Today, Americans use more electricity than ever before. The average American consumed roughly 2,200 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year in 1950. This has skyrocketed to approximately 14,000 kilowatt-hours for the average American today. The consistent increase of consumer electronic use and energy consumption means that electrical systems could easily become overloaded and, as a result, malfunction. While the appliances of today are significantly more efficient than the appliances of the past, homes and businesses may be operating with insufficient electrical support for their modern appliances, which could be a signal that it’s time for an electrical panel upgrade.

Since 1925, Kolb Electric has provided excellent services on electrical panel installations in Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be a warning sign that it’s time for an electrical panel upgrade. Please contact Kolb Electric so that one of our qualified electricians in MD, DC or VA can take a look at your electrical panel. If you are unsure about the status or functionality of your panel, it is best that you do not take any chances.

In 2007, approximately 170 people in the United States died in the workplace as a result of fire or explosions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Experts agree that an outdated or inadequate electrical panel is a fire waiting to happen. The dangers associated with an outdated electrical system can be drastically reduced simply through an electrical panel upgrade.

Electrical panels are the heart of any electric system. You can help protect your family or your employees by upgrading your electrical panel. Kolb Electric is one of the top installers of electrical panels. Our expert electricians in MD, DC or VA can complete an electrical panel upgrade and enhance the safety of your home or business.

Outdoor lighting provides homeowners with the ability to make their property safe and easier to walk around at night. Not only will you feel more comfortable knowing what’s in your front yard, but you will also add visual appeal to your home too. If you want to improve outdoor safety through lighting, and at the same time add a little character to the outside of your home, then follow along to understand the potential upgrades you can make for outdoor lighting options.

As professional electricians, we always stress that homeowners must never attempt electrical repairs on their own without proper training, licensing, and equipment. This is principally to protect people from high voltage shocks and electrical fires. But it is also important that a house’s electrical system remain up to code.

But just what is this nebulous “code”? It isn’t so nebulous as you might think: it’s called the National Electric Code or the NEC. It helps keep you and your home safe through the standardization of electrical practices.

The National Electric Code

Essentially, the NEC is a collection of what the top experts in fire prevention in the country consider the best standards for safety in electrical wiring, and this set of standards is collected and made available to local governments to use as part of local laws at their discretion. The code is updated every three years, and the current NEC is available to the public in a bound book containing over a thousand pages. The code is also available online through the NFPA’s website.

It depends on your jurisdiction. Your city, state, or municipality will have its own version of the code and its own method of enforcement. Nobody expects you to go read the entire NEC online: local electricians will know how the code is used in their jurisdictions. This knowledge is one of the qualities that separates professional electricians from amateurs. While performing repairs and installations, trained and licensed electricians will make certain that the work done keeps a building within the restrictions of the local version of the NEC.