Home owners routinely call us with questions regarding attic fans. Do they really work? What is the difference between an attic fan and a whole house fan? Prior to home air conditioning and even after, home builders generally installed attic fans for the comfort of the residents. If you are a home owner who manages to get the first floor comfortable and then when you go upstairs for the evening it is stifling, an attic fan may be the answer for you.

Having an attic fan allows you to open one or more windows and the fan will suck in the cooler outside air and blow out the warmer interior air. When you have the proper fan, those times when you would be extremely warm and increase the output of your whole house A/C system, you may be surprised you need a light blanket with an attic fan.

Attic Fan vs. Whole House Fan

Are you confused? There is no reason to be. When you speak of a whole house fan it is a unit that is installed in the ceiling. It is designed to extract the hot air from your entire home and redirect it into the attic. The positive pressure in the attic will drive the warm air through roof vents. Then the negative pressure will bring in the cooler outside air.

A single attic fan is installed at the roof level and its purpose is to draw all the warm air out of the house. If you want fresh or cool air to be brought into the home, additional vents need to be installed.

Obviously there are many more advantages to a whole house fan, but the choice is yours. Many times you can use your whole house fan instead of your expensive air conditioning. Generally, an attic fan will run during the warmest time of the day hours to pump all the hot air out of your attic. However, a whole house fan will run in the coolest times like morning, evening and overnight to bring the fresh, cool air in.

Other benefits

While you may enjoy fishing and bringing your catch back for a family feast, you can still smell the fish fry the next morning and evening. An attic fan or whole house fan can rid your home of unwanted temporary odors in a heartbeat.

We will size your home and suggest a unit that will be able to cool within a three minute period. This is so much more efficient than turning down the A/C. You will see a huge reduction in your electric bill because these fans help your A/C run more efficiently and in some instances you do not need to run you’re A/C at all.

When you make the investment, a whole house fan is quiet and can last as long as 30 years. This is vastly difference from air conditioners. It does not pull damp, rainy air into your home.

Ask us for a free estimate.

Have you ever been worried that your Washington, DC electrician might be scamming you? It’s certainly not one of our favorite topics, but the fact remains that it does happen. There are people out there posing as trained professionals that would love nothing more than to take your money, and give nothing at all in return.

At Kolb Electric, our experts are the real deal, and we’ve learned a thing or two about spotting shysters. We never want any of our consumers to encounter a situation where they have to deal with a scammer. So we’ve built a list of the most common signs that you might be getting cheated!

Need a reputable Washington, DC electrician? Contact us! We’re fully licensed, insured, and have more than 90 years of experience!

Washington, DC electrician scams often follow specific patterns. They’re awful, because they exist. But at least they’re predictable! Here are some telltale signs of a scam:

When it comes to getting reliable, effective service, communication is absolutely key. You need all information on clear, understandable terms. This means get everything in writing, and ensure you understand all aspects of the project. It doesn’t matter if it’s as small as a minor outlet replacement, or as large as home rewiring, be sure you’re working with a pro!

Kolb has been offering dependable, guaranteed service to the Maryland and DC areas for years. We never want to hear that one of our valued patrons has had to deal with a rogue element when seeking electrical assistance!

If you need the fast, effective service of a professional, certified Washington, DC electrician, contact Kolb!

If you are upgrading your home’s electrical work for a renovation or remodel, then there are some truly simple ways you can elevate your new lighting to “wow” status, and now is the time to do so!

If your home is a bit on the older side, the best way to modernize is with new LED recessed lighting cans. The reason for this is simply due to the smaller nature of modern cans, which allow for a much higher ceiling than you may have. Areas like kitchens, for instance, very often have lowered ceilings to account for the room that antiquated fluorescent or recessed lighting needs to have. Today’s recessed lighting cans can fit in the space between the floor joists and the future drywall, allowing for the absolute maximum ceiling height, which immediately improves the feel of most rooms.

Do you have a dedicated entry to your home, such as a mudroom or enclosed patio? Nothing modernizes and simplifies these areas as easily as a motion-activated switch. In fact, these upgrades can be done after-market if your switch is positioned correctly using inexpensive switch replacements found at your local hardware store. The key here is that your switch has to be positioned correctly, often on the adjacent wall, which is often not the case. Otherwise, you will need to enter the room before the switch can sense your movement, which defeats the purpose in most applications. Planning for motion switches during the remodel can open up this possibility with ease.

Here is where we really get to go wild; a pressure switch may seem like a frivolity, but actually adds a great amount of value when used correctly. For instance, if there will be space between your upper kitchen cabinets and the ceiling, then adding in over-cabinet lighting creates an incredible effect; better still, piggybacking off of the circuit used for under- or over- cabinet lighting to create an interior cabinet lighting system is really not difficult to do at all. From there, simply add a pressure switch to your cabinet doors and voila, you’ve achieved a million-dollar home look for almost no extra cost if done when your other cabinet lighting circuitry is being installed. Similarly, if you’re able to reimagine your pantry with a closing door, simply put a pressure switch in the door frame that compresses when closed, turning off the light immediately, and depresses when opened to instantly turn on the light. It may not sound like much, but anyone visiting your home will be amazed by your ingenuity; plus, it takes almost no extra work to install, only requiring the switch box to be located on the corresponding portion of the wall and a small wire to snake through a drilled hole in the door frame.

The best way to achieve these and other inexpensive tricks for added value and usability is to partner with inspired electricians that are willing to make these types of suggestions. At Electrical Gurus, you’ll find the most skilled and dedicated electricians in Des Moines.

Here in the MD/DC/VA area, it’s not uncommon for us to lose power when a summer storm rips through. And while these outages sometimes last only a few hours, storms that have occurred over the past several summers have left people in the dark for several days at a time. At Kolb Electric, we’re big fans of Generac generators—they are among the most reliable systems available, and they’re the only ones we install. That said, there are a few things you should consider if you’re thinking about installing a standby generator:

You can’t stretch the amount of power that generators supply, so make sure you receive an NEC (National Electric Code) approved load calculation with each proposal. Kolb Electric will provide this calculation with our estimate.

Standby generators must be permitted prior to installation and inspected following installation. Kolb Electric will do the work of acquiring the necessary permits for you, and we want to remind everyone not to have your system installed by a contractor who says they can do it with no permit. HOA requirements and approval processes vary, but key concerns often come down to noise and location.

In the event that your standby generator installation does not require a permit, make sure to ask if it will be installed up to NEC code.

Some people install generators to keep the essential functions of their home running, such as the refrigerator and a few lights. Others install theirs to be able to carry on with life as if nothing had happened. Before you install a standby generator, decide what you’ll want to run and what you can do without. Remember—too much capacity will needlessly inflate the cost of your system, so try to be realistic when deciding.

At Kolb Electric, we’re committed to installing your generator efficiently and effectively. Even so, the generator installation process can get hung up at different phases, such as permitting, and may take up to a few weeks to complete—especially during the busy summer months. Don’t wait until a major storm has been forecast before you install your standby generator! Try to do it during the spring or fall, before you need it (and, more importantly, before everyone else needs it!).

What type of generator will you be installing? Air cooled or liquid cooled? Is it natural gas or propane? Will you be receiving a gas meter upgrade? At Kolb Electric, we’ll talk you through your options and help make sure your standby generator does everything you need it to.

Whenever you have any sort of electrical work done, you’re not just buying the system—you’re also buying the company doing the install. With this in mind, it’s important that you know their qualifications as well as those of the technicians who will be installing your generator. Ask the following questions:

Kolb Electric has been in business since 1925, and all of our staff is licensed and trained to install Generac generators.

Standby generators require on-going annual maintenance, which Kolb Electric will provide with a service agreement. Make sure you also register your Generac generator with the manufacturer for warranty claims.

The lowest bid may sound appealing, but the deepest discounts won’t offset the costs of correcting an improper installation. When you see a huge price difference from one company to the rest, you can be sure something is being left out: load calculations, size inspections, and gas meter upgradesare just some of the areas where some unscrupulous contractors may cut corners and leave you up the creek when the big one hits.

Standby generators are designed to protect your biggest investment: your home. Take the time to get accurate answers regarding your system to keep your family safe.

If you’re thinking about installing a Generac generator in your home, call Kolb Electric today!