Electrical systems, regardless of how advanced the technology is or how well they are installed, can fail and require repairs from time to time. Now, the average Joe knows how to change a bulb or even check a fuse but beyond that, it’s best to leave the job to the professionals. Safety is a major reason, as you never know the risk involved in any electrical problem around the house. It is best to let a trained technician deal with the matter on hand than taking a chance by attempting it yourself. However, you might be confused when selecting an electrician to hire.

This one is a no-brainer. The local electrician will be able to reach you quicker as he has to travel a shorter distance and this can come in handy if you an electrical emergency on hand. On the other hand, any electrical service located at a distance might take a few hours to send over their personnel to you by which time the damage would have exacerbated and you could be left with a large repair bill. Regardless of the extent of the problem, having it dealt with without delay is a good idea and this is where hiring a local electrician is the best option. And you won’t have to explain the route to him either!

As mentioned above, the shorter commute and the less time taken to get to your home means the electrician will charge you less money. Generally, professional electricians charge by the hour and they include the time of travel in that bill. By opting for a local electrical service, you can lower this cost and only pay for the labor and material. Not to mention, it can be a hassle for an electrician to have to travel a long distance to get to you, especially if the project is going to take a number of days.

You might have done a fine job of explaining the problem over the phone but the real extent of the damage will only be discovered once the electrician is on your premises and examining the damage. Now, this could mean he needs supplies or tools that he doesn’t have on hand. This isn’t a concern with a local electrician as he can get the materials he need delivered right away or even go and get them himself without wasting much time. Also, he would know the area which means he knows where to buy any stuff required to get the job done. This means the work will be finished quicker.

A local electrician will do his best to impress you with the quality of work to convince you to refer him to your friends and relatives. This is one advantage of hiring a local electrician not many people consider. This also means you can ask the people in your neighborhood if they have availed his services and whether or not they are satisfied with them. Just because he is located near you doesn’t mean he will not do a competent job. His bread and butter depend on the quality of service he provides, so you can expect no problems in terms of quality.

With electrical projects, you never know when a project ends up taking more time than budgeted for due to some reason. Now, professional electricians generally don’t like to stay beyond the time they had decided for when they came over initially. With a local electrician, you have some wiggle room because of his shorter commute and the fact that he is likely to get referrals from you. So, if the work ends up taking more time than anticipated, it is likely he would stay back and finish the job without any extra charges.

So, the next time you encounter an electrical problem you feel requires a professional to deal with, call in a local electrician!

Hurricane Sandy is making her presence known in MD, DC, and VA. Downed trees, flooding, and even snowfall are causing serious problems for people in the area. Millions are without power throughout the Northeast. Hurricane Sandy is not the first, nor will it be the last, powerful storm to hit the area. This is a perfect time to consider investing in a home or commercial standby backup generator, which is a permanently installed fixture.

Kolb Electric is a leading installer of home standby backup generators. This type of generator is permanently installed on a gravel bed or concrete pad next to your house. The benefits of investing in a home standby backup generator include:

Here at Kolb Electric, we’ve also completed numerous commercial standby backup generators. We’ve heard the same thing over and over again from business owners in the area in terms of what they’re looking for in a backup generator:

Standby backup generators allow homes and businesses to continue normal, everyday operations. Hurricane Sandy is a real wakeup call to MD, DC, and VA that the area is vulnerable to inclement weather conditions. To protect your home or business from future power outages, contact Kolb Electric to schedule a home or commercial standby backup generator installation.