Blog Posts

The holiday season is here, and homeowners are draping their houses in gorgeous, bright holiday lights. If you’re one of the festive crowds, you may benefit from this list of holiday lighting dos and don’ts. With all the excitement that comes with the holidays, it’s easy to go overboard with the decorations. Spend less time searching for burned out bulbs and more time admiring your display this year by following these simple tips:

Dos:

• DO be a good neighbor. This guide to holiday light etiquette includes a few tips on keeping peace with your Christmas lights in a lit-up neighborhood this holiday season.
• Understand the difference between incandescent lights and LED lights. LED lights only use 10 percent of the energy that incandescent lights use, and they outlast them by several years. Even though LEDs are a bit more expensive, they will save you money in the long run and last at least a decade.
• When hanging lights in hard-to-reach places, make sure your ladder is sturdy, on level ground, and locked into place.
• Install receptacle outlets. Add convenience and safety to your holiday lighting scheme. Reduce accidents caused by extension cords, improve the display with fewer cords, and protect against accidental shock, burns, or electrocution.
• Use surge protectors and heavy-duty extension cords.

Don’ts:

• DON’T have an unpacking accident. When you’re getting the old outdoor lights out of storage, watch out for broken bulbs with sharp edges and replace them right away.
• Don’t connect too many strands of lights. If you chain more than three together, you risk a power shortage.
• Don’t brush safety precautions to the side. Let’s be honest, putting up holiday lights is no small feat, from climbing ladders to dealing with electricity. Never hang lights by yourself, don’t wear loosely fitted clothing, and wear safety glasses and gloves when necessary.

Follow these holiday lighting dos and don’ts to wow your neighborhood with the best lighting display you’ve ever accomplished, all while staying safe and energy conscious.

Remember, ALWAYS read the instructions, and take care when working with electricity. If you have any questions about your lights, your extension cords, or your breakers, don’t hesitate to give us a call! We want you to have the best-looking house on the block this holiday season.

The kitchen is the place in your home where you use a myriad of different appliances. That’s why it is important you are aware of all the ways you can practice electrical safety. Kitchens are also busy areas of the home that can be a prime location for accidents and electrical hazards. With a variety of small and large appliances in use alongside potential water and food waste, electrical safety in the kitchen is highly important.

To help you out, Franco’s Electric has come up with an important list of kitchen electrical safety tips:

Keep your kitchen dry and Clean

Cooking food and cleaning dishes can result in excess crumbs, food waste, and moisture on countertops or near outlets. These materials should be always kept away from outlets. If water or food waste enters an outlet, it can cause electrical shock, damage to appliances, and broken outlets

One Appliance Per Outlet

As a rule of thumb, only one appliance should be plugged into each outlet.

Ideally, you should plug one appliance in an outlet. This might seem burdensome but plugging in more than one appliance can overload your outlet or circuit breaker. If you don’t have enough outlets, have them installed by a trusted electrician.

Use GFCI Outlets

If you don’t have any in your kitchen, contact an electrician you trust immediately and have it installed. A GFCI outlet can literally save your life so be sure you plug in your appliances in GFCI outlets.

Unplug appliances, not in use

If you have your appliance plugged into a non-GFCI outlet and it is exposed to water or falls in the sink, you might be risking electrocution.

When you are in your kitchen, arguably the best room in the house, you want to keep in mind that the way to keep things safe is to keep things clean and to keep things simple. Try to clean even those hard-to-reach places occasionally and make sure that the number of appliances per outlet is used sparingly and thoughtfully. That way your kitchen will remain the place to be for days to come.

A power surge is an unexpected, temporary increase in the current or voltage of an electrical circuit that can degrade, damage, or destroy sensitive electronic devices, other common causes of a power surge come from outside the home. There are several reasons why a power surge can occur: Lighting, bad wiring, power grid failure, too much electrical load… But no matter the cause, it’s important to prepare your home in advance of power surges to mitigate the damage to your devices and appliances.

While some kinds of power surges are impossible to prevent, you can protect yourself from the damage they cause. Just as important as understanding what causes power surges at home is knowing how to prevent power surges, and more to the point, prevent high-voltage surges from damaging expensive devices.

If you’re unsure about any of these, consult a fully qualified electrician to guide and help you, although there are many simple steps to help protect your home and electrical appliances from power surge damage:

• Unplug everything during a storm
• Consider installing a whole home surge protector
• Use your outlets strategically
• Check your home’s wiring
• Unplug your sensitive electronics and important appliances during a storm
• Invest in energy-efficient appliances
• Beware of the post-outage surge

Most homes will experience a power surge at some point. They often cause little to no noticeable damage to most devices, but it still makes sense to prevent harm to your most expensive electronics. Stopping power surges at home can save you the cost and inconvenience of repairs and extend the life of your appliances and devices.

You can give us a call to help protect your home from power surges or to repair outlets that have been damaged in a power surge.

While central air conditioning and heating systems can produce great results, they are often quite expensive and can cost several dollars per day to use. When it comes to the intense heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter, it can be difficult to maintain the comfort of your home without drastically increasing energy costs, so, if you are looking for an efficient and cost-effective method of heating or cooling your home, consider installing a ceiling fan.

To get an idea of how ceiling fans save energy, it’s important to understand how ceiling fans work. Fans work for the same reason why wind feels cold; it’s called the windchill effect. If you’ve stood beneath a ceiling fan on a hot day, you know that while the temperature might not actually be lower, the cooling help it provides is very real.

Ceiling fans can help AC units

If ceiling fans are used in conjunction with an efficient air conditioner, they can help save energy costs and increase comfort with both your ceiling fans and AC operating, you can increase the thermostat by four degrees without losing any comfort. In turn, the air conditioner will come on less often, so your energy bills could be lower overall.

For optimal performance, your ceiling fans can be used in conjunction with your central A/C unit or heater. With a ceiling fan running, your systems will cycle on less often, saving you money without compromising comfort.

Many Units Include Efficient Lights

In addition to heating and cooling, most modern ceiling fans feature integrated high-efficiency LED lights. Though these LED lights use more energy than the fan motor, they are comparable to standard light fixtures, allowing you to install a feature that serves multiple purposes without increasing costs. This allows you to illuminate bedrooms, living rooms, and other key areas of your home while keeping them comfortable.

Keep in mind that cheaper is not always better when it comes to choosing your ceiling fans….Energy-efficient ceiling fans with powerful high-performance motors are the best way to go. The amount of degrees you will be able to raise your thermostat setting is directly proportional to the cubic feet of air moved per minute by your ceiling fan.

Smart home automation devices make your home more comfortable, more convenient, and more secure than ever. Home automation is a network of hardware, communication, and electronic interfaces that work to integrate everyday devices with one another via the Internet.

Smart home automation devices connect appliances, switches, and gadgets to a central hub, enabling you to control those devices in secure and convenient ways. Command groups of lights to turn on or off when you open the front door, receive alerts when a leak springs, or program your thermostat to work with your fans and AC when the room gets hot. Each device has sensors and is connected through WiFi, so you can manage them from your smartphone or tablet whether you’re at home, or miles away. This allows you to turn on the lights, lock the front door, or even turn down the heat, no matter where you are. Some benefits are:

• Safety:

Many home automation technologies fall under the umbrella of home security. Consumers purchase these devices because they want to make their homes safer and more secure. Automated lighting thwarts would-be burglars, and motion sensors help people enter doors and walk hallways late at night Security cameras offer benefits through either remote monitoring of package deliveries or real-time video of home inhabitants or unwanted visitors.

• Comfort:

Use home automation to make your home a more comfortable, livable space. Preprogram your thermostat with your preferred settings so that your home is always at a comfortable temperature, set up smart speakers to play music when you get home from work or adjust your lights to soften or brighten based on the time of day.

• Peace of Mind:

Control your home from mobile devices, including your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Many consumers invest in home automation technology for peace of mind. You can check on your little one thanks to smart cameras and other technologies. Or, if you can’t remember whether you closed the garage after you left, you can verify remotely with an app.

• Saves Time

If you are like most people, you are constantly running from place to place, working to accomplish everything on your never-ending “to-do” list… No problem! It is no secret that today’s world is busier than in days past. Because of the high-tech nature of a home automation system, you never have to worry about running home to open the door for your children after school or making a quick stop at home in order to adjust household items. In short, you easily save precious time and experience more daily productivity.

Home automation makes your life easier; we can help you also with that. If you want more information about these services, you can give us a call!

Installing a light fixture is something homeowners can do for themselves if they are handy and if they feel comfortable working with electricity. However, for many people installing a light fixture is something they would prefer to leave to a professional.

The right light fixture can completely transform the look and feel of a room. As leading providers of commercial and residential electrical services, we understand how important lighting is for every home and building. That is why we have provided some information on the common factors that affect the cost of installing light fixtures.

The Wiring in Your Home

Electrical wiring in older homes may need to be upgraded or replaced, adding major costs for new installations. Hard to reach areas such as two-story lighting fixtures can add additional costs for scaffolding and longer wiring needed. Hire a professional electrician since installation can be affected by existing structural and electrical connections in the home.

Lighting Fixture Selection

You can of course opt for less expensive when choosing your light fixtures, which will help bring down your overall costs. However, there are some fixtures that are easier to install than others which could reduce the estimate you receive from an electrician. Some types of light fixtures are designed for certain rooms of the home, while others can be used anywhere. In addition to their aesthetic differences, certain types of fixtures will take longer to install than others.

The Location/Room

Certain fixtures need to be rated differently, for example for use in bathrooms due to the amount of moisture in the air, further increasing the price. The installation process can vary greatly based on the room the new fixture is installed in.

Cost to Replace Light Fixture

The cost to replace a light fixture can be impacted by the size and type of light fixture selected. To keep costs low select a light that is similar or lighter in weight so that no additional structural support is needed. Flat decorative base plates can cover up damage done by replacing an old light fixture that may be a different size from the new one without having to repair drywall or repaint.

It’s not recommended to do the installation yourself if you do not have enough electrical knowledge. While some of these lighting fixtures are simple and easy to install, it’s still best to hire a professional who has the right skills and experience to get the job done safely and correctly.

When it comes to household electrical systems, your safety is the most important thing. Flickering lights, high bills, and damaged appliances can all be signs of old house electrical problems. Whether you are dealing with an old house or an aging commercial building, there are many problems that can occur with electrical systems in older structures.

As a homeowner, you should focus on making improvements as early as possible if you really want to make your home safe and secure. In this article, you’ll find some common electrical problems you might face in your old or heritage house, and their solutions.

The kind of electrical problems that are common in older buildings can vary slightly depending on what the original purpose of the building was. An old house will have some different issues than an old industrial facility. Some of the common issues that can occur in just about any old building include:

Flickering or Dimming Lights

This could be a sign of a poor connection and can lead to eventual arcing. Loose or corroded connections can make intermittent contact that could result in sparking, overheating, and fire.

Obsolete Breakers or Service Panels

It is common to need to replace the electrical service panel of an older building completely as many old types of breakers or service panels have been discontinued and older buildings often still use fuse boxes instead of breaker panels.

Dead Faulty Outlets

Many older outlets do not have the hole for a ground wire, and many others have a poor or faulty connection. It is often necessary to replace all the outlets in an older building.

Your outlet might be dead because the fuse blew, or the breaker tripped. This can result from a tripped poor connection (and possible arcing), or a tripped breaker due to excessive heat buildup, resulting in melted wires or outlets.

Frequently Tripping Breakers

This is usually a sign that the circuit is overloaded and using excessive electricity. You may want to consider adding a circuit or upgrading your electrical service.

Light Bulbs Burn Out Frequently If recessed lights are frequently failing, nearby insulation could be causing overheating. These fixtures are designed to shut off to prevent fire. If you’re experiencing frequent bulb blowouts, it could be more serious than overuse. You may have a loose connection

in the socket or circuit.

Some safe and affordable solutions to prevent common old house electrical problems: Install GFCIs, keep extension sets safe, include more hands-on sockets, etc.

Safety around the home is of utmost importance, so get in touch with a professional to help diagnose the electric issues. The House inspection team will assess and fix your home electrical systems, giving you peace of mind and safety assurance.

BATHROOM ELECTRICITY

Bathrooms are damp and can use a lot of power. This creates special needs when it comes to wiring. If there are two things you should never mix, its water and electricity. Water reduces the body’s electrical resistance. This is why you probably know to never get electrical devices wet, such as bring a radio into the shower with you. It is important to keep yourself safe in the room that has the most water in it

This article will help you plan for appropriate electrical wiring to cover lighting, airflow, and safety devices in your bathroom. Everything from watertight lighting fixtures in bathing areas to effective ventilation to GFCI outlets for safety must be considered.

Lighting

Sometimes it can be difficult to light the bathroom properly. With minimal windows or frosted windows, the light just doesn’t come in the same. Lighting is even more important in this situation, so you have proper sight to avoid any hazards. You may require ample lighting to always keep everything in your bathroom visible. Plus, proper lighting can make your bathroom more peaceful and relaxing.

Bath and shower areas must have special fixtures. Light fixtures for these areas carry one of two ratings: damp locations and wet locations. Any light fixture in this zone must be at least rated for damp locations. However, if the fixture is potentially subject to spray from the shower, it must be rated for wet locations.

Fans

Bathrooms are notorious for being moist, and some don’t have windows to remove the moisture and odors. Even if you have a window, a bathroom vent fan is more effective at exhausting moisture and odors, and you don’t lose as much heat in the winter. Vent fans are required in all new bathrooms and remodel. You can install a vent fan with a built-in heater, but this has different wiring requirements than a standard fan without a heater.

Power Outlets

You can provide GFCI protection with a GFCI circuit breaker or by installing one or more GFCI outlets on the receptacle circuit. When using a single GFCI outlet for protection, it must be wired for “multiple-location” protection so that it protects all of the outlets downstream on the same circuit. Each sink requires one GFCI-protected outlet within three feet of it, and it can be between a two-sink configuration or located to the side of each sink.

Our bathrooms can be a place of peace and escape, but you must respect the danger of putting electricity near water. This is why electricians play an important role here; we can give you a hand!

Exhaust fans aren’t particularly exciting, nor do they change very much, but these steady components can help improve your home’s ventilation a great deal. The ideal placements for exhaust fans are kitchens and bathrooms, as these areas tend to generate a lot of odors and moisture. However, other areas, like garages and laundry rooms, can benefit from exhaust fans, too.

In general terms, an exhaust fan promotes circulation by pulling air from inside and releasing it outside, so fresh air can ventilate the space. Exhaust fans are often found in a home’s attic, bathroom, or kitchen and can be wall or ceiling-mounted.

Thinking about installing an exhaust fan or have one in your home that you don’t operate? Consider the following benefits of its use.

Eliminate Odors

One of the main reasons for having an exhaust fan is for odor control. If an unpleasant odor occurs in the bathroom, it can easily be drawn out with the help of an exhaust fan.

As a result, the ventilation system will enable you to keep your bathroom well maintained, while offering a clean atmosphere for the next person.

• Reduce humidity

Specifically in the bathroom, exhaust fans help control excess moisture. The steam from a hot shower or bath can lead to the following damages: Diminished insulation, drywall cracks or stains, paint or wallpaper peeling, and rapid mold growth.

• Remove smoke and odor

we’ve all experienced the smoky dinner, or maybe you have a smoker in your home. Exhaust fans help to quickly remove smoke and odors, making your indoor air more breathable.

• Protect belongings

Many people store belongings in the attic, but this area of the home can become very hot and damp. When you run an exhaust fan to protect your boxes, you don’t have to waste energy from the air conditioning unit to cool an uninhabited space.

Attic exhaust fans also protect insulation, so you can worry less about cold air seeping inside during winter.

If you are planning to start a home office, it is crucial to know the electrical requirements and understand the basics, because small negligence can cause a big loss. Working from home is not only convenient but it is economical. Many people run businesses out of their homes and for those of you who are thinking about doing the same – you can too. Change a room in your home into a fully functioning office with our help.

A basic understanding of the electrical requirements of your home office can prepare you to deal with an emergency situation, i.e. if something happens that requires electrical repairs, you should be in contact with fast and reliable electrical services to avoid extended downtime.

ENOUGH POWER

Ensure that the circuit that your home office is on and the GFCI outlet can handle the load of your printer, computer, and any other electronics you need. When designing and setting up your home office, keep in mind which electronics are going where and how much power they will require. If you have a laser or large-sized printer in your office, it may have a heavy draw on your power supply. You don’t want to trip the breaker and cause a power outage by printing out a document for one of your clients. Have one of our expert electricians review the wiring setup and test the outlet before you set up your electronics.

DEDICATED PHONE LINE

You may not want your business calls being directed to your home phone number otherwise you will have family members answering for you and after-hours business calls you may not have wanted to answer. One thing that most businesses have is a phone number.

INTERNET CONNECTION

Wifi signal strength diminishes over short distances and has trouble penetrating floors and ceilings.  Signal extenders are an easy fix any homeowner can find online with installation being relatively simple.  Or consider repositioning the router/modem closer to or within your office.

LIGHTING

As you will be spending many hours within these four walls, including after-hours, (studies show employees often work longer hours from home) attention to lighting is critical to both comfort and productivity. Assess the light levels at different intervals to see if you require improvements in your overhead lighting. Installing pot lights or track lights can create a comfortable atmosphere and makes it much easier to work.

When you set up your office at home you were likely thinking about economics and efficiency. With our help, we can make sure that you are making the most out of your home office and that it is a place of efficiency that doesn’t overflow into your downtime.

If you have any questions about setting up your home office, contact us, we would love to help you get started.