During the winter months, homes are slightly more susceptible to electrical emergencies. With extra electrical capacity tied to holiday lights, along with extended use of in-home lights due to shorter days, the stress on your electrical system is definitely increased while it’s cold! That means, sadly, an increase in electricity-related incidents. Don’t fear though—with the help of your DC-area electricians at Kolb, we’ll make sure you stay safe!

Probably the most dangerous and common electrical emergency is a fire. Often, you can see if there is about to be an electrical fire in your home by looking for a smoking outlet. You know the phrase—when there’s smoke, there’s fire! If you see a smoking outlet, you know something has gone very wrong. First, and above all else, call the fire department dispatched to your home. After that, call the experts at Kolb Electric for help getting your home’s wiring back to the place where it should be. However, in the event of an electrical emergency of this stature, its best to follow these tips:

At Kolb Electric, we’re prepared to help you fix your electrical issues in the event of an emergency. If you need an electrician in the Washington, DC, Virginia, or Maryland area, contact Kolb Electric today!

In the event of an emergency, we can quickly be on the scene to help repair:

Temperatures are still mild enough that you likely aren’t thinking about the implications of snow and ice just yet, but now is actually the perfect time to start considering it, and deciding what you’re going to do about it when it hits.

A driveway heating system will help you with the inconvenience of shoveling snow and the safety concerns involved with walking on icy surfaces, but what about your roof? Winters are particularly harder on roofs than any other season, especially if you have an asphalt or shingle roof.

The buildup of ice and snow adds weight to your roof that it is not designed to handle. Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against inclement weather, but it can only take so much pressure. The ice that forms in the winter creates ice dams—formed from melted snow refreezing and creating a blockage—as well as gutter ice.

Gutter ice can cause gutters to become too heavy and rip away from your home. Not only does this mean you’ll have to repair and/or replace your gutters, you may also have to contend with the property damage that this could very well leave behind.

Even without ice as a factor, snow itself poses a risk to your roof. This is especially true if you have a flat roof, or an older home with a weakened roof structure already. The problem is that as the snow builds up, it creates too much weight, and your roof can crack or even collapse under all the strain.

The solution to this problem is having roof heating cables installed. These cables do just what the name implies: they keep your roof warm so that snow and ice never have a chance to buildup. Rather, it melts upon impact and drains from your gutters and downspouts just as rainwater would.

Your garbage disposal is a lifesaver.  It is a remarkably quick and convenient way to dispose of food waste.  In fact, many garbage disposals can withstand years of daily use without a beat.  But how do you keep the not-so-silent hero of your kitchen healthy?  If properly monitored and maintained, your garbage disposal can dodge the serious problems for years to come.  Continue reading for best practices and tips for extending the life of your garbage disposal.

Run Cold Water During Use

The cool shock from cold water will cause the food that is in your drain to harden.  This is ideal, since hardened food is much easier for your garbage disposal to grind up.  Many people get in the habit of running hot water down their drain, however we advise against using hot water for your garbage disposal as the high temperature can melt your food waste.  Melted food waste will adhere to the pipes of your sink and garbage disposal, which in turn can cause a clog or a more serious issue.

Watch What Goes Down the Drain

Certain materials should never come in contact with your garbage disposal.  Obviously, metals and plastics should be thrown away instead of shredded down the drain.  Many other things should be kept away from your disposal, including fibrous vegetables, bones, oils, and grease.  Here is a list of some of the things that should never be placed in your garbage disposal:

Add Some Citrus

Now, time for something that we encourage putting in your garbage disposal: citrus fruits!  Whenever you peel a lemon, lime, or orange, toss that peel down the drain of your sink and let your garbage disposal work its magic.  The peel will help to eliminate some of the food waste that is stuck to the blades and interior of the garbage disposal.  Additionally, the fresh scent will suppress any odors coming from the garbage disposal.

Occasionally Use Boiling Water

Remember when we said that hot water is not the best option for garbage disposal use?  That remains true.  However, if you are trying to wash away any excess food stuck in your system, a pot of boiling water down the drain once a month will do the job.  Keep in mind, the heat does cause the food that is in your garbage disposal to melt, which can cause clogs.  It is imperative that you do not pour boiling water down your drain more than recommended.

Keep It Running

Many people will shut off the garbage disposal after they hear a change in sound, generally indicating that the food is gone.  This method will leave bits and pieces of your food waste in the disposal, which after time can cause a clog.  To avoid this issue, we recommend running the disposal for an extra two minutes with cool, running water.  This ensures that all pieces of food waste are eliminated down the drain.  As an added aspect of protection, pump a small amount of dish soap into the disposal.  The grease-fighting powers of the dish soap will both clean the disposal and finish the job by sweeping away any stubborn pieces of food waste.