The home of the future has arrived! Home automation is now easier to find and more advanced than ever before. With home automation, various electrical and security components in your home are at your fingertips—even if you are on vacation several states away!

An application on your smartphone allows you to control the temperature, the garage door, your lights, some appliances, and even your locks. Find out how this can save you time and money below.

Has this ever happened to you? You’re running late for work, but as you’re pulling out of the driveway, you remember that you’ve forgotten to lock the doors. Or, you get all the way into the parking lot when you remember you left the garage door open.

These are both things you can monitor and correct using the home automation system’s application on your smartphone or tablet. As long as you have internet access, you can check on the locks, the garage door, and the lights to see if you forgot any of the basics. You will, however, need to install compatible home automation products for your home.

You’ve just arrived home from vacation, and you left the heat off or at a very low setting while you were away. When you walk into the door, you’re freezing! You have to run the heating system for a long time to feel comfortable again, and that’s certainly not the greeting you would like.

With home automation, you can adjust the thermostat from your smartphone. That way, when the plane lands, you can set the thermostat so that a warm home is waiting for you. And you can monitor energy usage while you’re gone to make sure the heater is working efficiently.

Finally, a home automation system helps you to monitor your energy usage throughout the day. You can find out when you use up the most energy, in order to make energy-smart choices about your lights and appliances.

When it comes to crime, it’s evident that there’s an appeal to darkness. Less visibility means less chance of getting caught. The 2014 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)—an annual Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program publication that’s released by the FBI—includes detailed crime data, such as time of day and type of offense. More than 18,000 law enforcement agencies participate in the UCR Program and provide data voluntarily. NIBRS’ Crimes Against Persons data shows that of the 1,093,466 incidents reported in 2014, 562,104 (51.4 percent) were between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Crimes Against Property data shows a lower—yet significant—39.4 percent of 3,493,904 reported incidents taking place between those same hours.

In an attempt to lessen crime and increase energy savings, many cities and businesses have started replacing traditional high-intensity discharge (HID) lights with LED bulbs, light engines, and fixtures. These actions have paid off. In 2008, Los Angeles began a project to retrofit 215,000 lights with LED lights. Since implementation of the project, color-rendering indexes (CRI) than HID fixtures. CRI refers to how accurately a light source reveals the true colors of objects, people, and surroundings. The CRI of an HID bulb can range from zero (high-pressure sodium) to about 65 (metal-halide). LED fixtures are capable of having CRIs of 75 and higher. Lights with a CRI of 80 or higher are considered to show colors most accurately and increase visibility, which is especially important for security purposes and parking lot surveillance.

Twas the Day before Christmas….a true story December 24, 2009 Garland, Texas As the temperature dropped, it had started to snow, The 100 Amp. Federal, just decided to Blow!……….. It arced and it sparked, sent my wife in a Panic, I felt like the captain, of the famous Titanic…. Kids coming for christmas, lots of food to prepare, No lights in the kitchen, on the brink of despair…. Her I-Phone still up, she went to the net, She Googled some words, and found the Best Bet…. We called and Nick answered, He got someone going, Jeremy from Mesquite, and soon—Power Flowing!!!! Mrs. Overbey and I sincerely thank the Family at ElectricMan for being there and saving our Christmas! God Bless and Merry Christmas, Val & Susan Overbey

Thank you Val & Susan!  It was a pleasure to do business with you!

On any job site, having the right electrical safety gear is essential. For electrical projects, there are often special considerations, as some tasks can have unique hazards that require special gear.

Eye injuries are serious and for most electricians are a daily hazard. Having, and using, the right eye protection can make all the difference.

Electricians often work at heights, either on roofs, scaffolds, or elevated work platforms. In some locations, even working on a step ladder can require fall protection gear.

When the potential exists to fall more than 6 ft., fall protection gear should be worn. This includes an approved and inspected harness and a lanyard with the correct weight rating. Always ensure that the fully extended length of the lanyard is short enough to prevent the worker from contacting the ground in the event of a fall.

Hand injuries are the most common type of workplace injury, therefore selecting and using the right kind of gloves is vital.

Along with proper knife safety practices, using cut-resistant Kevlar gloves can greatly reduce the potential for cuts and scratches. In cold weather, ensure that insulated gloves are worn. When dealing with potentially hazardous chemicals, use gloves rated to handle the specific associated hazards.