If you’re a homeowner, you’re probably looking for ways to save energy and money. There are so many hidden costs involved in home ownership, and if you’re not careful, your electrical consumption can be a big factor in those costs. However, it’s easier than you might think to save on energy if you just follow a few simple tips.

If you’re ready to save energy, ElectricMan wants to help you figure out how to do it! We want to be your go-to source not only for electrical service but also for advice and information on all things electrical. A family owned business, we offer quality electrical services at low prices, and we only employ professional, licensed, certified electricians. We’re here to fix any electrical repairs you may need and if an electrical emergency should happen, we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Visit the ElectricMan website to learn more, or connect with our online community on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google Plus.

As a Top Plano Electrician, I know better than anyone how powerful and useful electricity is. It also makes me more aware of what most people tend to ignore or forget: electricity is dangerous. Electricians are required by law to carry insurance, and for good reasons. Electric current is capable of starting fires and destroying your property and equipment in a matter of moments. The proper safety precautions really can save lives, and there‘s always something we can do to improve home safety.

One of the most important precautions is located in your electrical panel: the circuit breaker. It is designed to keep you from using more electricity than the wiring or receptacle can handle at one time, what we refer to as overcurrent protection. This protects your wiring from taking on too much current, which can cause the coating around your wiring to melt, the leading cause of electrical fires. Circuit breakers serve another purpose as well; not only to protect from surges coming from outside your home, but from potential hazards within it as well. Current flowing through a failed piece of equipment or appliance can cause sparks, which have the potential to start fires or damage other electrical devices. A properly functioning circuit breaker can shut off the power to this device. It’s very important, however, that you use a circuit breaker of the proper size for the circuit to ensure that your wiring is properly protected.

Circuit breakers come in specialty varieties as well; the most important are ground fault circuit breakers (GFCI), for wet locations, and arc fault circuit breakers (AFCI). AFCI’s, in particular, can help prevent some of the most common dangerous situations in your home.

I’ve dealt with plenty of cases where electrical fires have started because people ran an extension cord under the carpet, so that they can power the lamp in the center of the room. Over time, people walking over the cord stretches out the wiring, making it so thin that the current overloads the thinly stretched wire, creating an arc fault; the electricity “jumps” the wire, completing the circuit in a way the cord can’t handle and generating heat that starts a fire. Arc fault circuit breakers prevent this by shutting the circuit down when the arc fault occurs.

So what do you need to know about arc fault circuit breakers? To start with, by code AFCI’s should be installed on any circuit that isn’t protected by a GFCI or directly wired into an appliance. It’s in your best interest to have your safety devices routinely inspected to maintain their optimum performance and capabilities; in particular, your circuit breakers should be inspected at least once a year. The inspection process is quick and relatively inexpensive, and something that simple really can save the lives of you and your family.

Thunderstorms pose a safety hazard in several ways. Lightning is the most dangerous part of a thunderstorm, and it kills more people than hurricanes and tornadoes combined. Thunderstorms produce heavy rain, which can cause flash flooding. The strong winds from a thunderstorm can also cause widespread damage. Each of these components requires specific precautions to minimize their danger.

A thunderstorm typically has a diameter of 15 miles and lasts for 30 minutes, which is much smaller than a hurricane or winter storm. The National Weather Service places specific criteria on a severe thunderstorm. These include thunderstorms that produce hail with a diameter of at least ¾ inch, wind gusts of at least 58 mph or a tornado. Severe thunderstorms comprise about 10 percent of all thunderstorms.

The NWS recommends that you stay indoors for 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder when you hear thunder less than 30 seconds after the lightning. This rule is known as the 30/30 lightning safety rule.

Avoid taking emergency shelter in structures that are vulnerable to high winds, such as a mobile home. Outdoors shelters such as sheds, pavilions and golf’s typically will not protect you from flying debris and lightning. Avoid and report downed power lines. Bring pets and livestock under shelter to protect them during hailstorms.

If you’ve ever known someone who had a house fire break out in the middle of the night, or had a circuit breaker issue at 3 AM, then you know how important 24 hour electricians are. Like many issues related to being a homeowner, electrical problems rarely occur neatly between the hours of 9 AM-5 PM, Monday – Friday. Even when they do, it’s rare that an electrician can be dispatched to fix them right away, which can leave the homeowner and their family vulnerable to dangerous conditions.

Even in this day and age of modern technology and electricity, many house fires are caused by a fault in the home’s electrical system. It could be due to old or faulty wiring; it could simply be a bad wire that has created a spark, or it could be an overload. Whatever the reason, the results can be devastating.

In addition to house fires, faulty wiring can also cause less serious but still risky issues such as frequent blackouts or circuit breaker problems. This may not be life-threatening the way a fire is, but it can cost you money in both electrical repair costs and costs to replace appliances. When appliances are constantly exposed to electrical outages and surges, they can wear out much faster, meaning they need to be repaired or replaced more often.

If you contact a 24-hour electrician as soon as you notice a concern, you can head off many major electrical problems while they are still small. While the cost may be greater than calling for an electrician during business hours, a 24 hour electrician can provide peace of mind during situations that can be very stressful. They can replace circuits, make repairs on wires and wiring systems, and ensure your home is safe to inhabit. In the event larger repairs are required, they can make sure the parts you need are obtained and installed before too much time passes.

If you’ve never had to call for an electrician, plumber, or another service at any time besides business hours, you might be unfamiliar with how the process works. Here’s what happens when you make that 3 AM call for an emergency electrician:

No one likes to think about needing an emergency electrician. After all, the cost for an after-hours appointment with any service will be high, and the news may not be positive. However, when it comes to your home, major electrical problems can cause house fires and other issues which will cost you money over the long run. Reaching out to an emergency electrician at the first sign of trouble can help save not only your home but your life as well.