The seasons are finally beginning to shift, bringing us (somewhat) cooler weather and a few unique activities. As we settle into fall, our experts at Hoffman Electrical would like to take a moment to clue you in on some potential electrical dangers unique to the season.

To our team, the only thing more important than our service is your safety! Electrical appliances and tools are indispensable these days, but without the proper care, understanding, and preparation, you could be looking at some serious injuries. To avoid risks and keep your home safe, keep up with these safety notes!

These tips and points are really quick and simple, so don’t worry about some involved and frustrating nonsense. For the most part, it’s all about being prepared and staying wary of potential threats:

Air conditioning systems are complex electro-magnetic appliances that can very easily have an electrical issue develop at one time or another. If there is any time that safety trumps convenience, it’s when you have an electrical problem. So, be sure to contact the professionals on our team if you suspect you have an AC electrical problem, as our staff is highly trained and licensed to do this type of work. First though, you should understand what some of the most common AC electrical problems are.

Your AC system houses 3 different motors: 2 fan motors—the condenser and indoor blower—and the compressor motor. Since your AC system functions on an alternating current, these motors require 2 capacitors—a start capacitor and a run capacitor—that helps your AC start up and maintain its electrical flow. When you run into an issue with either capacitor on any of the motors, then you’ll probably observe stuttering at start-up, intermittent operational problems, or even a total breakdown of the motor itself.

There are many wires running throughout your AC system. With natural wear and tear over the years, these wires can begin to fray, corrode or disconnect. This can cause issues with electrical flow and overall operation. Locating faulty wiring can be tricky and should only be left to trained professionals.

Your AC draws enough power that it requires its own breaker in your home’s electrical panel. Because of the intense demands on this system, problems can develop. Common issues are related to a breaker that is faulty, undersized, or loose. While loose breakers may be tightened, an undersized or faulty breaker has to be replaced by an electrician who has the knowledge of how to do so safely and accurately.

After you’ve been around something for a while, you start to take it for granted.

Things like dissolvable cornstarch packing peanuts.

It took one imaginative 11-year-old boy and an email from a happy customer to remind us just how nifty these little earth-friendly peanuts are.

If you’ve received a shipment from Pegasus Lighting in the past few years, your box most likely had a sticker on it with those words. Inside the box is a note that shares the reasons behind our choice to use biodegradable cornstarch packing peanuts, not the least of which is because they are really fun to play with.

Thank you, Happy Customer, for restoring our packing peanut fascination by sending this great note and photo of your son’s clever art sculpture (whatever you decide that it will be)! Oh, and for the record, I’m voting Rocket Ship.

Throughout the modern age, we have become desensitized to the radical displacement of major products, categories, and even whole industries. It’s amazing how one simple technological innovation can change the way we use a major product or service in our lives; one of today’s largest examples of this is how LED bulbs are rapidly displacing the standard incandescent or CFL bulb.

VCRs, cassette tapes, home phones, movie stores, steam engines, and more have been added to the list of technologies that were once considered revolutionary, but are now just a novelty. The same will soon be said for CFL and, especially, incandescent light bulbs, as LED bulbs seem to outperform their predecessors in nearly every way.

There are really only two ways to point to an LED bulb and find that it has any flaws when compared to a standard light bulb: They don’t last (quite) as long when kept in a closely confined container that is left on for extended periods and they cost more to purchase. The former issue is solved by adjusting the type of fixture you install LED bulbs in (or losing the fixture altogether, as LEDs don’t need them nearly as much) and the latter is an ever-decreasing problem, as LEDs are becoming more-and-more mass produced and affordable. Even now, for a couple extra bucks, your 4-pack of LED bulbs will pay for themselves with a single bulb in about a year, then continue to last far longer – likely years – longer than an incandescent bulb bought on the same day would have.

One of the major criticisms to LED bulbs was once that the light was too pristine, not natural enough, or just generally felt different. Now, however, LED manufacturers have begun to perfect making LED bulbs replicate and exceed the capabilities of standard light bulbs. In fact, LED bulbs can now even be purchased to replicate vintage-style bulbs (often called Edison bulbs), that fully function on a dimmable switch and provide all the exoticl pizzaz of classic bulbs without the abysmal lifespan. It is reasonable to expect that as LED lights continue to replace incandescent bulbs in standard applications that they will take their place in other areas, including colorful, uniquely-shaped, and even more exotic or rare fixture fittings.

You’ve likely heard the claims of savings and safety features associated with LED bulbs; if you’re skeptical, then worry not, most every claim about LED bulbs is true or even understated. LED bulbs are so much more efficient, reliable, stable, and long-lasting than incandescent bulbs in nearly all situations, that there really are almost no reasons to not choose LED over your standard bulbs. In fact, it is likely not worth waiting for your current bulbs to die, but, instead, upgrade your entire household now; the savings is so significant that you’ll likely save money on your electrical bill in under a year.

Whenever you need electrical work done around your Des Moines home, contact the experienced professionals at Electrical Gurus. We are proud to offer the finest licensed local electricians in the area and are always more than happy to help out on your household projects.