Some like it hot, but not that hot

Weather's getting hotter, attic's getting hotter, house's getting hotter. Attic roof fans keep you cool. We install new or repair or replace.
Our Helpful Hints section in our web site explains what they do and why there so important.
http://a-1electricco.com/helpfulhints.shtml#AtticFans

A brighter idea.

Most people realize that the screw in fluorescent bulbs (CFL - compact fluorescent) can give you the same light as the old incandescents, but use less energy.  A 13 watt CFL bulb gives you the light of the standard 60 watt incandescent bulb. 
But did you know that you can get an added bonus?
If a fixture says 'Maximum 60 watts' (due to the heat build-up of the bulb), you can use a brighter CFL bulb that still generates less heat.  For example, a 23 watt CFL bulb gives you the light of a 100 watt incandescent, but still only the heat and energy usage of a 23 watt bulb.  More light, less electricity - not bad.

Some like it hot

We're getting some warmer days lately, and they'll seem almost hot compared to the last few months.  It's a good time to test you central a/c system.  It'll probably work fine and that's a relief.  However for some, it won't work and you'll have a chance to have it checked out before you really need it.  If your system doesn't seem to run right, use the checklist in the Helpful Hints section of our website to do a little troubleshooting yourself and determine what to do next.  Click here to read it.

Assault on batteries

Daylight savings time means not only changing your clocks, but also changing the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.   Write the date on the batteries too so you'll know how old they are when you check next time.
(The previous post talks about replacing units after a certain age since they lose their reliability.)

Are smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors important?

Are seat belts important?  When was the last time you used them?   I talk about how important it is to replace smoke detectors every 10 years, but what about carbon monoxide (CO) detectors?  They have a similar issue.  They lose sensitivity over time.  Manufacturers recommend replacing them every 5 years.  (Some now have ones that last 7 years.)  Our web site's Helpful Hints section has more detail, but why would you not replace them?  And when you do, write the date on them for when they should be replaced, eg: "Replace March 2016".  Safety sometimes means doing small things to avoid big risks.

Water, water

Freezing and thawing. Do you have a water sensor to alert you if water comes into your basement from the sump pump, water heater, etc.?
Water sensors can be simple battery operated alarms, or elaborate systems connected to a security system. 
(There are special devices for a/c systems for the summer.)


The key is that you want to know when a problem is developing rather that hours or days later.  The Helpful Hints section of our web site has more info.  http://www.a-1electricco.com

Some like it hot

Recently, we've had a few calls where people have lost power in parts of the house.  Either due to cold, or a furnace problem, they were using multiple electric heaters.  Even in different rooms, they can end up on the same circuit and a circuit breaker can typically only handle one plug-in heater. 
At least the solution is easy:   Unplug the heaters, reset the breaker (it may not look like it's tripped so you do each individual one - click Off, then On), and plug in just one heater, and/or use them at different times.