Are you having problems with some of the outlets in your home? While actually trying to repair an electrical outlet on your own can be dangerous, you can at least diagnose many of the most common electrical outlet problems. Before you call Kolb Electric, see if you can pinpoint the problem by trying the following steps.

If you were trying to plug something into the outlet and it wasn’t working, try plugging it in somewhere else. If it works, it’s likely a problem with the outlet. If it still doesn’t work, the problem is with the device itself.

Look for any wall switches and turn them on. If the appliance works after flipping the switch, you shouldn’t have any further problems.

Check other outlets near the dead one. If any more don’t work, mark them with tape.

Unplug everything from nearby outlets to eliminate the possibility of a short or overload.

Make sure the circuit breaker isn’t tripped. The circuit breaker will be located in the breaker box, usually in the garage, basement, or kitchen. To see if it is tripped, open the box and see if any of the breakers are in the RESET or OFF position. If they are, turn the appliance off, switch the breaker back into the ON position, then try to device again.

Check for blown fuses. To do this, turn off the main switch and use a flashlight to see if any of the fuses are burnt or blackened.

If the dead outlet is a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter), try to find out if there’s any reason it may be tripping. GFCIs shut off power to outlets when they detect a leak in electrical current, so if they continue to trip after being reset, there could be a dangerous current leak that requires an electrician’s attention.

If you have dead outlets in your home, or if you need electrical troubleshooting in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric today!

In all the hustle and bustle of the day, it’s easy to get sidetracked or to not pay close enough attention in the kitchen. In a matter of just a few seconds, your kitchen can go from being the heart of your home to being a disaster zone. Every year, there’s a significant spike in home fires on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ensure the safety of your family by following these tips!

We know that today may be incredibly busy for you, so we wanted to do our part to help make it easier. We’ve created a printable graphic that you can pin to your refrigerator to remind you of the important tips you need to follow.

It’s 2013, and if you’re still spending a ton on your energy bill, you should know that it doesn’t have to be that way. Right now, about 20% of the energy we consume goes to lighting. But, with a few energy-efficient changes, we can see that number (and the numbers on our monthly bills) dwindle. This post is the first in a series on how to make the lighting in your home or business more energy-efficient. 

Everyone’s got to eat, and for many of us, the kitchen is the very heart of the home. The kitchen also requires excellent lighting for cooking and cleaning up. So, I figure it will be a good place to start an energy-efficient lighting makeover.

Beauty Box Spa was one such project - we loved working with the owners to create a luxurious locale for their services. This business provides hair styling, nail application, and esthetics services, all with a fun, “outside the box” approach. The owners pride themselves on using up-cycled and recycled materials to decorate the space.

When we started working with Beauty Box, the setting was raw, a mere shell of what was to come. Besides starting 100% from scratch, we were working with the strict energy code of the City of Vancouver, which limits the amount of lighting that can be installed in a single space.

To meet this challenge and provide an energy-efficient boost for the client, we utilized LED lighting. LEDs provide exceptional service over traditional lighting for the following reasons: