Over time, things can go wrong with any electrical system. It’s part of the nature of wiring:  wires deteriorate and connections can break down.  But what if the problem that develops is because of something that happened when the electrical system was installed, something you didn’t have any control over?

There’s nothing so treacherous to the safety of your home as faulty wiring. Mistakes in the initial wiring of your home can lead to serious safety hazards and property damage.

So what can you do about faulty wiring?  A licensed Dallas electrician can help you find the problem areas in your wiring and repair them, but we generally don’t get called in until the faulty wiring causes a serious problem.  Nobody really has the time or money to deal with these problems, so it’s better to not have to suffer through them in the first place. The best way to do that is to be aware of the electrical warning signs that your wiring might be faulty.

We still have a lot of cold weather to come in the months ahead. We’re encouraging homeowners to schedule their annual heating service as soon as possible, if they haven’t already. It’s not too late, and this preventative maintenance service can help you, your family, and your budget in a few different ways.

This fall, one of the most important things you can do for your home is to get a heating system inspection. During an inspection, a technician will look for issues affecting the performance of your heater.

More importantly, they’ll look for anything that compromises your safety. That includes poor gas connections, faulty electrical wiring, improper ventilation, blocked vents, and a cracked heat exchanger. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a real threat when you own a fuel-burning heater, and it’s so important that you have technicians give you the okay to keep using the heat.

With a complete safety inspection, you don’t have to worry so much about your heating system breaking down suddenly in the middle of winter. If this is something that’s happened to you before (or even if it hasn’t), you know that this is something you really want to avoid.

Heating systems are most likely to break down when they’re working their hardest. Make things easier on yourself for the winter by scheduling heating maintenance ne in the fall.

When a heater gets a thorough tune-up, you can feel confident that the system is running smoothly. And that can mean greater efficiency. Your heating system is able to run smoothly with a cleaned out blower wheel, tightened electrical connections, and other adjustments your technician may make.

That translates to lower bills. And if you complete this service every year, no matter how old your heating equipment is, you can maintain high efficiency levels for years, as heaters that receive regular maintenance are more likely to last for a long time to come.

Any wire that is referred to as “live” or “hot” is one that is carrying electrical current. If you come into contact with a live wire, it can result in electrical shock, because the body will function as a ground and the electricity will flow across the path of least resistance (your body) to reach the ground. If there are exposed electrical wires near you, whether in your home our outdoors, you must exercise caution. Always assume that any downed electrical wire is live.

Live wires in your home are normally color coded, according to the region that you live in. This means that the live wire in your electrical system could be black, brown or red. This lets you know that the wire that you are looking at could possibly be energized with electrical current. In your home, this live line is always balanced out with a “neutral” wire. The electricity will enter your appliance from the live wire and exit through the neutral wire.

Because of the way that electricity flows through a circuit, it is important to remember that both live and neutral wires can be energized with electrical current. In order to increase the safety of many appliances, it is common for an electrician in Glendale to install a polarized outlet, where one hole in the socket is larger than the other. These holes correspond to properly sized prongs in your power cords to ensure that you are providing live power to the correct part of the circuit. To further improve safety, some outlets also include a ground connection, giving any excess electricity a safe path from your electrical system into the ground. This connection can greatly lower your risk of electrical shock.

If you have any questions about grounded electrical systems, live wires or any other electrical issues, head on over to our website at www.theelectricconnection.com/.The Electric Connection is always more than happy to help.

Are you looking to replace the aging light fixtures found throughout your home with an updated, multi-functional alternative? You may want to consider all the wonderful advantages ceiling fans have to offer.

And we’re not just talking about their aesthetically pleasing ambiance. Ceiling fans are a practical, economical solution to reducing your cooling needs in the summer. By creating a wind chill effect, using ceiling fans throughout your home can keep you and your family comfortable enough to lower your thermostat temperature by 4-7 degrees F, saving you up to 30 percent on cooling costs. Still on the fence? As an added bonus, the wind generated by ceiling fans also makes it more difficult for pests to fly, keeping summer pests at bay. How’s that for cool?

Say what? That’s right. Change the settings on your ceiling fans to spin clockwise, rather than their counterclockwise motion during the summer, and you’re in business! A clockwise motion forces air up, to the outer edges of the room, then down along walls to the floor, where it travels back to the center, once again rising. This motion helps equally distribute all that nice heated air from your HVAC system throughout your home, saving you much needed heating dollars.

Stand under your fan, and note the direction in which the blades rotate. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter which direction you face.) Remember, you want your blades to spin counterclockwise in the summer, clockwise in the winter. Wrong direction? Turn off the fan and locate the switch on the fan’s base, then simply flick the switch to the opposite direction. Done!

Choose the right blade size.

Want a cooling effect that doesn’t ruffle papers or other items in your home? Opt for larger blade sizes. They offer comparable cooling at a lower velocity than smaller blades. Don’t worry about the number of blades. This will not affect performance.

Properly size and locate fans.

Fans should be installed 7-9 feet above floors, 10-12 inches below ceilings and at least 18-24 inches from walls. Opt for 52-inch fans for rooms up to 400 square feet, 44-inch fans up to 225 square feet, and 42-inch fans up to 144 square feet. Rooms longer than 18 feet need multiple fans.

Find the right features.

Selecting easy-to-use models will encourage frequent fan use and the subsequent lowering of energy costs. You should carefully consider features and usage needs such as light intensity, fan speeds, noise level during operation, pull chains, and remote controls.

Remember, you get what you pay for.

Splurging a little on ceiling fans will earn you a model with quieter, smoother operation, more fan speeds, less issues, and longer warranty than bargain basement alternatives.

Ensure safe installation.

Professional installation as recommended by the manufacturer is essential to fan life, warranty, and most importantly, the safety of you and your family. Fans can weigh as much as 50 pounds! Safe installation should include an appropriate UL-listed electrical box made specifically for use with ceiling fans, secure mounting to a ceiling joist (or the use of a mounting bracket), and proper alignment and balancing.

Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. Though they can help you save energy, they use it as well, so be sure to turn off ceiling fans when you leave the room to prevent wasted energy dollars. Don’t want to keep track? You may want to consider adding a motion sensor.