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GFCI Benefits

When it comes to ensuring electrical safety at home or at any establishment, GFCI installation has always been considered an essential item in the checklist.

What is a GFCI Device and How Does It Work?

A GFCI, or better known as the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. It’s a device that is designed to detect and respond to fluctuations in the electrical current, however mild they may be, by automatically turning off the power to the outlet. In other words, every time a GFCI device detects an irregularity in the current, it automatically cuts off the flow of electricity. With its potential in eradicating electrical hazards, licensed electricians and safety specialists strongly recommend GFCI installation in areas where moisture or water is present.

To detect electrical short circuits or overloads, a GFCI device begins its job by measuring the amount of electrical current that is moving to neutral from hot. The moment it senses a difference between the amount of electricity flowing in and the amount of electricity flowing out of the circuit, it immediately reacts by tripping or shutting the circuit off. This works even with a gap as low as 4 milliamps.

If you haven’t made up your mind yet, below are GFCI benefits that should finally convince you to invest in the device:

Benefit #1: It helps prevent electric shock.

There are a number of ways to be burnt and one of them is being electric shocked. Although it does not always kill, the effects can be horrible, paralytic, and long-lasting. Not to mention, electric shocks can also act as a fire hazard. That said, with water being a good electricity conductor, one of the great ways to reduce, if not totally prevent, the likelihood of hurtful electric shocks and fire hazards is by installing a GFCI outlet by your favorite licensed electricians in Arvada, CO. Wherever water is present, you’ll want to install a GFCI outlet. It’s good to have a GFCI in bathrooms, the kitchen, or utility room.

Benefit #2: Child Safety

Kids are naturally curious but not all of them are aware of the perils of dealing with electrical wires and power outlets. The young ones carelessly poke things into power outlets in the name of fun; if left unattended, the consequences can be fatal. This is where GFCI outlets come in handy. Outlets with GFCIs can easily detect foreign objects; as soon as they do, they automatically shut off the power, sparing kids the dangers they would have to deal with. Click the link for more child safety tips.

Benefit #3: Compliance with the Electrical Code

The electrical code mandates that residential and commercial property owners must install GFCI outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, laundry rooms, and any outdoor areas where moisture is likely present. Those with homes over 20 years old can easily ask help from a nearby electrician for a reliable electrical system upgrade and GFCI outlet installation.

Benefit #4: GFCI outlets prevent electrical fires.

No matter how meticulous we are when it comes to ensuring electrical safety in our homes, the reality is there is no such thing as perfect and consistent monitoring. And one simple miss can already increase fire risks.

GFCIs are not like fire extinguishers; they cannot kill fire but they can prevent it, which is far better.

Planning to have your outlets replaced with GFCIs? For an Arvada electrical repair, and all your electrical service and upgrade needs do not hesitate to give us a call at ElectriCall. People in the state have been trusting us for a reason.

Electrical Safety Tips for Children

The home is supposed to be just a place for comfort, safety, and fun. It should not bring about some worries when we are raising children. Most parents constantly have thoughts about their child’s safety every day. We need to at least save our sanity by crashing out harmful dangers one by one. And a great danger that we want to crash out is electrical dangers, especially those in our homes.

It is estimated that at least 4-5 children below six years old are admitted every day due to an incident with an electrical receptacle. This tells us that we can never really tell what goes on in playful little minds. But, electrical accidents can be prevented as long as parents take these extra measures.

See from the child’s point of view. You are your child’s first line of defense in electrical safety monitoring. The topmost effective way of reducing any harmful danger is to look at the risks from your child’s perspective. For example, your toddler is going to be crawling under the bed or the dining table. Hence, you should get on all fours and do your version of an electrical safety inspection. Exposed power strips or unused outlets are only visible if you look underneath.

Educate your child about electrical safety. You can start teaching your child educational lessons as soon as they can crawl. While you can’t expect your toddler to understand a complicated explanation for why it is dangerous to stick his finger in an electrical outlet, you can begin the educational process by firmly telling him “NO” whenever you perceive a potential danger. After that, give your toddler a nice reward for doing the right thing.

Electrical safety education goes a long way. You can take your child around your home and explain how power passes throughout your home by wires. You can also demonstrate how plugs function and talk about how the power company has worked to make your lines safe. If these sound too much of a task, you can just let your child watch videos about electrical safety outside the home. Most of these videos contain the following reminders:

• Fly kites away from power lines. If the kite touches the energized power line, electricity finds the quickest way to the ground, thus, electrocuting the child.

• Don’t fly drones near power lines. Flying toys that hit a power line can either cause a power outage or a hazardous downed power line.

• Don’t climb trees near power lines. Branches touching the wires can energize the tree.

• Don’t play on transformers. While underground pad mount transformers are marked with a safety warning, children are still reminded to not play around these boxes.

• Electricity and water is a deadly combination. Keep all electrical stuff away from water. Similarly, don’t plug electronics that have been damaged by water.

Secure and maintain all electrical appliances. Frayed or worn out cords on kitchen appliances and lamps can cause electrical injuries. Whenever you see an electrical cord that shows signs of wear and tear, dispose of it right away. It is also worth noting to keep all cords out of areas where someone can trip. Remember to not pinch them in doorways or run them under rugs.

Childproof empty outlets, occupied outlets/power cords, and power strips/bars

• For outlets that have nothing plugged into them, use electrical outlet caps. The front is made of non-grippy plastic so that your little one won’t be able to pull them out. Another option is to use sliding plate covers. The spring-loaded piece of plastic in these covers will slide over the outer slots and will automatically snap back after taking the plug out. While electrical outlet caps achieve the same effect as the sliding plate covers, many users prefer the sliding plate covers since it is more secure and safe.

• Essentially, you want to stop your child from plugging things in and out. To refrain him from being able to unplug anything, use outlet covers. A more inexpensive way to childproof occupied outlets/power cords is to block off access to the outlet with furniture.

• Power strips or bars are a huge hazard for little kids, especially for a crawling toddler. This is because anything that sits on the floor and has a bunch of wires sticking out becomes the most inviting thing to play with. To childproof power strips/bars, use power strip covers. These plastic shields go over the top of the power strip and let the cords stick through.

In a modern world that relies heavily on the use of electricity, nothing beats your watchful eyes around electrical hazards. While you can childproof everything electrical, troubleshooting may happen at some point. As this is way beyond your capabilities, contact your electrician home service nearby.

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Electrical Efficiency Upgrades

Most people leave their home’s electrical systems unchecked thinking they should be working fine as no hazard signs are noticeable. Experts have always reiterated that electrical systems must be checked up and maintained from time to time. This is not only to spot and address possible hazards that have been lurking but also to make it compatible with whatever upgrades are made with greater demands from home appliances.

The Importance of Electrical Efficiency Upgrade

After a thorough checkup and depending on your requirements, your trusted licensed electrician might advise you to upgrade your electrical system to improve energy and efficiency. This includes upgrading your electrical components and wirings with new materials and designs which can be paired with modern automation to promote energy conservation.

To cut down on electricity consumption, homeowners often turn to basic energy conservation solutions like plugging off appliances or turning off the lights when they are not in use. This is not what electrical efficiency upgrades are about. Rather, such upgrades will enable you to stick to your usual usage and yet be charged minimally for it. Instead of reducing your usage, an update of design or materials can help you experience more.

Now, when working on an upgrade, it is best to entrust the job to a reliable electrical contractor service company like ElectriCall. If nowhere near Denver, then find one that is seasoned enough to upgrade your electrical system’s efficiency the easiest and most effective way possible. The team you hire might resort to replacing old wirings and updating insulations in some identified areas.

Now that we are in this digital age, resorting to smart electrical systems that are data-driven is also a good option. Although it is a costly investment, the potential savings down the line will make the move totally worth it.

Your Trusted Electrical Service Company

For your electrical efficiency upgrades and other electrical service needs, do not hesitate to give us a call. Our licensed electricians are armed with advanced electrical engineering knowledge. We’ll make your upgrade a worthwhile move.

Electrical Items to Look for When Buying a New Home

One of the most exciting chapters in life is realizing our dream home and seeing it turn into reality. However, whether it is a newly built one or a renovated secondhand house, more than the furniture-and-fixture-shopping and the interior set-up, investing in a coherent and safe electrical system should be one of our topmost priorities. Because otherwise, the dangers you and your family could be exposed to might be devastating or even fatal and you will not like that.

Now, here’s the thing: old, secondhand houses are highly likely to have deteriorating and worn-out electrical systems, e.g. wires, outlets, panels. Houses built in the early 20^th century, in particular, often use knob-and-tube wirings which bear too much load that can lead to fire hazards. So, if you are eyeing on an old house, even if you have already sealed the deal, here are the items that you should watch out for:

· The designed electrical wiring vs. your degree of usage. You have to remember that the electrical system of the house is only fit for the demand of its former owners which can vary from yours. That said, if you are planning to invest in appliances including those that eat-up too much power, then the first thing you must do before moving is to have your trusted licensed electrical contractor upgrade your electrical system to your preference and needs.

· The electrical panel and power outlets. If the house is still using a vintage electrical panel, it also pays to upgrade it to eliminate safety and fire hazards and all the other potential sources of inconvenience. Likewise, ask your electrical repair service company to take care of the outlets, i.e. make sure they are grounded properly and are installed in compliance with the electrical codes of the state.

· The power circuits. Circuit breakers can offer protection but some houses do not have them and once overloading happens, you won’t like the outcome.

Signs of overloading might be lurking in attics or basement areas too. So, make sure to communicate this with your electrician.

To simply put, when it comes to electrical items to watch out for, the list can be overwhelming if you plan to check them on your own. But there’s a shortcut to that: all you have to do is hire a reputable and seasoned electrical service in Arvada like ElectriCall who has gained extensive knowledge and experience in the field after years of service.

For this and all your other electrical concerns in Colorado, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll be glad to help.

Power Strip Safety Tips

No matter how many outlets we have installed at our house or workplace, there will come a time when we need to utilize a power strip. This is commonly the case near the entertainment center, in the home office or bedroom. When not enough outlets are nearby, this is when power strips and extension cords come in handy.

But contrary to the common misconception, did you know that power strips and extension cords are not the same? Both of them are designed to power multiple electronic devices simultaneously. However, while they may look and work almost similarly, there are a number of differences between them.

To put it simply, power strips enable you to plug in multiple devices and appliances at a time while also plugging itself into a wall outlet. Their cords all come typically shorter than extension cords, i.e. the 12-foot long, with sockets enclosed in a box on one end and a three-pin plug on the other end.

When it comes to design, although power strips and extension cords are mostly the same, the latter always have longer cords but can come with only a pair or three plugs. Compared to power strips, extension cords are less stable but can still come handy in unique situations. However, they are only best to use for an hour or less whereas power strips are meant for long-term uses.

Here are some power strips facts that make them superior over extension cords:

· Power strips can accommodate a lot of small loads simultaneously.

· Power strips have a variety of voltage ratings.

· Power strips are more stable and appropriate for long-term use than extension cords.

· Power strips are also known as TPT or Temporary Power Trap and mostly have six outlets that are overcurrent protected.

Power Strip Safety Tips

While power strips are indeed very useful, a simple misuse can already expose you and your family to electrical hazards which can be fatal at the worst. To ensure safety at all times, here are some tips to bear in mind:

1. Power strips cannot be connected with each other.

Daisy chaining or the process of connecting two or more power strips with each other is extremely dangerous as at least one of the strips might tend to overload which can lead to a spark. However, this is something a lot of people do to extend the cord’s length.

Do remember that daisy chaining for length extension is a big NO. If you need a longer one, finding a longer strip is always better and safer than dealing with hazards.

2. Do not use frayed cables.

Power strips may offer convenience but are at risk of creating electrical shocks over time. Fire risks are one of the leading factors caused by frayed, worn-out cables. Aside from fire, the frayed cords can also be damaging to your appliances.

If you’ve been shocked, call a local Colorado electrician right away. A seasoned electrical service company like ElectriCall will be able to easily spot what is wrong with your power strip or outlet and will immediately perform the repair.

3. Never plug space heaters into your power strip.

Space heaters are a glutton of electricity, thus with the limited load that power strips can provide, they will not be able to cater so much load and might only end up facing a meltdown.

4. By all means, do not overload your power strip.

That said, no matter how appropriate it is for heavy use, connecting multiple heavy appliances to it at a time is still a big no. Otherwise, overloading might occur, consequently blowing your fuse and damaging all the devices and appliances connected to it, or far worse can happen.

5. Proper and prompt disposal is important.

Power strips are only designed for short-term use. Using them beyond their advisable period of use can be hazardous. Once the indicated lifespan of your power strip is reached or it heats fast, it is best to discard it right away and properly and hire a licensed electrician to install new power outlets in your place instead. It is the safest way to access electricity.

If you’re looking for home electrical repair services nearby, then give us a call today!