The traditional lighting style–while tasteful and low-key–provides just the right touch when you want to draw the eye to a design focal point without overpowering it. Few lighting styles work as unobtrusively as transitional chandeliers while managing to showcase an advanced stylishness for discerning design aficionados. You can choose from Capitol’s vast selection of lighting features that include:

• Multiple glass shade shapes

• Brass, crystal and metal finishes to complement existing or planned furnishings

• Finishes that include bronze tones, gold accents, brushed nickel, polished nickel, clear and crystal

• Fixture styles that include pendant lights, chandeliers, mini chandeliers, island lights, flush-mounted lights, recessed lighting and track and rail lighting

• Bulb types that include incandescent, fluorescent, halogen and LED technologies

• Energy Star lighting efficiency

• Title 24 compliant

• Dimmable fixtures

Perhaps you've always wondered what's in the mysterious metal box on the basement wall. It's a circuit breaker box, and without it your whole home electric system would be unsafe, leaving you in danger.

Circuit box repairs or upgrades require an expert, but you don't need to be a master electrician to understand the basics of how it functions. The most common problem is a tripped circuit, and you can usually reset it yourself.

What's in the Box?

The circuit box is frequently found in the basement, although it could also be in a garage, closet, utility room or even outside. All the electricity coming into your house flows through the box.

If you open the metal door, you see a bank of switches. Each one corresponds roughly to a room in the house, while certain outlets for major appliances like the washer or furnace probably have their own switch. They should be labeled.

There also may be a main disconnect breaker, usually at the top of the box, which allows you to cut off power to the entire house. In many newer homes the main disconnect may be outside near the electric meter. Some homes do not even have one. This is useful if you are doing electrical work in your house, or in the circuit box itself. The switch should be labeled “main” or something similar.

How It Works

Why do you need a circuit box? When an electrical device malfunctions, such as the motor in your freezer overheating, wires can get crossed, creating a huge spike in electric charge. That puts you at risk of overloading your electrical system, and unchecked overloads can cause lead excess heat stress on wires, or worse.

Fortunately, your circuit breakers are on the job. There is an electromagnet or bimetallic strip inside each breaker. If the current moving through the circuit gets too high the device flips a switch, disconnecting the circuit. No more electricity can flow to the part of your home where the problem is, so the danger is averted.

So if the power goes off in one part of your house but still works in the rest, a tripped circuit breaker is the most likely culprit. The switches in your electrical panel should be labeled; if not you can still tell which one got tripped, because it will be flipped part way toward the off position. Some switches also show red when they've been tripped.

How Do I Fix It?

All you have to do to restore power is flip the switch all the way to the off position, then back to on. If flipping the circuit back on doesn't solve the problem, it might be something more serious. In that case, it's time to call a licensed electrician.

Some newer circuit breakers have advanced features, such as the ability to detect when a person makes contact with a live wire and automatically cut off the current, potentially preventing injury or death by electrocution.

If you live in an older home you may still have a fuse box. It operates on the same principle as a circuit box, with one major difference -- the wire inside the fuse actually burns up if too much current passes through it, so if the fuse blows, you need to replace it. Most fuse-style panel are maxed out, so if you have one it would be a good idea to consult your electrician and see if it’s time to consider a replacement.

Need Some Professional Guidance?

Your local Mister Sparky® electricians are always here to help. If you're having problems with your circuit breakers or fuse box, give us a call.

The electrical installations in our home are something we take for granted, until the time some problem arises; that’s when we realise exactly how dependent we are on electricity on a daily basis. And when something goes wrong, you start looking for an electrical company that will respond promptly and solve the problem quickly.

You will find a multitude of electrical companies listed online. However, identifying one that is credible and provides quick, efficient and cost-effective services can pose a challenge. It’s important that you be prudent while hiring an electrical contractor.

The one way to be sure you are dealing with expert professionals is to do a bit of groundwork. This means you won’t have to struggle to look for a reliable electrician in case an electrical emergency arises. Here are a few tips that will help you choose a trusted and professional electrician:

This is a very important aspect you should be taking into account. The company you hire should be local to your area. You can never predict when an electrical emergency would arise, and you need to be sure that the electrician will be able to reach your location as quickly as possible.

There are a number one-man electrical businesses in Sydney and many of these electricians are experienced and highly-skilled too. However, if they are already handling some job when you call, they won’t be able to attend to your requirement quickly. The one way to avoid this kind of a situation is to hire the services of a larger company. These companies deploy their vehicles to different locations within their service area.

When you call them, they promptly contact one of their electricians that are in the vicinity of your location and send them over to attend to your request. Even as you look for a contractor, keep in view that a very large company may not be able to provide you personalised services and customised solutions. It’s important to choose a company that would be able to cater to your specific needs.

There are a number of different electrical services you may need, ranging from something as simple as getting a fan installed to more complex jobs like complete rewiring upgrades on your property. Only experienced and well-trained professionals would be able to handle all these jobs with expertise. The company you contact should have experienced electricians on their team and should invest in upgrade training for them; that’s the one way the electricians would be able to keep their skills sharp.

Look for a company that’s professional and efficient. Electrical problems have a way of throwing things out of gear. The electrician that comes to fix it should be able to quickly identify what the problem is and fix it expertly and quickly. They should work in an unobtrusive manner and focus on reducing the downtime caused by the electrical issue.

Only a credible and well-established company will make efforts to maintain complete transparency in their dealings with their clients. They should provide a detailed quote and look to provide you value for money. Only a company that’s confident of their workmanship and quality of services will provide guarantees for their work.

We are a reputed and experienced company that is focused on providing high-quality solutions at competitive pricing. For any information about our services, feel free to call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.

Thanks for reading,1300 169 263

By: Jason Lee

From the standard AA battery to the relatively unknown LR44 battery, everyone everywhere should embrace all things battery operated on February 18, also known as National Battery Day.

The  “battery” can trace its routes to Benjamin Franklin who coined the term. In 1800, another inventor, Alessandro Volta created a steady current for a length of time using zinc and copper plates and brine soaked paper disks. Eventually, this primitive experiment in electricity would lead the way to the batteries we know today.

So don't be negative because Mr. Electric® has some positive reasons to celebrate National Battery Day.

Whether you have four, six or eight cylinders under the hood, chances are you only have one battery. No car or truck can run without it. So when you get in your ride on National Battery Day, take a minute to thank the true workhorse of the vehicle; the battery.

When it comes to handheld and portable electronic devices, not a single one would work if it weren’t for the battery. These devices would do little good for people on the go if they stopped working every time they were unplugged from the wall. Thankfully, batteries that drain slowly over time allow for us to be portable and still be connected to the digital world. All of this is made possible by the battery.

Battery operated drills and saws have made working at the construction site or doing home renovations a breeze. Workers can cut boards and build for hours before simply changing out the batteries. Once the workday is done, workers can charge the batteries over night and start again the next morning. With the advent of cordless tools, tripping hazards can be avoided. Blown fuses and tripped breakers are a thing of the past, all thanks to the battery.

On February 18, go out into the world with a positive attitude and change those who are negative around you by reminding them of everything the battery does on a daily basis. Who knows, doing it may give you a charge!