If the motor seems to be fine, attempt to reconnect it to a load. For motors spinning in the wrong direction that are three-phase, swap any two leads either in the starter or in the motor connection box to reverse its rotational direction. Motors that struggle with a load may have something plugged up or jammed in the load itself. A mechanic may be required to check fans, belts, or pumps that are powered by a motor. When a motor trips the overload device, attach an anmeter to measure the current during startup and operation. Check the FLA on the motor nameplate to see what the expected current draw should be. If it is high, the motor may simply be overloaded. If not, the overload protection device may be set too low or may need replacing.

By following these basic ac motor troubleshooting tips, any electrician can quickly determine the cause of most problems in an AC motor.

Time to fall back and re-adjust to a new light!  Daylight Savings Time ends on November 2nd and our circadian rhythms may be upset as we are forced to accept the darker mornings.

Don’t despair, a few simple tips will help make for an easy transition.  From landscape to living room, we’ll show you how to adjust your lighting design for the change of season.

3 Surefire Ways to Keep your Circadian Rhythm in Check and Attune your Light to the Season

1.  PERFECT TIMING:  Reset timers on outdoor and landscape lighting.  Timers for outdoor lighting should be set to go on after sunset.  Automated timers may be wall-mounted indoors or on transformers outside.  Newer systems may be powered to photocells which adjust light fixtures automatically for Daylight Savings Time. Photocells are activated by natural sunlight, so that lights will go as soon as it gets dark outset.  For the coming winter months–timers for outdoor lighting should be programmed to go on around 5 pm and shut-off around 3 am.

2.  KEEPING YOUR SPIRIT UP:  Many individuals experience a lack of energy and/or depressed mood during the winter months due to their decreased exposure to sunlight.  Adding daylight bulbs to table or floor lamps will brighten up your interior space and may help to keep your energy and spirit up throughout the day.

Frosted True Daylight lamps from Bulbrite Industries utilize neodymium to replicate sunlight to  help you “see better, feel better” and adjust to seasonal changes.

3.  STAYING IN TUNE TO THE NEW NORMAL:  Studies have confirmed that lighting our homes and offices in tune with our natural circadian rhythms is beneficial to overall performance and well-being.  “Tunable” lighting is the wave of the future.  From setting our lighting designs to be in perfect unison with our sleep-wake-performance schedules to illuminating entire rooms in our favorite colors, we have the technology to change our lighting design according to the season and the ceremony!

Visit with a professional lighting consultant at a Capitol Lighting showroom or 1800lighting.com for personalized attention to your lighting design scheme.  Keep abreast of the latest lighting news at 1800lighting.com.

It is virtually impossible that you don’t face electrical problems around the home from time to time. It could be a tripping breaker or a fused bulb, but sooner or later, there will be an electrical problem that you have to deal with. Now, most homeowners are adept at taking care of the small electrician work, i.e. taping up wires or replacing a blown fuse. However, there are certain situations where calling in a professional electrician is the best course of action. Yet, there are many people who don’t consider this an option, usually till it’s too late and they have no other recourse.

The reason for this hesitation is a few common myths about electrician work doing the rounds. It is true that there are some homeowners who have the requisite knowhow to take care of the electrical stuff around the home, but they are a rare breed. For the average Joe and Jane, it is a good idea to leave the work to a professional electrician service. However, since people tend to believe in the common misconceptions, calling an electrician is not a priority for them. They end up allowing time for the problem to exacerbate, which means greater expense, greater risk, and greater inconvenience

Now, surely you would be wondering what these abovementioned misconceptions are and if you perhaps believe in a few of them. Let’s take a look at some common myths about electrician work and debunk them:

As mentioned above, most people don’t reach out for the phone to call an electrician even when they see there’s a problem which requires an experienced hand. The myth is that they feel an electrical service would charge more if they called them over for an emergency. They instead hope that the problem isn’t major and the impact would be minimal. They wait for the sparking outlet to cool down or the tripping breaker to stop tripping before they consider calling in a professional. What this does is allow the problem to worsen, which means they have to spend more money to get it fixed later on.

Now, compare that cost with the charges of an emergency electrician service and you will see you got the short end of the deal. This is why it is important that you call up a professional electrician without delay and deal with the problem there and then. In fact, you give the electrician a better shot at fixing the problem by calling him in quicker

You might be all for the DIY movement and like doing things around the house but this doesn’t you put your safety at risk by attempting to fix electrical problems you have no idea how to deal with. One wrong move and you could end up causing more harm to the system than the actual problem did. Unless you are absolutely sure you know what to do, don’t ever attempt to fix an electrical problem at home. It would only meaning put your safety at risk. Not only this, you might end up causing damage to appliances or electrical outlets around the house. Just because it looks easy doesn’t mean its easy.

Granted, most homes today incorporate wood as a major building material. And you can probably bet your house on the fact that wood isn’t a good conductor of electricity. However, this doesn’t mean an electrical problem can not cause damage to your wooden flooring or fixtures. Keep in mind that a short circuit is all it takes and the entire room could be on fire. Just because your home is ‘wooden’ from all sides doesn’t mean you keep ignoring electrical faults, even if you have insurance!

This one is perhaps the most common misconception people have about electrician work. They aren’t prepared to listen to what the electrician is telling them about. Just because it’s your home doesn’t mean you know more about the electrical system installed than a professional whose bread and butter is fixing electrical problems. You might have your ideas about how the work should be done but you should trust the professional electrical service you have called in when it comes to electrical work.

These are only a few of the many misconceptions people have about electrician work. It might give you an ego boost to be able to take care of handyman jobs around the house but electrical work is intricate and potentially dangerous. So, it is in your best interests to leave it to the professionals