Over the years, our clients have asked many questions about their electrical systems; how to best care for them, what the cause of certain issues are, and more. We’ve compiled just a few of the most common questions we get below, with our responses.

A: Is the switch all the way in the “off” position? You have to feel it click off before you can reset it. If you are able to return it to the “on” position—you’ll feel another click—and it does not trip again, then you were successful. If it continues to trip, then there could be a chance that you have a short circuit or an overloaded circuit. Quite often, an electrical panel upgrade is the solution.

A: There are a number of possible reasons this can be occurring. First, check for a tripped circuit breaker. Then, if it’s a GFCI outlet, check for a reset button right on the outlet itself. Push that, if there is one. In the absence of either of these issues, then it may just be an old outlet that needs replacing. Just like any other electrical component, it can wear out over time and is usually no reason for huge concern.

Do, though, make sure you don’t smell or see any smoke or smoldering—this can be indicative of frayed wires starting an electrical fire. If you do detect smoke, your next step is to call the fire department.

Flickering can happen with certain types of lightbulbs and are sometimes not a cause for concern at all. However, if either of flickering or dimmer are occurring when you turn something on or an appliance cycles on in your home, then you probably have an overloaded electrical panel. Another possibility is that the lightbulbs you have installed in whatever fixture is creating the issues are not adequate bulbs for that fixture.

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Energy Efficient Lighting Solutions for Aging Eyes

As people get older there is more time to really enjoy the homes they have built for themselves. The kids have grown and moved away, and being physically comfortable has, perhaps, become more important than it once was.  Knowing that aging eyes need a better kind of light and more of it to be comfortable, remodeling the lighting in your home improves comfort threefold.

“Baby boomers are finding that they need three to four times as much light and that glare is hard on the eyes,” says Norm Brown, CLC, of Norburn Lighting & Bath Centre in Burnaby, B.C., and a consultant for the American Lighting Association (ALA). “Fluorescent light bulbs are easier to see by than regular light bulbs. LED lights are being used more for their reduced glare, as well as Halogen, for their white light quality. You can choose energy-efficient bulbs in many styles for redecorating your whole house.”

Capitol Lighting offers ceiling, wall-mounted and portable fixtures, and recessed and track lighting in energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs as well as light-emitting diode (LED) lights to help aging eyes. Shop from thousands of fluorescent lights and energy efficient lighting solutions when remodeling your home’’s lighting at 1800lighting.com today! Aging eyes can see more clearly with energy efficient lighting solutions from Capitol Lighting.

Switching from a traditional fuel-powered vehicle to an electric car or hybrid can save you money and reduce harmful emissions, reducing not only your carbon footprint, but also the amount of money you spend on gas. Electric and hybrid-electric cars can travel an average of 100 miles on just 25-40 kWh before requiring a recharge.

One of the misconceptions associated with electric cars is that it can be difficult or inconvenient to find a charging station. With an electric car home charging station, you don’t have to search for a place to recharge your car. Bryant Electric Service can install your home charging station and show you how to use it; we also install office and commercial charging systems.

Electric car charging stations aren’t one-size-fits-all; our Austin electric service professionals will help you choose the best volt level for your needs. Options include:

The biggest benefit of having an electric-car home charging station is the convenience. You will not need to travel anywhere to charge your car and you will beat the lines for electric vehicle charging stations. As electric cars become more popular electric vehicle charging stations are becoming more crowded with cars.

Bryant Electric Service is your residential electrical services expert in Austin, Texas. If you’re interested in smart home technology for your house, contact us today! We can help you learn more about your home electric vehicle charging options!

Many homeowners are DIY enthusiasts and will happily fix a broken chair or repaint the living room wall if they feel it’s looking dull and drab. If you are one of those people, you may also be tempted to fix electrical issues when something goes wrong. However, it’s important to keep in view the fact that electrical jobs aren’t for the DIYer. In fact, any electrical job, big or small should be tackled only by a licensed and insured electrician.

When you are working with electricity, safety is something you should never compromise on. It’s a fact that you would be able to handle some simple electrical jobs on your own and they may seem like a breeze, but the truth is that most people aren’t aware of the precautions they should be taking while tackling anything related to electricity.

When it comes to electrical jobs, there is no alternative to hiring an experienced and skilled professional for the job. Take a look at the 6 biggest domestic electrical mistakes novices make:

This is a very common mistake that many inexperienced people make. Every installation needs a different gauge (thickness) of wire. Using the incorrect one in a particular application can result in an overload or overheating in the wire; in turn, this can cause the circuit breaker or fuse to trip. It’s crucial that the wires be rated for the actual amperage they are going to carry.

It’s crucial that you never try to make any electrical connections outside electrical boxes. The sole purpose of these boxes is to ensure that the wires should be protected from external elements. If you do have to make an extension, use a plastic/metal box. Do not shove too many wires into one electrical box- this can lead to a short circuit.

There are times when you may not fix the switches and outlets firmly in the wall. These can be dangerous. When you attempt to fit appliances into an outlet that’s loosely fitted, the wires can come out of their terminals and can get overheated.

All the connections inside a fuse box should be correctly and tightly placed. Loose connections can cause flickering in lights and appliances. At times, it can lead to overheating of circuits too. It’s never a good idea to try to fix these yourself

Circuit breakers and fuses are the safety mechanisms that protect the wire ampacity ratings; they also control the flow of electricity to all the connected appliances. Many people are under the false impression that if a fuse blows or a circuit trips, they can simply replace it; and that the problem will be solved. In actuality, when either of these things happen repeatedly, it’s an indication that there is something wrong in the wiring connected to them. Call in a licensed electrician without delay and get the problem fixed.

This is another common electrical mistake. While many people simply buy adaptors and use them to plug in multiple appliances in at a single point, this only increases the amperage that the circuit can handle. This danger is compounded if you use more than one heavy-duty appliance at a single outlet.

Never take chances when you are dealing with electrical installations or are faced with electrical issues. Always call in a certified electrician to handle the job. For any type domestic electrical installations, call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263. You can also drop us a line via email.

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