For many business owners, calling someone for an on-demand service involves dipping into the budget set aside for rainy days. However, calling a commercial electrician can actually save your Iowa business money in the long run. By having the local electricians at Electrical Gurus perform electrical maintenance services for your Des Moines business, you could potentially reduce costs and increase safety for your customers and employees.

Most businesses take their electrical service for granted because there are many other things to worry about on a day to day basis, such as how to make enough money to turn the lights on. However, your power system should receive regular checkups from a licensed electrician to ensure your system is not only working properly, but also safely. Electrical maintenance can identify major problems before they happen; this will help your business budget for items that need immediate replacement as well as plan for future electrical improvements down the line. Additionally, the electrical contractors at Electrical Gurus can suggest energy efficient improvements for your business that can help reduce month to month costs. Finally, by calling a commercial electrician, you can guarantee the electrical system of your business is providing a safe environment for customers and employees.

Electrical maintenance often goes overlooked by small businesses. However, by preventing problems instead of reacting once they occur, you can save your business lots of money. Call Electrical Gurus today and have a commercial electrician perform a maintenance check up at your Des Moines business today. You owe it to your customers and employees, and you’ll save plenty of money in the long run by preventing electrical problems.

Smoke detectors are very crucial pieces of safety equipment in your home and it is now also mandatory in NSW that residential properties have at least one smoke alarm on every storey. Not many people are aware of this, but a large percentage of fires in homes cause massive destruction because the smoke detectors didn’t function the way they should have.

The unfortunate fact is that we almost always take these fixtures for granted; we get them installed and rarely even notice they are there on the ceiling until they get set off accidently or when their batteries go dead. Improperly installed smoke detectors or even poorly-maintained ones will only end up letting you down exactly when you need them.

It’s important that you make smoke detector maintenance a part and parcel of your regular home maintenance routine. There two main types of smoke alarms used on residential properties:

These have minuscule quantities of radioactive material that reacts to the particles that are emitted when a fire breaks out, and that sets-off the alarm. These alarms are extremely effective in the detection of fast-flaming fires in which there isn’t too much of visible smoke.

These have photocells with a light beam that shines away from the cell. If smoke enters its test chamber, the smoke particles scatter some of the light; this hits the cell and triggers the alarm. These types of smoke detectors are ideal for detecting smouldering/smoky fires, which is how residential fires typically are.

Regardless of the types of alarms installed on your property, it doesn’t take more than a few minutes annually to ensure that these devices are in a working order at all times. The few steps you should take are:

Aside from the regular maintenance, it’s also very important that you consider how many smoke detectors you have and how they are powered. The best way to increase the effectiveness and safety of these devices is to upgrade your home’s smoke detection setup. The things to focus on are:

We can install and maintain smoke detectors on your residential or commercial premises. For more information, contact the Allround Electricals team at this number – 1300 169 263. Alternatively, you can also write to us at this email address.

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When is it Time to Upgrade Your Electrical Work?

You can't see the electrical wiring in your home, but it’s integral to your day-to-day life. The electrical work behind your walls is responsible for lighting your home, powering your microwave and electric stove, running the air conditioning and so much more. So while your electrical work might be out of sight and out of mind, you'll definitely notice if something goes wrong. That's why you should prevent electrical problems before they start by evaluating your wiring and planning upgrades if your system turns out to be damaged, out-of-date, dangerous or otherwise not up to the standard required for modern homes.

Update Outdated or Dangerous Wiring

There are a number of reasons why your electrical work could be in need of an update. One of the most important, and potentially most expensive, is if you have an outdated wiring system running through your home. Homes built in the 1970s or earlier could have aluminum wiring, or even worse, knob and tube wiring – neither of which was designed to carry the amount of electricity necessary for today's households. If you have one of these systems in your home, you might be able to increase your home’s electrical capacity and improve its safety by replacing that infrastructure with modern copper wiring.

Even if you have a modern wiring system, problems like corrosion or damaged wiring may be undetected and worsening. That's a serious hazard hidden in your walls that you might not know about until it's too late. There could also be other dangers in your electrical work, like shoddy connections in your circuit box, too many outlets on a circuit, or a lack of proper grounding.

Look for Expert Guidance

If your electrical work seems like it's performing fine for now, that doesn’t mean there’s no reason to check it out. First and foremost, old wiring puts you at increased risk of an electric fire, which is a risk to both your property and your life. Furthermore, many home insurance agencies won't issue you coverage, or will charge increased premiums, if there is outdated electrical work. Old wiring also may not be up to your municipality's current local building code. Although existing homes are generally grandfathered into compliance if they don't meet new standards, you may be required to make updates to bring the system up to code if you perform any electrical work on your home in the future.

Properly evaluating the safety of a home electrical system is beyond the ability of most homeowners, let alone performing major upgrades like rewiring the home. If you have any doubts about the age or status of your home electrical work, call a qualified electrician today to advise you and make any necessary updates or repairs.

Overlamping is when a lamp-holder socket has a bulb with a higher wattage than the socket is designed for. Not every lamp-holder socket in your home is rated for the commonly used 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. This is a code violation and a highly dangerous fire hazard.

For instance, if you connect a100-watt light bulb into a 75-watt lamp-holder socket, the intense heat coming from the bulb can melt or scorch the socket, potentially exposing the electrical wires underneath. This is a possible fire hazard as it increases the risk of arcing. Arcing is when sparks jump through the air from one wire to another, and research has shown that it is one of the most common causes of electrical fires.

The United States system of safety standards requires that electrical equipment be listed. Listing is a tool used to facilitate acceptance of electrical equipment. Most lamp holders are listed up to a particular wattage depending on the type of fixture used. This rating is derived from things such as the types of materials used in the construction of the fitting as well as where it will be placed. This causes varying levels of wattage, although most common lamp holder sockets are rated 75 watt.

You may find that some sockets in and around your home are listed at 40 watts or even 25 watts. An electrician can test the sockets in your home and confirm the maximum wattage for each one.

Most experts agree that using a bulb with a maximum wattage of 75 watts is the safest option, but you can always ask your electrician for help to be certain. Modern high-efficiency lamps are much safer because the majority do not exceed 75 watts of energy consumption. For older and unmarked fixtures, it is best to use a 60-watt bulb instead.

If you notice a lamp-holder socket in or around your home that looks as if it is scorched or melted, it is best to ask a professional for help before using it. If you would rather not seek an electrician’s assistance and choose to do the repairs yourself, ensure that you have switched off the electricity at the mains and that you have the correct tools for the job.