Posts Tagged ‘household electricity’

Fall off your ladder

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

How many people do you know that have been injured by a ladder accident?

Don't let this fall be an accident

Summer then Fall

 The chances of being injured or even killed are greater than you might imagine. Learn how to properly use a ladder and then don’t take a chance. Make sure you have stable footing for the ladder and don’t reach out too far. If you climb too high on a ladder, the ladder will become unstable. If you don’t have stable footing, an extension ladder can slide and you will ride this ladder to the ground. ( OUCH)

If you call a handy man to do the work, check and make sure they have insurance. In many states, if a worker is injured on your property, they can sue you and take your money and property in a court settlement. ( it has happened many times) So how much money can you save on a temp worker vs hiring an insured professional?

As always, the choice is yours. Now you have more information so that you can make a decision on how much do you really want to spend for these festive lights.

Jeffries electric has great residential electric repairs and commercial electric repairs. We install 200 amp panels and replace federal breaker panels. We install landscape lights and recessed lights. We fix electrical plugs and electrical switches and 3 way switches. we are your Denton electrician, Coppell electrician, lewisville electrician, highland village electrician, Frisco electrician, Plano electrician, corinth electrician. We fix gfci plugs and repair breakers. We install whole house surge protector. Licensed electrician and insured electrician. Add phone outlets. We repair landscape lights. We fix light switches. Install ground rod. Electric repair work should be performed by a licensed electrician. Be safe and turn off the breaker first.

Grounding for Safety !

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Unless you are in the business of Electrical Repairs or you are an Electrical Engineer, you may not know how important proper grounding is for your home or business.

Surge and lightning protection devices will not work properly unless they are grounded properly.

The breakers in your home will not trip to off in case of a wire failure unless they are grounded properly.

Even your PC or MAC has a central processing unit that requires a good ground. The better the ground for your electrical system, the better all these devices will work.

failure was quick

Steel ground rod

I just removed this short (18 in) piece of steel rod from a home in Collin Co., TX.  It was doomed from the start. You can see how the corrosion ate away at the buried portion. This is about 8 yrs old. The 2011 NEC (National Electric Code) requires two ( 2) ground rods at a minimum and they must be 8 – 10 feet long. Copper or Zinc coated and Not 18 inches!

Copper vs Steel

 The copper coated steel rod at left will tarnish and turn brown in time. The familiar green patina ( rust ) will be apparent above ground. This copper rod will last for years and years.

 

The new code requires two of these rods and also building steel or cold water copper to be bonded together. This is a major step forward in electrical safety.

 

 

Jeffries electric has great residential electric repairs and commercial electric repairs. We install 200 amp panels and replace federal breaker panels. We install landscape lights and recessed lights. We fix electrical plugs and electrical switches and 3 way switches. we are your Denton electrician, Coppell electrician, lewisville electrician, highland village electrician, Frisco electrician, Plano electrician, corinth electrician. We fix gfci plugs and repair breakers. We install whole house surge protector. Licensed electrician and insured electrician. Add phone outlets. We repair landscape lights. We fix light switches. Install ground rod. Electric repair work should be performed by a licensed electrician. Be safe and turn off the breaker first.

fire and ice

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

What a spring! So far I have seen fire (in west Texas) and ice. Alone , either one of these events would not be unusual in North Texas, but give me a break. When is it going to turn hot and stay hot?

I am not totally off my rocker. I don’t like it hot. I like when my electricians are all busy working . The real  hot weather will cause many electrical systems to fail. There in lies my smile. But my customers that did not listen are not smiling. Along with a nasty wake up call from the fire dept or if at home, you may experience a power outage and smell smoke.

Sometimes a smoke detector will alert you when there is a failure in your wiring system. None of these things are pleasant and most of them will cost a lot more to fix once the go past the repair stage and things have to be rebuilt and replaced.

Here are some of the thing you may experience.

  • Unscheduled Power Outages
  • Damaged or destroyed electrical equipment.
  • Associated area burnt or smoke damage to the entire structure.
  • Emergency fees required by local authorities for after hour inspections.
  • Overtime pay to electrical contractors.
  • Insurance companies may not pay to upgrade your equipment as required by the local code authority.

 

Some of the repairs I have mentioned time and time again to my commercial customers will cause a black out or power failure. I don’t like to work all night, but if you are out of power you are out of business. When we work these all night jobs, my technicians get overtime pay.

Had I made my point and effectively communicated how your breaker could fail or the wire may burn, you would not have these problems not. We could have scheduled a time to work on the problem and I dare say the price would be less expensive. Especially if you factor in the overtime pay and the after hours inspection fees from the City Inspector.

Now , lets talk about your house. Have you had flickering lights or have you had breakers trip with no apparent problem?   Did you call your electrician to check out the panel and service all the breakers? When is the last time you had your A/C unit checked?

You may be next. When the summer is hottest and the A/C is working the hardest, your fridge and freezer are working against you. They generate or displace heat and your A/C unit has to remove it from the house. If you still use the same old 100 year old style of Edison based bulbs, you are generating a lot of heat as you turn on your lights.

The power company loves you. You have a dark colored roof that soaks up the heat. You have 20 yr old windows that let out the cool air. What a time to own stock in an electric utility!

There are ways to save energy and keep guys like me from coming to your house in the middle of a dark night. Call us during the day and we can evaluate your electrical system. Please.

Jeffries electric has great residential electric repairs and commercial electric repairs. We install 200 amp panels and replace federal breaker panels. We install landscape lights and recessed lights. We fix electrical plugs and electrical switches and 3 way switches. we are your Denton electrician, Coppell electrician, lewisville electrician, highland village electrician, Frisco electrician, Plano electrician, corinth electrician. We fix gfci plugs and repair breakers. We install whole house surge protector. Licensed electrician and insured electrician. Add phone outlets. We repair landscape lights. We fix light switches. Install ground rod. Electric repair work should be performed by a licensed electrician. Be safe and turn off the breaker first.

Prolonged heat and Damage

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

When you see electrical outlets that have turned black and are melted and charred, what do you think? Was this mis- use or an inferior product? Did the appliance cord fail and cause the wall plug to burn?

overheated and burned

Use the correct outlet

 This outlet along with the others were all installed for the counter top in a new kitchen. Instead of using a 20 amp heavy duty outlet, the electrician saved a few dollars and installed a residential grade 15 amp outlet. The results were a chain reaction failure in this commercial kitchen. The cook just moved to the next outlet each time the plug failed.

Wrong outlets

too much heat builtup for too long

 The breaker did not trip because the current never exceeded 20 amps. But, the load on each 15 amp outlet caused an overheating condition and the loss of the device and the loss of sales when the kitchen could not operate. This usually happens at lunch time.

Licensed electrician in Frisco talks about the tdlr – 4

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

Jeffries Electric complies with all state statutes and the National Electric Code. We are also responsible to each city or municipality as they also adopt codes that relate to electric repairs and licensed electricians. If you have hired a person to work at your home or business, please check their references. Do they carry insurance and are they licensed to do the work they offered. The TDLR can help you if you have a problem with a licensed electrician.

Jeffries electric does great residential electric repairs and commercial electric repairs. We install 200 amp panels and replace federal breaker panels. We install landscape lights and recessed lights. We fix electrical plugs and electrical switches and 3 way switches. we are your denton electrician, coppell electrician,lewisville electrician, highland village electrician, frisco electrician, plano electrician,corinth electrician. we fix gfci plugs and repair breakers. we install whole house surge protector. licensed electrician and insured electrician.Add phone outlets.We repair landscape lights.We fix light switches.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is the state’s umbrella occupational regulatory agency, responsible for the regulation of 29 occupations and industries.

The regulated industries are diverse, ranging from boxing to electricians, from elevators to auctioneers. TDLR is governed by a seven member commission whose members are appointed by the Governor. To prohibit even the appearance of conflicts of interest, no commissioner may have a financial interest in any of the regulated programs.

TDLR’s Vision

To be the nation’s premier state agency, an example for others to follow.

TDLR’s Mission

The mission of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is to honor the public trust, ensure the public’s safety and foster a fair and efficient regulatory environment.

TDLR’s Philosophy

As stewards of the public trust we regulate in a firm, fair and consistent manner; provide the highest level of customer service; serve the citizens of Texas with maximum efficiency and fairness; value the dignity and worth of our employees; grow leaders that embody a culture of change and innovation; and ensure wise and strategic use of public resources.

Jeffries electric does great residential electric repairs and commercial electric repairs. We install 200 amp panels and replace federal breaker panels. We install landscape lights and recessed lights. We fix electrical plugs and electrical switches and 3 way switches. we are your Denton electrician, Coppell electrician, lewisville electrician, highland village electrician, Frisco electrician, Plano electrician, corinth electrician. We fix gfci plugs and repair breakers. We install whole house surge protector. Licensed electrician and insured electrican. Add phone outlets. We repair landscape lights. We fix light switches. Electric repair work should be performed by a licensed electrician. Be safe and turn off the breaker first. 

Many people have offered to perform electrical work that are not trained and do not have a license or insurance. The State requires all residential and commercial work performed in Texas to be done by a licensed electrician working for an Electrical Contractor. There are few exceptions to this rule. Any one that offers to perform electrical work in Texas  must also meet certain requirements in their paper work. All this information is available online through the TDLR. Please see our awards on Angies List.