Consult Your Electrician When Installing Your Backup Power This Year

If you live in the Gulf region of the United States or any other area that has to deal with excessive rain, you should know that you power is going to go off a few times during hurricane season. It’s extremely unpredictable as well. You could be at work or away on vacation, just to come home to your garage door not working and the house being completely powerless. So what’s the backup plan? Does the family have some kind of system, or are you just left to wait it out. A backup generator should be something worth considering if these types of disasters exist in your area. Some of you have already though of this and it’s something that you have low on the “to do” list, but with the rise in gas and everything else, it just kind of stays on the list. People, however, fail to realize that having an automatic backup generator is more affordable than ever. Many electrical companies will off some way for you to finance the unit, making obtaining a generator simple and pain free.

What is a backup generator? A backup generator is a propane or natural gas powered generator that is permanently installed into your house’s electrical system. It provides the lighting, HVAC and other necessities to your home or business after a storm or normal power outage. It is safely installed outside of your home or business, removing the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning. When the power goes out, your backup generator instantly and seamlessly restores power. With today’s latest technology getting more advanced every day, the generators can be sized to fit any home. Plus you can scale up or down the generator so that only the critical portions of the home or business have power. This will keep your overall cost of the generator down.

Used mainly by farmers, businesses, and the construction sector, power generators have been around for many years. The old units were loud, large, or expensive—and in some cases, all three—but improvements over the past 10 years have made them viable for residential use. Residential generators generally start at 3 kilowatts and go as high as 45 kilowatts. Smaller units provide supplementary emergency power for general lighting, a refrigerator, or an air-conditioning unit alone, but large units can run multiple AC units and provide power for other household needs such as appliances or sump pumps. Generac recently introduced the GenReady load center panel that makes it easy to add a backup system. Instead of installing a main load center, an emergency load center, and a transfer switch, a builder would only need the GenReady panel. A home buyer may then install a generator immediately or at a future date.

As with many things that have this kind of cost associated, you must think about investing in your home and is it worth spending the money. If you have a family, then it’s important to keep you loved ones warm and safe. Giving a call to your Electrician Houston will help you make the right decision on the best back up power solution. Many times quotes are free and the info that you get will help you save money.

Save Money This Summer By Having Your Electrician Hang Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are one of life’s little luxuries that get taken for granted. In today’s struggle economy people are looking to save and cut down their bills anyway that they can. One way to help with the cooling cost of a home is to install ceiling fans in the bedrooms, or pretty much any room that’s large and will have people in it. What people do not realize is that when your air unit comes on, the air just gets pushed out in a general area. If you do not have anything that will help to circulate the air, you will be left with areas of the home or room that are a lot hotter than others. Plus you air conditioner now has to work harder to compensate the fact that nothing is circulating the air evenly. I will always suggest getting these fan fixtures installed during the building process of the house so that it keeps the cost down. But even if you are looking to upgrade an already existing home, a simple call to your electricians and they will schedule a time to talk to you about the best fan options.

A ceiling fan doesn’t actually cool a room, but it does make you feel cooler because of the slight wind chill on your skin. That means you can raise the thermostat and feel just as comfortable. Switching out an existing overhead light fixture for a ceiling fan is a fairly simple project that a handy DIYer can do in a couple of hours. With any ceiling fan, the goal is to move more air—measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM)—with less effort, or fewer revolutions per minute. For example, a fan that’s 36 to 42 inches in diameter might have a top speed of 300 rpm; a 52-inch fan moves the same amount of air at 220 rpm.

Ceiling fans are now required to feature a reverse motor and airflow switch, allowing you to operate the fan year-round. The control is usually found on the fan’s housing. Refer to your owner’s manual to locate this switch. Remember to adjust your thermostat when using your ceiling fan! The benefit is additional energy and dollar savings. In the summer, the blades should rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. This direction creates a downdraft, making you feel cooler. In the winter, the blades should rotate in a clockwise direction. This direction creates an updraft that forces the warm air near the ceiling down into the room. The air at the ceiling of a room is 15 degrees warmer than that on the floor. Getting this warmer air down to floor level creates comfort at a lower thermostat setting. To avoid wind chill with winter warming, operate the fan on low speed.

Whether you need an Electrician Houston or you are mister handy man himself, installing ceiling fans would be one of the best moves you can make that will help reduce the energy bill. You also can help make the look of the room or areas a lot better and more inviting. There is nothing better than a home improvement that is affordable and practical.

Talk To Your Electrician About Getting The Low Voltage Done Efficiently

Do you have friends that share their experiences with you when it came time to build their new home? Many friends share the good and the bad times that came with the build. Then there are those kinds of gray areas where you are not mad but if you would have known earlier, you would have made some changes or done things differently. You are not alone. Most first time home buyers struggle with these types of issues. The key is to stay actively involved in every stage of the new build. This way, you are able to catch anything that needs to be changed, or if you see things that need to be added, you will have the perfect time to get the bells and whistles added. Getting things done in the building process of the house is always cheaper, not to mention that you service man or electricians won’t ruin, break, or mess up anything that’s already finished. Low voltage is very commonly missed during the building process of the home, and the same with the security systems. However, you can get this all knocked out if you know how to go about things efficiently.

There’s only one time when a home can get the best infrastructure for the lowest cost: during construction. Electricians have been installing low-voltage cabling systems for years and seen them evolve from the old basic job to today’s structured wiring standards. Understanding the needs not only of today, but tomorrow, requires a low-voltage specialist, and we are it. Most electrical contractors see this very important part of a home as a “necessary evil”, because it is not easy to do properly, and requires special tools, equipment, materials, and frequent training to stay current.

New home wiring includes home networking, video distribution, home theater and whole house audio wiring. A properly designed communication and entertainment infrastructure must meet current needs, while laying the groundwork for the whole house media system of the future. Prepare for cable-TV, satellite, internet, telephone, and more throughout your home. With properly designed low voltage wiring in place, you can add future services easily, allowing you avoid the expense and headache of wiring later.

The Telephone - The number and location of telephone outlets is not as critical today as it once was. Many of us use plug-in cordless phones. It is still advisable to install wall outlets in any area where you might want a computer terminal, in your bathroom, in the kitchen and also where you have cable outlets.

You low voltage systems can be handled easily by any certified Electrician Houston with a simple phone call. All you will need to do is let the company know that you are in the middle of building you home and would like some low voltage wiring done now so that you can have all your bells and whistles as soon as the house is ready to go. You will find that doing this saves you a large sum of money as well as the time and headaches you save that’s priceless.

Let The Electricians In Houston Deal With Hazards In The Home

Many fear that their children can be harmed from things like the iron or oven being left on, or maybe the pool in the back yard. However there are many hazards in the home that get neglected that are just as dangerous if not more. Electricity is one of the biggest dangers that a home or business can have if not respected. There is no smell and often times the sounds are faint until too late which makes the electrical system one of the scariest hazards in the home. But if you take the necessary time to address any issues with the electrical installations, and also do routine inspections, then you will have nothing to worry about as you age with your investment.

Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) - In new construction homes, GFCI receptacles are a requirement anywhere that electrical outlets and water will be in close proximity to one another. GFCIs detect current leakages (or ground faults) in electrical circuits – such as would occur when a powered device made contact with water. The GFCI then shuts off power to that receptacle almost instantaneously, preventing electrical shock, burns, and electrocution. If you live in an older home that didn’t come standard with GFCIs, installing them in place of traditional outlets in your bathroom, kitchen, and garage is an easy way to prevent severe electrical injuries – and at very little cost.

Make sure you’re using the right size circuit breakers and fuses - If fuses and circuit breakers aren’t the right size and wattage rating to match the specifications of their circuits, they’re going to fail right when you most need them to perform. Read packages carefully when shopping for replacements. If you’re not sure which size to buy, have an electrician take a look at your panel box and label it with the circuit breaker or fuse size needed (for easy future reference). And as long as you’re making a trip to the hardware store, stock up with a few extra – you’ll be happy to have them on hand when the next need arises. A simple call to your Electricians in Houston will be able to easy make sure you breakers and fuses are all installed correctly and up to day.

Pay attention to what your appliances are telling you - If an appliance repeatedly trips a circuit breaker, blows a fuse, or gives you shocks, it’s not just a coincidence and these are signs that something is wrong. Prevent further – and possibly more dangerous – malfunctions from occurring by immediately unplugging the appliance and discontinuing use until a professional electrician can inspect it, make repairs, and ultimately declare the appliance safe.

While you may be afraid of things like burglars or other criminals that the world brings, unfortunately, and you kids maybe are afraid of things like the boogie man, there are many real hazards that are in the home. These tend to get neglected, but if just spend a little time in your home’s electrical system, you can avoid many of the dangers that can come if you don’t. In many cases all that is needed is a simple inspection from time to time.

Leave Your Inspection Report To Your Electricians In Houston

We all love the thrill of finding our new dream home. Even looking into what it will take to transform the house so you can put your own touches on it. But we all tend to cringe a little when it comes time to go over the electrical inspection, especially if you are purchasing an older estate. It’s almost like karma of some sort is purposely throwing a monkey wrench into your plans. There has got to be a point when you will need to come to the understanding that these officials, if you will, are put here to save us from ourselves. Many fires in the home or business result from poor or older wiring, and then there are the other fires that happen from negligence. A simple inspection many times would have given the owner much needed information to make the necessary installations.

The first is called the rough inspection. This takes place when you have installed all of the boxes and wires to the point that you are ready for the walls to be closed up by wallboard or drywall. This inspection needs to be done before the insulation is installed so that the inspector has a clear view of all of the wiring from here to there. This is also the point in the build process where you can speak up if you would like to have anything moved, like ceiling fans and other lighting fixtures.
The second inspection takes place when the house is complete, but before you are allowed to move in. This inspection is called the final inspection. At this point, all of the walls are closed in, paint is finished, floors are complete and you are ready to install the furniture. Be sure that all of the circuits are functioning and every light has been hung, especially electrically. This inspection is called the final inspection. Remember, if the inspector approves your work, it means that it meets professional standards and that it is up to code. As well as you can get the Electricians in Houston off your property so you can make space for the next wave of service men.
Inspectors measure outlet and switch heights to see that they are consistent. Typically, outlets, often called receptacles, should be at least 12" above the floor and switches should be at least 48" above the floor. This of course is subject to certain allowances. For a child's room or a handicap installation, heights may be much lower to allow for access. The inspector will be doing this with nothing but the City’s code in mind.
Your inspections that you receive are a burden; however, they should be taken just as serious as something like putting on our seat belts, or wearing a helmet while on a motorcycle. Your home is a big investment, and would be a shame if you were to lose it because you decided to take a couple short cuts. That’s why should take every inspection that comes with your home, and try to remember to think positive and safety first.