You might be tempted to repair your wires on your own, but it is much safer to obtain our electrical wiring repair services. Wiring repair is not only complicated but can be dangerous for those without the proper tools, experience and training. Our electricians have all three of these things. We will take care of your wiring repair needs for a reasonable price, and you can rest easy knowing that your electricity is in good hands.

Among the more obvious pieces of electrical safety advice you may have encountered is to never saw the third prong off of an electrical plug in order to fit it into a two-prong outlet. But just because we can recognize that as a self-evidently bad idea doesn’t mean everyone knows why it’s dangerous.

Two-prong outlets have only two wires: a hot wire and a neutral wire. But a three-prong outlet also has a ground wire, which is a safe place for unexpected bursts of current to go when they occur. Without that connection between the ground wire and the plug, wild current can go anywhere: into your electrical device, where sensitive components can be destroyed, or worse, into your body. Shock and electrocution are more likely to occur when no ground wire is present.

Moving On Up

Three-prong outlets didn’t become standard in North American homes until the late 1960s, so while modern homes should be in good shape, there are plenty of homes out there with old two-prong outlets.

As a quick fix, you might be tempted to use adapters that convert two-prong outlets to fit three-prong plugs. You should resist the urge to use these so-called “cheater plugs”, however -- the ground wire is there for safety, and simply bypassing it creates a potentially serious hazard.

Instead, you should seriously consider upgrading the outlet if you need to regularly use three-prong plugs in that area. If you live in an older home where most of the outlets are two-prong, this is an upgrade you’ll need to do sooner or later.

When it comes to upgrading two-prong outlets, there are two basic options. The best choice is to have ground wires installed so that the outlets are fully up to the current standard. Unfortunately, this can involve several hours of electrical service and may require some cutting into walls, depending on how many outlets are being upgraded and how the home is configured. It may be a big undertaking, but it’s a quality investment in your home and safety.

A cheaper alternative is to upgrade to a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet, or GFCI. These outlets are capable of shutting themselves off if an electrical shock risk is present, but they won’t protect sensitive electronics from surge damage. The trade-off is that there’s no need to run a ground wire.

Out With the Old, In With the Old?

If you don’t like either of these options but you’re having trouble with a two-prong outlet, it’s technically not a violation of code to replace the outlet with another two-prong version. Just keep in mind that this arrangement leaves both people and electronics vulnerable, so use these outlets with care and consider making a plan to upgrade later.

Ready to upgrade those old outlets? Start the process today by scheduling a no-obligation consultation with your licensed, local electricians.

As referenced in a report by Business Week, the average US household in 2011 was spending upwards of 1/5 of the total household income on energy expenses. As energy costs continue to rise in the US it is important to understand where, in your home, are your greatest energy consumers.

Performing an electrical audit on electronic devices may reveal some interesting results. Use a simple kWh formula for calculating usage and cost. If the amount of wattage for a particular device is unknown, there are tables available online that provide average wattage ratings. For each device, calculate:

[(Wattage x Number of hours used daily) x 365 days/year ]÷ 1,000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour or kWh consumption

1,000 Watts = 1 Kilowatt

Using a personal desktop computer and a monitor as an example:

Take into consideration that various devices continue using electricity when turned “off.” Called phantom loads, the appliances that typically use the most unnecessary electricity in this form include computers, microwaves and other kitchen appliances, stereos, televisions and DVD players/recorders. When not in use, unplugging these appliances or switching an entire power strip off saves additional expense.

Heating and cooling costs consume the largest portion of monthly utility bills and inspecting a home for possible exterior and interior leaks and performing the necessary fixes may save considerable money. Visit responsiblebynature.org for tips from Xcel Energy.

An alternative might include hiring an energy-efficient electrician to perform an electricity audit. In addition to calculating appliance and electronic device usage and cost, a licensed professional electrician will also evaluate major appliances, lighting, heating/cooling thermostats and numerous other points throughout the home for efficiency and safety. Drawing on years of experience, an energy-efficient electrician also commonly provides recommendations, money-saving tips and suggestions for creating a more energy-efficient home.

If our Rockville electricians asked you if your building was up to code, would you know what we’re talking about? Staying “in code” is often a phrase many business owners are aware of, but when it comes to actually understanding what code is, why it’s important, and which codes apply to them, most aren’t really familiar. This can be a pretty big ding against both the safety and reputation of your business!

When our local business owners need electrical code correction in Rockville, they turn to the certified electricians at Kolb Electric! We’ve been providing superior service since the day we started doing business, and we’ll continue to do so. Curious about what electrical code correction in Rockville actually entails? Let’s do some learning.

The NEC (National Electrical Code) is essentially a guideline for what electrical practices are considered safe and optimal. The rules are regionally adjusted, meaning what is “code” in say Maryland may not necessarily be exactly the same in other states. This is why understanding the code specific to our Rockville area is crucial!

To ensure that you stay within code, the assistance of a locally licensed and certified electrician is critical. You must stay within code to optimize safety, and to avoid potential legal issues and fees.

Our specialists are fully-trained to handle and correct all electrical code violations in our area. Some of our most common corrections (and codes you should be aware of!) include:

Our seasoned Rockville electricians carry all of the training and experience needed to ensure your business keeps up with the times! Staying in code is not only safer, it’s usually more efficient as well! Save your business stress and money by contacting a certified Kolb electrician for an electrical code correction in Rockville today!