Keep your fridge and freezer full – food acts as insulation, which helps lessen the amount of time that the fridge has to run in order to stay cold. Install ceiling fans – keeping the air circulating in your home means that your air conditioner will not have to work as hard. Hang your laundry to dry – setting up a clothesline in the backyard or handing clothes on a drying rack or the shower rod is a simple way to reduce your electricity bill. Eliminate phantom loads – almost 75% of the energy used by a home’s electronic devices is consumed when they are turned off. Unplugging common devices, such as TVs, DVD players, stereos, computers, and many kitchen appliances, can save you a lot of money. Shield your home from the sun – closing curtains and blinds on sunny days or planting trees to shade your home, can help cut down on your air conditioning needs. Switch to LEDs – LED light bulbs use 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Turn off the heat dry on your dishwasher – most of the energy consumed by your dishwasher goes to heating water. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater … Read More
5 Things for Tamworth to Consider When Buying a Bathroom Fan
1. Bathroom Fan Size One of the most important decisions that you will need to make when it comes to choosing the right bathroom exhaust fan is the size. Since bathroom fans are sized and rated by their ability to move air in a certain amount of cubic feet per minute, it is important to choose a fan that is appropriate for the square footage of your bathroom. 2. Installation Even though most bathroom fans are installed into the ceiling, certain models can be installed into the wall. Once you have chosen where you want the bathroom fan to be located (ceiling or wall), you will need to choose a model with the appropriate size duct adapter for your home’s ductwork. It is important to always install bathroom fans so that they vent air outside of the home through the ductwork and the nearest soffit, as venting into the attic will cause moisture problems to develop in other areas of the home. 3. Bathroom Fan Features A lot of bathroom fans on the market today come with different features that might be ideal for your specific needs. Some of the features that newer models may offer include: Integrated lights Night lights Built-in heaters Humidity and motion sensors 4. Noise … Read More
How to Reset your Breaker
Instructions for Resetting Your Home’s Breaker If you overload a circuit, your home’s system will cut off the electrical power in order to prevent circuit damage or a fire. If you have an overloaded circuit in your home, you can follow these simple instructions for resetting your breaker and restoring power. 1. Turn Off the Lights Turn off all the lights and unplug a few appliances in the room or rooms that have lost power. If you recently added a new appliance to the room, make sure you unplug it because there is a good change that the new appliance is the culprit. Unplugging appliances and turning off the lights is important because, if you leave everything on, it is possible that you might blow your fuse or breaker all over again once you restore power. 2. Locate Your Electrical Panel Locate and open your electrical panel. It is usually found in the basement or in a utility room. Always use caution around your electrical panel. Electricity can be dangerous, so make sure your hands are dry and that you are standing on a dry surface at all times when working on your electrical panel. If you are not familiar with your electric panel, or do not feel … Read More
Pick the Perfect Light for Your Space
1. Determining Your Lighting Goals Before you can choose the right light fixtures for your specific space, it is important to determine what the lightings main function will be. If you are looking for light to be focused on a specific space, direct or task lighting might be the right fit; however, if you are looking to create ambiance or light up a much larger space, ambient or indirect lighting might be the best option. Once you know what the main function of the light source will be then you can start shopping for the ideal light fixture. 2. Exterior Decor Lighting While most people tend to think of outdoor lighting as something completely utilitarian, outdoor light fixtures, such as wall sconces, can be a great way to provide exterior light, as well as ambiance in the evening. Consider using directional sconces to draw attention to architectural elements or plants around the home. 3. Using Multiple Light Sources For rooms in the home, such as the kitchen, bedrooms, or living spaces, consider using multiple light fixtures to combine a variety of functions for the space. This can mean using under counter lighting in the kitchen mixed with overhead lighting or combining the use of ceiling lights with a … Read More
Energy Saving Tips for Tamworth Commercial Buildings
1. Save With Smart Lighting Solutions One of the easiest ways to lower your commercial building’s energy levels is to make the most of sunlight. This process of allowing the sunlight to light up a space is called daylighting. Daylighting can reduce the energy demands, while also increasing the happiness of your employees. If you do not have enough windows in your commercial building to properly light up the space, you should consider switching to LED lights. Nearly half of a commercial building’s electrical energy consumption comes for its electric lighting. LED bulbs are a great option as they last much longer and are more durable than other types of bulbs. LED bulbs can also prevent heat build up, which means that they do not contribute much heat to your building. 2. Upgrade HVAC Equipment Over half of the energy used in commercial buildings is used on heating and lighting. Upgrading your HVAC equipment with a more efficient model can reduce energy consumption, costs, and chlorofluorocarbons, which contain carbon, chloride, and fluorine vapours derived from methane, ethane, and propane. Before you replace your HVAC system, make sure to evaluate your current heating and cooling needs. This will ensure that you are receiving the maximum performance, … Read More
Security Lighting Tamworth
Installing Outdoor Security Lighting Installing outdoor security lighting is important for your home’s safety and security. When your saying goodbye to guests in the evening, you don’t want to send them out in the dark to fumble their way back to their vehicle. Without proper outdoor security lighting, your front yard can be riddled with hazards at night. Installing outdoor landscape lighting at home can help improve overall security while add pleasing aesthetics to your home at night. How to position outdoor security lighting? Outdoor lighting can add functionality in a number of ways – it can illuminate potential tripping hazards, deter criminals, and add a pleasing look to your home at night. The trick is to have the lights positioned correctly to have the desired effects. When placing your outdoor lighting keep these areas in mind: House Address – Keep your address numbers illuminated to help friends and family find your home easily in the evenings. Door Ways – Keep all doorways into the home lit up to prevent burglary and improve visibility to enter and exit your home. Pathways – Any paths leading to the home should be visible to prevent tripping hazards and keeping your guests moving in the right direction. … Read More
Surge Protection
Tamworth in summer is notorious for sun, but with the heat comes the storms (if we are lucky this year!). Storms are usually quite stealth and they generally creep up on us and we’re not always home to unplug our appliances when they hit. While we may not be able to stop the storm, there are certain steps you can take to ensure your home is storm safe. No appliance is immune from the risk of lightning surge damage. Computers, printers, microwaves, TV’s, DVD players, medical equipment, modems, external hard drives and telephones are the most at risk appliances. The sunny season is a great time to take measures to make backups of all your important digital files in case the lightening lashes. Here are three ways you can protect your electrical equipment. SURGE PROTECTED POWERBOARDS Surge protected power boards plug directly into your power point and provide surge protection to the devices plugged directly into the board. Each powerboard generally provides a different level of protection, so check with us before you buy one as you may need a higher level of surge safety. If a surge has occurred, some powerboards may need to be replaced, so check before … Read More
Should I Upgrade My Electrical Panel?
Although many aspects of older homes can be kept in operational condition through regular upkeep and maintenance, electrical systems are not among them. Years of use can make electrical systems unstable and a danger to your home, so old systems should be updated to meet modern standards. Benefits of Upgrading Your Electrical Panel Over the years, people have come up with new, safer ways of supplying homes with electricity, and one of these upgraded systems is a more effective electrical panel. Upgrading your electrical panel can help your home to be safer from overloaded circuits and electrical fires, as well as save you money, make your home more environmentally friendly, and save you time. What is an Electrical Panel? Your home’s electrical panel is the central connection point for your home to the municipal power grid. It divides up the electricity to distribute it around your home through a series of fuses or breakers that regulate how much electricity is sent through each individual circuit. The electrical panel is often called the fuse box or breaker box and it is usually located in a garage or utility room. Do I Need to Upgrade My Electrical Panel? Before you can know … Read More
Electrical Tips for Setting Up an Awesome Entertainment Center
Whether you are enjoying a movie, listening to music, or catching the game, having a great entertainment centre setup is an excellent way to relax and enjoy life. In order to properly enjoy your media centre, there are some tricks that can be employed that will help to keep your mess of cords organized, protect your equipment, and optimize the unit’s performance. Home Entertainment Centre Setup Tips Few things beat being able to kick back and enjoy the perfect entertainment centre setup. The best entertainment units should be planned carefully to ensure the best operation possible. In order to protect your home and get the most enjoyment possible out of your unit, make sure you observe the following entertainment centre setup tips: 1. Plan the Furniture Placement First Whether you are using a wall unit, a cabinet setup, or a simple series of shelves, make sure you plan out the placement of the entertainment centre and seating before getting started. This will affect speaker placement and wiring for the entertainment centre. Be sure that your entertainment centre has access to as many electrical outlets as possible. 2. Keep Control of Cables Cables and wires can get out of hand really … Read More
Why Do My Light Bulbs Keep Burning Out?
A frustrating electrical problem that many people encounter is a light bulb that continuously burns out for no apparent reason. Depending on how long a light is on during the day, most incandescent light bulbs should have a lifespan of about 900 hours, which usually comes out to about 4 months. If you find that your light bulbs keep burning out in a matter of weeks, there might be a bigger problem at play than faulty bulbs. We have experience in solving all kinds of home electrical issues and no job is too small for our residential electrical services. Reasons for Light Bulbs to Burn Out There are a couple of factors that contribute towards light bulbs burning out too fast and there are many solutions that can help your light bulbs last longer. Some of the reasons that light bulbs burn out immediately include: Light Bulbs Getting Too Hot If a light fixture is not insulated properly or a light bulb is the wrong wattage for the fixture, the heat generated by the bulb can cause the filament to burn too hot, causing the bulb to burn out quickly. Make sure that the light bulbs being used match the recommended wattage for a light fixture. If a recessed fixture is going through bulbs quickly, … Read More