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Home Electrical Upgrades For Safety, Functionality and Beauty

Hidden Outlets

Hidden electrical outlets hit all three criteria you may be used to make decisions about electrical upgrades. Our favorite places to install hidden outlets include entertainment centers, closets, under kitchen cabinets, on bathroom vanities, and in vanity drawers.

They eliminate clutter and hide cords, improving aesthetics, and eliminating the unsightly appearance of electrical cords. Are you struggling to hide the cords from your TV, game console, and other entertainment area appliances? Are they running around every baseboard in the living room? Image if they were all plugged into the entertainment center, behind closed walls or hidden inside drawers. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Recessed Outlets

Recessed outlets are a great functional upgrade. Not only do they look great, but they eliminate problems like “floating furniture” syndrome. If you’ve got a sofa or other furniture pulled out from the wall so you can get plugs into your outlets, a recessed outlet solves your problem. If you want your flat panel television to mount flush against the wall, but don’t want to hardwire it, a recessed outlet is a simple and inexpensive solution. Try them outside. Outdoor recessed electrical outlets fade away into the background.

USB Outlets

We’ll be surprised if in a few years most people haven’t upgraded many home and business outlets to include USB. Plugging your USB into an adapter and plugging the adapter into a wall outlet is just inefficient. Plus, those bulky adaptors take up way too much room on wall outlets and power strips. USB outlets are functional and help eliminate unsightly, bulky adaptors.

Some of our favorite places to install USB outlets are in the bedroom next to the nightstand, in the office, in the kitchen, and in the family room. In older homes, you may have to increase the depth of your junction box to accommodate USB outlets. Be sure to check amperage to make sure you can charge multiple devices at the same time. Give us a call, we can help make sure your USB upgrade delivers the results you expect.

 

Require Certain Electrical Upgrades

You may not know that the electrical wiring in a home can become a dangerous safety hazard as it ages. Everything deteriorates over time, but some things present with greater hazards over the course of an extended deterioration process. Homes that are greater than 30 years old, require a number of electrical upgrades to ensure the safety of both the home and its occupants.

CALL IN THE PROFESSIONALS

If your home is greater than 30 years old, we highly suggest you hire our professional electricians to perform a thorough inspection to determine if your home electrical system is in need of repairs, or perhaps even a full replacement.  can help you to identify common electrical issues that need to be repaired, or components that may need to be replaced altogether. Whatever the case may be, rest assured our team of certified professionals are equipped to handle all your repairs and electrical upgrades. With that said, we’ve provided below some of the common electrical issues that may need to be addressed.

COMMON ELECTRICAL ISSUES IN HOMES BUILD PRIOR TO 1988

Electrical Wiring – One of the most important and more obvious components of your a electrical system, apt to require an upgrade, is your electrical wiring. Depending on the type of wiring you have in your home, an upgrade will prevent fires from occurring, or other hazardous issues that can harm you and your family. No matter the type of wiring in your home, our team of professionals are on hand to replace it with new, state of the art, safe wiring to ensure the safety of your home and family.

Electrical Panel – Your home’s electrical panel is responsible for regulating and maintaining the electrical current running from the outside power source into your home. When there is no regulation, power surges can easily occur and can ultimately cause a fire in the walls.   Although most electrical panels are quite reliable and sturdy and have an extended lifespan, it is critical that you have your electrical panel inspected from time to time to ensure that the electrical flow is being handled and administered properly.

Electrical Wall Receptacles – Most of us are aware that the wall receptacles in our homes can lead to fires, especially if they become damaged, old, or worn out. For starters, you should ensure that the wall receptacles in your kitchen and bathrooms are, if not already, upgraded to GFCI outlets. These GFCI units have a specialized design that serves to cut off any electrical supply, right at the source, if ever there is a threat of shock resulting from the presence of water. Our highly skilled electricians will perform a full inspection to determine if any of the outlets in your home are damaged and burned requiring replacement.

Ceiling Fans – Older ceiling fans use a great deal of power and waste an awful lot of energy. Today’s ceiling fans are incredibly energy efficient and should take the place of any older style ceiling fans in your home. Our electrical pros can advise whether or not you need new ceiling fans in your home and, if needed, can take care of the installation process for you as well.

I think we would all agree that when it comes to your home electrical system, it is much wiser to be safe rather than sorry. If you own a home that is greater than 30 years old, then why not take the time to contact our expert team to perform a much-needed inspection? We will ensure that your system is safe, and we’ll advise you on any electrical components that are in need of repair or replacement. And of course, we’ll perform all of your electrical upgrades for you. Don’t put your home and family in danger.

 

Smart Electrical Upgrades to Consider During a Commercial Building Remodel

When it comes to commercial properties alone, building remodels are expected to generate $35 billion in revenue this year. That’s quite the windfall for those smart enough to get involved in this particular industry. Now as rewarding as this investment opportunity may prove to be, it’s only profitable if the done right. And in order for it to be done right, you have to make sure the electrical work is up to par. Keep reading and find out five smart electrical upgrades you will want to make sure are in your next building remodel.

HAVE SUFFICIENT OUTLETS

As society continues to move forward in the future and become even more reliant on technology, the need for a sufficient number of electrical outlets in a building becomes crucial. Most businesses that will look to work out of any property you develop will want plenty of outlets for their computers, servers, printers, copiers, phones, and more.

CREATE DEDICATED CIRCUITS

Again, if you’re remodeling an older building, this is pretty much a must on your upgrade list. Dedicated circuits help ensure that when there are power surges in the building, not every area in the building will experience possible electrical damage.

MAKE SURE THE ELECTRICAL WIRING IS SAFE

It’s extremely important to have safe and up to code wiring in your commercial building. Faulty wiring is one of the leading causes of electrical fires today. So if your building has frayed and/or exposed wiring, you will want to upgrade that ASAP.

UPGRADE HVAC EQUIPMENT

In most commercial buildings, heating and air-conditioning will use a majority of the power. So upgrading thermostats and timers associated with the HVAC units will not only help upgrade the technology in your building but usually newer thermostats and timers wind up saving you money.

 

ELECTRICAL UPGRADES FOR YOUR NEXT HOME REMODEL

Maybe it seems like it only happens in the HGTV before and after shows, but we’ve seen countless times where homeowners go way over budget because they didn’t consider a need for electrical updates when planning their home remodel.

Home upgrades should be a fun and exciting way to improve your home value and leave you with a space you love. So don’t fret and consider implementing some of the following electrical upgrades for your next home renovation.

Adding charging stations as an all in one place space to charge your gadgets have become increasingly popular. Make sure your home and new home additions have adequate outlets to power your hobbies and household needs. Just think how annoying it would be to finish a big office remodel and realize you don’t have enough outlets to keep you going.

Furthermore, some older homes were built with outlets without a ground wire. Upgrading those older two-prong outlets when remodeling your home can prevent safety hazards.

Adding GFCIs

Your home idle load is often more than you think, with most homes running more than 40 energy users at a time. During a remodel, you may be adding more onto your current house or revamping something outdated. Either way, having so many items idle at the same time can cost energy, but also create safety hazards.

 

Electrical Upgrades

Electrical upgrades are needed for a variety of reasons and often necessary to maintain safety in your home. Contact Current Electrical Contractors for all your electrical upgrade needs.

When Do You Need an Electrical Upgrade?

If you are putting an addition on an older house the additional space will need lighting, general use outlets and power for heat and air conditioning.

If you have an older home you may have fuses and knob and tube wiring which a new owner might want to upgrade.

Some older homes have a Service Entrance cable feeding the service on the outside of the house and those cables can become frayed and dangerous.

House Additions

In the case of the addition there is a load calculation that needs to be done based on the square footage of the home, all the fixed in place appliances and the larger of the heating or cooling loads. A common upgrade on a house is from 200 to 400 amps. Years ago, there were very few homes with 400 amp services. The norm on the north shore was 100 amps. As homes got more complex with more electrical loads and air conditioning 200 amps became the norm. These days most larger homes get a 400 amp or larger service.

Factors to Consider Before Planning

Where will the new meter be installed?

Where will the two panels be installed?

Can you reuse the existing 200 amp panel if it is in good enough shape?

Will the electrician near Wilmette install feeder wires underground or overhead?

How can we keep power to the existing electrical service temporarily while we do the work on the new service?

Working With Electrical Providers to Install

Once the bureaucratic hurdles have been taken care of the hard work begins. If we are going to go from overhead to underground we will need to contact a Directional Boring contractor to install an underground conduit Then our electrician near Wilmette will install the meter in the new location with two 200 amp breakers built into the meter cabinet. The best situation is a back to back installation where the two 40 circuit load centers (panels) are installed directly on the other side of the wall from the meter. A common thing to do is install two new load centers and run conduits to the old electrical panel and turn it into a junction box where all the old wires will be refed from new circuit breakers.

Electrical Upgrades For Your Home

ESSENTIAL ELECTRIC UPGRADES FOR YOUR HOME

Think about how many devices and appliances in your home consume electricity. Most likely, you have a handful of appliances like your washer, dryer, microwave, stove (unless it’s a gas stove), and refrigerator. After that, you have all of your battery-powered devices that need charging, like laptops, phones, speakers, and tablets. When you add it all up, you may realize that your home is handling quite a few electrical devices.

At Merv Electric in the Seattle area, we believe that your home should be able to safely and efficiently handle the electrical needs of a modern resident. From reconfiguring your house’s wiring to upgrading your main circuit breaker, Merv Electric is here to help you. Today, we are going to talk about the six essential upgrades for your homes electrical system.

UPGRADE YOUR ELECTRICAL SERVICE PANEL

Before starting on the task of rewiring your home, it is important to know that a professional should be hired for this job. Amateur electricians or weekend warriors will be hard pressed to complete a rewiring project in a safe and efficient manner. Rewiring your home, especially if you have an older home, will require upgrading the electrical service panel (breaker box). The service panel is essentially your house’s connection to municipal power from the street

ELECTRICAL WIRING UPGRADE

Once you have your upgraded service panel, you can begin planning on where new outlets in your home can be placed, or where your large appliances can be plugged in. Make sure that your new electrical wiring is substantial for both today and tomorrow’s technology and appliances. Once you have determined that your home has a large enough service panel, you will want to ensure that the circuit breaker has at least one open slot if you plan on running a 120-volt circuit. If you are lacking space on your home’s circuit breaker, you may need to install a sub panel.

SURGE PROTECTION

Relying on power strips or single outlet surge protectors to protect your electronics from electrical surges is not safe or efficient. Because the modern home uses more power, it is important to protect all of your appliances and devices. Almost all modern appliances have a computer chip inside of them, and if lightning strikes or there is a downed power line, an electrical surge can completely fry the appliance’s motherboard.

 

Does your home’s electrical system need an upgrade?

One of the most important things a homeowner can do is maintain a healthy and up-to-date electrical system. A system that is aged, worn or not up to building codes could be a huge safety risk. One of the biggest dangers of an unhealthy electrical system is the possibility it overheats, which could cause a fire.

An electrical system is not visible in your daily life, so it is important to take active measures to get it checked and determine if it needs an upgrade. If you are selling your home, a healthy electrical system is important for passing a home inspection. If you are buying a home, make sure your home inspection includes a full electrical system check before you close.

How the age of your home effects for the health of your system

We live in a technology-centric age, and nowadays we have a far greater dependency on gadgets and appliances than we used to. We use so much more electricity in our homes than ever before, and many older homes with old-fashioned electrical systems may not be equipped to handle the increased amps and voltage

Old homes versus new homes

The National Association of Realtors explained that modern homes are generally built with 220 volts of service, whereas older houses usually only have 110. In general, older houses can also only handle about 100 or fewer amps, compared to newer homes that are equipped to handle 200. To improve a home’s ability to handle more electricity, a homeowner must upgrade the electric panel, which Angie’s List explained is the control center of the entire system. The electric panel is responsible for how much power moves into the circuits and is then dispersed into the home.

Signs you need a new system

It is vital you do not try to replace or thoroughly inspect the electrical system yourself, as it is too dangerous and should be done by a licensed professional. Still, there are many factors that may alert you it is time to replace either certain components of your electrical system or the entire thing

 

Is It Time to Upgrade Your Home’s Electrical Wiring?

You’ll never know what’s behind the walls of your house! No, we’re not talking about mildew, bugs, honey bees, or squirrels. We’re talking about old, outdated and even faulty electrical wiring in your home. Even if your electricity seems to be in good working condition (your lights don’t flicker, there are no unexpected shutdowns, etc.), it isn’t necessarily functional and, more importantly, it may not be safe

Blown fuses. Do you feel like you are running to your breaker box every other day to replace a blown fuse? If this is the case, you need to call a licensed electrician to get to the root of the problem. At a bare minimum, you’ll most likely need to have an electrical repair done, and it could possibly include a complete electrical system upgrade.

Flickering lights. One of the easiest ways to identify a problem with your electrical wiring is to keep an eye on your lights. They will often flicker or dim throughout the day when your wiring begins to go bad. Obviously, a flickering light could signal an entirely different problem than bad wiring, but you should not ignore lights that flicker,

Discolored or warm outlets. If your home consists of two-prong outlets, chances are you have an older electrical system. Also, if you have outlets that are warm to the touch or that have some discoloration, you should address the issue right away.

Smelly appliances or rooms. This should go without saying, but if it smells like something is burning each time you’re are in your home, you likely have an issue that requires immediate attention from a qualified electrician.

 

IS YOUR COMMERCIAL BUILDING DUE FOR AN ELECTRICAL UPGRADE?

No matter how well your building’s electrical system was designed, there comes a time when an electrical upgrade is necessary. Upgrading your electrical system improves both the safety and utility of your building. If you find your electrical system no longer meets your needs, there are a few things to consider before contacting an electrician.

Signs You’re Due for an Electrical Upgrade

Many older buildings were designed when demand for electricity was lower. They were typically built with 60 or 120 amps and a few circuits for an entire commercial building. This was enough decades ago, but it isn’t enough to power the amount of electronics and machinery in use today. Nowadays, even small workshops require at least 200 amps.

Plan Ahead for Your Electrical Upgrade

Before you get in touch with an electrician, take some time to evaluate the electrical needs of your business. Make a list of the electrical appliances and equipment you currently use and any you’re planning to add, including lighting. If you’re existing lighting doesn’t allow you to work efficiently, consider upgrading to higher-voltage lighting or adding lights.

Note any areas where you’d like to have more electrical outlets, such as those where you’re currently relying on extension cords. Also consider whether you’ll be building any additions that will also need an electrical supply

Your electrician will use this information as well as information gathered by inspecting your building to calculate your building’s total electrical load. If the only upgrade you need to your system is an additional circuit, your electrician may be able to accomplish this by adding a subpanel. This is only possible, however, when your main electrical panel already supplies enough power for the entire building and your wiring is in good condition.

 

How to Improve Electrical Wiring in Your Home and Save Money

Are you frustrated by overpaying on your electric bills? Are you concerned about the fire safety of your home, or find yourself continuously dealing with the stress caused by faulty electrical appliances? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to give serious thought to upgrading your home’s electrical wiring.

Heavy-duty appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators consume a lot of electricity. These appliances generate heat which can wear down your existing wiring if they are not of top-notch quality. As a result, you run a chance of electrical overload, higher electricity bills, and a lack of fire safety in your home. If your property is more than 40 years old, it is time to consider electrical rewiring.

Your electrical wiring should be updated to power the latest electrical appliances. In order to sell your home, you need to have an excellent electrical inspection report to achieve the highest possible sale value. Poor wiring will more than likely cause you to fail the electrical inspection. Let’s take a look at a few of the best ways to improve the electrical wiring system in your home and save money at the same time.

Choosing the Right Wiring For Fire Safety

Electrical safety should be a top priority in any home. With so many cases of houses catching fire due to electrical overload, damaged insulation in wiring, or the wire itself catching fire due to overheating, it is clear that taking the necessary safety precautions should be a primary concern. Electrical fires can not only be fatal but also cost a lot of money. You can ensure the safety of you and your family and also save money by taking the necessary precautions to prevent fires from the start.

The first thing that you need to do is ensure that your home’s electrical wiring system is of the highest quality. Depending upon the number of appliances that you use, your electrician can guide you on the amperage required for your home. Taking amperage into account, you will need to select electrical wires of different amp ratings like 100-amp or 200-amp wiring. You should also avoid aluminum wiring and go for more expensive copper wiring instead, as copper wiring has a significantly reduced risk of overheating and causing an electrical fire.

Must Know How To Do Electrical Home Inspections

What Sellers Can Expect from an Electrical Home Inspection

home inspection covers a lot of details to make sure that the house you’re selling is up to code, safe for a potential buyer, and doesn’t have a costly hidden maintenance issue. But even though home inspectors are trained to identify a lot of issues, they might recommend that a buyer call on an electrician’s expertise for an electrical home inspection.

Jeff Glover, a top-selling real estate agent in the Detroit, Michigan area with 16 years of experience, said that one out of every 40 or 50 homes that he lists needs an electrical home inspection

That’s often because of a home’s age, its wiring, and whether the electrical service panel has been updated. “A lot of older homes have different wiring,” said Glover “There’s a wiring called knob-and-tube that still exists in a lot of homes today. There are some complications with that.”

Here’s what you need to know about this particular home inspection and how to spot any potential problems that might need a professional’s help.

 

 

Inspecting a Home’s Electrical System

Electrical Panel Cautions

Inspectapedia warns never to touch an electrical panel if you notice anything dangerous, such as a missing grounding electrode. Also, do not touch any service entry cables or other wires or attempt to pry the electrical panel cover off with a tool. Never touch any part of the electrical system if there is water on the floor. If you feel any heat or tingling when touching any part of the electrical system, stop and do not go any further. Recommend an evaluation by a licensed electrician.

Copper or Aluminum Wiring?

An important notation to make when you first look inside the electrical box is whether copper or aluminum wire is being used. Aluminum wiring was used in many houses built between 1965 and 1973, due to the high cost of copper at the time. At least 1.5 million houses were built using aluminum wiring. More problems come from using aluminum wiring, as it tends to overheat more often, causing fires.

Checking the Wiring and Connections

Whereas it is impractical to rewire an entire house, an electrician can replace outlets and wall switches with newer, safer models that will work better with aluminum wiring.

Check Panel Conditions

Look to make sure the panel itself is clean and rust-free. Note if any insulation is coming off of any wires and exposing them, as this is hazardous. In addition, look for any burned or singed areas that may signify unsafe conditions.

Inspecting Wall Outlets

By comparison, testing wall outlets throughout the home is easy. You need a multimeter to test wall outlets. The red probe goes in the right side of the outlet and the black goes in the left. At this point, you should get a reading of about 120 volts. After you get this reading, switch the black probe to the oval hole to check the ground wire.

 

Checklist for an Electrical Home Inspection

Safety

The National Fire Protection Agency estimates that electrical failure or malfunction caused more than 144,000 house fires between 2007 and 2011. While an electrical inspection may not be required when buying a new home or making major renovations to an existing home, it can reveal electrical deficiencies, and prevent fire hazards.

Electrical Service Panel

Every home has an electrical service panel. It may be located on the exterior of the home, in the garage or basement. The panel contains fuses or circuit breakers. The panel and its components must be reviewed for age, dark or smoky residue, and wear and tear. If the panel contains out-dated round fuses, these should be replaced by a licensed electrician with circuit breakers switches. If the service panel is rusty or worn, it should be replaced as well.

Wiring

In general, a home that contains round fuses at the service panel may give clues to the general age of the home’s wiring. Older homes built before 1950 may contain knob-and-tube wiring. Homes built between 1965 and 1973 may contain aluminum wiring. Both types of wiring have unique safety and performance characteristics and could be more challenging to insure. Homebuyers should be aware of this issue and homeowners should consider replacing the home’s wiring for improved safety and marketability.

Wet Area Outlets

Wet areas, including bathrooms and kitchens, must have ground fault circuit interrupters installed. Additionally, light switches must be several inches away from water. Outside outlets also must GFCIs installed. In general, GFCIs must be installed in any area where water could be present. Homeowners are advised to test GFCIs periodically; homebuyers should check them during the home walk-through before closing.

Interior Outlets and Lighting

Whether a home is up for sale or currently occupied, interior outlets, light switches, appliance cords and GFCIs must be routinely tested and visually inspected. Loose outlets must be tightened or replaced and cords must fit snugly. Outlets should be visually inspected for black smoke and cool to the touch. A licensed electrician must inspect any humming noises or switching sounds around outlets or lighting.

 

Home Inspections

What is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection is an inspection of the structure and systems of a house. They typically include the foundation, basement, heating system, plumbing, central air conditioning, electrical, roof, and attic. An inspection should be done by someone who is certified by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI).

Electrical Panel Inspection

It is not unusual for a home inspector to find a #14 wire (15 amp circuit) connected to a 20 amp breaker. When a 15 amp circuit is overloaded and the circuit breaker trips often, someone may replace the 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker. This situation could be a fire hazard or cause the whole circuit to fail.

Electrical Pre-Inspection

An electrical pre-inspection can be done  by the homeowner on switches, receptacles, and GFCI’s. A homeowner should not inspect the electrical panel, leave that to a certified home inspector.

 

Do an Electrical Inspection Before You Buy a Home

Receptacles

The receptacles, often called outlets, should be inspected to make sure that they have a ground, don’t have any cracks or physical defects, that they have the proper tension to hold in a cord that is plugged into them, and that they are the proper type for the area. Specific areas to watch are bathrooms, kitchens, basements, garages, and outdoor outlets. Any of these areas could be wet or damp and are required to have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) installed. Kitchens require many special outlets and circuits to supply the vast number of kitchen appliances in them.

Common Mistakes

There are plenty of common electrical mistakes that people make, and you may be wondering if the old wiring is safe or whether your home has aluminum wiring. Check for incorrect electrical wiring and signs that a previous owner overloaded a circuit.

Service Panel

To examine the electrical system even further, you can perform a service panel checklist examination. It will take some time to do all of this, but it is well worth the effort. After all, you wouldn’t buy a sinking ship with holes in it, and you shouldn’t buy a faulty home either. If you know the defects ahead of time and negotiate the price to offset the faults, you may get the home of your dreams at a price that you can afford!

Wiring Lifespan

Electrical wiring has a certain safe lifespan, and standards have changed over the years—knob and tube wiring was state of the art in its day, but it’s now outdated. Just like the electrical switches and outlets wear out and need to be replaced from time to time, the wiring should be updated when necessary.

Future Expansion

The home’s electrical service should be large enough for the current size of the house, with room to spare. Even if you are not planning an addition now, it is safer to have some breathing room.

The Best Way To Make Residential Electrical Remodel

Electrical Remodeling Tips For Home Renovation

Home renovations bring about all sorts of stresses – don’t let a lack of electrical remodeling tips be one of them! While renovations bring excitement into your life, the process opens the door for an assortment of issues to come forward, especially with your electricity.

Hoover Electrical, Plumbing, Heating & Cooling in Clinton Township, Michigan, knows how crazy home renovations are, so we gathered the best electrical remodeling tips for you!

Home Renovations and Electrical Wiring

When you renovate your home, you often stumble across issues you never knew you had. Electrical problems usually fall into this category. Say you decide to open up your kitchen. You knock down a wall only to find that your electrical wiring is aluminum—a safety hazard—instead of copper.

You need to rewire the entire house to keep the safety standard high. Aluminum wiring loosens more than copper over time, which causes fires at the outlet.

But don’t worry! Hoover electricians know when aluminum wiring needs to be replaced. Just remember – while it is possible to repair aluminum wiring, replacement is the best option to remove safety hazards.

This marks the first of our electrical remodeling tips: keep an electrician handy! Experienced electricians know the difference between a complete replacement and a quick update. Save yourself time and money—have a Hoover electrician at the ready!

 

Avoid Electrical Problems During Remodeling

Electrical Problem: National Electrical Code

Most important of all — remember to follow all recommendations and follow all standards as set forth in the National Electrical Code, the latest edition, and also follow local and state requirements.

Electrical Problem: Light Fixtures

Do not replace light fixtures in older homes without a grounding conductor. Replacement of light fixtures requires grounding if a metal fixture is installed, or install GFCI protection on the circuit. Non-metallic fixtures may be replaced without grounding.

Electrical Problem: Replacing Wires

NEVER replace a two-wire receptacle with a three-wire receptacle. Exception: A two-wire receptacle can be converted to a GFCI receptacle. Be sure to follow electrical code recommendations and follow proper grounding principles.

Electrical Problem: Connections

Remember each wire has its function — either the neutral, the live current or the ground; each one of them must be properly connected.  A cable connector must be used to keep the metal from damaging the cable sheath and causing a short circuit.

Electrical Problem: UF Cable

F cable MUST be protected inside a conduit. This cable commonly used to bring power to other areas, but it is frequently used as an exposed wire, leaving it prone to damage.

It is ideal for branch and circuit when used as direct buried. However, since it is kind of flexible, be careful on a tight radius as it might damage the internal wiring, leading to an arc fault and fire.

 

Planning to Remodel Your House?

How To Make your Home Electrically Safe

Having a safe home is very essential. If you haven’t thought about it before then the remodeling of your house gives you one more chance to do it. So make sure that all your internal wirings and plug points are safe to use.

Always select the wires with the best quality and design. Compromising on other factors is better than compromising on electrical safety. This can affect the well-being of your family.

For safety, always install ground fault circuit interrupters. This can be installed in your kitchen, bathroom, garage and other spaces that may need it.

Ask your electrician to install tamper-resistant plugs. This will help in protecting your family against shock.

Always have an electrician who has a license. Electricians in reading may not be having much experience. Safety is always first. Hence make sure that your electrician is well qualified in carrying out the electrical work at your home. If your house needs to make electrical work then discuss your plan with the electrician and then proceed with the plan.

 

Ways to Save on Your House Remodel

Increase Efficiency, Not Size

If you can reorganize and equip your kitchen for maximum utility, you may not need to blow out the walls to gain square footage. Start by replacing space-hogging shelves with cabinet-height pullout drawers 8 inches wide, containing racks for canned goods and other items.

Bring in Natural Light Without Adding Windows

Before cutting a big hole in the side of your house and rearranging the framing, consider less invasive—and less expensive—ways of capturing light. To brighten up a windowless bath or hallway, for instance, you can install a “light tube,” which slips between roof rafters and funnels sunshine down into the living space.

Hit the Recycling Center

Do-it-yourselfers can reap big savings with recycled or lightly used fixtures and building materials. Habitat for Humanity operates about 400 ReStores nationwide, which offer salvaged materials at half off home-center prices.

Donate your Trash

Before you begin a remodeling job, invite the local Habitat for Humanity chapter to remove materials and fixtures for later resale. “About 85 percent of a house is reusable,” says B.J. Perkins, Habitat’s ReUse program manager, in Austin, Texas. “We can do a total takedown, or do a cherry-pick job and take the cabinets, the tub, the sink, and so on.”

Do Your Own Demo

Knocking down may not be as costly as rebuilding, but you can still shave dollars by doing some of the demolition yourself—as long as you proceed with care. “If a homeowner wants to demo a deck, well, I am sure they can handle that,” says Michael Winn, owner of Winn Design, in Virginia. “But when it comes to interior spaces, I would dissuade them from doing it unless they have done it before.”

 

Electrical Remodels

At Barney’s Electric, we are proud to have the constant supervision of our boss and owner of Barney’s Electric, Barney Messenger. Including Barney, we are truly a team of electrical design specialists who are expertly trained to work closely with you during the design and construction phases of your remodel project. This practice will ensure that your expectations and your budget stay closely aligned and your complete satisfaction is our reward!

Before beginning a home remodel or addition it is crucial that you understand your budget and your goals. Electrical design and installation plans should take into account functionality, aesthetics, and include a list of both need-to-have and nice-to-have items. If you are planning on staying in your house for a long time, then perhaps items that enhance the resale value of your house are not as important to you as the must-have items. In addition, if enhancing the sales price of your home is a top consideration; your budget priorities may change to make sure those items get included at the expense of some of the nice-to-have options.