I’ve Got an Outside Light. What’s the Difference?
Outdoor sensor lights offer lots of advantages that old relics of an entryway lights don’t. Here are some highlights…

• With a well-lit exterior, burglars have no place to hide (like those dark, creepy bushes right next to your front door).
• Well-lit communities have lower crime rates than those with poor lighting.
• When outdoor sensor lights suddenly illuminate, you can more quickly respond to threats and alert the police.
• The illumination of motion sensor security lights can help your neighborhood watch team (or neighbors) better respond to threats, especially when you are away from home or out of town.
• No more blundering at the front door in a futile attempt to get your key in the door lock cylinder in the pitch dark of night because your forgot to leave the outside light on.
• With sensor lights, lighting doesn’t have to run all day and all night, only when and where it’s needed. Wanna avoid a few extra kilowatts? Opt for super-efficient LED sensor lighting options.
• Free your yard of nighttime visitors like skunks, possums, raccoons, and other troublesome pests that don’t like light.

Locating Outdoor Sensor Lights
For superior safety and illumination, lights in the following areas should span 100 feet and be bright enough to identify colors (and scare away criminals). Sensors blinded by the elements may perform poorly, so choose mounting locations protected from the elements (rain, snow, and sunlight). Popular areas for mounting sensor lights include…

• Entryways and exits: Such as driveways, front and back doorways, and walkways. (Be gone, thief!)
• Decks and patios: Including around fence gates and patio doors. (No hidey holes for you, Mr. Criminal!)
• Hazardous areas: Around swimming pools, stairways, and other trip hazards. (No trespassing or falls, please!)

When it comes to your home’s safety and security, don’t remain in the dark. Count on the professionals at Franco’s Electric to shed some light on your safety and security needs. For a free home outdoor security and sensor lighting quote, contact us today.

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Your sprinkler system is more than just a series of pipes that carry water where it needs to go—it’s also a series of valves that control water flow, and wiring that controls those valves. So when something stops working, figuring out the problem may seem like a truly overwhelming task. On this blog, our Idaho Falls plumbers will explain a few of the most common wiring faults in your system, including how you can recognize them, and what it takes to repair them.

Faulty Master Valve
Sprinkler and irrigation systems often function off a tree of different valves in order to control ifferent zones. This enables you to water different areas of your property for different amounts of time and even at different times to maximize your control, flexibility, and care. However, each of these valves is secondary to one, singular master valve which controls the water flow to the entire system.

Naturally, when your entire system depends on this one fixture, a fault in that fixture can cause the entire system to go down. There’s a pretty easy way to tell if your master valve is your problem: using an electrical multimeter that measures electrical resistance (a tool available at pretty much every hardware store), run one of the probes to your white common wire, and the other to your master cylinder wire at your sprinkler’s controller. If you’re not seeing any resistance (or infinite resistance) running through that wire, then you have your problem. The fault may be in the wiring to your valve, or with the valve itself, but a few other short checks can help you figure this out. Ideally, you should be seeing resistance numbers between 20 and 60 ohms.

Cut Common Wire
Every valve has two different wires coming from it: a common wire, and a dedicated wire. The common wire is usually white in color and runs from your controller to your master cylinder and then to each of the other valves on your irrigation system in turn. If something happens to cut your common wire, then every valve after the cut will fail to turn on when activated.

If it seems like only one or maybe a select few areas of your irrigation system are turning on, then this is most likely the problem. You can verify this at your controller with a multimeter: place one probe on your white common wire, and the other on each of your other zones. You should see resistance on the areas which are working properly, and then no resistance on the zones after the cut. This is a dead giveaway that something has happened to your common wire between the last working zone and the first inoperative one.

Cut Dedicated Wire
Dedicated wires are wires that runs from your controller to each individual valve, skipping your master cylinder and instead giving you individual control over each area. However, if one area in particular isn’t working, then the problem could be with the dedicated wire that controls it. A multimeter can once again verify this—probe the common wire and then that zone’s dedicated wire and you should see no resistance, with the other areas working just fine.

This could also indicate a problem with your valve itself, however. For example, if the valve itself has gone bad and needs replaced, then you may still see a resistance reading. However, if you see a high resistance reading, such as resistance over 100 ohms, then the valve itself may need to be replaced. If you have a problem with your irrigation equipment, we at Franco’s Electric can get it working again! Call us at 239-344-4086 to request an appointment.

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Homeowners often wonder if it is necessary to drain their pool in order to repair a pool light. You may be shocked to hear that pool lighting repair is not a very laborious or costly job to perform. In 90% of inground pool lighting repair cases, it isn’t even necessary to completely lower the water level or completely drain the pool.

How Much Does It Cost To Repair a Pool Light?
An average pool light bulb retails from $50-$60, while a new gasket costs around $35-$45. Labor to perform the repair is around $200-$250 depending on the location and complexity of the repair. In addition, the cost of a new pool fixture is $300-$400.

Diagnosing What Is Wrong With Your Pool Lighting
The light fixture is a sealed glass enclosure that holds the light bulb. The glass lens is secured to the fixture with screws or a clamp, and a rubber gasket keeps it waterproof. The supply wire is likewise sealed to the fixture, which is waterproof. That is why they are referred to as “wet niches.” The niche’s interior isn’t sealed; it’s submerged.

Reasons Why Your Pool Light Isn’t Working
There could be various reasons why your pool light isn’t working. The most common issues can be divided into two categories. The light is either not working but has power, or it is not working but has no power. When power is still running to the pool light, the problem is much easier to deal with. This indicates that the issue is limited to the fixture or the bulb itself. The bulb or the entire fixture must be replaced as a corrective step. A bulb can be far less expensive than the entire fixture, so that’s often what we look at first. If it’s decided that you need a new fixture, one must be acquired that is identical to the one you now have. The light fixture should be matched to the wall niche.

There are a few common things that go wrong with pool lights that can cause them from functioning properly and diagnosing the reason isn’t always so cut and dry. You may have a leak if there is water in the fixture itself. A faulty lens gasket, which is a rubber seal between the lens and the housing, is generally to blame. This could, however, be due to the conduit seal deteriorating with time. Unfortunately, each of these problems are things you should not try and tackle repairing yourself despite what many DIY guides and friendly bloggers mell tell you.

Pool Lighting Repair is Not a Good DIY Project
If you have a pool light out, you may be tempted to perform the repair work yourself. While pool lighting repair isn’t exactly rocket science, we still highly advise homeowners against trying to perform DIY repairs to their lighting. Unless you are a licensed electrician, this is a job best left to the professionals.

We at Franco’s Electric are qualified to make these types of repairs. This could involve determining if there is a short circuit and checking whether the GFCI has been tripped. Once on-site, we are able to quickly remove and repair a broken pool lighting fixture.

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● Repeatedly blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers
● Constantly dimming or flickering lights
● Light bulbs frequently burning out in the socket
● Sparks from an outlet when you unplug a cord

The problem may be limited to one area, or it may be system-wide. Figuring the latter, the cost to rewire a home typically ranges from $2,000 to $9,000, a platform that pairs homeowners with professional service providers.

The costs to rewire your home depend on the size and age of your home, the number and nature of the rooms being rewired, and the amount of wire that needs to be replaced. Each of these items impacts the labor cost, which accounts for the majority of the project’s overall price tag. Here are some factors to consider:

Home size
Rewiring projects are typically charged per square foot, so more home means more wiring, more outlets, and, consequently, higher costs. When including both labor and materials, it can cost from $2 to $4 per square foot for a rewiring project. For a 2,000-sq.-ft. home, which can run from $4,000 to $8,000.

Scope of the project
The project costs will vary based on the types of wiring and cables being used. For instance, nonmetallic or NM cables, which are the most common for residences, cost about $0.40 to $0.80 per linear foot. Underground feeder (UF) cable — the same as NM cable, but vital for subterranean or moist spaces — the cost is $0.50 to $0.75 per linear foot.

If your home is ancient and has an outdated electrical service panel, you may need to replace this equipment as well, which can cost $900 to $2,500.

Labor
You’ll need to pay a licensed electrician to do rewiring work. Typically they charge by the hour, with the usual estimate being one hour of work for every 100 square feet of wiring. The nationwide average cost of hiring a licensed electrician ranges from $162 to $521 per hour. You’ll also be looking at extra labor and parts charges if you need an updated electrical panel or new outlets installed in your home.

Permits and inspections
Permits and inspection criteria will vary based on your current system and where you live. These are required to ensure your wiring is up to modern standards, abides by any local codes, and will be safe for you and your family for decades to come.

Due to the high-level expertise and significant time commitment involved, electrical inspections typically cost between $100 to $400. While rewiring a home is expensive, the good news is that you usually only need to do it once, so you will not have to worry about recurring expenses or ongoing maintenance. It’s important, though, to use the best materials and services possible to ensure the safety of your home. This is one project where you do not want to cut corners; rewiring your house can literally save your life.

Remember the importance of this job is being done right, a poorly wired home can be a huge danger to you and your family. So, it’s worth it to invest a little more in a high-quality pro to avoid code violations, future repairs, or potential fires — all risks that can come from faulty wiring.

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By understanding the basics of how electricity is distributed around your home, you can keep this vital system properly maintained and in safe working condition.

Every home has a service panel that distributes electricity to switches, outlets, and appliances. The service panel is usually found in the basement, garage, or utility area. When a short or overload shuts down power to a circuit, this is where you can restore the flow. It is also where you will shut down power to a circuit before starting a project or repair.

Service panels are equipped with fuses or circuit breakers that protect the wires in each circuit from overheating and causing a fire. Fuses and circuit breakers are safety devices that help prevent the overloading of your home’s electrical system and prevent fires. They stop the electrical current if it exceeds the safe level for some of your home electrical systems.

Service panels installed before 1965 use fuses to protect each individual circuit. Early fuses were commonly used in 30- and 60-amp service panels. Today, new homes require 100- to 200-amp service panels in order to provide proper protection. There are several different types of fuses, and picking the right one may seem confusing at first.

All newer homes are protected by circuit breakers. Unlike a fuse that must be replaced when it blows, a circuit breaker that has “tripped” can be mechanically reset to resume operations once the problem has been resolved. A tripped breaker is likely the result of too many appliances overloading the circuit and should be fixed immediately.

Electricity always seeks to return to its source and complete a continuous circuit. A typical circuit in your home has two conductors: hot and neutral. Electricity travels from the service panel to home appliances through the hot conductor and returns the current to the main service panel through the neutral conductor. A third or “grounding” wire is also connected to all outlets and metal boxes in your home.

This critical safety feature is designed to greatly reduce your chance of shock or electrocution should a short circuit occur. Grounding wires are connected directly to the earth through a metal grounding rod or a cold water pipe. Should a short circuit or an overload occur, any extra electricity will find its way along the grounding wire to the earth.

Electrical outlets are the place where you are most likely to interact with your home’s electrical system on a daily basis.

Most homes have been outfitted with polarized outlets that feature two vertical slots of different sizes. These outlets are designed so that the slot for the neutral wire is wider than the slot for the hot wire, making it difficult to insert an electrical plug the wrong way. When used with a polarized plug, these outlets provide protection by directing the electrical current.

Grounded outlets have a round hole for the grounding conductor in addition to the two vertical slots. The circle slot is connected to a ground wire. Grounded outlets are required to be installed in all modern homes today. If your home does not have grounded outlets, then your electrical system is likely missing critical safety features. Consult an electrician about updating your home.

Since the 1970s, ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) have saved thousands of lives and have helped cut the number of home electrocutions in half. GFCIs are electrical safety devices that trip electrical circuits when they detect ground faults or leakage currents. A person who becomes part of a path for leakage current will be severely shocked or electrocuted. These outlets prevent deadly shock by quickly shutting off power to the circuit if the electricity flowing into the circuit differs by even a slight amount from that returning.

Extension cords are a convenient way to provide power right where you need it when working in or around your home, but using them improperly can be dangerous – even deadly. Keep safety in mind with these easy tips from ESFI.

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Here are various ways to check for any faults in your house’s electrical wiring.

1. Look for Visibly Damaged Wiring
   During your routine electrical system inspection, look for signs of damage on the wires. Keep in mind that electrical wires can get damaged with age or due to pests and wrong wiring. Be wary of frayed cables since they can cause a fire and lead to electric shock.
   If you notice chew marks on the wiring, it’s an indication of rodents’ activities. Once you spot such problems, call your technician immediately to inspect and fix the wiring. Keep an eye on tangled and messy wiring too. This is a sign of rushed and poorly done electrical work.
2. Check for Hot Outlets or Switch Plates
   Look at all the outlets within your property, touch them, and if they feel uncomfortably hot, it’s an indicator that your home has faulty wiring. Although some electrical appliances emit heat during operation, the outlet should never get hot. Unplug the devices in the hot outlets and don’t use them until a technician troubleshoots and fixes the issue.
3. Pay Attention to Frequently Blown Fuses or Tripped Breakers
   Circuit breakers trips and fuses blow out in case of a fault in the circuit to protect the house from fire. If the fuses blow often or the breaker keeps tripping, then something isn’t right. This can occur as a result of a wiring problem. Consult your technician, and they may suggest that you add circuits and install extra outlets to handle the high electric demand.
4. Check for Discoloration of Sockets
   A discolored socket or light switch is evidence that the wiring is heating up. In most cases, this happens due to a loose connection or faulty wiring. Such issues cause a short circuit, which leads to a mini fire that discolors the outer surface of the outlet.
5. Check for Aluminum Wiring
   In the 1960s and ’70s, home builders used aluminum wiring as a cheap substitute for copper. However, aluminum quickly corrodes when in contact with copper. It also loosens up over time, overheating the plugged-in electrical appliances, which can cause a fire. If you live in an older home, chances are, you have aluminum wiring, and you might want to consider rewiring.
6. Be Careful With Burning Smells
   New appliances may produce some strange odors a few minutes after powering them. However, an odd persistent odor coming from the outlets requires immediate attention. If you notice some burning smell in your house, the wiring could be overheating and melting out the outer protective sheath.
   It signifies that potential fire damage has begun, and it can quickly spread to the surrounding materials. Disconnect every appliance from the circuit, manually trip the breaker and keep a fire extinguisher close. Immediately call your electrician to check and fix the problem.
7. Check for Loose Outlets
   Regularly assess the condition of all outlets in your house. This can be dangerous if you plug in a device and the outlet moves around. A loose outlet shakes the wires, loosening them, and disrups the electricity flow leading to sparks, shock, and potential fire hazards.

Make it a habit to check the electrical system’s state in your house regularly. Constantly inspecting your electric system will help you detect problems and call a technician to fix them before they escalate into significant issues. You will also keep the home safe, prevent appliances from malfunctioning, and keep your electric system efficient. While there are simple tasks that you can fix on your own, the electric system is quite complex, and some significant problems require an expert approach.

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A power surge is an increase in the amount of voltage flowing through electrical devices that exceeds the standard voltage level of 120 volts. Surges can be caused by many things such as high-powered devices, bad wiring, incorrect lightning, or a problem with your utility company’s equipment. Even when surges do not break an electronic, they can put excess strain on internal components and cause them to fail sooner than expected.

A surge protector works by pulling the current from one outlet and passing it through to the devices you have plugged into the surge protector. A surge protector contains a metal oxide varistor, or MOV, which diverts any extra voltage to ensure devices receive a consistent power level.

The MOV works like a pressure-sensitive valve. When the MOV detects high voltage levels, it reduces resistance. If voltage levels are too low, it increases resistance. It will kick in automatically to redirect excess voltage.

As a general rule, you should prioritize using your surge protector for electronics that are expensive to repair or replace. Newer appliances are more sensitive to power surges than older electronics thanks to more delicate and smaller components. Microprocessors that are found in computers and many appliances are most sensitive to high voltage and only work when they receive a stable current within the right voltage range.

What Should You Plug into Your Surge Protector?
Examples of items that can be protected by a surge protector include:
● Computers
● Televisions
● Microwaves
● Modems/routers
● Video game systems (such as a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One)
● High-end audio equipment
● Surge Protectors Will Not Always Work
Unfortunately, it is a mistake to assume that your devices are 100% protected from surges with a surge protector. There are many reasons surge protectors may fail. For instance, surge protectors simply are not designed to last forever. Choose one with an indicator light that lets you know when the MOV has worn out. Many will continue to work but without surge protection in place.

We at Franco’s Electric can help you get protection against dangerous power surges. Call us and request a free estimate. We can also help you with electrical repairs, installation, and maintenance, as well as generator installation.

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Flooding has damaged hundreds of thousands of homes, and the recovery ahead will continue for months. Water damage can cause a variety of problems not only to the building structure and the furnishings but also to the electrical wiring system, components, and equipment., many will have to remove electrical wiring, outlets, switches, and more.

Electrical repairs have the potential for danger under normal circumstances, and adding water to the mix increases that potential significantly. The electrical circuits should be turned OFF until the water-damaged area has been properly evaluated and the necessary repairs have been made. GFCI circuit protection should always be used in the affected area even during the cleanup process where electrical devices and equipment will be used.

The affected electrical systems of the water-damaged area should be thoroughly inspected

We all know that water and electricity don’t mix. Unfortunately, not all of us know the full ins and outs of electrical safety. And that’s why it’s important to have a flooded home checked out by an electrician, utility worker, or firefighter before you reenter.

Simply shutting off the power to a home at the main breaker switch isn’t enough to guarantee safety. If nearby homes are using generators for emergency power, that energy can flow back into the grid, creating an electrocution risk. An electrician may need to disconnect the electric meter to render a home completely safe.

Once a qualified professional gives the all-clear, it’s safe to begin the most urgent cleanup tasks. But the electrical repair work should not only be performed by licensed electricians, it should also be coordinated with other rebuilding efforts like the replacement of drywall and insulation.

Expect to replace all electrical components and equipment

In some cases, submerged wiring in a flooded home may technically be salvageable. But because of the corrosive damage that can occur, water-saturated cable or wiring and electrical components such as outlets and switches should be replaced. If your home floods during a hurricane, expect to replace all electrical components and equipment below the water line.

Sorting out what must be replaced and what can be salvaged is another job for a trained electrician. It’s important to have an electrician conduct a complete electrical survey before repairs begin to define the scope of work, and after repairs are completed, to confirm that the home is functional and safe.

Insulated appliances like refrigerators, freezers, ovens, and tank water heaters are usually unsalvageable because the wet insulation cannot be replaced. If motors or other electrical equipment has become immersed in water or has an accumulation of moisture it would be best to obtain a water corrosion inhibitor that is approved for electrical equipment.

If you have an appliance that you think maybe salvageable, remove it from the home and allow it to air dry in a covered area for several days. Most importantly, have it inspected, repaired, and deemed safe by a repair professional before attempting to plug it in. Appliances with motors or compressors are often destroyed when those components are below the waterline but may be saved if the water isn’t deep enough to reach the central unit.

A safety check from a licensed electrician is a crucial early step after any flooding event. For emergency electrical services of any kind, we at Franco’s Electric is ready to answer the call.

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1. Start saving money now
   If you do not have enough insurance coverage, electrical fires and failed electrical systems could end up costing you a lot of time and money. Regular electrical safety checks can assist you in finding damaged wires, broken outlets, or other problems before they become serious risks or result in expensive damage to your house.
2. Strengthen Security by Minimizing Risks
   Regular safety inspections not only help you save money, but they also let you address any possible safety risks before they pose a serious risk. By lowering the possibility of electrocution, electrical fires, system failure, and overloaded equipment, you can improve safety for everyone in your home. Any repairs or upkeep carried out as a result of routine inspections will also improve the electrical security of your home during severe weather, offering you comfort all year long.
3. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
   While most homeowners prioritize functionality, efficiency is now a growing priority as a result of rising energy prices. An electrician can identify possible areas for improvement in your home through routine electrical safety inspections, enabling you to make the necessary replacements or improvements to keep your home operating efficiently while lowering your energy costs.
4. Maintain Compliance with Current Standards in Your Home
   Electrical standards and codes are always evolving. While the safety and performance requirements that were in place when your home was built 25 years ago may have been met, they may not be met now. It is worthwhile to schedule an electrical safety inspection to determine whether your home is up to code because this compliance is frequently necessary for insurance coverage requirements. If it isn’t, an electrician can offer you advice on how to update it to meet modern standards.

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When Do You Need an Electrical Safety Inspection?

There are specific times when homeowners should schedule an electrical home safety inspection. The Electrical Safety Foundation recommends that homeowners make an appointment for an electrical home inspection at these times:

● When purchasing a home
● When a home is 40 years or older
● When adding an appliance
● When a home has had a major renovation

Benefits of an Electrical Safety Inspection

An electrical home inspection is important for the safety of your home and everyone in it. Getting your home’s electrical system checked by a professional will offer you peace of mind by:

● Ensuring the safe operation of electrical components in your home
● Identifying common electrical mistakes made by contractors and previous DIY homeowners
● Recognizing outdated wiring such as aluminum or knob-and-tube
● Identifying electrical wiring and components that may have degraded over time
● Spotting oversized fuses or breakers that could lead to fire
● Allowing for the correction of fire and safety hazards
● Helping you save energy and reduce costs
● Meeting insurance risk assessment inspections requirements
● Letting you know the electrical in a new home is safe before you purchase it

What Does an Electrical Home Safety Inspection Include?
● Verification of proper light bulb wattage
● Switch and wall outlet operation and condition
● Shock or electrocution hazards
● Verification that arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are operating properly
● A check of all safety and security lighting
● Confirmation of grounding systems
● Validation of appropriate surge protection
● Verification of the proper placement of smoke detectors
● Testing of smoke detectors
● Testing of carbon monoxide detectors
● Inspection of the electrical panel for appropriate labels, amps, and operation
● An examination of outdoor electrical systems
● A detailed, prioritized report on all areas of attention concerning the electrical system of your home

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