We’ve all heard it before—the incessant “beep beep beeping” of the smoke detector. It’s even more frustrating when you’re not even cooking something! While there are a few easy fixes for this, we often get asked if there’s a way to stop the smoke detector from beeping except for when it’s actually warning you about something. Let the electrical experts at Kolb help.

If you need smoke detector maintenance or assistance, contact Kolb Electric in DC, MD, or VA today.

The first thing you can do is to determine what type of beeps your smoke detector is making. If you’re like most people, you hear the smoke detector beeping and begin to panic, wondering where the smoke is coming from; however, if there is no smoke, and you hear a “chirping” sound, there could be an electrical problem with your detector or if the electricity goes out, a back-up battery may signal its presence.

If you haven’t replaced your battery annually, beeping every few minutes or so means that the battery is dying and needs to be replaced. Remember that rechargeable batteries don’t work nearly as well as traditional ones. A good rule of thumb is to change the battery either during the New Year or Daylight Saving Time, if applicable.

Smoke detectors usually come with a warranty. Some last five years, while others may last longer. There are a few things to look out for as far as smoke detector replacement is concerned. If it works on and off, chirps intermittently, or just plain quits working, it’s time to replace it. Also, if you’re moving into a new home but the home itself isn’t new, replace the unit, since you have no idea how old the detector may be.

Overall, if your smoke detector is beeping, it’s requiring your attention. Just be sure to stick to replacing batteries. If you need to replace your smoke detector, contact Kolb Electric today!

Electric vehicles are one of the hottest new trends in the automotive industry. The idea is very appealing—According to ChargePoint, EV drivers save over 2.4 million gallons of gas annually and this will most likely only grow as popularity continues to increase. Going green is a very admirable goal. If you have considered the idea of an electric vehicle, one of the most common Los Angeles electrical questions you may have is how you go about keeping your car charged when you are on the go in day –to-day life. Utilizing your home’s electricity properly as well as visiting charging stations, such as those by ChargePoint will keep your EV going strong.

When it comes to charging at home, it is important to save money when at all possible while charging. You may want to contact an electrician in Los Angeles, from The Electric Connection, to see if your plug-ins, wiring and other equipment is up to par and will properly charge your electric vehicle. Then, it is important that you check with your electric company and see if there are any ways to save money by charging at certain off-peak hours. You may find that by changing your electric plan, you can save a significant sum on your electricity bill.

Charging on the go is becoming easier as more electric vehicle chargers are now available. For instance, in New York, there are currently 800 charging stations, and plans are to grow this to 3,000 over the next five years.

There are so many benefits to choosing an EV. In California, you may be able to drive in the HOV lane, even when driving alone. Spend some time researching and talk to an expert on electricity matters, such as The Electric Connection, and decide if it is time for you to jump board with the electronic vehicle trend.

Custom Electrical Services was recently voted for first place for Urbandale and Johnston area as best electrician!  The pole was taken by USA Today Best, and was presented by the Des Moines Register.  The voting is segmented into different areas by city.  Not all areas have the polls closed as of date.  The Urbandale and Johnston closed on September 27th, 2016.  The Des Moines metro voting closes on October 11th, 2016.  Custom Electrical Services would like to thank all the Urbandale and Johnston residence who took the time to vote.  We are proud to serve the Urbandale and Johnston area 24 / 7 as well as all of central Iowa!

We take pride in our work.  Our track record supports this.  Our electricians are not only licensed.  They receive special training that gives them superior customer service skills compared to other electricians.  We work hard to provide the best customer service experience possible.  Our electricians understand that your home is your castle.  They show respect for you and your property.  We are not your typical electrician that comes out and says your project is going to cost X.  We take the time to evaluate your entire electrical system as well as perform our full page safety inspection.  This provides a TON of added value to our service.  When is the last time someone took your panel cover off and inspected all your connections?  Most customers say not since I have lived here!  Electrical connections can loosen over time.  Wiring can expand and retract as loads fluctuate on the circuits, this expansion and loosen the connections inside your panel or breaker box.  Loose connections can leave to excessive arching and can cause fires.

Who are you letting into your home?  Our electricians receive an extensive background check.  We are not going to send a criminal into your home.  We realize the delicate nature of having strangers come into your home.  While you may not personally know the electrician you can rest assured we do!  Our background checked electricians are team members, not sub contractors.  We employee them full time and work one on one with them on a daily basis.  We work with them to develop the best customer experience possible.  We want you to feel comfortable with having our trained service technician in your home so you can be just as comfortable as we are with them.

In addition to a 3rd party background check our electricians receive drug testing.  You would not a person on drugs drive your kids to school!  So you defiantly don’t want an electrician on drugs performing wiring in your home!  Are drug tested and background checked electricians were the seal of safety.  This seal is worn with pride and taken very seriously.  When you see the seal of safety on our electricians uniform you know that you are working with a safe professional.