Many homes, local businesses, hospitals and city buildings rely on electric generators as a backup to their main power source when there is a power outage. June is National Hurricane Preparedness Month and Mr. Electric wants to help you, your family, business and community stay safe during the hurricane season. Whether you are using a permanently placed standby electric generator or a portable electric generator used for the home, these guidelines will help you power tomorrow.

Standby electric generator:

Electric home generator:

Proper operation of electric generators will prevent damage and injury. Stay safe during National Hurricane Preparedness Month with these tips from Mr. Electric.

Do you have a smart phone? What about a smart watch? Tablet? Laptop computer? Backup battery? Each of these devices needs frequent charging, which means the charger will take up a precious electrical outlet somewhere in your home for hours at a time, and could prevent you from having to plug in something else that you may need. What’s worse, what happens when you lose your charger and are left with nothing more than a typical USB cable? You can’t plug that into the wall, so what good will it do?

Well, that’s not exactly true anymore. In recent years, because the USB platform has become so popular for smartphone and other device charging, electrical component companies have begun to make wall sockets with USB plugs already built in! These combo outlets give you the best of both worlds, allowing you to plug in your devices with a regular USB cable while keeping your electrical sockets open for additional plugs.

A USB combo outlet is remarkably simple, and can be retrofitted to fit nearly any already-existing outlet. Essentially the two electrical outlets are exactly the same, but they also have two USB outlets squished right in between them. When the electricity is fed to the outlet, it also feeds directly into a step-down circuit, which brings the voltage down from 110 volts to about five, which is the standard for that particular plug technology.

The other benefit is you don’t have to worry about a large or bulky charger potentially blocking up the other outlet. While most manufacturers have gotten pretty good about keeping their wall chargers small, some larger units can take up a big chunk of space on your wall, potentially hindering access to the other charging unit. Getting rid of these units entirely and charging off a USB port keeps both plugs free and open for other uses.

Think something like this would be far too expensive? Think again. The average cost of a USB wall socket is generally anywhere between $10 and $25 each, making them remarkably cost-effective. When you consider you don’t usually need any more than three to four of these outlets, you can make this switch for at most about $100.

That is, provided your home can support these new devices. A wall outlet sits inside a small metal case that’s mounted inside your wall, known as a junction box. Most modern junction boxes are fairly large, and upgrading to these new outlets isn’t a big issue. But some older homes were built with smaller junction boxes that won’t be able to fit the increased size of a USB outlet, which is normally roughly twice as deep as a traditional standard outlet.

How do you pick one quality certified electrician out from a crowd?  You might ask for recommendations from friends and family. It’s also wise to check out the company on Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau. Then you can read the testimonials and find out what other customers have experienced.

While all these techniques are helpful, one of the best ways to find a trustworthy Dallas electrician is to discover what certification and insurance they have compared to what is actually required to get the job done. Far too many homeowners forget to look into certifications and credentials, and end up hiring a Dallas electrician without the proper licenses. Here’s what to look for to ensure you’ve found a certified electrician.

ElectricMan is a family -owned and operated company with certified electricians. They offer complete residential and commercial repair and service for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The company is lead by a fully licensed and insured master electrician with several all-star journeyman-licensed employees and training apprentices under his watchful eye. You will find quality reviews on Angie’s List, and they also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

To work with certified, licensed professionals on your next electrical project, please contact a certified electrician at ElectricMan today. ElectricMan is your trusted, local Dallas electrician with 27 years of experience. Visit the ElectricMan website for more information, and also find us on Facebook and Twitter.