Electric cars like the Tesla are rapidly growing in popularity—more so than any type of car in the industry. At some point, it’s safe to assume that vehicle powered primarily by electricity will be the standard for the automotive industry, so it’s important for the infrastructure in the U.S. to change in order support electric vehicles. Electric cars save energy, promote health, and are environmentally friendly, so they can offer a number of great benefits, and if you’re considering purchasing an electric vehicle, it’s important that you prepare your home for the change.

When it comes to residential Tesla and other electric vehicle chargers, it’s generally recommended that you install a Level 2 charger. Here some basic information about Level 2 charging devices:

Level 1 and Level 2 chargers are what most homeowners have access to. Level 1 electric vehicle chargers use standard household outlets, and it’s common for electric cars to come with Level 1 charging cords that cna be directly plugged into your home’s outlets. The downside of Level 1 chargers is that they’re limited to about 120 volts, which means that they can take up to 22 hours to charge your car.

Level 1 chargers are probably not a feasible option unless your car is a plug-in hybrid.

Our professional Princeton electricians recommend Level 2 chargers for residential electric vehicle charging. Level 2 chargers supply 240 volts of electricity to your car, so they can significantly reduce charging times. You’ll be able to fully charge your car in as few as three to four hours.

Installing Level 2 chargers will probably require some adjustments to your home’s electrical wiring, but our Princeton electricians will be able to handle the job.

The primary benefit of a Level 2 charger is the significant reduction in charging time. You’ll be able to charge your car much more quickly, which gives you more flexibility when it comes to using your automobile. Your car can easily be fully charged over night, or while you enjoy a meal and complete some household duties.

Level 2 chargers can also help you save money on your electrical expenses. They’ll allow you to charge your vehicle at strategic times when electrical demand is lower. You can take advantage of lower electrical costs during the night, which help maximize energy savings on an already efficient vehicle.

Now that spring is well on its way, many enterprising homeowners are looking forward to home improvement projects and renovations to their homes. What they likely are not looking forward to, or may not even realize that they have to consider, though, is scheduling inspections and pulling permits. Not every job is going to require a permit or an electrical inspection, but many do, and they are not always the jobs that you’d expect. Language in permitting regulations may necessitate that you pull a permit for replacing a window, for instance, as this is an egress. The best way to ensure that you are doing everything by the books is to hire a skilled professional to do the job.

When it comes to an electrical inspection, it is all about your safety. Once your contractor has finished his or her work, or even just the rough work phase of the job, having an electrical inspection is most likely going to be necessary. This guarantees not only that any existing electrical systems and components in the area are in great working order, but also that nothing was compromised during the home renovation process. You need everything in your home to be up to code, and it is in your best interest to ensure that this is the case prior to the completion of the entire project.

There are a lot of questions surrounding this particular practice, and nobody wants to go through the process of pulling permits prior to getting a project underway, only to find that the permit was not necessary. That being said, allowing a contractor to work on your property without the necessary permits can have some pretty serious consequences. If a complaint is filed, and an investigation opened, the work will have to stop. Any improvements made may actually need to be removed, and you may face considerable fines. There will likely be a lot of red tape that will seriously delay your project, as well. Contact the appropriate governing bodies in your area to know for certain if a permit is needed.

As a Plano TX electrician, I can tell you that the year 2011 was a dramatic and eye-opening experience for those of us who realized that our electrical grid is unreliable when it attempts to function in less-than-ideal situations. Any Plano electrician can tell you that without viable solutions to the problem of an easily weakened power grid, North Texas runs into difficulties which can be both costly and potentially dangerous.

North Texas Electricity: A Year In Review

Let’s take a look at the last year’s power grid problems and how they affected our North Texas population.

Indoor Generator: Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands

Given all the difficulties we experienced last year as a result of an unreliable power grid, isn’t it time for us to consider solutions that would put reliable power back in our homes? One of those solutions that is worth taking a look at is an indoor generator. Having an indoor generator in your home can:

Consider talking to your Dallas electrician today to find out more about indoor generators and how you can be prepared in 2012 for any blackouts and outages that come our way.

Dallas Electricians You Can Trust

With over 27 years of electrical experience, Electric Man Inc. has seen too many families in danger as a result of careless and unnecessary oversights in the use of lighting and electronics. With a little care, a lot of caution and some common sense, your family can enjoy the candy and the costumes and not have to be worried about fires.

For more information on electrical safety and how you can protect your home and your family, or if you need a local Dallas electrician to help you with any electrical issues you may have, check out our other blogs at www.electricmaninc.com and connect with us…