As the top Frisco electrician provider in North Texas, we want you to enjoy your home as much as possible, without costly or dangerous electrical problems. Electrical issues or repairs can zap your time, patience, wallet and, in some cases, your health.

ElectricMan is committed to helping you make the most out of your electrical system, appliances and usage, which is why your top Frisco electrician is giving homeowners some tips on how to take good care of your electrical systems and how to get the most out of your home.

 #1 Turn off the lights and lower your bill.

Electric bills these days can give you headaches in and of themselves. However, there are a few things you can do to lower your bills and still enjoy your electricity. Turning off the lights when you’re not in a room; consider installing a motion sensor switch for the outdoor lights you may forget to turn off.  Unplugging an appliance that you’re not using, or even installing alternative power sources like wind turbines and solar panels can significantly reduce your power consumption without infringing on your everyday usage. You can also use indoor generators to power your home without needing to be connected to the power grid.

#2 Keep up with electrical maintenance in your home.

Doing regular electrical maintenance in your home every two years can mean the difference between a happy, powered home and a mess of molten wire and old circuit breakers that don’t work. Hire your local electrician to come take a look at the entire electrical system in your home, and act upon his recommendations as soon as possible to give your home’s electrical wiring a long life.

#3 Take care of your smoke detectors and your smoke detectors will take care of you.

Smoke detectors are an invaluable and potentially life-saving part of any home. Keeping them in good working order and supplied with fresh batteries might just save your life. Be sure to swap the batteries of your smoke detectors every year (coinciding with the time changes is a good way to remember), and change out detectors every five to seven years.

#4 Protect your home with the right equipment.

Another important aspect of being safe and secure in your home to ensure your home is properly equipped with surge protectors, AFCI breakers and GFCI outlets wherever they are needed. These pieces of equipment not only can protect and preserve valuable appliances or expensive wiring, but they can keep you out of harm’s way in case of an electrical emergency in your home.

#5 Hire a professional for electrical remodeling jobs.

Whether you love hanging lamps or dimmer lights, homeowners who are fond of ambient lighting and are in need of some remodeling should always remember to call their top Frisco electrician to carry out the lighting installation. Installing lighting is a very intricate process that can get difficult and dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

At first glance, you might not notice much of a difference between your current electrical meter and your new Smart Meter. But inside, your Smart Meter is hard at work using advanced technology to identify and analyze data about your home’s energy consumption. These meters then communicate this data between your home and BGE via a secured network.

BGE began installing these advanced meters back in 2012, and they’re slated to finish rolling them out to every home and small business in their service area by 2015. Smart Meters can do some pretty amazing things, including:

You may already be used to your home’s existing electrical meter, which keeps an ongoing record of your home’s energy use and must be read by the power company each month so you can be billed appropriately. A Smart Meter, on the other hand, allows for two-way communication between the meter and BGE via a wireless network—a crucial point for building a reliable smart grid.

When you first get your new Smart Meter, you may notice that it seems to function just like your old one, without any of the supposed benefits of installation. This will be true at first, but over time, you’ll be able to experience everything the Smart Meter has to offer.

Best of all, Smart Meters have been thoroughly tested for safety and reliability. These meters are already in use across the country, and they have undergone extensive testing by other utility companies. Smart Meters operate at a level that is much lower (1.4%) than the maximum permissible exposure limits for radio frequency, as defined by the Federal Communications Commission. Smart Meters transmit for an average of about two minutes a day.

BGE will be installing Smart Meters throughout 2014. During that time, every BGE electric customer will receive one for their home. The utility provider will upgrade existing gas meters during this time period as well.

Several weeks before BGE begins installing Smart Meters in your community, you will begin seeing notifications in various forms, including ads in your local paper, materials at your neighborhood library or grocery store and booths at community festivals. A few weeks prior to installation, you will receive a letter in the mail informing you of when your new meter will be installed, or, if your meter is inside your home, providing you with instructions on how to schedule an appointment. For outdoor meters, you do not need to be present for installation. We’ll leave behind a door hanger to confirm that a new meter was installed.

Once your meter is installed, you’ll be granted access to BGE Smart Energy Manager, which will provide you with the tools necessary to better understand how you use your energy, and how to better save energy and reduce your bills.

Choosing a company to install solar panels is a bit of a tricky task. There are many choices and they’re not all reputable. We’ve created this quick guide to walk you through the process of choosing the correct solar installers.

You can cut to the chase and find the best rates and incentives by contacting the Electric Connection. We’ve help Southern California area residents get the best deals on solar panel installation and make the most of the various rebate packages available to them. If you want a quick quote and understanding of the process and how you might install solar panels at no cost, give us a call today.

Photo via Kickstarter.com

Bosua didn’t design this light with merely lethargy in mind – its technological advancements also have the potential to improve your wellbeing. Here are a few things you can do with the LIFX:

While some of these features may seem silly or impractical (I’m sure not everyone reading this has robot dance parties on the regular) I believe there are 2 notable features that make this LED worth a try:

1. Energy Savings. For the equivalent brightness of a 60W incandescent, this light only uses about 10 watts of energy. Plus, by programming it to turn off when you’re gone and dim automatically, you can save even more energy with minimal effort. The creators also say the LIFX will last up to 25 years, so you won’t need to replace them for a very long time.

2. Changing Colors. While at first, turning your lights from blue to red to green might seem a little superfluous, if you spend long periods of time indoors under the same white, bright lights, it can start to mess with your circadian rhythms. Studies like Photo via Kickstarter.com

And if you ever lose your phone, don’t worry, because these lights still work with standard switches too.

The LIFX project is funded through Kickstarter, and light bulbs will start shipping in March of 2013.

Many homeowners carry out electrical upgrades in their home and they get the fixtures and fittings replaced. At times, switchboards etc. may be replaced or circuit breakers too. However there is one component of electrical installations that is typically out of sight, out of mind – wiring!

We at Allround Electrical always recommend to our clients that if their home and the wiring in it, is over two decades old, they should consider getting wiring upgrades done on their property. In fact, when you choose to upgrade the wiring in your home, it gives you the assurance that the system will be able to bear the load of all the electrical appliances that you add to the different circuits on your property.

It’s a good idea to plan wiring upgrades at the same time that you plan remodeling projects; this is when you might open up walls and ceilings anyways; and this reduces the hassle, expense and time spent on getting this work done. This is because most of the electrical wiring is fitted within your walls; and it often involves opening up various wall sections, that will later have to be patched & repainted.

This is why it’s important that you plan for current and future requirements; this will ensure that you don’t have to worry about the wiring upgrades for at least a few more years. So, what is it that makes wiring such an important aspect of the electrical installation on your premises? Wiring supports a range of critical functions including:

When you are getting any of these jobs done, it’s crucial that you hire the services of an expert and experienced electrical company for the job. They will ensure that high grade, appropriate materials are used in the work and that the workmanship is of the highest grade too. While you are getting this job done, there are certain things you should be doing, such as:

These are just some of the basic aspects that have to be attended to when electrical upgrades are being done in your home. When you hire the services of a vetted and credible electrical contractor, you have peace of mind that the job will be handled in the best possible way.

For more information, simply speak with the experts at Allround Electrical and take our advice on various aspects of electrical and wiring installations. The number to call is – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.

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