Fuses and circuit breakers are part of any home or business that has electricity. These devices are extremely important to your safety, but what exactly are they?

It can be easy to take the technology around us for granted, and that includes the collection of strange switches in that metal box in the basement you never mess around with. You might have heard something about a “tripped circuit” or a “blown fuse,” possibly around the time the air conditioner shut off when someone plugged in a new appliance. But you might not be clear on what exactly these terms mean. Read on as we uncover the mysteries surrounding fuses and circuit breakers.

Circuit breakers and fuses (which can sometimes be found instead of breakers) are safety mechanisms put in place to ensure you don’t exceed certain current limits. If the wiring in a building has too much electrical current moving through it, these devices stop the flow of electricity until you address the problem.

The go-green movement has increased awareness of depleting natural resources and encourages people to reconsider personal energy usage. Many are considering switching from gasoline-powered transportation to electric cars. This switch would not only ensure the power needed to operate a car, but would also help save the environment and money. One of the primary concerns hindering people from switching to electric cars is the presence (or lack thereof) of charging stations across the nation. Although electric cars are growing in popularity within their niche, it is difficult for owners to feel confident with the availability of energy refill stations as they leave the comfort of their own home. In 2012, the number of publicly available charging stations surpassed 7,000. This number continues to grow as the popularity of electric cars steadily increases. Mr. Electric is here to encourage you that it is possible for you to live comfortably with an electric car! Check out our infographic on the availability of charging stations and their growth across the nation. 

Places such as grocery stores, shopping centers, gas stations and many others are adding EV stations to make them more readily available for electric car drivers. There are dozens of other reasons for you to consider an electric car, some of which include:

If anyone living in your home has allergies, asthma, or respiratory issues of any kind, then they will not be able to live comfortably when airborne pollutants make their way into your home. While the air filter in your HVAC system may trap some pollutants, it is really designed to protect your system itself, not to boost indoor air quality. Devices such as electronic air purifiers, though, are. By removing pollutants from the air, they help residents live more comfortably.

Biological pollutants, including viruses, mold, and bacteria may also be present in the air in your home. These can lead to illness, with sick, elderly, and very young family members at increased risk of health problems. While you cannot really just filter these pollutants out of the air, as they can still reproduce on filters or in air cleaners, you can destroy them with the use of a UV air purifier.

We tend to think of the impact that airborne pollutants have on our bodies when considering the benefits of air purifiers, but air purification systems can positively impact your HVAC systems as well. If your air filters, for instance, are full of pollutants, or if dust and dirt build up on sensitive components in the system, the efficiency of that system operates will suffer. This is just one more reason for considering the use of an air purifier in your home.

Technology is advancing at a dizzying pace. What used to be the ‘latest’ and ‘most advanced’ devices yesterday becomes redundant today. When people embrace any technology, they do so because it adds convenience, comfort and safety to their lives in one way or the other. When it comes to your home, all these three aspects matter a great deal. It’s why many people are now veering towards the smart home concept.

Sure, many homeowners already have Internet-based security systems and landscape irrigation systems that are connected to timers etc; but smart homes are designed and set up to do much more than that. Having a smart home is a lot about Wi-Fi connectivity and more. Take a look at some concepts; this will help you create a plan for your smart home.

It’s not uncommon for companies that launch smart home products to say that connecting their devices to the Internet is a breeze. Sure, they are bang on spot most of the times, but what actually matters a great deal is the Wi-Fi connectivity in your home. These are some of the things you will have to keep in view while planning your smart home:

This is vital, and it’s something you should keep in view while planning your first smart home. The longer the distance the radio waves have to travel, more the connectivity issues. The best way to overcome this kind of an issue is to install the Wi-Fi router at the center of your property and on the ground floor.

You will find a number of products which claim they are able to extend the Internet connection in your home. The simple fact is that multimedia over coaxial power-line adapters, network extenders etc tend to slow down the signal by around 50% and that reduces the consistency of the network. Of course, you won’t find any issues with driving a motion sensor or a smart bulb; however, you might just find it challenging to stream a movie to your tablet/laptop, only because it can’t figure out which Wi-Fi router it should connect to.

At times, installing a network of Ethernet cables turns out to be the best solution. You can use cable runs to install your smart home hub devices in spots that are more accessible. The devices that are connected to these hubs will function more smoothly if you do this. If your home is already wired for telephones, hardwiring for Ethernet won’t be too difficult. You will need to speak with your electrician and check whether he would be able to run an extra cable to the point you need it at, without too much of drilling and sawing.

When you are planning your smart home, ensure there are sufficient power points at different places in your house. While certain devices may be battery-powered, many aren’t. So whether it’s a Wi-Fi router/extender, web security camera etc, you will need a power point to plug them in. And of course you don’t want power cords dangling all over your smart home.

Very simply put, if you are building a new smart home or remodeling your existing one, sit down and plan not just for the current smart devices you plan to install, but for future ones as well. Map out a detailed plan and get some advice from the installer too. Coming back to the first point – focus on getting a very good Wi-Fi router and ensure its positioned at the right point on your property.

Very importantly, get a professional to do all the wiring work once you have your entire smart home plan in place. For more information about smart home device and hardwiring solutions, call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263. You can also drop us a line via email or by filling out this contact form.

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Tripped circuit breaker: many of us have experienced them at some point in our homes, yet instead of asking ourselves, “Why Do Breakers Trip?”, we reset the breaker without much thought. Before flipping the switch back over to the “ON” position, however, it’s important to understand why the breaker tripped in the first place, and what can be done to keep it from happening again.

As a Top Dallas Electrician, ElectricMan Inc. understands the danger of ignoring the warning signs of a tripped circuit breaker. But first, you need to know what a breaker does and how it works.

The Job of the Circuit Breaker

Simply put, a home or business circuit breaker is a safety device that monitors the amount of electrical current going through the electrical wires in your home and shuts off the circuit if too much electricity is being pulled through it, or if there is any disturbance in the current that could result in a fire.

Whereas a fuse performs the same task but can only be used once, a circuit breaker can perform over and over with the use of a switch that trips to indicate when it has effectively cut off current to a particular area.

What Makes a Breaker Trip?

So, Why Do Breakers Trip and what kind of things could cause a circuit breaker to trip? Some of the most common causes of a tripped breaker include:

For example, in some homes, running a microwave, a toaster oven and a refrigerator all on the same circuit may cause your wires to overheat, tripping the breaker. In this instance, making the load a little lighter, or splitting the circuit, may do the trick in keeping it from tripping the breaker.

Ignoring a Tripped Breaker is Not a Good Idea

Because of the many reasons why your circuit breaker could be tripping, and because of the purpose of the circuit breaker, you should never take a tripped breaker lightly. It’s important to understand that the circuit breaker is a safety device; simply switching the circuit back on without investigating the culprit can become costly in the long run and, in many cases, extremely dangerous.

If your breaker trips consistently, chances are there is a potentially dangerous electrical issue that needs to be looked at. ElectricMan Inc. is a Top Dallas Electrician with over 27 years of residential and commercial experience in the electrical field. Call ElectricMan Inc. at 972-792-7270 to make sure that your home is safe and free from the risk of a short or a fire.