You and your family must remember this one very important electricity rule this summer: water and electricity do not mix well. They are deadly together. Remember these “inside the house” summer electrical safety tips that are based on this rule:

Keep all electrical toys and appliances away from the water, including pools and bathtubs. Do not let your kids bring their handheld electronic games into the swimming pool this summer!

Make sure the electrical connections to your pools and hot tubs are fully grounded. Our residential electricians can help you if you have any questions about appliance connections and their safety.

Make certain that all your major appliances—washers, dryers, refrigerators, air conditioners—are plugged into grounded outlets and not extension cords!

Right now is a perfect time to go around your home and see that you have GFI outlets installed in all possible “wet” areas of your home, including bathrooms, kitchens, garages, basements, and pool rooms. The outlet will sense when there is a potentially dangerous imbalance in the flow of electricity from the outlet to whatever is plugged in, and it will shut off to prevent shocks or electrocution.

Never plug in any appliance if you notice that the cord is frayed or damaged in any way.

Outdoor Summer Electrical Safety Tips

Summer is definitely the time when everyone wants to be outside and enjoy some time in the sun. This makes it important that everyone knows what possible electrical safety hazards to avoid outdoors. These are important tips you and your family should keep in mind:

Never approach an electrical substation or downed power lines for any reason whatsoever. If you see someone enter this area, do not try to rescue them yourself. Call 911 immediately.

Never play near or touch a power line with any part of your body, a toy, a stick, or any other object. You should always assume that any power lines you see are live and dangerous.

Never climb on or play around a utility pole.

To avoid getting kites or airborne toys stuck in power lines, play with these toys in wide open spaces.

Kids often love to climb trees in the summer, but they should never climb trees that are too close to power lines.

If you have any questions about our summer electrical safety tips, contact us online. Also, even simple jobs like installing light fixtures or ceiling fans may be dangerous—give us a call instead! We’re a family owned and operated business that has been serving the Baltimore, Bethesda, Alexandria, and Washington, DC metropolitan area since 1925. The valuable advantages we can offer you are great service, high quality products, and experienced workers at a competitive price.

Homeowners Should Look Out for Common Electrical Problems

Homeowners throughout the DC area should immediately contact us if they observe any of these common electrical problems:

Power Surges

Whenever there is a sudden increase or change in electrical current, it is referred to as a power surge. This can force circuits to overload, leading to lost power and additional damage. There isn’t much you can really do—your best bet is to prevent a surge from happening by using surge protection strips and having a DC electrician install a whole-house surge suppression system. Whole-house surge protection is the best first line of protection you can have to protect your home electronics and wiring from the damage caused by lightning strikes. The cost of replacing electronic equipment in an average home is $8,000, and it may be even higher for homes in DC. Whole-house surge protection in conjunction with power strip surge protection is affordable insurance against electrical surges caused by lightning strikes and other disruptions. Contact Kolb Electric for whole-house surge protection installation in DC.

Overloaded Electrical Circuits

If you plug too many items into a single unit, it can cause the circuit to become overloaded. While you may be tempted to use more power strips to plug in more items, this can actually cause dangerous overloading and overheating. Whenever your circuit breaker trips frequently, you should let a qualified electrician take a look.

Redundant Wiring

Whenever DC homeowners try to run their own electrical wiring, it often results in what is known as redundant wiring. Homeowners should not attempt any do-it-yourself home wiring—it is very dangerous because the wiring may not be properly capped and terminated.

Intermittent Power Problems

Whenever you have issues with intermittent power, it usually is a warning sign that serious wiring issues are present. This is often caused by loose or improperly fastened wiring, which requires the immediate attention of an expert electrician.

These are common electrical problems DC electricians are often called in to correct. If you observe any of these problems in your home, we recommend you contact us. We are a family owned and operated business that has been serving the DC area since 1925. You can count on our electricians to provide upfront pricing and high-quality service.

Reasons to Hire a Licensed Electrician

Licensed electricians:

Are Knowledgeable

When you enlist the services of a licensed electrical contractor, you can be sure that the electrician is fully knowledgeable about the complex workings of the electrical system in your home. Many people think they can learn the skills needed to do minor household electrical work, but the truth is that your home’s electrical system is more complex than you realize. Our electricians are fully licensed and have years of experience completing electrical installations and repairs in homes throughout MD, VA, and DC. They have successfully completed rigorous training, which means they have the skill set necessary to handle any electrical issue.

Understand of Codes and Regulations

A licensed electrician understands all the codes and regulations in place for residential and commercial electrical work. The National Electrical Code (NEC), or NFPA 70, is a regionally adoptable standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States. Rest assured that the electricians here at Kolb Electric have a thorough understanding of NEC requirements as it pertains to circuit breaker replacement, panel upgrades, surge protection, and more.

Have Access to Proper Tools and Equipment

By trusting a licensed electrical contractor to take care of your residential or commercial electrical needs, you can feel confident knowing that the electrician will have all the tools and equipment necessary to complete the job—accurately and in a timely manner. Homeowners, in most cases, simply do not have the proper tools and equipment necessary to complete electrical jobs, small or large.

Ensure Your Safety

There’s a reason the NEC standard has been put into place for electrical work—it functions as a critical safety measure. Hiring a licensed electrical contractor is safer than if you were to do the job yourself. Working with electricity can be very dangerous, but skilled professionals understand how to complete electrical work safely.

Make Kolb Electric Your Licensed Electrical Contractor

Kolb Electric is a full-service electrical contractor providing electrical services, including troubleshooting, circuit breaker replacement, panel upgrades, and surge protection. We also offer installation of ceiling and attic fans, outdoor lighting, light switches, dimmers, and light fixtures.

We fully support and promote the continuing education of our expert electricians. Call us or contact us online so we can handle your electrical needs—we’ll get it right the first time around.

Dimmer Switches Save Energy

Dimmer switches block varying amounts of electrical current from flowing into your lights. Not only does this save energy, it can also help extend the life of your lights! The amount of energy saved with dimmer switches varies greatly, depending on how much you dim the lights, how long they are dimmed, and which types of bulbs you choose. Ultimately, this means that you get to save money on your energy bills.

If installing dimmer switches in every room isn’t possible, you can get the most benefit from using them in rooms where your needs fluctuate the must. The average wattage of permanently installed lighting tends to be higher in certain rooms, including master bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, hallways, and living rooms.

Call us or contact us online to learn more about the savings opportunity offered by dimmer switches.

Dimmer Switches Control Room Ambience

Whether you want to watch a movie in the family room or host a dinner in the dining room, dimmer switches can enhance the atmosphere and set the mood. By dimming the lights, you can create a romantic or cozy setting. Also, if you have young children or guests over who aren’t familiar with your home, dimming the lights at night allows them to find their way around.

Dimmer Switches Are Durable

A dimmer will make light bulbs last longer—the softer the light, the longer the bulb lasts. You can add between three and four years to a bulb’s life with proper dimming.

Contact Kolb Electric for Dimmer Switch Installation

If you want to enjoy all the benefits associated with dimmer switches, call Kolb Electric to schedule the installation service you need. We’ve been serving the MD, VA, and DC area since 1925. You can count on our experienced electricians to get the job done right the first time.

Electrical Service Upgrades

Are you dealing with frequently flickering lights? Do your circuit breakers trip often when you turn on large appliances? Does your home have several two-pronged outlets that do not accommodate today’s three-pronged plugs for most electrical appliances? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your home more than likely needs a heavy up, which is an increase in the power of your main electrical service. For example, we can transition your home from lower amperage to either 200 or 400 amps.

Outlet Upgrades

Homes without Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) outlets in the bathrooms, kitchens, or garages also need to be upgraded. This is a type of outlet that protects against electrical shocks. GFI outlets are required in most states, and homeowners in MD, VA, and DC should change all older version outlets to GFI outlets. A GFI outlet has two buttons, including a test button and a reset button, and the outlets turns the power off before a shock can occur. It is especially important that GFI outlets are installed in any area of your home where water flows—bathrooms, kitchens, outdoor areas. The outlet will sense when there is a potentially dangerous imbalance in the flow of electricity from the outlet to whatever is plugged and will shut off to prevent shocks or electrocution.

Aluminum Wiring Upgrade

Many older homes in the area were constructed with aluminum wiring. When these homes were built, aluminum wiring was considered safe to use and viewed as a cost-saving measure. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) now believes aluminum wiring poses a safety hazard in homes that still have this type of wiring.

The biggest danger associated with aluminum wiring is that unanticipated fire hazards arise from the rusting and deterioration caused at the points where aluminum wiring is connected at outlets, light fixtures, and splices. Call us so an expert electrician can evaluate whether or not this is a problem in your home and take steps to transition your home from aluminum to copper wiring.

If you live in an older MD, VA, or DC home, contact Kolb Electric today. We strongly recommend that you avoid attempting any electrical upgrades or repairs on your own as this can be very dangerous. Electrical upgrades are best left to a professional, licensed electrician.

Dangers of Aluminum Wiring

The biggest danger associated with aluminum wiring is that unanticipated fire hazards arise from the oxidation and deterioration caused at the points where aluminum wiring is connected at outlets, light fixtures, and splices. While this can cause overheating and arching that won’t trip a circuit breaker, it can cause a fire. The CPSC estimates that about 2 million homes were built with aluminum wiring between 1965 and 1973—and many of these homes are located in the MD, VA, and DC area.

Warning signs, such as warm-to-the-touch face plates on outlets or switches, flickering lights, circuits that don’t work, or the smell of burning plastic, can indicate a fire hazard within 15- and 20-ampere aluminum wiring circuits.

Aluminum to Copper Wiring

Aluminum wiring should be thoroughly evaluated by a qualified electrician who is experienced in inspecting and correcting wiring problems. The CPSC recommends a few methods for correction. The first is to rewire the home with copper wire, an expensive option that really only makes sense if the homeowner is already in the process of completely remodeling or doing deep renovations. The second option is to use the Copalum crimp method to correct the problem. This involves attaching a piece of copper wire to the existing aluminum wire with a specially designed metal sleeve and powered crimping tool. It is a permanent repair option that will eliminate the dangers posed by aluminum wiring. A third option is to use a UL listed copper to aluminum connector to attach a copper wire to the existing aluminum wire.

Call Kolb Electric if Your Home has Aluminum Wiring

Only an experienced electrician can accurately determine the level of danger a home with aluminum wiring faces, and then fix the problem in an efficient, timely manner.

If your home has aluminum wiring, we recommend that you call Kolb Electric or contact us online. We will send one of our expert electricians out to evaluate the aluminum wiring in your home to determine the best option to make your home as safe as possible. We’ve been serving Baltimore and Bethesda, MD as well as Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC since 1925. You can count on our experienced electricians to get the job done right the first time.

Save Money with Commercial LED Lighting

Commercial LED lighting is very energy-efficient—replacing incandescent, halogen, or compact fluorescent light bulbs with LED lighting reduces energy consumption 50 – 85 percent. Some studies reveal that businesses have the potential to save as much as 60 percent on their electricity bill each month by making a total change from incandescent bulbs to LED lighting. ENERGY STAR reports that lighting is the largest cost component of a commercial building’s electricity bill and a significant portion of the total energy bill.

Some businesses shy away from LED bulbs because of their higher initial cost compared to other bulbs.  However, it will not take long for businesses to recoup this cost in the form of direct savings on electricity bills. Also, LED bulbs work by generating light using a semiconductor rather than relying on heating up a traditional filament. What does this mean for you? It means the highest quality LED bulbs can last up to 50,000 hours. The typical incandescent bulb, on the other hand, lasts only about 750 hours.

Improve Employee Performance with Commercial LED Lighting

Work environment upgrades are closely tied with an improvement in the performance of employees. A Cornell University study estimates that a 3 – 5 percent gain in worker performance can be achieved with better lighting. In many cases, the gains in worker productivity alone are enough to offset the costs associated with commercial LED lighting. Light has a direct correlation with ease of reading, lower eyestrain, reduced errors, better turnaround time, reduced risk of musculoskeletal injuries, and psychological well-being.

The great thing about commercial LED lighting is that it can be tailored to meet your needs for color accuracy. Whether you want lighting that’s warm, cool, or neutral, the right type of LED lighting is available. Color rendering—the ability to make colors look true—must also be taken into account when it comes to LED lighting. The color rendering index (CRI) characterizes light sources in view of their ability to produce “natural light” and can be between 0 and 100. The closer an LED light comes to 100 on the CRI, the more naturally colors are rendered, and the light is perceived as more pleasant.

Transitioning to commercial LED lighting can help you save immediately on your electricity bills. The fact that LED lighting lasts significantly longer than incandescent bulbs and has the potential to improve employee performance is also beneficial to your business. If you want to learn about what type of LED lighting is best for your business, contact us today.