Microwave ovens revolutionized kitchens across America when they came on the market in the 1970’s. Since then these technological marvels have come a long way, with more features, compact sizing, and greater cooking power than ever before. With greater power comes greater power usage, but if your microwave is tripping the breaker in your home, it’s a sign that the appliance is overloading the electrical circuit. The questions is, why, and what can be done to solve the problem?

If you are looking for a place to escape from life’s every day hustle and bustle,Look for IP (Ingress Protection) rated fixtures that are waterproof, meaning dust-tight and protected against long immersion in water, rather than simply “water safe” or “wet location safe” options.  Waterproof fixtures are meant to be submerged and will prevent water from entering them due to sealed assembly.  Take the precaution to ensure that your fixtures will meet all safety and application standards for an underwater environment prior to purchase or installation.

Ingress Protection (IP) ratings specify the environmental protection the enclosure provides.

The IP rating normally has two (or three) numbers:

An “X” can used for one of the digits if there is only one class of protection, i.e. IPX1 which addresses protection against vertically falling drops of water e.g. condensation.

IP First number – Protection against Solid Objects

IP Second number – Protection against Liquids

Voltage Requirements

When weighing your options on which type of fixture to choose, cost, convenience, and the size of your project are important. If one were to complete a large project for the grounds of a grand hotel, for example, line voltage (120V) would be the ideal option as vast distances may exist between the focal point and the fixture itself.

While it’s also true that standard incandescent bulbs can be found at virtually any hardware or household goods store, in an age where environmental awareness is important to daily life, technology and the public are moving in tandem towards different solutions. Since line voltage lighting consumes much more energy and will typically require the expertise of a licensed electrician, more homeowners are choosing low voltage (12V) options. Low voltage fixtures are notably the safer and less hazardous of the two choices, are often smaller, and easier to conceal within a natural landscape. They also have the added benefit of lower cost over time. Note that a transformer is required to convert to the lower voltage for fixtures which will be used underwater. You may also make use of photocells and timers to save on electricity consumption costs even further.

Let’s take a look at some examples of the different types of submersible low voltage products available today:

Low Voltage Halogen

This LED lights consume approximately 75% less power than incandescent units for the same amount of light output. This amounts to a sizeable savings over their life span. Moreover, standard underwater LED fixtures consume about 1/5 of the power as standard incandescent bulbs!

Besides energy savings, the nature of LED production makes them ideal for underwater applications. There are no bulbs to change as LED fixtures typically come in a permanently sealed housing. Sealed construction means underwater lights may be left in a permanent location with no concerns about extra cable allowances, or making provisions to change bulbs. They should, however, be accessible in order to clean the lenses during regular pond maintenance.

One thing is for sure, you can rarely have too much light in your home. While windows provide a lot of light in the home, having proper lighting can improve a home’s appearance, functionality, and feel. Many homes, especially older homes, may not come with installed lighting and instead may rely on you to acquire free-standing lighting like lamps. While this can be a way to get more lighting in a room, it’s not always ideal. Consider callinging up an electrician to install lighting in any of the following areas to see great improvement in your home.

One room you may not think about the lighting in, is the bathroom. Between shaving, putting on makeup, or just taking a shower, light is a critical component when using the bathroom. Yet it’s often under-lit. It would be very feasible to have an electrician install lighting into the ceiling to help illuminate bathing spaces safely and make sure your vanity lighting is up to par before your Electrical Guru electrician goes home so that you can always see clearly.

Having control of the living room lighting is important especially if you use the room for your entertainment center. An electrician can install recessed lighting throughout the room and include dimmer functionality in the switch to give you supreme lighting control.

Part of what makes a kitchen so appealing is when it’s open, airy, and bright. This can’t happen if you don’t have the proper lighting installed. The kitchen is the perfect place to take advantage of the ceiling space or under the cabinet space to make sure you can see what you’re doing when you’re using a kitchen knife. Additionally, a bar could be a great place to have your electrician install pendulum lighting to add that “wow” factor to your space.

Contact the Electrical Gurus today about your residential lighting installation project!

You’re on top of grounding your children, but are you familiar with grounding your home? It improves the safety of your home as well as increases the life of your electronics, and who doesn’t want that? Mr. Electric has all you need to know in order to have your home properly grounded.

Electricity likes to travel the path of least resistance. When there’s too much of it, it needs somewhere to go. That’s where grounding comes in. You see, without it, that path of least resistance is your appliances and electronics – and possibly you when you use them. Burn! Zap! Not a good thing.

Since you don’t want your appliances – or you – to take the heat in these situations, a grounding wire is added to your home, offering all that electricity the perfect chance of escape, via a wire attached to your home’s electrical system which is submerged firmly in the ground – the reason it’s called “grounding.” Both your home’s electrical box and your home’s outlets need to be connected to this grounding wire in order to be properly and safely grounded.

Without proper grounding, you and your home could suffer burned out electronics and appliances, electrical fires and potentially deadly electrical shock.

Without special testing equipment, it may be difficult to tell. Just because you have three prong outlets does not mean the outlets – or your home – are properly grounded. These outlets must be properly wired in to your home’s main grounding wire for proper protection. There is also more to grounding than sticking a big metal rod in the dirt, such as properly attaching wires, grounding to your home’s water pipes correctly, and much, much more. If you don’t want your electrical behaving badly, you can ensure it is properly grounded by having it inspected by a licensed, qualified electrician.

Newer homes, as a result of increased safety regulations, are typically properly grounded. Older homes, on the other hand, may not have had a proper grounding experience, or any at all. Homes built before 1950 are especially at risk. You should always have your home, regardless of age, inspected for proper grounding by a licensed, qualified electrician to avoid the potential risks of fire, electrical shock, and property damage. You never know what the previous resident did without a permit.

Don’t suffer the punishment of burnt out electronics or a burned down home. Mr. Electric® will keep you out of trouble – get grounded today!

What questions do you want to ask an electrician? If you are in need of an electrician and you don’t know where to begin, these tips may come in handy. Ask an electrician the right questions so you can quickly narrow down your search.

So what exactly should you ask an electrician you’re thinking about hiring? It might be tempting to rush into a decision and then deal with the consequences, but asking several questions can ensure you make the right choice. Hiring an electrician and then later finding out they aren’t the right fit can be a frustrating — and expensive — experience. Protect yourself by making sure they’re the right hire for the job.

In most states, electricians are required to have valid licenses; don’t take this for granted, however. Make sure the electrician you hire is fully licensed because this ensures they have gone through the necessary training and are equipped to handle the job you’re want them to do.

Another important question to ask is whether or not the electrician is insured. The professional you hire will undoubtedly take steps to keep your property safe, but accidents can happen. Liability insurance can cover damages that may occur during the job, and in turn, can protect you from unnecessary headaches down the line.

It’s important to know about the experience-level of the electrician you’re thinking about hiring. Keep in mind even the most thorough education isn’t much use without the experience to support it. An experienced electrician has seen cases like yours before and knows how to help you avoid unneeded expenses and setbacks that a more inexperienced professional might not notice.