Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Electrician’

Electrical Fire Safety Tips for Homeowners

Monday, February 27th, 2023

Every home in the 21st century needs electricity. Even those tiny, off-the-grid homes, usually have some kind of generator that gives them the power to charge a phone or keep the lights on. Electricity is what makes our homes modern, they give us access to appliances and heating, automatic dishwashing and laundry, and much more.

However, an electrical system can be dangerous when it’s not installed or maintained properly. You’ve all seen these kinds of disasters in movies and television shows, where an exposed wire meets water or another exposed wire. There’s a reason why surge protectors and grounded outlets are so important, and we’re going to cover that topic today. It’s possible to keep your home safe from electrical fires and hazards, it just takes professional help. So, let’s discuss how an electrician in Marion, IA can help you with keeping your home safe.

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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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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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Is Your Home Asking for an Electrical Panel Upgrade?

Monday, January 3rd, 2022
electrician-hands-working-on-wiring

Your home’s electrical system simply could not function without this very important component–the electrical panel. Of course, you might still have a fuse box instead, so your electrical system may still be functioning–but not as safely as possible (more on that below!)

The electrical panel serves as the “central station” for all the voltage coming through your wiring that gets separated into different circuits. Breaker switches in the panel help protect the electrical system from electric shorts in your home.

The thing is, no electrical panel will last forever–this is especially true with the increasing demands that homeowners put on their electric systems these days. The panels wear down as electrical demands in a house grow, and it’s not a great combination. Read on as we uncover some signs that your home is basically asking for an electrical panel upgrade:

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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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How Do Your Electrical Outlets Protect You?

Monday, January 18th, 2021

outletDid you know that your electrical outlets protect you? At least, this is definitely the case in modern homes. This is part of the reason it’s so important that if you live in an aging home, you have your electrical system inspected on occasion. Today’s electronics and electrical appliances put increased demand on these systems, which can lead to overloads, blackouts, or even electrical fires.

Even in a newer home, safety becomes a concern if, for some reason, your electrical system isn’t working as it should. Electrocution is another threat when it comes to electricity dangers, which is why it’s so vital that you have the right outlets in place—outlets that protect you. What outlets are we talking about? GFCI and AFCI outlets! Read on to learn more.

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Signs That It’s Time for an Electrical Panel Upgrade

Monday, July 20th, 2020

technician-hands-working-on-wiresIs your home operating as safe as it should be? What we mean is, what kind of shape is your electrical system in? If your home is a few decades old and you’ve never had an electrical inspection, there’s a good chance you could be operating on an outdated panel. This is a problem for a number of reasons.

First off, an old electrical panel can cause power surges. When a powerful appliance such as your HVAC system cycles on, it can cause a surge through the panel, and this can damage other, smaller appliances and electrical equipment throughout your home–think, your refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, etc.

Secondly, outdated electrical panels pose a fire hazard, which, of course, is a serious problem. But you can avoid this! By knowing the signs that you need an electrical panel upgrade, you’ll know when it’s time to call us, and we can get your home back on track. Read on to learn what these indicators are. 

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Do You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade?

Monday, October 28th, 2019

electricians-working-on-electrical-panelAlso referred to as the circuit breaker panel of your home, the electrical panel is the central hub of your entire electrical system—where the incoming electricity is routed to the different circuits. The breakers are designed to shut off circuits in case of voltage overload. If you have an older circuit breaker panel, you should ensure you aren’t overdue for having it replaced.

If you suspect or wonder if it is time for you to upgrade your electrical panel, the best thing you can do is call in a professional electrician in Cedar Falls. In the meantime, we’ve provided some questions below for you to ask yourself when determining whether or not your electrical system could use this type of upgrade.

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