HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE A GOOD ELECTRICIAN

When faced with the dilemma of searching for an electrician, it pays to practice good judgment, careful thinking, and research. Sure, electricians are easy to find, but finding a good and competent electrician is no easy task.

It’s not just a matter of whether he has an impressive clientele list, or if he has rock-hard muscles that make him appear strong enough for the job. Great electricians are determined by their attitude and work ethics. Finding one without one of these two traits will not only pose a threat to your wallet, they may give you headaches because of poor quality of work. So what are the three main things to look for when searching for a good electrician?

Look for a professional who is responsible enough to complete a project within your budget.  Unless you are a millionaire, any normal person would be prudent enough to allot a certain reasonable budget for any service he wishes to avail of. A professional and licensed electrician respects a client’s financial constraints, though. He will assess the job, list down all the materials and labor needed, and present a final budget before he starts on any job. And when it is approved by the client, he must do everything to stick to the budget by all means.

The main difference between a professional electrician and a mediocre one is that most professionals shoulder extra expenses that are a result of his wrong budget proposal. A mediocre one, however, will call the customer after a period of time, to tell him that “so and so need to be replaced, this and that turned out to be faulty and must therefore be repaired”, etc. In short, not enough careful analysis and checking went into the estimate on the job that needed to be done, and therefore, too many incidental and surprise expenses prop up – all out of the budget. Migraine-worth moment? It sure is! Of course, this also means that if you are looking for excellent service, it does not pay to be cheap.

Excellent work is work that is way above what is expected. This entails using the best materials, the most number of workers, and more man hours spent to pay attention to details – all of which cost extra money. But for something like electrical work which is delicate and so vital to the safety of your home and/or building, a few more dollars spent on better quality of work pays off well.

A good electrician finishes the job efficiently – and on time. There is nothing more irritating than being promised one thing, but being delivered another. A good electrician knows how to keep his promises and stick to his schedule. It is inconvenient to have workers shuffling around the house as you go about your daily chores. But if you need their services, then you just have no choice. But to have them around longer than promised – that becomes extremely inconvenient, and speaks tons about a tradesman’s inability to stick to a schedule. This simple respect a good electrician shows for the personal time of his client shows that he is indeed professional, and that he values the details of the contract he signed. Seemingly small thing, but really vital to one’s image as man with good work ethics.

Another thing expected of him – to guarantee his work, but see to it that he does not have to come back over and over to repair or tweak a poor job. When an electrician does not give quality work, there will be a constant need for him to re-do or repair his work – and that’s not good! The less a client to use an electrician’s guarantee on service, the better. This means that the trades man knows exactly what he’s doing and his solutions are spot-on – no reworking necessary. This is another way to show not only his expertise, but his respect, once again, for his client’s time.

A good electrician does not say no to a job, no matter how small-scale it is. Now how arrogant is that? No good electrician must be too good to accept small jobs needed around the building or house – especially if he will be paid well for it. Not all electricians are hired for long-term and big-time projects – they still have lull periods in between huge jobs.

These small residence-oriented jobs must not be overlooked, because they also keep food on the table. Besides, payment for small jobs is much faster than that of large-scale projects. Work now, then get paid right after. Also, these small jobs enable an electrician to widen his network of clients. He has the opportunity to bond with people in his community – and in doing so, the chances of him being referred for other bigger jobs become greater. No job is too small – no customer is too unimportant to be ignored – especially if you value your reputation as a good electrician.

3 ENERGY SAVING TIPS FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Huge tall commercial buildings are energy drainers. Can you imagine how much electricity one entire building alone consumes, should all of the consumption be consolidated into one sole bill? Humongous, most probably.

Needless to say, if everyone occupying one part of a building does his own share in conserving energy, everything will add up to huge bucks – thus saving the environment from all the needless toxic fumes necessary in producing electricity.

Below are some ways on how building can help save energy. Remember, one watt saved matters a lot.

Control lighting. Admittedly, it’s cool to see a building so-well lit, that it becomes the source of light for the entire block. A well-lit building is seen from miles and miles away, and may stand out from every other building in the area. But is it really necessary that so much lighting be used even when it’s not needed? To save the environment, turn off all the unused lights. If you leave a room, turn off the room light. If you’re wary about having a dark unlit building, why not install motion-activated lights? This way, when the sensors see that no one is in a room, it automatically shuts down the bulbs and chandeliers.

You can also install dimmers – light switches which actually allow the user to adjust the wattage use based on need. Also use fluorescent lights instead of bulbs – they produce better lighting as compared to bulbs, thus decreasing the need to turn on more lights to compensate for the seeming darkness. If building construction allows it, undrawn the drapes, shades or curtains. Let in more natural lighting that actually does not use electricity.

Move the air. Unless you have a central air-conditioning system, turn off air-conditioners at areas where they are not being used. Turn down the thermostat, too. The less cool your cooling system is, the less power you consume. If you plan to leave the office at 5PM, then turn off the aircon at 4:30PM. All the contained cool air is enough to get you through the next 30 last minutes of your work day. Some companies also use electric fans to move the air. If some parts of your office are colder than others, don’t run to the building administrator and demand that more air vents be installed. Instead, turn on a few electric fans to distribute coolness. You end up conserving a load of power.

Turn off all office equipment when unused. This may seem like a small thing, but try to imagine 300 offices occupying one building and then turning off all equipment when unused – then this amounts to a lot! When conserving electricity, there’s always one rule – “Every little bit helps.” There’s no sense in keeping all 50 computer monitors turned on when only 30 report for work. When there is only one person in one huge room, then ask this person to use the computer beside a few other office mates.

Put computers, plasma monitors on sleep mode or standby mode, and maybe better – turn them off completely when they are not being used. When you leave the office, turn down the refrigerator thermostat, turn off the water cooler or coffee maker. Unless you plan on entertaining ghosts, you have no use for them. You not only save on electricity, you may even save your office or entire building from catching fire in case a fuse or connection explodes due to overuse.

Small things magnified translates to big things – do every bit of conservation, for the good of the planet.

CAUSES OF FAULTY WIRING

The most common cause of fires in houses and buildings are faulty wiring. These maybe the result of do-it-yourself wiring installment, or the work of an inexperienced and unlicensed electrician.

Often times, our desire to save on professional fees leads to problems which have permanent repercussions – and you and your family are lucky if you only lose property. Dozens of people lose their lives and the lives of pets and other loved ones. This is termed as false economy – in your determination to save, you end up losing it all.

So what are the most common causes of faulty wiring?

Really old and outdated wiring system.  Before you go out and purchase a house, make sure you look behind walls to check if the wiring of your  new house is a death trap. Especially when purchasing  a decades-old house,  wiring can be damaged by age, by past floods, a lightning strike which occurred 20 years ago, and gnawing of mice. It’s going to be difficult to actually look behind walls, but to save your lives and to save on needless burrowing into walls, have a professional electrician to check on everything. As with water pipes, wires are also subject to wear and tear. Remember that the electrical systems back in the day are not as advanced and efficient as the ones we now have. Replace those fuse-type boxes with a reall efficient circuit breaker, so that when a part of the house wiring short circuits, you can localize the switching off of power. Replace old wires if needed.

Overloaded circuits. It’s logical – ideally, the rule is “one plug per outlet” – especially if you’re plugging in a high voltage using appliance (like air conditioning, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, and electric stove. Using an extension should be a temporary solution, not a permanent one. And when choosing extensions. Choose one that’s fitted for the wattage that’s going to be plugged into it.  Never ever use octopus plugs – these are those square devices which you plug into one socket, but have several outlets at the sides, enabling the plugging of 4 or more appliances. This is a sure-fire way to overload y our circuit and thus slowly burn into the wiring.

Unexplainable dimming lights or fuses exploding. If you notice these symptoms, most probably, you have faulty wiring. This can be an offshoot of numbers 1 and 2 (overloaded circuits and outdated wiring system). Either you have plugged in too many appliances into a socket, with no regard for the maximum wattage per socket, or your wires are old and crunchy (disintegrating). Hire a good contractor to replace and or check for solutions.

HOW TO FIND A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN

With the rising cost of building one’s own house, one can never afford to risk letting their investment go up in flames. This means that homeowners should always check on their house’ electrical connections – ensuring that everything is always in excellent condition.  

Where matters of electricity is concerned, one can never be too stingy, so never try to do-it-yourself! If you plug in the wrong wire into the wrong socket, you just may find yourself in the hospital – with your eyebrows, fingers and toes singed – and your heart re-jolted just to get it pumping again.

This is when hiring a good and professional electrician becomes necessary. So how do you get one? Where should you look? Who shall you ask?

The internet. A professional electrician will most probably have his own website (especially if he has a business), or at least have his own Facebook page. Try entering the keywords “electrician” followed by your general area of residence, and presto, a search page will appear, and you can take your pick. Tip though – be sure to specify what type of electrical assistance you need (electronics, building, computer, general household), as electricians should have a field of expertise. Beware of the “all-around electrician” – especially if you are having major repairs made. A master of none would mean that this person “knows a little of everything,” thus giving you acceptable but not excellent solutions.

The yellow pages. A Community Business Directory can also give you a host of options, with the added benefit of a narrowed-down list of choices in your area. Especially helpful when already devoid of electricity (due to a tripped electrical connection), a non-internet-based list of good professional electricians will come in handy. Call the numbers listed, all of them if you are patient enough, and ask them is your concern is something they specialize in.

Referrals. Probably the best source of good electricians, a trusted neighbor or office co-worker’s referral is almost like a stamp of approval – you “almost” have verbal proof of their excellent past work. Of course unless you asked your arch- enemy, no acquaintance will refer a bad electrician to you unless they themselves have tried availing of his past services. Now that  you have the advantage of speaking with a past customer, you may also get a general idea about another thing to consider when hiring a professional electrician, which is costing. Ask if rates are reasonable. Ask also about quality of work and guarantee on a completed job. Inquire about materials used – if they are high-grade and reliable, or just cheap alternatives.

Ask building/home contractors – they would have an awesome list. One of the best people to ask are your contractor-friends. Who else would know about the best quality of work other than the ones who hire them most often? Again, ask for the ones who are in your area – as they are easier to contact in case another emergency takes place.

Now there are the ones to avoid:

Electricians who go door-to-door. Funny? Not so much. Now what would prod any professional electrician to desperately seek work by going door to door? Poor work; no referrals; ineffectiveness; a bad record. Beware of the last one (bad record) the most, though. Remember that you would need to invite an electrician into your home. Make sure he is trustworthy, and not the type who would pocket precious stuff lying comfortably around the house, like small gadgets, money, jewelry and even your silverware. Don’t laugh, because this is a reality. An electrician will have access into your home – assign someone to be with him at all times. Another tip – beware of the electrician who uses his obscure celphone camera to take pictures of your home. These are proven ways scrupulous individuals can case your home. Be vigilant!

Those who hand out flyers at the street corner. Although flyering is one inexpensive way to market a business offline, there’s also no way you can check the credentials of the electrician you are hiring. You may hire someone who does not charge much, but may very well end up wasting money, because of the numerous times the cheap labor had to be repaired… or because the materials used were low quality.

In hiring a professional electrician, ask for the following always:

•      Certification / electrician’s license
•          Insurance
•          Warranty on service
•          Experience
•          Education
•          References

These things separate the professional electrician from the average all-around neighbourhood handyman.

3 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HOME

With the rising cost of real estate, it pays to always keep your home well-maintained. Maintenance not only delays the deterioration of your house, it can actually help make it more valuable in the market. With a few simple ways that cost almost nothing, you can convert your humble abode into a potentially expensive-looking investment.

Here are some ways easy ways to do it.

FIX LEAKS. All too often, we have seen how these nasty leaks eat away at the structural integrity of a house. Small water pipe leaks cause rusting and corrosion of metals. Especially when the climate in your area is humid, leaks also cause mold to form. Remember that a water leak, when left unfixed, causes a bigger damage on the main pipes. The constant exposure to moisture seeps through cracks and crevices, causing the parts of the house above the hidden water pipes to be compromised. I’ve seen huge cracks on the concrete appear right above a leaky pipe. Once this happens, the entire stretch of a building over the pipe has to be dug in order to repair or replace the defective pipe. This does not only prove to be costly, it also makes your walls and floors look ugly.

Another type of leak that needs immediate fixing are leaky roofs. How do you tell if you have a leaky roof? Unless you have buckets strategically positioned all over your house to catch rain, the best way to see is to stare at your ceiling, and observe if there are brown water spots at certain points. These brown spots will not appear if there is no moisture source – and usually, the moisture source is a small leak on a wall, crevice, corner, gutter or roof. The longer you procrastinate over fixing these leaks, the bigger the leaks get, and the bigger the damage on your house. Moisture attracts mold, which can cause respiratory and skin illnesses, and in some cases, death. Leaks also cause a musty smell – making your house smell like an old dilapidated house. Roof leaks also cause the ruin of your floors (especially if they’re wood) and some furniture and fixtures. Sometimes, the solution is so simple, like a simple application of roof putty or one small welding job – and your leak is fixed.

Wash your windows. Windows get naturally filthy over time. Why not, when one side is at the exterior., and the other is inside your house? If you invested in a house with a nice view, it makes perfect sense to clean your windows at least once a week. This way, your view is not inhibited by dirt and water stains. If you have screens, take them down and clean them. You can actually tell how clean a homeowner really is by the condition of her house windows. Only a really tidy person will take pains in scrubbing each square inch of the hard-to-clean windows. If your windows, on the other hand, are too difficult to maintain, then it’s time to replace them with more maintenance-free windows, like the sliding type, instead of jalousies. Think of all the added convenience of wiping easy-to-maintain windows!

PAMPER PLANTS. The added beauty and freshness well-maintained plants bring cannot be discounted in any home. Have you noticed some beautiful homes whose facades are muddled by unruly plants? Grooming your shrubs takes as much love and care as it would to raise a pet. However, all your patience and love pays off well eventually, because plants bring much freshness and appeal to your home. Landscaping is also no joke – it takes big bucks. Don’t throw away your investment by letting your beautiful greenery turn into an unruly forest. Uncontrollable plants are also breeding grounds of bugs and disease-bearing insects. When you fail to maintain your plants, you not only make your home less attractive, you also cause health threats to you and your neighbors. If you can’t be responsible, then dig up all your plants and apply concrete over the soil. This is not the ultimate option, but it’s definitely better than keeping greenery that you cannot be a responsible owner to.

Having a beautiful home entails hard work and sacrifice. Eventually all of your efforts will be rewarded, as a well-maintained home can be resold for major bucks. Do your homework and happily perform your household chores – you won’t regret it.

3 WAYS TO LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL

With the rising cost of living, it always pays to employ all ways to lower your monthly electric bill. Sometimes, you turn off lights when not needed, use smaller-screen televisions, or use the electric iron less often, and yet you still find your electric bill going up.

Below are some more reasons why your bill might be rising. It will be very prudent to keep a constant watch on these energy–drainers, because they may be the culprits bleeding you dry.

Put your computer to sleep when not in use. It is not really realistic to turn off your computer on to make a tweet, then to turn it off for a few minutes, then on again for a Facebook update. But keeping it on for long periods of non-use really takes a toll on your power bill. To save on consumption, if you have a desktop, turn off the monitor when the computer is not being used for more than 20 minutes. Newer, more sleek laptops and desktops are now equipped with a “sleep” button – literally putting your power on sleep, but keeping all programs ready for the next time you reactivate it. Some laptops may also be adjusted so that it automatically turns off (even without pushing any buttons) if you mindlessly leave it open and unused for long periods of time. Laptops also use considerably lower amounts of electricity as compared to the more traditional desktops.

Replace your old air-conditioner. If you think you’re saving money by hanging on to that aircon unit your mum handed down to you, then you are driven by false economy. Sure, it’s costly to buy a new one, but keeping your rickety 80’s-90’s era unit will end up eating at your household budget – in repairs, cleaning, and power consumption. And no matter how well maintained it is, it is still old and outdated, and very soon, it will die a natural death. So much for savings. Air-conditioning is one of the main reasons for power consumption, thus any unit older than 10 years consumes 30% more than its newer energy-efficient versions. When seeking a replacement, choose one with a high seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). Also, it would be good to buy a unit specifically apt for the area that needs to be cooled. If you buy a high horsepower unit, you waste so much more electricity, plus people in that area will feel so unusually cold, you’ll be forced to put it on fan, and therefore wasting even more electricity.

Keep your refrigerator well-maintained. A good working ref does not have to be on high all the time to keep all its contents cold. The recommended temperature range should be between 37-40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you notice that it takes a much higher temp to keep your food fresh, then check if the gaskets (those rubber things in between the fridge door and the fridge body) are closing properly. If not, have them replaced. Also, it’s no longer wise to use a refrigerator  that needs to be defrosted. If you have one, though, make sure you defrost them at least 3 times a month. Those thick chunks of ice hinder the effectiveness of the ref’s functions, thus necessitating you to put the temp on high. 

3 EASY HOME IMPROVEMENT TIPS

Given the choice, homeowners want to improve the appearance of their houses as often as they can. If you have a lot of money, this is no problem, but to a financially-challenged person who used up all extra funds to purchase their beautiful house, the task of remodeling or revving up its look from time to time may prove to be nearly impossible.

But there are simple ways to make do with what you have. Sometimes, there are things around the house, hidden maybe in the attic, basement or some obscure corner of some small room which can actually spruce up the look of your home.

MIRRORS. If you have a small area which you would want to appear bigger, add a mirror. It may be an unnecessary mirror hanging behind your daughter’s door which she never uses, or that old dusty one leaning against the garage wall. Dust if off, clean it up with vinegar mixed with mild soap to remove the smudges, then wipe clean with a damp old newspaper. Yes, a newspaper. 

Somehow, the ink and the newsprint combination does wonders for keeping any form of glass clean (this, by the way, works well on your car’s windshield and windows too). If you want the room to appear bigger, hang the mirror opposite a window, because the reflection of light will not only make the area appear bigger, it helps add extra light to brighten up a small space.

PILLOWS. Have you had that boring couch for the longest time, but never got the chance to have it updated through re-upholstering? Then add brand new character to the old couch by adding colorful throw pillows. Choose colors that complement your walls, or contrast (but not clash) with the color of your couch’s upholstery. Go wild when decorating throw pillows. Use old or vintage sweaters, add buttons or ribbons. Be as unique as possible, or use the throw pillows to unleash your creative side. Throw pillows are great ways to create a couch’s new look, because it’s so easy to change them periodically, at very little cost.

SPRAY PAINT. If you are not an expert painter, several cans of inexpensive spray paint may be the answer to revamping your old furniture. Back in the 80’s gilded gold furniture is all the rage. If you have been scratching your head, thinking of ways to update the crazy gaudy gold paint, then grab a few cans of black paint, cover the upholstery with either plastic or old newspapers and spray away! Even picture frames can look more modern and updated when sprayed black. The current trend is either industrial or simple clean lines, so anything flowery, too printed and overly-designed is certainly from another era. While you’re at it, you might as well update the avocado green or golden yellow appliances in your kitchen from the 80’s with appliance spray paint in either black or silver (industrial/steel looking).