Why You Need an Annual Electrical Safety Inspection
When you think about repair problems that are most likely to crop up at any time, what first comes to mind? A sudden loss of hot water? That’s way up there on most peoples’ lists. And so is any sort of disruption caused by a problem with home heating or cooling systems. And yet when it comes to electrical service and wiring, way too often it’s simply taken for granted. As in, “I have electricity now, and therefore I’ll have it again tomorrow.” Ah, if only things were that simple. And yet, the simple fact is, there are a large [...]
USB Wall Outlets…No Plugged-in House Should be Without Them!
Does the photo in this blog look familiar? As in, do you have masses of unsightly wires and extension cords all dedicated to charging cell phones and other electronic devices, and sometimes all at once? Then you are definitely a candidate for one of the great modern-day electrical conveniences: one or more USB wall outlets. The typical outlet consists of two electrical sockets and two USB charging ports. So, if you were to replace a conventional two-socket outlet for a comparable USB wall outlet, you’d be giving nothing up and gaining the added convenience of two direct charging stations. You [...]
Home Electrical Safety Tips
Kids have a unique ability to get into mischief, even when you’re convinced you’ve successfully made their surroundings mischief-proof. As if that was even a possible thing! Well, now that another school year has ended and your children will be spending much more time at home for the next few months, the mischief meter could climb by leaps and bounds. Which is probably okay, provided mischief doesn’t lead to injury or damage. So, from our house to yours, here are some helpful tips for promoting electrical safety both indoors and out: Don’t overload a socket or extension cord. Tell your [...]
How to Protect Your Children from Electrical Shock
While an electrical shock can happen to anyone, children are especially at risk, often simply because they don’t know any better. An electrical shock occurs whenever someone touches an electrically charged object while touching another surface that can conduct the electricity to the ground. Proper grounding, electrical safety devices and avoiding hazardous situations can help protect your children and other family members from electrical shock. Here are some practical and effective ways to childproof your home: Cover unused power plugs with plastic covers. Repair or discard any damaged appliances or electric cords. Keep young children away from electrical appliances. Teach [...]
Why You Need Hard-Wired Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are one of the most important safety features a home can have. The challenge is to make sure they operate without fail. Other than routine battery checks and replacement, the National Fire Protection Association recommends that you replace all battery-operated smoke detectors after no more than 10 years. Here’s why: On average, 3% of all smoke detectors fail each year; After 10 years, a smoke detector is 30% likely to fail; After 30 years, it’s a virtual guarantee it will fail; Each year, more than 3,200 Americans lose their lives in residential fires. Here are some safety tips [...]
Outdoor Security Lighting Options
The right outdoor lighting can enhance the appearance of your home after dark, and provide you with an added measure of security. It’s commonly known that the greater the illumination, the less likely your home is to be bothered by burglars. Even if you have a security alarm system, do you activate it before going to bed or at other times while you’re home? Probably not. So, think of outdoor lighting as a second line of defense to preserve the safety of your home and family. At Burton, your seasoned Omaha electricians, we have a world of experience in designing [...]
Why Your Aluminum Wiring Should Be Replaced
If your home was built between 1965 and 1972, there’s a very good chance aluminum wiring was employed for your electrical system. There was a nationwide building boom going on at the time and builders galore employed cheaper materials to cash in on the profits to be made. Yes, aluminium wiring costs less than today’s preferred copper, but that’s not why you should strongly consider having it replaced. Aluminium wiring isn’t as safe. In fact, and according to one study, homes built with aluminium wiring are 55 times more likely to have a fire hazard present than homes built [...]
How Safe is Your Home?
If you believe that what you can’t see can hurt you, you’re more right than you may know. Because right in the relative comfort and safety of your own home, things might not be quite as safe as you would hope. That’s especially true of older homes or home with aging, frayed wiring. Then again, even newer home could face the risk of an electrical fire if the wiring is substandard or wasn’t installed up to code. And how about if your home was built between 1969 and 1976 when aluminum was all the rage? During that seven-year stretch, America [...]
Everything You Need to Know About Light Bulbs
Whether you just bought a new light fixture or found yourself sitting in the dark because of a burned-out bulb, you might be surprised at the number of different types and styles of bulbs lining your hardware store shelves these days. Should you go with what you know, like incandescent? Or give LED a try? Or what about compact fluorescent? The confusion can be paralyzing. So, to make choosing a light bulb at least a little easier, we’ve put together a comparison of today’s primary choices. Incandescent bulbs, or what you would consider your traditional lightbulbs, have received a bit [...]
4 Good Reasons to Call an Omaha Electrician
Sometimes statistics don’t tell us much at all while other times they can be highly revealing. Here’s a case in point for “highly revealing.” On average, American home owners hire a licensed electrician for service about once every six years. Sound about right to you? Actually, that’s not nearly often enough to maintain full electrical capacity and maximum safety as we’re about to demonstrate. Think for just a moment about the new electronics you’ve purchased just over the past few years, and by electronics, we mean anything with a built-in microprocessor. So, in addition to computers, High Def TVs, stereo [...]
6 Reasons to Install a Lighting Control System.
Saving energy is never far from anyone’s mind. And now, with a lighting control system, you have one of your best opportunities yet. Once a luxury item, these systems have become affordable for homeowners of all income levels. With one system, you can pre-program lighting fixtures all over your home – or one fixture at a time – to turn on and off at certain times of day while you’re traveling or for any reason at all. Here’s just some of what you can accomplish with a professionally designed and installed lighting control system: Switch lights on and off with [...]
When You Need a Licensed Electrician in Omaha and Blair
Chances are, you don’t give much thought to your home’s electrical system. That is until, all of a sudden one day, you’re left in the dark. And it’s not until you call an electrician that you find out that your electrical panel is long over-due for an upgrade, the wiring in your home is not even close to code, or that your electrical system is simply over-burdened. All of which could compromise your family’s safety. But did you know that, when it comes to electricity, your home has a way to letting you know that one or more things aren’t [...]