If the department stores are to be believed, the holiday season started about a month ago—which means if your house isn’t already fully decorated, you’re way behind! This year, make sure your holiday lights are safe by following these tips:

Before you buy or install new lights, make sure you know both how many watts the decorations require and how many watts are available in your home (if you’re not sure, ask an electrician at Kolb Electric!). Remember—the lower the wattage, the less electricity your lights will consume and the less they will cost to operate.

Since holiday lights draw so much power, you probably don’t want to plug them into a circuit that you’re using for other appliances—the circuit is likely to blow. Instead, call a DC electrician to install a dedicated circuit for your decorations.

In addition to installing a dedicated circuit for your holiday lighting, you may also want to install a timer for your lights. A timer will shut off your lights automatically, adding security and making sure everything is off in the middle of the night.

Extension cords are susceptible to water damage, so if you plan to use any outside, make sure they are covered so they can’t get wet. Never connect more than three strings of lights either—if you need more length, use a different plug.

Above all, make sure you take ordinary precautions with your holiday lights. This includes:

At Kolb Electric, we want to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season. And if you need electrical service in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia, call Kolb Electric today!

Regular electrical preventive maintenance is critical for any home or commercial building in the DC area. When you have routine service done, it will keep your important electrical systems running longer and help you avoid costly repairs. In the event that there is an issue with your wiring, your electrician can uncover it during this routine visit so that repairs can be done before the problem becomes bigger—reducing downtime and repair expenses.

Electrical preventive maintenance is also critical to ensuring your safety at home and in the workplace. Why? Because certain failures in your electrical systems can cause dangerous sparking and even fires—damaging your property and putting your family or employees in harms way. In fact, electrical issues are a leading cause of home fires in the U.S. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, electrical malfunction accounts for more than eight percent of residential fires resulting in fatalities.

At Kolb Electric, we have a thorough electrical preventive maintenance checklist that allows us to ensure all your important products are taken care of. Be sure to have your electrician check your:

Primary Electrical Service and Distribution

Lighting and Light Fixtures

Special Systems

Neglecting electrical preventive maintenance isn’t worth the risk. You may be saving an expense today, but it will likely catch up to you in the long run, causing you to replace products more frequently and pay for repairs far more costly than the initial service visit would have been. Keep your family, employees, and property protected, and sign up for an electrical preventive maintenance plan today! Call Kolb Electric at 877-287-1179 for details or click here to contact us online.

The electrical inspection checklist is perhaps one of the most important documents you’ll want to take notice of if you are building a home or doing significant renovations. In short, it is a rundown of all of the electrical systems in place. It ensures your home’s electrical system meets the requirements set by local codes and overall electrical safety standards. While each contractor and local area may have its own version of this electrical system checklist, it’s important for you to know what to expect.

Generally, this inspection tool is a way for the contractor, local building departments, and licensing agencies to ensure the electrical work completed on a building is safe and done according to industry-wide protocols for safety. It helps home inspectors to ensure that electrical installation meets specific guidelines set forth under local building codes. It also works as a way for contractors and project managers (as well as homeowners) to know what’s been done, what’s going to be done, and what needs attention.

Here’s a look at some of the elements of this electrical inspection checklist you’ll see. You can use this as a basic guide before asking your electrician or building contractor for a copy of your own: