Electrical grounds are one of the most essential safety components of a home’s electrical system. Why do you need to ground electricity and what does this entail? A ground wire connects the outlets in your home to the electrical panel; this wire is dug into the ground surrounding your home. The soil that surrounds the wire acts as a kind of surge protector. If an excessive amount of electricity flows through the grounded wire the positively charged ions within the...

In today's world, almost everything in a home uses electricity. We flip a switch or plug in an item. "Voilà," it works. A properly functioning outlet is essential for the electric current to flow properly to power appliances and devices in our homes. Our small appliances are essential for making coffee and cooking. We are at a loss if our entertainment items are unable to work. Everything usually works fine until you experience electrical outlet problems. Many people encounter electrical...

The electricity in your house brings you a host of benefits. You can enjoy heating and air conditioning when the outside temperature isn't pleasant, and you can watch all of your favorite television shows. However, problems can also come into fruition with the electric, and handling these issues by yourself can prove dangerous. Learn how to hire an electrician with these helpful tips. Trying to tackle electrical issues could lead to electrocution, which can be fatal. Also, you might make...

If you're a homeowner, you know that sometimes you need to fix things around the house. Plumbing wears out, air conditioners break, and furnaces need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years. The electrical panel, otherwise known as a circuit breaker, is no different. But how do you know when it is time to replace your breaker box? There are several tell-tale signs and reasons that it is time to upgrade. Old Electrical Panel One reason that you might...

When it comes to the electric in your home, you might be happy as long as the appliances work and the lights go on when you need them to do so. However, home electrical maintenance is about more than just what you can see. Instead of waiting for issues to arise, consider the benefits of having an annual check of your home's system. Protecting against Fires As you're considering fire safety, you might think of steps such as creating a...

All About LED Lighting Those light-emitting diodes better known as LEDs are 90% more efficient at producing light than the incandescent light bulbs. How do they do that? LED lighting works by passing an electrical current through a microchip. As the current passes through the microchip, it illuminates the tiny LED light producing visible light. The absorption of its heat prevents performance issues of the LEDs lighting into a heat sink. Unlike compact fluorescent or incandescent lights, the LEDs don’t...

Having little ones in the home is a cause for great joy. However, it also means that parents, grandparents and other caretakers need to ensure that their homes are safe for children. Electrical outlets, for example, can make for a serious danger. They can cause injury or even death. Therefore, taking the time to call an electrician to childproof outlets is of utmost importance. Install Tamper Resistant Receptacles One way to protect children from outlets is to upgrade the electrical...

While power outages are relatively frequent, they can seem particularly frightening when they do happen. Whether power is out for a brief moment or the electricity is down for much longer, getting used to living with the lights off is indeed a challenge. The best way to get through power outage emergencies is to prepare beforehand and be ready once the light goes out. Living in the Dark No matter how well prepared we are, at some point, we will...

Do you have one or more of those electrical outlets that operates inconsistently or not at all? Rather than avoid a faulty or dead electrical outlets, it is better to make sure it is operating properly to avoid the risk of fire hazard, not to mention the inconvenience of having to work around dead electrical outlets. There are a few steps you can take to check an outlet’s functionality and easily restore it to use, or determine if its time...

So you've decided that you need power in other areas of your home, or that you would like to divide up the power sources for an existing room. Maybe you've built a home addition, such as a sun room or a spare bedroom. Or maybe your power needs have changed and you're drawing too much power from just one breaker. Whatever the reason, if you think that you need a new breaker in your breaker box, you're going to need...