symptom of a more serious electrical issue. Other signs that the voltage in your home isn’t right include lights that dim unexpectedly or that frequently burn out. Electricity typically flows into homes at around 120 volts. Although a little fluctuation is normal, your home should always be supplied with between 115 and 125 volts.”

Read the continuation here.
Indicator of a more serious electrical concern
The Spruce.com echoed the same sentiment saying that a bigger electrical problem could be causing the intermittent lighting. Electrician

“Flickering lights are normally not cause for alarm. But sometimes they can indicate a more serious problem. Constant or severe drops in lighting can result from loose connections. Faulty wiring connections create points of high resistance, which can generate unsafe levels of heat. Old breakers can also cause flickering. Similar to your home’s electrical systems, the wiring in your breakers can go bad over time. Faulty breaker wiring can short and overheat, which can […]

By LightningV|June 22nd, 2017|electrical, San Diego|Comments Off

Common Electrical Wiring Problems

Electrical Wiring Issues

When electrical wirings do not work. (Photo Credits)

Electrical wirings is an important electrical fixture. Once issues develop it can either cause more complications and electrical problems which can be expensive.

Professional help is definitely needed once these issues come up, but it is important as well that homeowners will have an idea about what is going on, or what possible problems can arise.

Home-Repair Central explained why electrical wiring is important and that a lot of issues can happen given its huge role in ensuring electrical distribution in the house.

“There are numerous items in your home that have electrical wiring. Outlets, lights and appliances come quickly to mind. Some items use low voltage, others use a lot of power, like an electric range. There are two key issues with electrical wiring. The first is the wire itself. Wiring usually runs inside the walls and ceilings of your home. The power runs through the wire and is controlled by a panel box that contains circuit breakers. The second item is the connections that determine where the power goes. The connections are inside of the boxes that devices like outlets and lights are hooked to.”

Read the continuation here.
Wiring Issues in an Old House
Old homes are notorious when it comes to electrical wiring issues. And why not? Some of its wiring systems are even outdated and could even violate present day electrical codes.

The blog This Old House interviewed an electrical expert and they enumerated the many wiring issues owners of older homes may face. Electrician

“Don’t be alarmed if the inspection turns up code violations. Each time the electrical code is revised, old wiring is “grandfathered,” on the assumption it was installed correctly. Code only requires you to […]

By LightningV|June 15th, 2017|Electrician, San Diego|Comments Off

Electrical Cable 101

All about Electric Cables

Electrical wires have different types and uses. (Photo Credits)

Getting informed about the different types and features of electrical wires will greatly help when it comes to maximizing the use of the cable, and being aware of safety protocols in using it.

The website Do-it-Yourself initially explained the difference between a wire and a cable. Electrician

“Wire itself is different than cable. Cable actually refers to two or more wires or conductors grouped together in a jacket. Wire is grouped by gauge number, running from 0000 to No. 40. The smaller the number, the thicker the wire. For home use, the most common gauges are between 10 and 20. While larger wire carries more current, forcing too much current through a wire will cause it to overheat and trip a breaker. Larger wire is also just generally unnecessary for home use. The most common conductor in home wiring is copper or tinned copper because it has minimum resistance at reasonable cost. Wire is also characterized by letters that correspond to the insulation type and electrical capacity.”

Read the whole article here.
Cables and Wires
The website Sciencing.com enumerated and explained the many types of electrical cables. One type that it expounded on is the rainbow cable. Electrical Association

“A ribbon electrical cable (also called multi-wire planar electrical cable or flat twin cables) is made up of multiple insulated wires running parallel to each other. These parallel wires allow the simultaneous transmission of multiple signals of data. According to ‘Optical Communications Essentials,’ a typical ribbon cable consists of four to 12 wires. It is commonly used to interconnect network devices. Ribbon cables also connect the motherboard with other core CPU (central processing unit) components in computers.”

Take a look at […]

By LightningV|June 8th, 2017|Electrician, San Diego|Comments Off

Electrical Hacks that can help lower utility bills

Lower Power Consumption is Possible

Take control of power bills. (Photo Credits)

Electrical bills can become a huge chunk in any household’s budget. The good news is every homeowner can take charge of their consumption if they become more cautious about how they consume electricity in their respective homes.

Many web resources have come up with great advice on how to lower electric bills through simple electrical chores or improvement projects.

“Turn off your power strip that your electronics are connected to. Even if your electronics are turned off, they’re still sapping energy. They’re called “vampire devices” because they keep a little bit of electricity going so they can respond more quickly to things like being turned back on. By turned off the power strip you effectively cut off all electricity to your electronics so they don’t use electricity without you knowing.”

Read the whole post here.
Investing on an upgrade of appliances
The website Make Use Of details some ways on lowering utility bills through factors the homeowner himself have control over. Electrician

“By far the most energy-intensive operation at home is cooling and heating. We all want to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but the associated costs can pack quite a punch. The average home attributes 40 to 60 percent of its energy consumption to thermal regulation. The usual steps for cutting costs include installing energy-efficient models and properly insulating your walls and windows.” Check out the material here.
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Taking time to take a homeowner’s electrical exam if one lives within a State that allows such will also help in […]

By LightningV|June 1st, 2017|electrical, San Diego, Santee|Comments Off

How to lower energy consumption in the Kitchen

Conserving energy in the kitchen

A working kitchen can make or break a home’s budget when it comes to paying for electrical consumption. (Photo Credits)

Electrical use in the kitchen is definitely unavoidable with the many kitchen gadgets and equipment that make for more delicious meals.

It is however easy to go overboard when using kitchen appliances. Electric ovens and non-inverter refrigerators are all energy monsters that can easily consume so much energy. Mindful use of these appliances is very important.

British-based website Kitchen and Bathroom Ideas says efficient energy use in the kitchen starts in the design.

“Getting the electrics right is an important part of kitchen design and it’s vital to get everything in the right place. While doing a kitchen design it makes sense to completely over-spec the electricity supply and provisions for appliances and gadgets as it’s not a job you want to have to revisit a couple of years down the line. There are essentially three elements to deal with when it comes to the electrical work; the 13 amp socket circuit for kitchen appliances, the 30 amp supply for high load appliances such as electric cookers, and the lighting circuits. Kitchen design will need to take into account of all three.” Read the continuation of this article here.
Upgrade into energy saving appliances
Greener appliances and those operated using inverter technology are of great help when it comes to reducing energy consumption in the kitchen.

Cooks Direct emphasized this point in one of their articles where they tackled energy conservation in the kitchen. Electrician

“When washing dishes in a dishwasher, only run the machine when it is full. This will limit the amount of times the dishwasher is run, greatly decreasing energy costs and water consumption. Invest in […]

By LightningV|May 25th, 2017|Electrician, San Diego, Santee|Comments Off

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