Is Aluminum Wiring safe?

The National Electrical Code has permitted the use of aluminum wiring since 1901, a mere four years after the first recognized national electrical code was published in 1897. However, there can be safety hazards in an home wired in aluminum especially in older homes. Many homes wired over 30 years ago with aluminum pose a multitude of fire and safety issues that most homeowners may not be aware of. What to look for and what can be done if your aluminum...

What’s the difference between alternating currents and direct currents?

Direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) have been argued since the late 1800's when electricity was be produced commercially. Think I am joking? The War of the Currents was a serious national argument about which current was better. Alternating Current won the war AC came out as being the premier choice because it was able to transfer larger amounts of electricity over longer distances due in large part to the ability to easily step voltage up or down. At...

Electrical Wiring: Underground or Overhead?

There are advantages and disadvantages to both overhead and underground wiring. The trick to determining which one is safer depends on which electrical wiring option works best for your situation. Underground Wiring Underground wiring has the advantage of being a cleaner look to your yard because there is not any visible wiring. If you have a wooded yard, underground wiring eliminates the possibility of a large tree falling in a storm and knocking out your power. Overhead Wiring The main advantage...

How does a surge protector work?

Surge protection draws in any abundance of energy that comes into the electrical system and gets rid of it through your grounding system in order to prevent damage to electronics plugged in during a power surge. A surge protector is a device which protects electronic devices from the effects of a sudden spike in voltage above what they are designed to handle. Many of them have several plug in sites, like a power strip, each of which are protected. It...

What Causes Circuit Breakers To Trip?

A breaker trips when there’s either a short or fault in the system or when you’re using more power than the circuit has available. This could be due to having too many items plugged in, too many lights on, etc. Circuit breakers are designed to trip and turn off power when any of the following dangerous situations occur: Overloaded Circuit An overloaded circuit is the primary reason for a breaker tripping and occurs when a circuit is has more connected electrical load than it...

My Outlet Stopped Working. What Now?

Help! My outlet went out! When working with electricity, it is always the safest to contact your trusted electrician for the best solution to the problem. If only some of your outlets are not working and there has not been an outage, it is likely that you have a failed connection that is not allowing power to keep flowing. Contact a Mister Sparky Dallas electrician for help. Check Other Outlets When an outlet stops working you should check around for...

Do I Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade?

To upgrade my electrical panel, or not... There are quite few different reasons why you may need to upgrade your electrical panel. If it is older than 20 years old, it may be time to upgrade. Another reason for upgrading is if your panel has been improperly installed and is not UL Listed or has ”hot spots.” You may also need to upgrade if your breaker panel has been left open for long periods of time and moisture gets in....

What are the benefits of LED lights?

There are many benefits of using LED lights, so much so that CF-style lighting is fading away quickly.  Many people have changed their lighting in their house to LED lighting because they are high in quality, safe, inexpensive, environmental friendly and aesthetically beautiful for interior lighting. Quality of LED lights LED bulbs last longer than other forms of lights. They are also easy to install with fewer man hours and less time down. Also, LED lights use 15% of the...

What is an AFCI?

In electric "arc" is a discharge of current that occurs when the current passes through normally non conductive media such as air. Small arcs can occur through normal use of plugs and switches, however an high-power discharge, also known as an arc-fault, produce heat which can cause an electrical fire. In fact, arc-faults are one of the leading causes of electrical wiring fires! An AFCI or Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter is designed to monitor the electrical current to detect undesirable arcs and...

How do I know if my light switches need to be repaired?

A light switch may need to be repaired if there are loose wires connected to it, causing lighting problems. If there is actual damage to the switch or fixture or if it feels loose, it may need to be replaced altogether.