Do you have an electrical repair or a project you’re moving forward on, or you’re wanting to improve the look of your home or business?  Will you do it yourself, hire a handyman, or hire a qualified electrician?

Because of the rising costs of our island’s economic environment, many are looking for ways to cut costs when it comes to electrical repairs or additions. One way people are doing this is through their own attempts or choose someone who claims to be a qualified electrician working as a “handyman”. The current economy has left many skilled tradespersons unemployed and eager to offer their expertise as a handyman repair worker.

A “handyman” might be able to do the electrical job you have or they might not.  How are you to know?  Much of the work performed in an electrical project is covered up by walls, wire junction boxes, or in limited access locations.  I’ve  seen bad connections where the previous installer has connected wires using gift wrapping tape or paper clips or some other household items. Also, wires that carry high voltage were cut, pinched, and fully exposed to a shock or fire hazard (see above picture).  The owners knew nothing about this!  Following the electrical codes didn’t seem to be a priority in these attempts.  Codes need to be met or there’s a huge liability to persons and property.

Electrical wiring can be very dangerous! A handyman may have some electrical talent, but they are not recognized by the law as a licensed contractor. In other words, in Hawaii, they cannot pull permits on jobs where they are required or legally work on projects that earn $1000.00 or more for their services. The State knows the dangers of unlicensed work.  They are not just looking for other means for revenue.  If you hire someone who is unlicensed to save money, then you are taking a huge risk.  If something goes wrong,  you have  very little recourse.  You could end up paying more in the end.

Blue Sky Electric not only is licensed, but insured and bonded.  The State requires this for good reason….. The State of Hawaii has a fund for you that all licensed contractors pay into called the “Contractor’s Recovery Fund”. The purpose of the fund is to provide reimbursement to a consumer who has suffered a financial loss as a result of a licensed electrical contractor who has engaged in fraudulent, deceptive or dishonest practices, or failed to perform.  Injured parties my collect funds to recover damages.  Any unlicensed person can not offer you this protection.

To get the results that you expect, it is essential that you put appropriate effort behind finding an electrician matched to the specific requirements of your job – do not simply trust someone that puts you at ease or wins your confidence.  If a licensed contractor is hired one item to look into is their complaint record with the Hawaii Board of Contractors. Here’s a link to check the status of a person’s record: Hawaii Professional and Vocational Licensing Search Whoever you may hire, they should always come with word-of-mouth recommendations or testimonials of their peers.

Call us to discuss your project, and our expertise.  Let’s talk about doing it right the first time.

Generally, it doesn’t cost much to hire an electrician to have repair work or installation done at home. Yet, many homeowners in Oregon feel they can save the money they would have to spend by taking care of the problem on their own, even though they lack the experience and the expertise to do it right. This often leads to greater problems and they have to spend more money on the repair than they would have if they had called in an electrician in the first place. Of course, hiring the right electrician isn’t simply a matter of finding a number in a directory and making a call.

There are thousands of electricians you will find and not all of them are made equal. Not to mention, they don’t all offer the same services. But it is important to understand that even with electricians, there are different types. There are electricians that take care of the big stuff and then there are electricians that handle the small stuff. It is important to identify the kind of problem you are facing before you call an electrician.

What is low-voltage wiring and where can it be found? This covers everything from communications to entertainment systems, for example, televisions and telephones, small electrical devices much like doorbells and thermostats. A low-voltage electrician takes care of these things for you so the next time your TVdoesn’t work, call in a low-voltage electrician as he will be quick to assess what is wrong with it and will fix it much quicker as it is after all, in his job description. He will ensure that the wiring is properly installed and that the device does not malfunction again.

A low-voltage electrician will visit clients that are in need of installation or repair, will scope out the job as well as determine what tools are required and also how long it will take to fix whatever it is that needs fixing. For example, a thermostat which is malfunctioning may be the consequence of a frayed wire or it could it that it happened because of a poor wiring job which needs to be redone.A low-voltage electrician will know just how to do it.

Once thelow-voltage electrician has diagnosed the root cause of the problem, he will correct it. Should you need new installation, he will recommend one that will fit your needs as well as your budget. Once that is done, the process of fixing the problem will start.

Think of them as doctors of electronics making house calls in order to check faulty wiring. It doesn’t matter if it is a doorbell that is no longer working or a cable connection that flakes out on you when you are binge watching the last season of Breaking Bad, a low-voltage electrician will come and fix the problemfor you.

It is as difficult to find a low-voltage electrician as it is to find a high-voltage one. But luckily for you, low-voltage electricians are licensed as well. So, find a contact from your most updated yellow pages and once you have a chance to meet the electrician, ask them to see a license. And there you have it.That is how you find the right AND legally authorized low-voltage electrician for any low-voltage work you need done at home.

To conclude, it is important to acknowledge what low-voltage electricians do and how helpless youwould be without one. No one can imagine their lives without the little technological advances in their everyday lives.

In this series, we’re helping you save energy at your homes and businesses, room by room.

We’re pulling out all the stops to give you the best tips to use in the bedroom – for energy-efficient lighting, that is!

1. Take a survey of all your light fixtures – table lamps, floor lamps, track lights, and any ceiling fans, chandeliers, or pendant lights. How many of these use incandescent light bulbs? If the answer is greater than zero, we’ve identified the first way you can cut down your energy consumption in the bedroom: Swap out all your incandescent household, chandelier, and reflector light bulbs for

Using only 0.3 watts of power, it won’t cost you more than $0.20 to operate each year. That’s 90% less than the traditional incandescent. Not to mention it has a 100,000-hour rated life!

4. What other light fixtures do you use? Wall-mounted reading lights? Shelf lights? Display lights? You can save even more energy by upgrading these fixtures to LED or fluorescent.

Breaker panel wiring is perhaps one of the most important parts of your home’s wiring system. If there is a problem here, it could lead to a fire as well as the risk of your electrical system failing extensively. The only way to know for sure that your electrical system is working properly and that your breaker panel wiring is safe is to have an experienced, licensed electrician take a closer look at it.

The breaker panel wiring in your home is the hub of your electricity. This panel helps to direct where and how electricity flows through your home, and it can play a very important role in keeping your electricity functioning well. It also has a lot of electricity running through it. If you are unsure of whether or not it is working, it is always best to call an electrician. Troubleshooting this panel on your own can be risky.

Just by looking at your breaker panel’s wiring, you may be able to pinpoint specific areas of concern. There are a few key things to look for and to take action against if you do spot them. This includes: