Routine electrical service and maintenance is critical for all home or commercial buildings in the Des Moines Iowa area.   When you have routine electrical service done, it will keep your important electrical systems running longer and help you avoid expensive future repairs. In the event that there is an issue with your electrical system, your electrician can identify it during this routine visit so that repairs can be done before the problem becomes larger or even becomes an electrical fire.  Schedule your local electrician today and have your electrical system checked out.

It’s always easy to tell when summer rolls around.  The temperature outside soars, and so does your electricity bill.  Wouldn’t it be great if a top Dallas electrician could save you money on your electric bill?

Everyone knows why your bills get so expensive; you’re running your AC almost all the time.  In fact, the condenser for your air conditioning unit uses more electricity during the summer months than any other appliance in your home, even notorious energy hogs like your refrigerator. There are things an electrician can do to save you money, and electric safety tips you need to know to protect your home, business, and loved ones from disaster.

These days most people call an AC service company the minute an air conditioning problem comes up.   That isn’t always the correct move, though.  In my experience, about half of all the problems that arise with air conditioning systems are electrical problems.  Some of my best customers began using my service because I could help them figure out whether they should be calling an electrician or an HVAC technician to solve their problem.  Obviously, if the problem is the AC unit or condenser, an AC repairman is the way to go, but he doesn’t necessarily understand the details of your home or business electrical system.  There are a few things you should know about your air conditioner from the electrician’s point of view.

Mr. Electric® wants to make sure everyone is ready for the fall and winter months in case any weather-related disasters occur.  The importance of having alternate reliable energy when the need arises cannot be stressed enough. Electricity is the lifeline of many local businesses, hospitals and city buildings, and the amount of electricity usage in households is often taken for granted.

Generators propose a great solution when temporary power is needed, but they also require special care and attention to detail for safe operation and maintenance. Follow these tips to stay safe while operating permanently placed and portable generators.

Always operate generators outside in well-ventilated areas and away from windows, doors and vents. Enclosed or partially enclosed areas, even with ventilation, can result in CO poisoning.

“One generator produces as much CO as hundreds of cars. CO from a generator is deadly and can incapacitate and kill you within minutes.”

- Consumer Product Safety Commission

Plugging the generator into a wall outlet, also known as backfeeding, can pose an electrocution risk to utility workers as well as other homeowners and businesses served by the same utility transformer.

Mr. Electric licensed service professionals will be able to install a transfer switch, which will prevent a back feed in electrical current.

Before refueling, always turn off the generator and allow time for it to cool off before refueling. Continuous operation heats up the generator and any fuel spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.

Store fuel away from any fuel-burning appliance and outside of living areas in properly labeled, non-glass containers.

Always make sure the generator is kept dry during use, and dry your hands before touching it. Operate the generator under an open, canopy-like structure.

Never use the generator in wet or rainy weather or manipulate the electrical components if you are in standing water. Correctly storing and maintaining generators will prolong the life of the unit.

Being aware of the inherent hazards of electric generators will help prevent harmful situations. These tips from Mr. Electric will keep homeowners safe while operating permanently placed and portable generators.

CCT indicates the hue and tone of white light emitted from a specific bulb or fixture. It’s measured in Kelvins (K), which is similar to degrees in Celsius. Different temperatures on the Kelvin scale represent different colors. For example, light at 2000K-3500K looks more orange/yellow and is called ultra warm or warm white, and as temperature increases in Kelvins, color changes to more of a “paper white” known as natural or neutral white (between 3500K and 5100K) and finally into a bluish-white known as cool white (5100K+).

As a light source’s color temperature increases, brightness often increases. While shopping for LED lights, pay close attention to the color temperatures that are available for any one bulb or fixture. Choosing a warm white bulb with a color temperature around 3000K might mean sacrificing some brightness. Whereas, if you choose the natural white version, it’s likely that it will have a higher output.

Any room can benefit from light strip, globe bulb,

In order to understand nanometers, you must first understand the electromagnetic spectrum and wavelengths. The electromagnetic spectrum is the entire range of invisible and visible light, and a wavelength is the distance between peaks of light waves. Wavelengths are measured in nanometers, which are simply units of length that indicate colors of light within the spectrum. Nanometers will tell you how red, green, yellow, purple, etc. a light source really is. These measurements start lower at ultraviolet and increase from green to blue, yellow, orange, and then red. The wavelength of a colored light can be found in the light’s specifications table.

MR16 beam angle in degrees (left to right): 36, 24, 15

Fixtures or bulbs that emit wide beams, such as BR LED bulbs for can lights are great for areas that require a lot of light, such as basements, kitchens, or living rooms. Narrow beam angles like those from can lights with MR LED bulbs are best for highlighting decor or small areas. Globe bulbs, such as G30 LED vanity bulbs, have 360-degree beam angles, which means that they throw light in all directions. Globe bulbs are the perfect choice for centralized light fixtures.

We’ve touched a bit on the subject of Do It Yourself solutions in the past. Mostly making mention here or there of when it is, and is not, a good idea. But at Kolb Electric, your safety is always our absolute primary goal. So rather than leave it at a mention, we wanted to take some time to tell you some important points. 

We support all kinds of on-your-own projects. It’s a great way to get a new skill set, or polish one you already have. Plus, nothing beats that feeling of accomplishment you get from creating or building something all on your own. But when it comes to DIY electrical work, we would firmly call it a really bad idea.

It really comes down to one major point: harm. It is entirely too easy to cause harm to yourself, to others, or to your personal property. If you follow along with our blog, you may remember a point we made in the article about “What It Takes To Become An Electrician”. In that post, we mentioned that anyone pursuing an education in electrical work pay very close attention to the safety aspects of learning.

This is because electricity, by nature, is highly volatile, and can be hard to predict without training. It only takes one, single misstep and suddenly you, or your home, is on fire. There are plenty of articles out there on how to wire an outlet, or replace a ceiling fan, but please be aware that 1) these articles are rarely comprehensive and 2) reading something and doing it are two very different things.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated that roughly 400 domestic electrocutions occur every year. And of the estimated 360,900 residential building fires reported, the leading cause is electrical issues and mistakes. We really want to nail home the point that this kind of work takes training and experience to work well. Without these two things, you risk:

Fires that result in catastrophic property loss can even be caused by incorrect bulb wattage, so please keep in mind that something as intense as rewiring should be handled by a trained and certified professional.

Next time you need electrical work, trust in the certified professionals at Kolb to get the job done right! Don’t risk yourself, and your investments on a personal side project. Contact certified electricians today to learn more about our comprehensive electrical services.