Blogs & News
How to Avoid an Electrical Overload
The typical home has many power-hungry appliances, including refrigerators, hair dryers, electric heaters, air conditioners, TVs, and not to mention lights that can easily put a circuit over the limit. Add on holiday lights and decorations and everything can suddenly go out. If your electrical system is properly installed, an overload shouldn’t cause much damage. Circuit breakers in [...]
Why Wireless Home Automation Is a Convenience
Wireless home automation increases functionality, energy efficiency, and safety. It is also a convenience that cannot be overstated. Home automation systems connect different devices and gadgets so you can, for example, set smart locks to turn on lighting or air conditioners from anywhere. You can also control appliances such as refrigerators, monitor security camera video feeds, or get [...]
Innovations in Ceiling Fans
The ceiling fan was invented in 1882 but was mainly a commercial product at the time. Their popularity ebbed and flowed throughout the 1900s and ceiling fans were mainly of Victorian style just 25 years ago. By the 1980s, fans with self-cooling motors and less-wobbly blades came about. Today’s ceiling fans are just as varied in style as [...]
The Importance of Rewiring Your Home
Old wiring, at worst, can present a serious threat to your home and family; at best, it can reduce your home’s function and value. Rewiring your home can be a complex, and expensive, undertaking. However, it can pay off in many ways. By enlisting a local electrician to inspect and replace your home wiring when necessary, you can: [...]
High-Tech Holiday Lighting Ideas
The holiday season is a time for celebrating, gathering, and brightening things up. If you’re still searching for ideas on holiday lighting, here are some high-tech solutions. It is now easier than ever to incorporate holiday lights with smart home technologies. From conserving electricity to inspiring creativity, these high-tech holiday lighting ideas are worth considering: LED String Lights [...]
Whole House Surge Protectors
Whole house surge protectors operate at the point of entry, where powerful currents from outside your home could get into your electrical system and cause major damage. They prevent currents exceeding a specified voltage from passing through. External power surges can include those from: Lightning: A single lightning bolt can generate a billion volts of electricity. It can [...]
Tesla Powerwall and the Future of Storing Solar Energy
As solar power has gone mainstream, manufacturers have worked to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic panels and the means which to store energy. Tesla first introduced the Powerwall in 2015 and the latest version (Powerwall 2.0) in 2018. Designed for home energy storage, this rechargeable solar lithium ion battery can be paired with solar panel systems if homeowners [...]
Pros and Cons of GFI Outlets
Electricity is something just about all households take for granted, but it’s a powerful force that can be extremely dangerous. Ground fault circuit interrupter outlets, or GFCIs (otherwise known as GFIs), have been in use since the 1970s. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) has revealed an 83% decrease in electrocutions since then, and the National Electric Code [...]
The Benefits of Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Carbon monoxide detectors play a very important role in the home. They are designed to detect dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide, or CO, gas in the air. This gas has no odor, nor is there any way to see it, yet its molecules bind to the hemoglobin in blood, depriving your body of oxygen. It is therefore poisonous [...]
Conserve Electricity for the Holidays
As the holiday season approaches, we often think about family fun, gifts, lights, and decorations. Conservation isn’t often a priority during the festive fall months, but who doesn’t like to save some money? Get busy minimizing your costs, so you can maximize that holiday cheer. Here are 8 ways to save on your electricity bill. Your holiday electricity [...]