Scherer Electric Blog: Archive for the ‘Electrical’ Category

The Best Way to Wire a Home Theater System

Monday, October 12th, 2020
electric-house-rewire

There has never been a time in history when more people have discovered the value of the home theatrical experience. And there’s never been a time when the home theatrical experience can be greater than it is now. With the wide availability of large-screen 4K televisions, broadband streaming, immersive surround sound systems, and Hi-Def Blu-ray players, you can transform a living room or other room in your home into a premiere movie house—with no worries about paying for parking or some rando a few seats below you turning on their smartphone in the middle of the show.

We want you to enjoy the best Buffalo, NY home theater experience! But you may be a bit bewildered about where to start. You’ve got the great 4K monitor and the speaker system, maybe the receiver and the Blu-ray player and the streaming device … but this can all be overwhelming. How do you find the best way to wire up a great home theater system?

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The 5 Best Tips to Lower Your Electrical Costs

Monday, September 28th, 2020
lightbulb-on-its-side

Do my electric bills have to be that high?

If you find you’re asking yourself that question month after month when the utility bills arrive, then the answer is probably no. Unless the cost for electricity has taken a steep rise in your area, extremely high electrical utility bills are often warning you of wasteful practices or a malfunctioning part of the electrical system. You can take steps to correct this problem. Some are simply tips, while others will require the assistance of East Aurora, NY electricians.

Below we’ve listed the five best tips for cutting into the high cost of powering your home.

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The Story of the Vintage Home and The Bad Wiring

Monday, September 14th, 2020
attic-interior-fall

We haven’t written the end of this story yet, and we’re hoping to give it a happy ending. If you live in the vintage house and it’s the one with the bad wiring, you can write the upbeat ending yourself by calling us to help you with vital Clarence, NY electrician services.

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The Buzzing in the Wall—Sinister Forces, Or Electrical Problem?

Monday, August 17th, 2020
electrical-blueprints-sm

We can’t completely discount that the buzzing sound you hear coming from your wall is from supernatural or other-dimensional force. But in our long history as a Buffalo, NY electrician, we can say that most of the times we’ve received calls about buzzing coming from walls, it was an electrical problem—except the occasional wasps’ nest. We’re glad those customers called, because this buzzing sound can indicate serious electrical issues that need certified electricians to investigate and solve. (Sorry, we aren’t equipped for the wasps.)

Now you may not find the buzzing sound “scary,” but it’s irritating. Let’s look into what might be happening to cause it.

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How Long Will My Home’s Electrical Wiring Last?

Monday, August 3rd, 2020
electrical-parts

A home has two hard-working “circulatory systems,” plumbing and electrical. Because both are mostly hidden from view even as they do essential work, it’s easy for a homeowner to dismiss them as something that will last as long as the house does.

But that’s not the case. When it comes to electrical wiring in Orchard Park, NY, you do need to have concerns about the age of the wiring. Not just for as long as you’ve been in the house, but for as long as the wiring has been in the house, period. If you live in a vintage home and the wiring has never had an update, it’s important to know about how long the wiring can expect to endure.

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Replace Your Federal Pacific Electric Panel!

Monday, July 20th, 2020
electrical-panel-repairs

The electrical panel for your home is the vital “switching station” where the voltage entering your home divides into separate circuits. The panel protects the electrical system in case of shorts and other electrical troubles by tripping breakers. It’s important that your house has a working electrical panel that will keep your home safe. If you have an old, outdated panel, or one that has suffered damage, it’s time to schedule an electrical panel replacement in Buffalo, NY.

There is a specific case where we recommend you call us right away for a panel replacement, and that’s if you have a Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) circuit breaker panel installed. Many homes still have these panels, and they pose significant fire hazards.

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Why a Whole-House Generator Is the Best Generator Option

Monday, July 6th, 2020
generator-residential

Are you looking to get a generator as an electrical back-up in your house in case of a power outage? Good plan. In Western New York we don’t only suffer from blackouts during stormy seasons. The heat of summer puts immense strain on the power grid because of air conditioning systems, and this can lead to widespread power failures that trap people without cooling during the hottest times of the year.

But if the generator you’re considering is a small portable unit, we want to steer you a different direction and draw your attention to a whole-house generator in Buffalo, NY. We strongly advise consumers to use these generators if they want to help out with residential power outages. They are a bigger investment than a portable generator, but they’re also more beneficial long-term solutions—and you’ll be glad to have one when the time comes.

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Does My Home Need Grounding Services?

Monday, June 22nd, 2020
electrical-outlet-wall

What does it mean to have your house grounded? We could go into some lengthy engineering explanations about how electricity works, but we can provide a simpler discussion of the electrical flow in your house. Electricity is always trying to “ground,” which means it gets rid of all its negative energy so it can get back to being balanced. In your home, the way the electrical systems allow electricity to return to ground is through the neutral wires. The “hot” wires carry the negative half of the polarized charge of electricity, and the neutral wires contain the positive half. These wires run next to each other through your electrical system.

For an example of this standard grounding at work, look at an outlet. One slot is the “hot” side, and the other is the “neutral.” The current flows through the hot side and then into the neutral side to eliminate the negative energy.

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Why a New Electrical Panel May Be Necessary

Monday, June 8th, 2020
electric-tools

An important job we often focus on here at Scherer Electric is making upgrades to electrical panels for homes. In our long history as a top Amherst, NY electrician, and as Western New York’s Favorite Electrician, we’ve seen plenty of outdated panels in homes that needed to be replaced many years ago. There are also specific panel types that are hazardous, such as Federal Pacific panels that we advise all homeowners have replaced as soon as they can.

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Can I Install My Own Electrical Panel?

Monday, April 27th, 2020
hand-holding-wrench

If you’re asking this question, it’s because you either have a suspicion that your current electrical panel is out of date, or you know it’s out of date because it’s failed on you. Perhaps you have an old fuse box, and now realize that this antiquated technology isn’t viable anymore as you keep putting larger and larger fuses on it. Maybe you’ve found out about the danger of the Federal Electric panel installed in your house and want this fire hazard eliminated.

Great—replacing your electrical panel is almost certainly beneficial, and could even prevent a house fire. But if you came here looking for advice on how to install the panel yourself … well, we hope we stopped you before you wandered over to any hazardous recommendations on how you can do it yourself. Because even if you could, you shouldn’t.

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