by Joe Main | Oct 16, 2015 | Uncategorized
Everybody has appliances in there home so treat them right, if you want to keep them.Keep your refrigerator door gasket clean ,don’t let sticky foods like syrup ,jams, build up on the door gasket,clean the gasket with a light soap an water,after it dries add a light coat of Vaseline on the gasket this will keep a tight seal all around.Refrigerators an freezers require proper air flow inside the compartments to keep food at the right temperature.Blocking the vents in the back of the compartments can cause cooling problems and force the compressor and fans to run over time.Keep your coils on your refrigerator clean,vacuum dust and dirt off them this will keep food cooler an it will run more efficiently.Washer an dryer don’t overload them to save time it will cause damage to motors ,belts and other moving parts that get expensive.Dryers keep your lint filter clean after every load,keep your vent clean on the roof,a clogged vent will burn your heating element out.Dishwashers keep the screen clean,if your dishwasher has a filtering screen under the bottom spray arm,clean it regularly.If you don’t the food particles degrade into slime that blocks water flow and reduces cleaning performance.These are some tips on keeping your appliances running more efficiently with less repairs.
by Joe Main | Oct 9, 2015 | Uncategorized
Due to an aging power grid,blackouts are more common than they used to be.And things won’t get better anytime soon .So here are some tips to survive an electrical outage.When the power grid goes down, your city water my soon follow.Fill up buckets and bottles .But most drains are not all that tight, and in a few hours all that precious water may be gone.Seal the drain of the tub with duct tape and fill with water.A power inverter, which turns DC current from your car into AC current will come in handy,the inverter can recharge small units such as your computer or your cell phone ect. they make lager ones to power a fridge.LED flashlights will come in handy they allow batteries to last much longer, about six to ten times as long.Filling of your propane tank for your grill will help for cooking food in the fridge and freezer. When the power grid sputters back on ,it could probably create power surges, which can damage sensitive electronics in your TVs,computers and appliances.So unplug any thing that contains electronic components.If you use a generator,check the manual .Most inexpensive models churn out dirty power that can harm electronics.To get heat during outages people crank up fireplaces, gas stoves and all types of heaters,anything that burns produces carbon monoxide.So having a battery powered CO detector would be a great asset in a blackout.Power outages also will stop your well from working so keep buckets of water on hand to flush your toilet.These are some tips when the time comes in surviving a blackout.
by Joe Main | Oct 5, 2015 | Uncategorized
A breaker or fuse that won’t hold means one of two things: You have a serious problem such as a short circuited wire, or you overloaded the circuit,to many devices will make the fuse or breaker blow.First try to eliminate electric devices on that circuit. Appliances that draw to many amps are usually the culprit ( space heaters,irons,hair dryers,window air conditioners, ect.) If the breaker or fuse still blows you have a serious problem on that circuit you need to call an electrician.
by Joe Main | Oct 5, 2015 | Uncategorized
Ground fault circuit interrupters and arc fault circuit interrupters detect potentially dangerous flows of electricity and turn off instantly,before they can do any harm.Both can be breakers or outlets(test buttons on a breaker or outlet indicates that it’s G.F.C.Is or A.F.C.Is protected). Electrical codes require G.F.C.Is in areas that might be in wet locations ,Kitchens,bathrooms,outdoors,and garage,A.F.C.Is are required in all living areas.Remodeling projects could trigger these requirements,added safety to your home and major expenses to the project.
by Joe Main | Oct 2, 2015 | Uncategorized
Two sources of surges,the most dangerous surges come from outside your home.These external surges are caused by lightning or an unstable power grid. Any connected to coaxial cable ( TV cable or a computer) is also prone to lightning.Smaller internal surges are generated within your home by heavy power users like your fridge or a/c.Small surge suppressors that protect one or several devices.You don’t have to understand the details just look for three things: 1- Clamping voltage:You want 330 volts or less.2-Clamping speed:5 nanoseconds or less.3-Energy dissipation: 500 joules or more.A whole house house suppressor protects every device in your house against external surges.But a whole house suppressor won’t stop internal surges.There are two types,an both require an electrician for installation. If it has a digital display , it definitely needs surge protection.
