What is the Purpose of Circuit Breakers and Fuses?

With the holiday season approaching, you're likely to use more electricity in your home than normal. If you're planning on decorating your house either inside or outside with lights and other electronic decorations, you'll want to make sure your circuit breakers and fuses are functioning well. You don't want to have to keep replacing fuses or breakers repeatedly, and you certainly don't want them malfunctioning and causing a fire that could wreck your home or damage your electronic devices. So what are some things you can do to ensure your breakers and fuses are working well?

First, you should understand the terminology. A circuit breaker is designed to cut off an electronic circuit when the electricity amount becomes too high. Turning the power back on is as simple as flipping the breaker switch back on.

A fuse is also designed to shut off the power to an electrical circuit when the amount of electricity flowing through the circuit becomes too high. It does this by using a filament inside that melts when it gets overheated. Turning the power back on after a blown fuse requires replacing the fuse with a new one.

If you're having issues with repeatedly flipping your breaker switches or replacing fuses, you may want to seek the help from a professional to inspect your breakers and fuses. An electrician can help ensure that your breakers and fuses are working well for your electrical needs this holiday season. Before disaster at home has a chance to strike, contact our expert electric technicians to learn more about your repair options for circuit breakers and fuses. Call us at 888) 245-4955.

What is Surge Protection?

Surge protectors help safeguard electronics from increases in voltage. Normal voltage, as that supplied by a typical wall-socket is a steady 120 volts of electrical current, but occasionally, this number may increase slightly. Voltages higher than 120 volts can damage your electrical devices in much the same way that too much wind can destroy your favorite kite.

How They Work

A typical surge protector works by breaking the flow of current to your devices when it detects a spike in voltage. Of course this also shuts down your devices, and some models of surge protectors require a physical reset to get the power flowing again. Because of this, never use a surge protector that has any burn marks on its cord or body as the breaker or circuitry inside may have been compromised.

Types of Surge Protectors

There are more sophisticated, even battery powered types of surge protectors that allow your devices to function without interruption in the case of power spikes. However, lightning strikes and regular voltage spikes are two very different matters. While some surge protectors claim to protect against lightning strikes, it is much safer to unplug all electronic devices for the duration of storms that contain heavy lightning.

Call our office today to learn more about your surge protection needs and we will help safeguard your home from any electrical failures that may develop in the future.

Avoid Electrical Problems during the Holidays

Decorations that require electricity are very common during the holiday season. Many people decorate indoors and outdoors for holidays like Halloween and Christmas. Often, electrical problems can occur because of these decorations. People run the risk of encountering overloads, blown fuses, and even fire.

How Can You Avoid Electrical Problems?

 

We all want to keep our home safe and festive during the holiday season. Here are some helpful tips from WikiHow to minimize the risk of running into electrical problems: 

1.       Choose non-electric holiday décor whenever possible. Reducing energy consumption will drastically minimize the risk. Think about using candles or battery-operated décor instead of that huge, inflatable pumpkin to put on the front lawn.

2.       Hang up fewer strings of lights. Using less strings of lights or similar décor will reduce problems. Rather than tracing the outline of your house, every tree, bush, and window, you could choose one focus point to hang lights on.

3.       Switch to LED lights. By replacing incandescent strings of lights with more efficient LED lights, you will reduce energy consumption. Again, reducing consumption is best way to avoid electrical problems. LED lights generate less heat which can lower the risk of fire or electrical overload. A perk to making the switch is that you won’t be replacing the lights every other year. LED’s last much longer.

4.       Do not overload one circuit. Sure, we could plug-in items end-to-end and then use just one outlet but that’s not very safe. It is best to use multiple outlets. Spread out your energy consumption through the house. Avoid using one circuit or one area of the house to plug-in items.

5.       Buy new décor when older items show signs of damage. We tend to make vivid displays outdoors by often using the same décor every year. Outdoor exposure could cause wear and tear that damages the insulation of electrical items. It is best to replace these items right away because their damage could lead to short circuits and/or fire.

6.       Keep electrics away from heat sources. Heat sources like the stove or candles can melt wire insulation and lead to electrical fires. It might be best to not put any electrical décor around the fireplace.

7.       Water your Christmas tree. A dry Christmas tree can catch fire from the heat generated by the lights on it. Don’t forget to water your tree regularly!

If you need help setting up your holiday display safely or installing features that can safeguard your home from electrical issues, contact a local electrical repair service company. 

Knowing When to Call an Electrician: Breaker Issues

Popular Mechanics

Everyone has tripped a circuit breaker at one time or another and, most of the time, there is no cause for concern. In fact, this is usually just your circuit breaker doing its job. Breakers are designed to trip – effectively cutting off the flow of power – whenever the current exceeds a safe level. If they failed to do this, you would find yourself frequently replacing damaged electrical devices and fighting electrical fires. This is why we are reminding you of the importance of listening to your breakers.

One of the most important things to remember about your breakers is that they are a safety device. Failing to heed their warnings is like not putting on your seatbelt: it is simply not worth it. If your breakers trip and you reset them, only to have them trip again, you likely have an electrical problem. This can be serious and dangerous, so simply resetting the breaker over and over again is rarely a good idea.

Although breakers frequently trip due to overload – when you have too many appliances running on one circuit – they are also triggered by faulty wiring. If you hook up an extra appliance and the breaker trips, you may not have anything to worry about. Short of that scenario, however, reset the breaker only once. If it trips again, the problem could be in the circuit itself.

Unless you are an experienced electrician, contact the best Los Angeles electricians around, Calrox. Our guys can troubleshoot any problem, whether they need to replace faulty wiring, an outlet, or the breaker itself. Because circuit overload can lead to electrical fires, it is best to use a service like ours when dealing with an uncooperative breaker. We are professional, fast, and friendly, and calling us to save you a lot of hassle with a problem like this.

Pre-1972 Homes Have More Electrical Problems

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If your house was built prior to 1972, you may have an elevated risk for electrical fires and other related problems. This is because homes built during this period were wired with aluminum electrical systems, which can be prone to oxidation. However, the problem is more complex than it sounds.

Aluminum wire is actually perfectly safe in most applications. For instance, commercial jets utilize this lightweight conductor in their electrical systems. The problem in older homes is that the aluminum wire is exposed at points of connection throughout the house. Without the insulation covering it, aluminum wire tends to rust. Rust resists conduction, causing the wire to heat up when the power is switched on. This heat is what causes electrical fires.

Changes in pressure or temperature can also affect aluminum wire, leading to loose connections and sparks. If aluminum wire is connected to other metals, chemical reactions can also affect the flow of power. And, although aluminum wire was commonly used during the ‘60s and early ‘70s, electricians back then rarely took care to avoid these complications. As a result, a surprising number of homes still have faulty aluminum wiring. This is especially prevalent in neighborhoods with older homes, such as certain parts of Burbank or Pasadena.

If your home contains aluminum wiring, or you suspect it does due to its age, contacting a professional electrician in Los Angeles for an inspection is your best move. They can check for the presence of aluminum and recommend the appropriate solution. In most cases, this means rewiring the entire home or replacing the contact points. Either way, shoring up your older home’s electrical systems will help ensure that your lights and appliances continue to work and that electrical fires don’t start.

Meter Base Upgrades in L.A.

When was the last time you checked to make sure your meter base is in proper working order, or even up to date? It’s okay; owning a home is a lot of work and it’s all up to you. Knowing how to properly maintain your meter base is easy because it’s mostly a hands-off job, meaning you’ll rarely have to deal with it. Still, as a homeowner, it’s good to know what it is and what you need to do to keep it running smoothly.

  

Many people who own homes neglect their meter base. In fact, many people don’t even know what a meter bade is exactly. So, let’s take a quick second to refresh your memory. The meter base is that little round clear shell stuck to the side of your house. Your heart probably skips a beat whenever the electric company sends someone over to take a reading of it. Sound familiar? Well, in brief, the meter base is the thing that all of your home electricity passes through right before it goes to keep your fridge running and your lights on. It’s a really important piece of equipment and, what many people fail to realize, it’s also entirely your responsibility. That’s right; it’s not the city’s job, nor the electric company’s job to keep this thing up-to-date. In fact, technically, all the electric company promises to do is to provide you with electricity up to your meter—everything else in on you. So here’s what you need to know.

Your meter base needs to be up-to-date, but depending on where you live this means different things. How do you know what the standards are in your town? Ask around. A general rule, though, is that if your home is really old, or recently purchased, then you probably need an upgrade. While some people feel that upgrades are a DIY project, it is highly recommended that you have a licensed electrician come take care of the job. This is especially true if you live in the Los Angeles area. L.A can be very particular about homeowner standards, so make sure your meter upgrade is done correctly and safely.

If you’re still unsure about whether or not your meter base needs an upgrade, or is in proper working order, call an experienced electrician to come take a look. They’ll make sure you’re taken care of.    

Easy Ways to Conserve Electricity this Summer

Springtime is upon us, which means that summer is just around the corner. For those living in Southern California, this means it’s time to begin thinking about ways to manage the impending sweltering heat. The California drought that’s been plaguing the state for the past couple of years has meant that residents throughout the state have needed to cut back on water use. Since frugality is this year’s theme, why not also save money and energy while staying cool?

Running the air conditioner at home can be costly, not to mention environmentally unfriendly. Fortunately, there’s a cost-effective, green way to keep you and your loved ones cool this summer—a whole house fan. These are fans that circulate air throughout your entire home, which when done strategically, is an effective means for maintaining fresh air at a comfortable temperature.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (a subcommittee of the U.S. Department of Energy) provides a convenient pamphlet that shows you exactly how much you save when you use a whole house fan. You can save literally thousands of dollars by simply installing a house fan unit in your home, rather than an air conditioning unit. If you already have a unit where you live, then consider running just the fan, rather than entire piece of machinery. Running the fan in the evenings when outside temperatures are cooler brings down the overall ambient temperature inside. Once the inside of your home has been chilled, the fan then circulates the cool air during the day, while sucking out the hot air and expelling it through your attic.

While the basic physics of a whole house fan is fundamentally simple, getting one into your home might be more challenging. There are certainly places online that will give you directions on how you can install one yourself, but it is better to consult a professional who can make sure the job is done properly. You won’t save money if you constantly have to fix a poorly done DIY project. Be the first on your street to truly beat the heat while saving money and the environment.