Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Electrical Services’ Category

3 Common Electrical Panel Problems

Monday, February 6th, 2023

For a time, electrical panels were the new and improved version of a fuse box. Those old systems aren’t really used anymore and you should first make sure that your home has an electrical panel before looking into repairs. But for most of us, that’s already a reality.

Your electrical panel is the box that has all of the labeled circuits of your home in one location. It serves as a centralized hub, a place where you can always check to see if a certain electrical circuit is on or off, or you can even see how many circuits there are in terms of your power load. If all of the power of your house is going to one outlet, then you can identify which labeled part that is in your electrical panel for an upgrade.

But sometimes you’ll notice bad things, like corrosion or a broken switch, and those are signs that your electrical panel in Cedar Rapids, IA needs repairs.

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Old Wiring Needs to Be Replaced

Monday, January 16th, 2023

Have you ever heard of the term “knob and tube wiring?” It’s a dreaded term that home inspectors avoid like the plague and it’s something that can be the difference between a solid home purchase and a money pit.

As technology advances so does our understanding of how electrical systems work. Electricity hasn’t always been around, but when human beings started figuring out how to wire their homes for electrical power, they did so in ways that we would not deem safe today. Knob and tube wiring is an old and outdated method for wiring a home and it’s one that we’d argue needs to be replaced no matter how old or aesthetically pleasing your home might be.

And for some of the reasons we’re about to mention, this kind of electrical work should only be done by a licensed electrician in Cedar Falls, IA.

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This Halloween, Follow These Electrical Safety Tips

Monday, October 24th, 2022
orange-shimmery-lights

Are you one of those homeowners who love to decorate their home for the holidays, including Halloween? It’s such a fun and festive time of year, and we don’t blame you! But if you do decorate with lighting both inside and outside your home, we want to ensure you’re doing so as safely as possible.

Sure, Halloween is spooky, but it doesn’t have to be dangerous! Read on as we uncover some of our top electrical safety tips… and Happy Halloween!

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How to Choose the Right Ceiling Fan

Monday, August 15th, 2022
ceiling-fan-in-modern-kitchen

Ceiling fans have an important purpose in the modern home. No, they cannot lower the temperature in a room. But, they can help circulate the air more effectively. This means that they can help your home efficiency since you can adjust your thermostat by a couple of degrees so you and your family will feel cooler.

Plus, the direction of your ceiling fan’s blades can be reversed using the small switch at the center of your fan, in order to push heat down in the wintertime and help your heating system keep you warmer. So ceiling fans have advantages no matter what time of the year it is!

But how do you choose the right fan or fans for your specific home? Read on as we share some pointers!

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4 Common Electrical Issues For Old Homes

Monday, July 18th, 2022
outlet-with-scorch-mark

The electrical system of your home is likely something you take a bit for granted. Flip on a switch and the lights come on… plug in the toaster and it works! Plug in your phone’s charger and you’re all set…

But what if none of those things worked? Or what if something was wrong that was risking your home’s safety as well as electrical efficiency? If you have an older home, this is a very real possibility!

Read on as we uncover the 4 common electrical issues for older homes: flickering lights, tripping circuit breakers, an outdated electrical panel, or outdated outlets.

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The Benefits of Whole-House Generator Installation

Monday, April 25th, 2022
whole-home-generator

Many homeowners are familiar with portable generators–and at their core, there is nothing wrong with these systems, when used as they should be. Portable generator systems are a great solution for many scenarios. For example, if your family is going on a campout and you want to power up an electric grill, or hey let’s say you’re “glamping” and you want to hook up a TV… whatever the case, a portable generator is a great system.

However, the thing you need to know about portable generators is while they’re good in many cases, the one scenario where a portable system is not a good option is to power your entire home during a widespread power outage. For this, you’ll definitely want a whole-house automatic standby generator.

A whole-home system enables you to power up all the important components of your home, from the water heater and refrigerator to the air conditioner, and even your electronic devices and, if you need it, medical equipment. Read on as we uncover some of the leading benefits of having a whole-home generator installed.

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Signs that You Need Rewiring in Your Home

Monday, March 28th, 2022
hands-working-on-electrical-wiring

At Dalton, we’re more than simply an HVAC company. We have licensed and experienced plumbers, electricians, and fireplace experts on staff as well, to ensure that we are able to serve your whole home. That said, one of the most important jobs we perform for our customers is ensuring their homes are safe as possible, and a big part of this is checking their electrical loads.

This is especially important if you have an older home, which can have outdated wiring and problems that can lead to not only power outages, but safety hazards too. But, how do you know if your home, or rather your electrical system, is at risk of problems? Age alone isn’t always the best indicator, particularly if the previous homeowner made electrical upgrades. Read on as we uncover some of the top warning signs that your home might indeed need electrical rewiring, and give us a call if you notice any of these indicators!

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“How Can I Lower My Electricity Bill?”

Monday, March 21st, 2022

One of the most common questions our professional electricians get is, “How can I pay less for electricity?” Let’s face it, powering our homes is one of the expensive parts of homeownership. This is especially true in the last decade or so, with the addition of devices and entertainment systems. If your home is anything like the average American home, this is true for you too.

The good news is, there are many ways to improve energy efficiency in your home, and therefore lower your electricity bills.

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This Season, Don’t Overload Your Electrical System with Holiday Lights!

Monday, December 6th, 2021
holiday-lights-on-gutter

Tis’ the season for festive holiday decorations! Perhaps you’ve already noticed that some homes in your area have adorned their houses with a few strings of lights, or maybe even really complex, professional holiday light displays aimed to win home decorating contests.

Putting up holiday lights outside your home is a really fun way to make your household and even your street look super festive. Colorful and playful lighting is also fun to see on snowy evenings. But, it’s important that you keep in mind, no matter how many or how few holiday lights you plan to put up around your home to brighten the season, you want to take proper safety precautions to prevent issues like shorting out your electrical system, accidentally triggering an electrical fire, or perhaps even causing a tripping hazard with loose wires around.

Read on for some tips on holiday light safety, and why you shouldn’t overload your electrical system with these lights.

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5 Signs Your Electrical Panel is Ready to Be Replaced

Monday, October 11th, 2021
hand-holding-sparking-plug

Imagine if all the electricity in your home went directly to your refrigerator. You probably wouldn’t have a refrigerator for very long. Thankfully, modern homes have electrical panels to manage and distribute our supply of electricity. 

As you can guess, the electrical panel is a highly important system–it helps us run our homes and protects our appliances’ well-being. This makes it even more important to be on the alert for when your electrical panel is on its last leg.

Having an electrical panel that needs to be replaced can sometimes be tricky to diagnose. We are here to help. Let’s look at some of the warning signs you might be seeing so you can figure out if they are alerting you to an electric panel that needs to be upgraded. 

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