Serving the Buffalo Area since 1995
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Serving the Buffalo Area since 1995
Do you have to brace yourself each time you receive your monthly electricity bill? The cost of electricity is increasing, but your high bill may be the fault of the ways you use electricity in the home or outdated fixtures and appliances.
There are several ways you can cut down on your monthly electricity bills. We can help with some of them: call us when you need an electrician in Buffalo, NY to give you advice on the best steps for an energy-saving home.
When you think of protecting valuable equipment in your home from a high voltage surge, what first comes to mind? If it’s just plugging your computer or your audio equipment into a power strip, then we’ve got news for you—that may not be enough.
These power strips are often sold to consumers as “surge protectors.” But in most cases, they’re basically just safer versions of antiquated octopus plugs and a way to extend the reach of the electrical equipment that needs to be plugged in. Yes, they’re useful, we won’t argue that. You should use them. But to rely on them to protect all the equipment in your home from a powerful voltage surge is folly.
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?
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.
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.
Perhaps the most important job of a professional electrician is creating electrical safety in buildings. This is part of basic code compliance, but it’s also common sense. Electrical systems with poor installation or amateur repairs can create fires and dangerous electrical shocks.
You can trust our licensed electricians to help with the repairs and replacements to improve electrical safety in your home. There are also some basic electrical safety tips to follow that will help you and your family remain safe. We’ve listed the important ones below.
We strongly recommend our customers in Western New York invest in a whole-house generator. Long-term power losses due to bad weather or stress on the electrical grid are becoming more common, and the best defense against being trapped for hours or even days without power is to have a back-up power source.
A whole-house generator in Buffalo, NY is the best way to provide back-up power. Portable generators aren’t powerful enough to handle the needs of an entire house, and they can also create dangerous fumes inside the living spaces.
So whole-house generators are great for back-up energy. But you’ll need to make a choice about the source of energy for a whole-house generator. There are multiple options, but the three most common are natural gas, diesel, and liquid petroleum (LP).
You may have encountered trouble from ice dams before, even if you don’t know exactly what ice dams are. Ice dams are what occurs when water running off the side of the roof of a house freezes in the winter cold before it reaches the gutter. Ice dams can build up until they overwhelm a gutter, creating problems like water backing up into the house or broken gutters. Moisture can also get under the shingles of the roof and create serious damage.
The reason ice dams occur in the first place is the uneven heating from underneath. Warmth gathers in the attic because heat rises. This melts ice on the roof, which trickles down toward the gutter, but then reaches the cold edges of the roof where it freezes.
What can you do to stop ice dams? One option to consider calling a professional electrician in Buffalo, NY to install de-icing cables on your roof.
The electrical system in a house is something most of us take for granted. Flip a switch, the lights come on. Plug in the toaster and it works. Put your phone in a recharging station and its battery powers up.
But nothing as complex and important as a residential system can ever be dismissed. At some point, the electrical system may malfunction and need repairs. Only certified electricians can perform the repairs since amateur work can create safety risks. For professional electricians, like ours, customer safety is always the top priority.
The demands placed on residential electrical systems are higher than they were only ten years ago, and significantly higher than thirty years ago. With more appliances and charging stations than ever before plugged into a house’s electrical system, it makes sense to upgrade older wiring. Our Buffalo, NY electricians handle electrical wiring and rewiring for homes. Whatever amount of new wiring you may need for your older house, we can take care of the job. We also make upgrades to outlets and electrical panels.
In this post, we’re going to address a specific rewiring concern, which is aluminum wiring found in many older homes. Is aluminum wiring dangerous and does it need to be replaced?
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