Hopefully, you have surge protectors set up in your house to protect your electronics from power surges, or voltage spikes, that can fry your devices. Unfortunately, surge protectors won't save you from the evil cousin of a power surge -- a low voltage event, or brownout. Dimming lights in your house are a sign that you're experiencing a brownout, which over time can cause major damage to your appliances. 

Since your air conditioner is one of your most powerful appliances, any brief outage means it takes a lot of electricity to power the unit back up. To combat the problem, Direct Energy and One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating® offer the Comfort Sentry Contactor, a switching device with totally sealed contacts that goes in your AC unit. If voltage goes below a safe point or "flickers," the Contactor will automatically and safely turn the unit off — and then back on once the right amount of power is back. "In multiple dwellings, it will stagger turning power back on, one in 30 seconds, another in 5 minutes, and so on — to avoid using too much electricity all at once. It's protection built right into your home," explains Dave Borowski, spokesperson for Direct Energy. A smart homeowner will recognize this as an "ounce of prevention."

Solar energy may seem like the fuel of the future, but in many ways it’s already here. The sun currently powers a wide range of devices, including satellites and traffic lights, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach for the typical person. Mr. Electric is here to help you power your tomorrow with some practical and affordable solar solutions for your home.

If you’re looking to start small, there are many simple solar-powered inventions that can make your life easier. XD Design’s solar powered phone charger sticks to a car, home, or office window and can charge your electronic devices anywhere there’s sunlight.

Some companies have gone even further and incorporated solar panels into everyday objects, making them self-sufficient energy savers. BirkSun’s solar powered backpack can charge phones, laptops, and other small electronics when you are camping or hiking, or even if you just don’t have access to an outlet.

Every day, companies are coming up with new innovations to help bring this promising renewable energy source closer to the reach of the general public. While a lot of the smaller solar inventions are useful, more experimental projects, like the world’s largest solar powered boat, are showing that solar power isn’t just limited to smaller devices. These innovations making it more obvious that solar power is a viable energy source for the future. If you’re looking to decrease your carbon footprint, there are many ways to do it without making the commitment to power your whole home with solar energy. Consider installing a solar powered water heater or air conditioner, which can decrease the amount of energy your family uses daily. If you are interested in relying completely on solar power, do your research. While it is true that solar cells require a significant upfront payment, they also have great benefits and will decrease your electricity bill in the long run. The government also offers tax breaks for homeowners who use solar power, which can make the switch even more profitable for you. Contact your local Mr. Electric about to see what kind of solar initiatives they are taking and the types of solar energy systems available to install in your home.

Our dependence on electricity is truly astonishing. In every room of your home you’ll find multiple ways electricity is used that we often take for granted. If not handled with care, electricity can pose serious threats of electric shock and burn. One way that these types of accidents can occur is when babies and children are able to roam freely and get their hands on electrical devices. Consider ways of childproofing your house from potential electrical hazards before a serious accident occurs. Our well-trained team at Expert Electric has compiled a list of measures so that you can get started.

To identify any electrical hazards in your home, start by going room by room. For a more thorough approach, get down on your hands and knees to view the potential hazards from a child’s perspective. At this lower vantage point you are looking at all the electrical outlets, power strip bars and power cords. Be sure to look behind furniture and up on any side tables, dressers or counter tops. Make a list of electrical hazards that you have identified and get to work addressing those issues.

Childproofing your electrical outlets will be one of the most basic and simplest solutions. There are usually multiple outlets in each room and they seem to be attracted to them. Outlets are very tempting little spots on the wall for children to stick random objects into. To prevent this dangerous behavior from happening, install electrical outlet caps or safety plates over the top of unused outlets. This will block children from sticking their fingers and other items into the holes, which can cause the electrical current from flowing to the child. All unused outlets that are accessible to children should be covered.

Power bars are commonly used around the home to power numerous electrical devices located in the same room, such as a television system or computer setup. In these areas, multiple cords are often found tangled up in a pile and are all plugged into one power strip on the floor or in a cabinet. Childproofing a power strip can easily be done to protect your child from dangerous electrical shock or burn. Purchase and install power strip covers on child-accessible power bars. These covers wrap around the power bar and have a hole for the cords to exit. This helps to prevent children from tampering with and pulling out cords. At times gaps may occur in the covers hole, duct tape these areas to prevent little fingers from entering into the cover.

Securing electrical cords will be an important safety measure. If a child can pull on an electrical cord to dislodge the prongs it can create an opportunity for electrical shock. Alternatively, the connected electrical device could fall down due to the tugging and cause an injury to the child’s head. Secure these types of hazards by tucking electrical cables safely out of reach or plugging them in different areas of the room not accessible to children. If the cords are too long, shorten them by rolling up the cord into your hand and tying with a zip tie. Any cords that run along the floor can be a tripping hazard and should be secured with strong tape or a rubber cord cover that can be purchased in any length.

We want to help you have piece of mind about your home and rest easy knowing you’re safe from electrical accidents. For more ideas or questions that you have regarding childproofing your home for electrical hazards, contact our trained and courteous technicians at Expert Electric. Call us today at 604-681-8338.

Expert Electric offers many different types of electrical services for both residential and commercial properties. From ceiling fan installation to smoke detectors and electrical water heaters, our team of licensed electricians can tackle it all! Another area that our team of electricians specializes in is electrical motors. Since electrical motors convert electricity into mechanical or kinetic energy, they have many different applications. Keep reading to learn more about the basics of electrical motors, common applications and repairs.

Electrical motors are commonplace in many personal, household and industrial products such as power tools, watches, disk drives and batteries. Essentially these motors are machines that come in all different sizes and are used to transmit electricity into mechanical or kinetic energy. We often take electricity for granted when we switch on our lights or our television. In fact, it is the behind-the-scenes work of electrical motors that causes the instant conversion of electricity into energy which immediately powers our devices.

As previously mentioned, electrical motors are used in so many of our personal and household items. We rely on them to track time, grind coffee, wash clothes and keep us warm. Our world would be much different without electrical motors. Outside of our homes and personal lives, electrical motors play a much larger role. Electrical motors are used in all types of commercial industrial equipment including pumps, mills, refineries and more. The significant impact of electrical motors extends all throughout the oil & gas, energy, mining and water industries.

Like most electrical items, electrical motors require regular maintenance and repairs. Although electrical motor repairs may seem intimidating to some, a licensed electrician can handle the repair and maintenance of most motors in personal and household items. For electrical motor repairs in Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, contact the licensed electricians at Expert Electric. Our team is easy to reach and will respond fast to any of your electrical motor repair needs.

If you have any questions about electrical motors or any of our other electrical services, please contact the licensed electricians at Expert Electric. We are pleased to answer any questions that you may have. Call us today at 604-681-8338 or visit our website.