May is Electrical Safety Month, which means it is the perfect time for circuit breaker replacement in Fairfax, VA. Of course, a part of ensuring electrical safety is making sure all your electrical fixtures are up to speed. Replacing your circuit breaker is one important step in ensuring your home far away from safety hazards like electrical shocks, power outages, and fires. Even though it can work well for a number of years, your circuit breaker will eventually show wear and tear that will begin to affect its performance, to the point where the safety of you and your family is jeopardized.

Your local electrician can handle a wide variety of jobs including powerpoint installation, switchboard upgrades, outdoor lighting, installation of electrical fixtures, CCTV installations and a lot more. While they handle all these jobs expertly, they can also handle new wiring installation and wiring upgrade projects. Here are some signs that indicate the wiring on your property needs an upgrade:

If you live in an older home which has wiring that’s over 15-20 years old or have moved into a home and have begun noticing too many current fluctuations, it’s important that you call in a skilled and licensed electrician to check the wiring on your property. If you have lived in the same house for over a decade and can’t recollect when you last got the installations inspected and tested, don’t defer calling in an electrician to conduct a thorough inspection.

Take a look the outlets in your home; check whether they are 3-pronged or 2-pronged. If you find there are various 2-pronged outlets on your property, it’s time for you to call in an electrician. These outlets are undergrounded and can pose a fire-hazard. You would have to get these replaced with 3-pronged ones and ensure that these are grounded. The other alternative is to replace these with GFCI outlets as this will help protect your property. Your electrician will be able to evaluate your property’s needs.

Many homes that were built in the 1960’s & 1970’s had aluminum wiring instead of the safer copper wiring. The former is prone to loosen over time and this increases the fire risk in your home, whenever any outlet is in use. When you get the wiring on your property inspected by an electrician, he would be able to tell you if there is any risk and will provide a suitable solution to the problem.

Modern day appliances are power-guzzlers and modern wiring systems are specially designed to bear these loads. However, any installation that is a few decades old is unable to bear the load of modern appliance such as washing machines, dishwashers etc. If you have more than one heavy appliance operating on one electrical circuit in your home, that can pose another problem. The excess load causes the older wiring to get heated which in turn melts the insulation around it. This exposed wiring results in arcing (hissing, humming sounds). If you ignore these signs and don’t get the installation checked in time, it can result in an electrical fire.

In most instances, wiring upgrades go hand-in-hand with switchboard upgrades. This is because decades’ old wiring systems also had older switchboards with fuse installations. If you find that the fuses in your home keep blowing very often, that’s another indication that your electrical wiring may need to be upgraded.

The electricians will replace the fuses with modern safety switches/circuit breakers. This improves the safety aspect of the electrical installations in your home. When you are getting any electrical work done on your property, it’s important that you hire the services of experienced and licensed professionals that provide guarantees for their work.

If you have noticed any of the signs we just discussed and feel your property may require a wiring upgrade, call AllRound Electrical without delay. Regardless of whether you want to get an electrical fixture installed or need complete rewiring done on your property, we are the professionals to hire. For any information about our services, feel free to call us at 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.

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A Look Back At 2011

Texas residents suffered damaging and costly electrical problems in 2011. Three major blackout incidents, two of which happened in the winter months of February and December respectively, left residents without heat and without power for hours and, in some cases, days at a time. Equally distressing was the 71-day drought that had Texans begging their local Dallas electrician for relief, as 100-plus degree heat waves weakened the power grid once again and left residents without air conditioning or electricity.

2012: Not Much Better

Unfortunately, 2012 does not seem to be the year for relief. Experts warn that several factors point to an even more severe blackout and power grid problem in the state of Texas for 2012.

 These factors translate into miserable, costly blackouts and power grid failures throughout North Texas.

Dallas Electrician Company Provides Solutions

There are some solutions for customers looking stay ahead of the game when it comes to protecting their home and appliances from the inconvenient and sometimes dangerous conditions that stem from power grid failures. With the help of a knowledgeable electrician, Dallas residents can acquire an indoor generator, which can serve as an effective emergency power source for your home or business in the event of a blackout.

One of the most convenient features of these indoor generators is that there is no need to use electricity to recharge the battery bank that runs the generator. Without the mess of a fuel-powered engine generator, customers can count on reliable and steady power output and a quiet supply of power for your appliances. Furthermore, the convenience of a solar-power or wind-power battery charge ensures that customers need not worry about using electricity to recharge generator batteries.

Electricity is something we can’t manage without, but it’s crucial to take due care while using it. When it comes to electrical safety, you can never be too careful, and it’s important to ensure that the electrical systems, wiring, fixtures and fittings in your home have been installed by a licensed and insured electrician.

The same level of care has to be maintained when you are using any electrical appliance and you must ensure that you don’t overload the system while operating any of them. It’s very common for people to use extension cords in their homes and not many property owners feel these electrical accessories should be included in their safety checklist.

If an extension cord is used continuously under the wrong conditions, it can potentially lead to electrical shock or even an electrical fire. We have put together a few extension cord safety tips:

The other important thing you should keep in mind is that you should never join two or more extension cords together. This can be very dangerous because that can cause a drop in the voltage in the cords; this reduces the effectiveness of the circuit breakers and safety switches in your home; in turn, this can result in an overload.

If this occurs, the strength of the actual current that’s flowing in the cords can damage appliances which can create a fire hazard & potentially cause electrocution. While an extension cord can be quite helpful in effectively delivering power to points where you need it; never forget that using an extension cord is just a temporary measure and shouldn’t be used to provide permanent power.

Some would argue and say that they have been using extension cords for years without any trouble; however, that doesn’t really mean it won’t compromise the electrical safety in your home, when you plug it in the next time. If you find you are using too many extension cords around your home, it’s an indication that there aren’t enough power outlets in your home, to cover your needs.

It’s best to call in an electrician, discuss your electrical requirements and get them to assess whether the existing installations meet them. For more information, simply speak with the experts at Allround Electrical and take their advice on various aspects of CBUS installations. The number to call is – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.

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