We all use electricity so much in our daily lives that it has become something we take for granted, but while electricity may be such a useful tool, it is worth keeping an eye on your electrical fixtures and fittings for any signs of potential dangers.

Most people will admit that they rarely check the condition of their plugs, cables, or sockets and will normally leave it to their electricians whenever they visit. To follow safety guidelines, it is recommended that all equipment be used correctly according to the manufacturer’s directions and any damaged items be repaired or replaced with new ones. You can look out for a few things to ensure your family stays safe from electrical fires or electrocution.

Always check plugs and sockets for any sounds such as buzzing or crackling; you should look out for burn marks as well. Other things you can do include checking electrical appliances such as electric shavers, radios, or hairdryers that are being used near damp or wet environments or structures such as baths, showers, and swimming pools.

Check your home for any switches with too many appliances plugged into them and replace any damaged cables immediately. You can also protect yourself by making sure that you only use plugs with a standard safety mark.

The best thing you can do to help keep you and your family safe is to know where your home’s safety switch is located. If you cannot find it, ask your electrician to show you the next time he pays you a visit.

In case of an emergency, or if there happens to be faulty or damaged wiring in your home, you can use the safety switch to cut off the power to prevent anyone from being electrocuted. Remember that any repairs that may need to be done will require a qualified electrician. Always use one you know and trust.

Tripped circuit breaker: many of us have experienced them at some point in our homes, yet instead of asking ourselves, “Why Do Breakers Trip?”, we reset the breaker without much thought. Before flipping the switch back over to the “ON” position, however, it’s important to understand why the breaker tripped in the first place, and what can be done to keep it from happening again.

As a Top Dallas Electrician, ElectricMan Inc. understands the danger of ignoring the warning signs of a tripped circuit breaker. But first, you need to know what a breaker does and how it works.

The Job of the Circuit Breaker

Simply put, a home or business circuit breaker is a safety device that monitors the amount of electrical current going through the electrical wires in your home and shuts off the circuit if too much electricity is being pulled through it, or if there is any disturbance in the current that could result in a fire.

Whereas a fuse performs the same task but can only be used once, a circuit breaker can perform over and over with the use of a switch that trips to indicate when it has effectively cut off current to a particular area.

What Makes a Breaker Trip?

So, Why Do Breakers Trip and what kind of things could cause a circuit breaker to trip? Some of the most common causes of a tripped breaker include:

For example, in some homes, running a microwave, a toaster oven and a refrigerator all on the same circuit may cause your wires to overheat, tripping the breaker. In this instance, making the load a little lighter, or splitting the circuit, may do the trick in keeping it from tripping the breaker.

Ignoring a Tripped Breaker is Not a Good Idea

Because of the many reasons why your circuit breaker could be tripping, and because of the purpose of the circuit breaker, you should never take a tripped breaker lightly. It’s important to understand that the circuit breaker is a safety device; simply switching the circuit back on without investigating the culprit can become costly in the long run and, in many cases, extremely dangerous.

If your breaker trips consistently, chances are there is a potentially dangerous electrical issue that needs to be looked at. ElectricMan Inc. is a Top Dallas Electrician with over 27 years of residential and commercial experience in the electrical field. Call ElectricMan Inc. at 972-792-7270 to make sure that your home is safe and free from the risk of a short or a fire.

Many Pittsburgh natives fondly recall the weather beacon atop the Gulf Tower with its flashing neon lights that indicated the weather forecast. The security guard in the building’s lobby would read the weather report in the local paper and switch the lights to red or blue, solid or blinking.

However, this six story pyramid’s neon display used as much energy as 24 homes, and during the energy crisis in the ‘70s, Gulf Oil decided to turn off the lights. When the crisis was over, the lights no longer worked.

Fast-forward a few decades: the building’s owners, inspired by the Empire State Building’s LED displays, decided to reignite the much adored landmark. With new LED technology, the award-winning lighting duo Chris Popowich and Cindy Limauro have enhanced the tower’s former glory with 730 foot-long strips of LEDs that can dazzle in a rainbow of colors.

The newly named KDKA-TV Weather Beacon usually provides a detailed weather display of Pittsburgh’s current conditions including temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind speed: