Why slave over a hot stove to provide healthy meals to your family when you could be saving time and money by using a microwave oven instead? In many cases, the microwave will use less energy than your range or oven and still create a delicious meal.

Radio Wave Technology

Using a microwave can save you anywhere between 30 to 80 percent in energy compared to your stove, according to the California Energy Commission. The devices work by using radio waves to excite water molecules in food, heating it from within. For many food items, that's a lot faster and more cost-effective than applying heat directly via a range or oven.

For example, the Energy Center provides a comparison of the average cost of cooking a casserole using various methods. The microwave is by far the quickest and cheapest, finishing the job in 15 minutes for a cost of 3 cents in energy. Meanwhile, the standard oven is actually the least efficient cooking method, taking an hour and burning up 16 cents in energy costs. A few cents might not sound like a big difference, but over a year the savings add up.

Great for Small Meals, Defrosting

The microwave won't save you energy in every situation, but they're perfect for small portions like side dishes and leftovers. If you try to make a large meal in the microwave, however, you can end up cooking it unevenly or not getting the desired texture, and the more food you heat at once, the less efficient microwaves are compared to the stovetop. For specific tasks like defrosting a piece of meat, on the other hand, a microwave is a great solution.

There’s another bonus with using a microwave in the summertime: it won't heat up the kitchen, so you don't put extra stress on your air conditioner to offset the rise in temperature.

For safety's sake, make sure you only use microwave-safe containers, and never put metal in the microwave.

Choosing a Microwave

Unfortunately, the federal Energy Star program does not certify microwaves at this time so you have to do a little more research to discover the most efficient models. Energy usage is fairly consistent across different brands. However, you can cut down on consumption by purchasing the smallest model that will meet your needs. Look at the wattage label, which will tell you exactly how much electricity it draws, and try to find one at 800 watts or fewer.

New microwaves are also far more efficient than older models. Look for devices that have variable power settings, temperature probes and sensors that can tell when the food is done cooking.

Microwaves aren't a perfect solution for every meal, but they are an important tool in the arsenal of any energy-conscious homeowner.

Call local Mister Sparky® for more energy-saving tips.

Did you know that proper surge protection could help avoid short circuits and fire hazards?  In fact, using up-to-date surge protectors (suppressors) for your appliances, or even your entire house, could save you thousands of dollars in property damage. These are just a few reasons why surge protection should be of the utmost importance for you and your home this holiday season.

What are power surges?

First, before diving deeper into the different advantages of protecting your home against power surges, it’s important to understand what electrical surges are, and why they’re such a concern. An electrical surge, also known as a “voltage surge”, is an electrical disturbance that can be caused by a variety of spikes in voltage. More specifically, these surges are usually caused by lightning strikes, power outages, short circuits, or tripped circuit breakers. Problems occur when these short spikes in electrical power overload circuits in home appliances and other electronics.

Why is it so important to protect your home against power surges?

For starters, power surges can be very dangerous for you, your family, and your house. Surges are one of the most common causes of house fires, usually resulting from a combination of faulty wiring and irresponsible electronics hook-up by homeowners. This is especially apparent around the holidays.

According to the Cheltenham Fire Department, “when putting up holiday lighting, surge protectors should be used instead of relying on extension cords.” Now, more than ever, people should be cautious about electrical disturbances and the possible danger they pose to their electronics—and even more importantly—their lives.

Even if a power surge doesn’t turn out to be dangerous, it can still be very costly.  As a matter of fact, power surges can pack enough of a punch to short the power supply in a desktop computer, television set, or even a microwave. Basically, anything with internal electronic circuits can be affected by a voltage surge.  That’s why it’s imperative that everyone use surge protectors for each and every appliance in their home.  At the very minimum, one should consider whole-house surge protection, or even just safeguarding higher-priced appliances such as LCD Televisions, microwaves, and desktop computers.

The Benefits of Power Conditioning and how controlled voltage delivery could save you money

Aside from protecting your home from voltage surges, you should also consider the amount of energy that is wasted from many of your appliances. And remember that with wasted energy comes wasted money.

One money-saving solution may be installing power conditioners in your home. Simply put, a power conditioner is a device that delivers clean (steady) power to your devices. It is designed to distribute a stabilized and continuous voltage level which eliminates dips and line static—important for all of you who own surround sound systems in your home theater.

As a consumer, it’s important to be informed about devices and services that can save you money, improve the longevity of your investments (e.g., Flat-panel television, etc.), and even protect your home.

If you have any more questions about power surging, or if you decide that you would like to look into protecting your home against electrical surges, contact our helpful team at ElectricMan Inc. We are here 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to serve you.

Every year, dozens of people are injured as a result of unsafe conditions created by faulty electrical panels. With winter fast approaching and more people plugging in space heaters and turning on heating systems, this is a perfect time to go over a few ways to make sure your electrical panel is working properly. Be on the lookout for the following signs that your panel is overloaded:

By this, we mean both full-on outages and things like tripped breakers and flickering lights. Your electrical panel is designed to handle only so much, and if your breakers trip frequently, this could be a sign that you’re overloaded. Storms with heavy rains, wind, and lightning can also cause panels to temporarily overload.

Sparks when you go to plug something in or coming directly from the panel are a sure sign that something is seriously wrong with your panel. As soon as you see one, turn on the power and examine your panel for burning smells or indications of smoke. Even if you don’t see any, call an electrician just to be on the safe side.

It’s natural for things like switch plates, wall outlet covers, cords, even plugs to get a little warm when current is flowing through them. If they get too hot to touch, however, this is a definite sign that something is wrong. Cut the power and contact an electrician as soon as possible.

If you can hear buzzing sounds coming from your electrical panel, there may be an overload or you may have worn parts in need of replacement. The buzzing can be a sign of mechanical vibration or electrical contacts arcing. It could also be coming from the bimetallic strip that trips the breaker.

If the insulation material on any of your wiring is cut, damaged, or cracked, this can be an indication of an electrical current overload. As soon as you notice this, replace the wiring—it can be a major fire hazard.

Electrical fires increase significantly during the winter, so now is a perfect time to take a look at your electrical panel and make sure it’s operating safely. And if you need electrical maintenance in Maryland, DC, or Virginia, call Kolb Electric today!

Cold winter months bring opportunities for cozy moments indoors  — but also some potential hidden dangers. More than 45,000 electrical fires occur in homes each year, according to thea licensed electrician update any damaged or two-prong outlets.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you have old and unsafe wiring because electrical work is mostly hidden behind the walls of your home. Remember, however, that wiring problems are a major fire threat. Pay attention to these signs of hidden electrical issues and then get safe by

Lamps and other light fixtures provide necessary illumination but can also pose a risk. Placing a bulb with a higher wattage than a fixture can handle poses a risk for igniting a fire. Heed the maximum wattage allowed for all fixtures and decrease the wattage or replace ones that seem to get excessively hot when lit.

Never decorate a lamp with paper or cloth that could ignite, and keep fixtures away from textiles, like bedding or curtains. Replace cords that are frayed or damaged.