Are you sporting the latest in mobile technology? Smartphones, tablets, and various mobile devices are all the rage these days, going out of date faster than the milk souring in your fridge. And while you’re likely spending a lot of money keeping up with them, it’s a good bet you haven’t bothered keeping up with the outlets that keep them powered for your convenience.

Besides preventing you from plugging in 3-prong appliances, ungrounded 2-prong outlets present a substantial safety risk: a risk of electrical shock to you, and a risk of frying your expensive electronics.

Simply replacing that old 2-pronger for a 3-prong outlet will NOT solve the problem, but instead create an electrocution and appliance hazard. Rewiring the panel with a 3-wire circuit is crucial to providing the necessary ground. You may also consider upgrading to a GFCI , which is less expensive and prevents shock-related issues, but this solution will not provide the necessary ground to protect sensitive electronics.

Without properly grounded outlets, surge protection is a no-go. Whether you buy a $10 surge protector or a $200 one, it offers no protection whatsoever to your appliances without adequate ground.

GFCIs protect you from electrical shock in rooms with increased risks, such as those that could be exposed to water. GFCIs are identified by the “test” and “reset” buttons on receptacles. These devices save lives by immediately stopping the flow of current when it travels along an unintended path - such as into you. They are currently required for use with dishwashers, in baths, kitchens, laundries, garages/utility rooms, crawl spaces, unfinished basements, spa/pool areas, and home exteriors.

Upgrade to GFCI outlets. It’s not worth putting your family at risk to postpone this upgrade. Fear not if your home is older. GFCIs work with or without grounding, and are easy and inexpensive to install.

The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) estimates the installation of GFCIs in household branch circuits could prevent more than 200 electrocutions and thousands of electrical shocks and burns in and around the home annually.

It’s not the mess, the whining, or the drooling, it’s those childproof outlets your home is missing. In older outlets, all a child has to do is stick an object in a single prong to suffer electrical injury. Whether children live with you or only come for the occasional visit, childproof outlets offer inexpensive, effective protection against dangerous electrical shocks and burns resulting from tampering.

Adding childproof outlets is a simple and inexpensive child protection solution. Childproof outlets require the use of equal pressure in all prongs of the outlet simultaneously in order to allow for the flow of electricity. They are just as easy to use as traditional plugs for adults, yet still provide essential protection for children. Upgrading to childproof outlets is simple, permanent, and inexpensive, mere pennies more than traditional receptacles. They are so effective that they are now required in all newly built homes.

Of the over 2,400 electrical shocks and burns resulting from children toying with outlets annually, 70 percent occur in the presence of adults.

These outlet types are mandated in new homes today because unlike their predecessors, whose main function is merely to deliver electricity, these outlets save lives. Still not convinced? Consider the small cost of upgrading the outlets in your home to the enormous cost of dealing with any of the situations above. You might think your home safe, but is it?

Upgrade your outlets – not your smartphone. They’ve been patient long enough. Contact Mr. Electric® today.

Recently, the Obama administration adopted a new gas mileage standard for cars made in America — 54.5 mpg by 2030. That’s a big jump. The most recent figures — 2009 — show that average gas mileage for American cars manufactured in that year was 33 mpg.

Well, the new standard is good for reducing dependence on foreign oil and good for our pocket books — it’s supposed to save us $45 billion annually at the gas pumps. It’s probably also good for American competitiveness in export sales — people in other countries seem even more concerned about gas mileage than we have become. The 2009 cars we imported got 35 mpg, 2 miles better than American-made.

Most Americans support the idea of upping gas mileage. Consumer Reports found in a recent survey that 77% of Americans feel that Detroit should produce more fuel-efficient cars and the government should increase mileage standards. So, everything’s good….

BUT wouldn’t it be better to run our cars on ZERO gasoline? Wouldn’t it be better to go electric? I’m not talking about the government telling Detroit to manufacture only electric vehicles (EVs). But when we buy our next car, if we made it electric or hybrid, we would be asking Detroit to manufacture the kind of cars that emit zero pollution and don’t eat any Middle Eastern oil.

You might be thinking — yes, but where does the electricity come from? That’s a good point, but here’s the neat thing about electricity — it can come from clean sources. In Los Angeles, 40% of the electricity supplied by the Department of Water and Power is generated from coal — not clean. But that means that 60% is generated from cleaner sources like natural gas, hydropower, nuclear, geothermal, wind, and solar. DWP expects that by 2020, 0% will be generated from coal and 40% will be generated from renewables. Those are the facts about electricity in L.A. — and, I assure you, my being an electrician doesn’t give me any bias on the subject!

My next car will be an EV. In the meantime I’m lending my support to the cause by installing EV chargers for those in L.A. who are beating me to it and have already bought their electric cars.

Click here to read more.

We all like using lights that we have collected over the years, but along with this also comes a great deal of responsibility. Please check any Christmas lights or decorations, such as wreaths, that light up for before they are used. The plastic or glass that surrounds the light should be intact, and should not contain any cracks or breaks. Please inspect the wires for tears fraying or damage.

If lights are being plugged in outside on the trees, roof top, doors, or driveway make sure you have enough electrical outlets. Do not overload your outlets and use only ground fault outlets as this will help to keep your lights and yourself safe, as they will most likely be exposed to wetness and moisture. Also make sure your extension cords do not become a tripping hazard.

When choosing a real tree, make sure it’s not too dry and not close to any candles. Christmas lights can be used to decorate real and synthetic Christmas trees. Lights should be in their best condition before being placed on the tree. Turn all Christmas lights and decorations off when you leave the house or go to bed to avoid electrical fire. Don’t use electrically powered ornaments or lights on metal decorative trees or decorations as the sharp edges may cut the cord and cause a shock and fire hazard. Due to heat danger keep your tree 3-4 feet away from fireplaces, electric heaters and floor registers.

4. Christmas “bubble” lights were popular in the 1950’s and contain coloured liquid. These should be kept away from children, as the covering of the lights can be broken, and children may attempt to drink the liquid inside. Strings of lights should be kept tucked away or taped to walls so that children cannot easily pull the cords and injure themselves or damage furniture.

5. LED’s are much more energy efficient and give off almost no heat. LED lights help protect from overloading outlets they are much safer and you can use more of them with the same available power source so your home will look like a Christmas wonderland!

The baseball season has started, NASCAR has revved up for the summer and football is right around the corner. All these sports, at one time, could only be enjoyed during the day. Mr. Electric®, a company committed to powering tomorrow, looked at how electricity and lights changed sports forever.

On the night of September 28, 1892, the game of football was changed forever when Wyoming Seminary played Mansfield State Normal School in the first-ever night game. The game lasted 20 minutes, consisted of a total of ten plays and ended with neither team scoring. The game ended early due to several players getting hurt by running into light poles caused by the insufficient lighting system. The first night game West of the Mississippi was played in Kansas by the now, Wichita State, and Sterling College in 1905. With upgraded lighting systems many games are now played at night. On September 28, 1992, Monday Night Football celebrated “100 years under the lights” in a game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams.

Baseball was behind football when it came to playing at night. Though teams had played at night since the 1880s, many teams did not make it common practice until many years later. The first ever Major League Baseball game to be played at night took place on May 24, 1935, in Cincinnati when the Cincinnati Reds played the Philadelphia Phillies. The Chicago Cubs were the last Major League Baseball team to finally host a game at night in their home stadium of Wrigley Field. The game took place on August 9, 1988. The World Series had its first night game in 1977. Now, every Major League Baseball stadium has lights and night games are a common occurrence.

Bristol Motor Speedway was the first NASCAR track to have lights installed for night races in 1992. In order for night racing to take place in NASCAR lights had to be designed that would not blind the drivers as they raced around the track. Bristol was one of the first tracks to have night racing. Since 1992, many tracks have added lights for night racing. Some of the most popular night races take place at Kansas City, Richmond, Charlotte and Bristol Speedways. None of these sports would be where they are today without the advent of electricity and intelligently designed lighting systems.

high-tech smart bulb that’s trending in 2015 lighting technology. But in the late 1800’s it was the Edison bulb that transfixed the world as one of the most technologically advanced inventions of its time. In a practical sense, the electric bulb was the ‘smart technology’ of the 1800’s. Fast-forward a century, and the term Edison bulb holds an entirely new meaning.

In present-day design, Edison bulbs are vintage-style incandescent light bulbs with clear glass envelopes and visible filaments. You’ve probably also heard them referred to as antique light bulbs. Today’s reproductions are modeled after — you guessed it — Thomas Edison’s earliest light bulb productions. The exposed filaments (the string-like wires inside the bulb) are what set the Edison bulb apart from its 21st century counterparts like the LED.

It’s interesting to note that while historians agree that Thomas Edison Humphry Bulb doesn’t sound nearly as cool.

Today, when someone characterizes a modern bulb as being an Edison Bulb, they’re usually referring to a handful of common characteristics that these vintage bulbs inspire…

Edison Muckers, Your blog for everything Edison, everyday.