Smoke alarms have been required in homes, apartment buildings, and offices for many years. Regulations on carbon monoxide detectors are far more recent, but it’s vital to know whether a potential carbon monoxide leak could make your family members sick. The people at Nest, the same company that brought us the Nest Learning Thermostat, recognized a need for a combination smoke detector and CO detector and created a product that alerts you to danger in a unique way that helps you to feel that your home is protected no matter where you are.

We’ll look at the many benefits of integrated fire alarms and CO detectors in this guide, but be sure to call on a professional for installation. At FB Electrical Services, we’ll make sure that the unit is installed in the most accurate location for smoke and CO detection, that all of the electrical components are working properly, and that the detectors in each room are interconnected.

Are you sick and tired of putting food in the fridge and forgetting about it, only to find it rotten and moldy weeks later? Not only is it a waste of food, you're left with a disgusting mess to clean up. One day soon, however, your refrigerator could send you a reminder to eat your leftovers before they spoil. Read on to learn about how smart technology in your kitchen can help prevent your food from going bad.

Communicate with Your Appliances Via Text Message

As the Internet of Things becomes more prominent in our household electrical work, more and more devices are offering futuristic functions. Smart refrigerators already exist, with models that can send you a phone message when the door is left open, when the coils need cleaning and when the unit is in need of service.

A new model that Samsung has prototyped promises to take the smart technology even further. The fridge comes equipped with a touchscreen to offer you full control over its features, and a camera inside the unit that actually monitors your food and alerts you when it's been neglected for a little too long. You can use the touchscreen to check on how the food is doing, or even have the fridge send a text message that you need to eat the leftovers ASAP.

A Wealth of Inter-Connected Devices

The connectivity and versatility of our brave new world means that the next generation of refrigerators can be even more proactive about your meals. Not only can the Samsung fridge tell you when your food is bad, it has the capability to automatically order more items to replace whatever you use up or throw out. That's right, your next refrigerator could even handle food shopping for you.

The functionality of this smart refrigerator is just one example of how our electrical work is being transformed to relieve us of many of the mundane tasks of day-to-day life. In the big picture, getting alerts when your food starts to spoil might not sound like such a big deal – but imagine your fridge, stove, clothes washer, bathroom cabinet and other devices all working together make your household run more smoothly. And in the meantime, you can also dream about a world where you'll never have to subject food to the sniff test ever again!

Expert Hands for All Your Electrical Work

If you need advice on purchasing a new refrigerator, or have other electrical work that needs to be performed, get in touch with a qualified electrician today.

Maybe it was the attire that tipped you off, or the unmarked van. Whatever it was, the truth remains: there are plenty of home service scammers, and false electricians aren’t an exception.

On the Kolb Electric blog, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about how to tell if various electrical appliances and processes in your home are bad or faulty. We’ve discussed outdoor lighting, breakers, outlets; we even did a bit on hot tubs! But what do you do if your electrician in Gaithersburg is bad? How can you even tell; and what separates the slouches from the professionals?

Looking for reliable electrical services from a certified electrician in Gaithersburg? Contact Kolb today!

Getting electrical work done in your Maryland home is already pretty stressful. So the very last thing you want is to call in an “expert” only to get bad work, poor results, and services that could barely even be called service. To make sure you get the good stuff when you’re looking for dependable electrical services, keep an eye out for these warning signs!

Ready to get the service and quality you deserve? Contact Kolb Electric today! When you work with our team, meeting your needs and bringing you the best in reliable quality is our primary goal, and we’ll never leave you confused, angry, or unhappy!

Time to ditch the band posters! Show off a new painting or favorite framed photograph with a battery-operated picture light that installs easily and without messy cords.by Celebrate home ownership by decorating the front door or mailbox  with a customizable house number sign.

Repairs are an inevitable part of home ownership and there’s nothing quite as frustrating as not having the right tools. Cover all of their bases with a 130-piece tool set. Make small repairs and upgrades easy with a flexible work light that can clamp onto surfaces and direct light right where they need it.