Got an electrical concern that needs immediate attention? If you recently encountered something amiss in your electricals within your house, it might be time to ask for the help of an electrician.

On the other hand, while your home electrical system may look like it’s running smoothly, it probably won’t hurt to ask your trusted electrician about it as well.

Things You Can Ask Your Electrician

Here are five questions that you may ask an electrical contractor in terms of electrical concerns at home.

1. Do you have a license?

One of the first things you need to ask any electrician before working on your home is a license to carry out such work. Contractors who are licensed to carry out electrical work give you the assurance that your electrical concern will be attended to by a professional.

2. Are you insured?

Another factor that separates good electricians from the sketchy ones is whether they offer an insurance for the work that they do. The electrical professional should be able to present an insurance policy when you ask it from them. This is critical, in case something goes awry during the job.

3. How long will the job take?

Time is of the essence when it comes to electrical work – especially in the case of electrical fires or frequent flickering of lights. Don’t hesitate to ask the electrician about the duration of the work.

Knowing how long the job will take brings a lot of benefits:

• Gain an idea when you can use the electrical system again.
• Assign people who will stay at home while the work is ongoing (especially if you need to go to work).
• You will know when to keep kids away from the area and when they are safe to return.
• You can estimate how big the problem is, and perhaps prepare yourself in terms of expenditure.

4. Can you give me a cost estimate?

Speaking of expenses, don’t be afraid to ask the contractor for a cost estimate. You can refuse if the total cost goes beyond your budget.

In that case, do any of these things if you feel like the cost is too high:

• Ask for a reconsideration of the offer
• Ask which parts are important and which ones needs future attention
• Look for another electrical contractor to ask for their price quotation

5. Do you offer free assessment?

Most electrical contractors offer free checkup of your electrical system, and will only bill you as soon as you’ve agreed on the course of action to take.

Final Word

It’s perfectly alright to ask your electrician some tough questions. After all, handling your home electrical system is no light matter. Feel free to ask us at Wire Craft Electric, in case you have electrical queries.

The Dangers of Static Electricity

Have you experienced getting jolted by a spark of electricity when you touched a door knob or hand rail? Today, we will talk about static electricity, the dangers of this common occurrence, and tips on how to protect yourself from injury or property damage.

What is Static Electricity?

In a scientific perspective, static happens when there’s an imbalance of charges between two objects. When two surfaces experience an electrical imbalance, only one of two reactions will occur:

• The surfaces will repel each other, when they have the same charge.
• The surfaces will attract each other, when they have opposing charges (positive and negative).

We generally witness static electricity in the following scenarios:

• The hairs on your head stand when electrons from a hat transfer to your hair.
• When you rub a balloon against a carpet of a piece of clothing, it will stick to the wall without any adhesives.

Why Is Static Electricity Dangerous?

The danger of static electricity comes when the transfer of charge is so great that it creates a spark. One of the most common occurrences of static electricity dangers is refueling a vehicle. The driver may be carrying excess electrons, which may create a spark when you touch the fuel pump. Exposing the spark to volatile gasoline may create an unexpected combustion.

Another danger is static electrical shock. When an object builds up too much electrical charge with no means of release, you may get electrocuted as you touch the charged object.

Tips To Prevent Damage By Static Electricity

Here are some effective tips to make sure that risks caused by static electricity are minimized:

• Avoid wearing rubber-soled footwear: Rubber is an excellent insulator, and so wearing rubber-soled shoes may create a significant amount of static in your body.
• Apply grounding in your home appliances: Some of the devices in your house may collect static electricity over time, if there’s no way to discharge them. Make sure that your appliances have a grounding mechanism in order to release the excess static.
• Ground yourself: If you think you may be carrying some static electricity, touch an inert metal object to discharge the electricity.
• Keep indoor air humid: Dry air increases the risk of static electricity buildup in your home. The best way to address this is to keep the relative humidity above 30%. A humidifier may do the trick.
• Keep skin moisturized: If your skin is dry, it has a higher likelihood of developing static electricity. You may apply lotion or moisturizer on your hands and skin.

Final Word

Static electricity may look like a small concern but disregarding the source of the problem may prove to become catastrophic. If you need help assessing the electrical safety of your home, don’t hesitate to contact us at Wire Craft Electric. Our skilled professionals are on standby waiting to address your next electrical concern.

Anytime you’re inviting someone into your home, it’s natural to be a bit nervous and want to prepare. This is doubly true when you’re bringing in someone for an inspection. Having an electrician come in and look at your wiring and outlets can be a bit nerve wracking leading up to it, but it doesn’t have to be a pain at all. Follow these key ideas to make sure your house is ready for an inspection and make the process go quick and easy from your end.

Know Where Everything Is and What to Expect

It may sound simple, but before your electrician comes to your house, make sure you have a plan. You can even call them beforehand and ask exactly what they’ll want to see. Once you have this information, go through your house and make sure you know where everything is. Everything from the circuit breaker to the individual outlets – including exterior outlets –around your home will likely be looked out, so ensure you know where each thing is. You may live in your house day in and day out, but little things like these often aren’t thought about regularly. Give yourself a little refresher course of your own home and you’ll make the process go by faster once the electrician shows up at your door.

Clean-Up Around the House

Now that you know where everything is, it’s time to make sure it’s all accessible. Chances are you don’t live your life anticipating an electrician poking around your house. You might have shelves in places covering certain outlets or maybe the circuit breaker is blocked in the garage by some storage boxes – or both. In any case, you’ll want to make sure everything is moved and ready for when the electrician arrives. You don’t want to be shuffling things around and slowing down the process.

Have Your Own Questions Ready

Just because the electrician is the expert doesn’t mean you have to standby idly. The more you learn from the electrician and the inspection, the better you’ll understand the changes to make. The more questions you ask, the more productive it will be for everyone involved. If the electrician ends up working on your home, you’ll have a clear understanding of everything. You won’t have to worry about where your money is going.

Are you in need of a home inspection and want an electrician you can trust? The Wire Craft team is located in Shoreline, and services various cities in Snohomish, King, and Pierce County. We would be happy to send one of our expert electricians to your home. They will help you identify any issues that need to be addressed. Give us a call today.

Understanding electrical and how it works can be a complicated process. There’s a lot of different information you should know, and it’s not feasible to expect you to know it all. Fortunately, that’s where this guide can come in handy for you. Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most commonly asked electrical questions to help you better understand how electrical works.

Here are some set of electrical questions:

What is a short circuit?

A short circuit is an electrical circuit that does not allow electricity to flow properly because it is often being diverted to a place where it isn’t supposed to. This usually will result in lower power coming from the circuit.

What is a GFCI outlet?

A GFCI outlet is short for a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet and it is basically a safety mechanism that shuts off the outlet when the power starts to go somewhere it isn’t supposed to go. This is the main device that stops people from being electrocuted and prevents damage in your house.

Why do my bulbs blow constantly?

There are actually a lot of reasons why your light bulbs can blow easily, and it’s usually an easy problem to fix, although more advanced problems will require you to contact an electrician. The first cause could be the fact that you are buying cheap light bulbs. If the light bulbs aren’t good quality, they aren’t going to last as long.

Secondly, this problem could be a result of the way the fixture was installed and how the light bulbs are screwed in. To light up, the light bulb makes contact with a brass tab at the bottom of the light socket. Over time, the tab will bend down if the light bulbs are screwed in too tightly and will cause the contact between the brass tab and the light bulb to go bad and eventually blow the light bulb. If this seems to be the problem for you, check to make sure the tab is bent at a 20-degree angle. If it is not, turn off all power to the light fixture and fix the tab to bend it at the proper angle.

Why can’t I reset my circuit breaker?

When your circuit breaker trips, the switch moves towards the off position. However, it may not move all the way to the off position. Make sure the switch is moved to the off position (You’ll hear it click) and then return it to the on position. If you do so without it tripping again, you’ve successfully reset it! If that doesn’t work, try unplugging some devices plugged into that circuit and try again.

Why do my lights flicker?

Typically, your lights can flicker for a wide range of reasons. Occasionally it can be your fault because of the type of light bulb you’re using, but it can also be the utility company’s fault as well. Typically, LED lights are the ones that flicker the most and they’re also among the most popular because of the energy saving technology. If the flickering is a persistent problem, try replacing it with a regular light bulb to see if that helps. If not, the problem could be a result of the utility company.

What exactly are tamper resistant plugs?

Tamper resistant plugs were introduced in 2008. Now, any plug that needs to be changed in a home is supposed to be changed to a tamper resistant plug. They look exactly like a regular plug except they have plastic guards in the openings that prevent you from being able to stick something in one of the opening. You have to plug something into both openings in order for it to work. This is meant to stop kids who may try to stick something metal into the socket and injure themselves.

I’ve noticed there’s 2-prong plugs and 3-prong plugs. What’s the purpose of the third prong on those plugs?

The third prong on those types of plugs is designed to prevent deadly electrical shocks. This is caused by the item you’re using. Essentially, the third prong acts as a ground. If a wire in the item you are using happens to come loose, the third prong can divert the energy. It will redirect it back into the home’s electrical system, rather than to the person using the item. Without the third prong, there’s a better chance of experiencing some sort of electrical shock when using the item.

Final Word About Your Electrical Questions

Have you read through this article and found answers to some of the most commonly asked electrical questions? Great because you’ll have no problem gaining a better understanding of electrical work. When it comes time to solve the next electrical problem you come across, you just may already have the answer! If you don’t, feel free to drop us a line with your question. Our team at Wire Craft Electric is happy to help.