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.

Imagine a future free from electricity bills. A home where you can maintain or improve your current levels of comfort, but one that is so efficient that it costs little to nothing to power its electrical work. Someday soon, this vision could become a reality, with a combination of renewable power generation and hyper-efficient technologies allowing Americans to enjoy elevated standards of living without placing a burden on their pocketbooks or the environment. Read on to learn more about the ultimate in energy-efficient homes.

Testing the Effectiveness of New Technology

One hotbed for innovation in efficient home construction is in the Pacific Northwest. A pilot program comprised of builders and utility companies is studying new homes built in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington to discover how new technologies are functioning and which ones are most effective. The program is looking at homes that are at least 30 percent more efficient than required by local code and monitoring them for a year after they are built to ensure that their performance is living up to their promise.

Among the energy-saving features that are included in the new houses:

Filling in the Other Side of the Equation

Naturally, any modern home should also include features like LED lighting technology in lieu of incandescent bulbs and efficient Energy Star-rated appliances to keep the costs for your electrical work low. Add smart technology to the mix, which can automatically find extra savings, and you are looking at a historically low electrical bill.

Of course, it's extraordinarily rare to find an American household that gets by without electricity at all, so no matter how efficient you are, you'll still have some level of energy consumption to power your electrical work. That's where the other side of the equation comes in: personal, renewable power generation. Once you install solar panels or a wind turbine on your property, you can make your own power. Pair that with a good electricity storage option and you're well on your way to being free from electrical bills forever.

Conservation in Your Circuits and Wires

The nation hasn't realized its efficiency dreams yet, but we are well on our way. If you need electrical work in a new or existing home, call up a qualified residential electrician today.

High bay fixtures are a critical part to any high ceiling building. Since these high bays require such large lumen output, the cost to run them can be high. By converting to LED high bays, you are able to reduce your energy consumption in your most energy intensive fixtures by up to 75%.

In this post, we are going to cover (non-comparatively) 5 top types of LED high bay lights for this year, 2017. While not every item on this list will apply to you and your building, there will surely be one or two for your needs if you currently use high bay lights in your facility.

If at any time you come across a question, want more information, or are actually interested in implementing LED into your building;

These traditional commercial high bay lighting fixtures look a lot like what we think a normal high bay should look like. They are reminiscent of traditional style Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium high bays and offer your typical round high bay look.

These high bay LED fixtures can replace both 400W and 1000W Metal Halide. The smallest unit is 80W producing 10,240 lumens. There is a 160W unit producing 19,200 lumens. This would be a good 400W Metal Halide replacement. And the largest unit at 400W produces 51,200 lumens. That’s 128 lumens/watt. And, USA Made backed with a 10 year warranty.

These LED high bay Lighting fixtures look a lot like a troffer style panel. The advantages of this type of fixture are the LEDs are spread over a larger area. This has 2 main advantages – Great light distribution and large heat sink. It is important to realize these lights are particularly good at light distribution, creating an even distribution.

These high bay LEDs can replace both 400W and 1000W Metal Halide. The smallest unit is 120W producing 15,360 lumens. There is a 150W unit producing 19,200 lumens and the largest unit at 300W produces 38,400 lumens. USA Made backed with a 10 year warranty like the traditional style high bay.

A retrofit kit utilizes your existing fixture and replaces the bulb and ballast with the LED head and the LED driver. These retrofits can be significantly more economical than replacing the entire fixture, for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. One of which being it’s cheaper to buy. Another being it’s (typically) cheaper to install as well. For this reason, our high bay retrofit kits HAD to make it on the list of the best high bay lighting options.

Don't get caught in the dark if a storm or other disruption knocks out your power. You can protect your home and your family with a backup generator. Read on for tips on how to pick out the right one for your house.

Why Do I Need A Generator?

Blackouts are unpredictable. Of course, you can have family fun in a power outage, but if the lights stay off for an extended period of time it can mean trouble. If you rely on electric heat and the power doesn't come back on promptly in cold weather, your pipes could freeze and your home could even become too cold for human habitation. In the summer, you can end up sweltering with no air conditioning while all the food in your refrigerator spoils. Smart homeowners are prepared to keep their electrical systems up and running no matter how long it takes the utility company to restore power.

What Are My Options?

You can buy a small portable generator if you just need to keep a few appliances functioning. Plug your equipment into the portable generator directly, or a special connection to your circuit box can be installed to allow you to plug into your wall outlets as normal. Be careful not to overload the generator, or you can cause it to short out. 

A standby generator is the best option if you want to keep your whole house online. Standby generators run off your gas connection (or you can attach a propane tank) and they turn on automatically when the power goes out. Standby generators are simpler to use once they are installed because you don't need to worry about cords or even turning it on yourself. However, they can cost $10,000 or more.

You should choose the size and power of your generator based on how much electricity you will need in an emergency. Adding up the wattage of all the equipment and appliances you want to keep online will give you a baseline to use as a guide. Portable generators range in capacity from 1,000 watts to around 17,500 watts, while heavy duty standby generators can handle up to 30,000 watts and above.

Safety First

If you get a portable generator, never run it inside. Find a level surface at least ten feet from your house, and connect properly-rated extension cords to the appliances you want to run. Because most portable generators burn gasoline, placing one too close to your home can put you at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Don't forget to inspect the extension cords for any fraying or damage and ensure they are rated for outdoor use.

Never modify an extension cord or plug your portable generator directly into a wall outlet. This will send electricity back through your circuit box and onto the grid, creating a danger to utility workers fixing the wires.

Choosing the right generator, not to mention properly installing it, can be tricky. Call an expert electrician to help you purchase and set up your new generator so you know that the lights will stay on the next time the power goes down.

Call local Mister Sparky® for generator advice or assistance. We're always here to help!