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Educating Children About Electrical Safety

children electrical safetyIt’s fairly common for kids to be curious, and this behavior allows them to discover things around them. Unfortunately, this may also lead to accidents and injuries, especially when they don’t know the real dangers in their surroundings. This is the reason why teaching them about children electrical safety that is one of the priorities that any adult should do.

Facts and Figures on Electrical Safety

Electrocution is a nasty accident that you don’t want children to get involved with. Here are some alarming facts about electricity-related accidents:

  •       According to the National Safety Council, electricity is the sixth most common cause of work-related injuries in the U.S.
  •       Electricity leads to at least 140,000 fires annually, which consequently burns down $1.6 billion worth of property.
  •       Based on data from Statistic Brain, more than 2,500 children experience electrical shock from wall outlets every year.

How To Teach Kids About Electrical Safety

You can do a lot on your own to make sure that your child’s room is safe, but teaching them about electrical safety can do even more to protect them. Consider some of these steps and concepts when walking your child through the ins and outs of electrical safety.

Explain how electricity travels from source to point of use

When they’re old enough to understand, educate kids on how electricity is carried from the power company to the wall outlets at home. This tip may require you to do a little research, but this can definitely save kids from electrical shock.

Tell them what things can conduct electricity

Letting them know the things that allow electrical current to travel will give them clues on what not to touch whenever there’s electricity near. Items such as metals and tap water conduct electricity, while rubber and hard plastic are perfect insulators.

Unplug appliances when not in use

Although plugged appliances may seem innocent, this may increase the risk of potential short circuits or power overload. Teach your kids to turn off electrical devices that are not in use, and unplug them if they’re not going to be used for a long period of time.

Be firm in dos and don’ts

Instilling discipline at an early age gives direction to children. With that, make sure to tell them not to poke their fingers into wall outlets, or stick anything in those areas. Advise them to always have their hands dry before handling electrical appliances.

Conclusion on children electrical safety

You can never be too careful in terms of protecting children from the risks of electrocution. By teaching them about electrical safety at an early age, you can help them become more alert and watchful. When it comes to using electrical appliances and power lines, they will be knowledgeable.You can also work to make your home safer for your children. Again, children electrical safety is a priority.

Reach out to Wire Craft and we’ll send one of our electricians to inspect your home. This will ensure everything is safe and in working order for your whole family.

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Electrical Safety in Your Child’s Room or Nursery

electrical safety in your child's room or nursery

Electrical Safety in Your Child’s Room or Nursery

Every parent naturally wants their children to enjoy the best life imaginable. This kind of care and attention range from grand plans to the smallest of details. Inside the home, kids need to be protected from dangerous things that may affect their health in general. One of the most important precautions that parents need to learn is electrical safety for the child’s room or nursery.

What Dangers are their for Children in Your Home?

No matter how protective we are of our children, a few seconds can already expose your kids to a lot of dangers, especially in terms of electricity. Here are some of the potential reasons of electrocution in children:

1. Exposure to electrical sockets

Most kids are curious, and discovering an electrical socket may lead them to touch and play with it. It’s one of the leading causes of electrocution in children at home.

2. Exposed electrical wires

A lot of children want to play with everything they can get their hands on, and this may include electrical wires that they can reach. It’s possible for some kid to either yank out the wires, or take a bite on the chewy wire insulators.

3. Electrical appliances within reach

Whether it’s a lighting fixture or a music player, kids may be curious enough to reach for these home items and tinker with them. If these things are plugged in, there might be a possibility for the child to get an electric shock.

4. Static electricity

Most kids’ bedrooms and nurseries have carpet floors, which may build up static electricity over time. This may cause a static electricity discharge that could jolt your child.

How To Improve Electrical Safety in the Kid’s Room

Here are some tips to keep your child’s room safe from electricity-related problems:

1. Cover electrical sockets

If removing the sockets is not an option, make sure to cover them. This will prevent your children from poking their fingers into the sockets.

2. Keep wires and electrical items out of reach.

Check the room for wires that are easy to reach and find a way to place them in a higher position. The same tip also goes for electrical home items such as lamps and the TV.

3. Arrange for proper grounding of static electricity.

One good strategy is to install electro-static dissipative flooring on your child’s room, and direct the current to a grounding point. This should prevent electrostatic discharge to your kids as they stay in their room.

Prevention is always better than cure, and this is especially true when it comes to electrical safety. Make sure that your child’s room is an absolutely safe place for them to enjoy. Need some help getting your home ready for your young kids?

Wire Craft can help! Reach out to us today and we’ll see how our team of electricians can best help make your home safe and childproof.

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What is a Brownout and How Do You Protect Your Home From It?

brownout

What is a Brownout and How Do You Protect Your Home From It?

Summer brings a lot of fun and excitement to life, giving people a perfect opportunity to enjoy the beach with family and friends or barbecuing out on the yard. Unfortunately, the warm season also increases the electrical load, which may cause power interruptions in the form of blackouts or brownouts. If you want to maximize the fun of summer, you need to protect your home from a brownout.

What is a Brownout?

In a nutshell, a brownout is the result of a power fluctuation caused by voltage drops in the electrical system. The term comes from the “browning” or dimming of lighting fixtures due to the voltage change. An extreme voltage drop may lead to total power outage or interruption, which is called a blackout.

Seasonal brownouts occur during summer, when a lot of people find the need to stay in air-conditioned rooms to protect themselves from the harsh heat of the sun. Some of the common causes of brownouts include:

Electrical system overload:

Using a lot of electrical appliances and equipment may cause an abnormal surge in power requirement, which can overload your electrical system.

Faulty electrical circuits:

With wear and tear in your home comes a potential damage in your electrical wiring.

Weather conditions:

Thunderstorms may interfere with the distribution of power in your grid, thereby causing voltage slumps.

Tips To Protect Your Home From A Brownout

Brownouts – or any power fluctuation for that matter – may damage your home appliances and shorten the life of your lighting fixtures. Here are some things that you can do to protect your home from potential damage when a brownout strikes.

Limit the use of power-hungry appliances.

 Some electrical home appliances such as the washing machine or air conditioner require a lot of electricity to get them running. Make sure that you regulate the use of these items as much as you can.

Turn on only the appliances that you will use. 

Sure, it’s going to be convenient for you to switch all of your gadgets and appliances on, but this will cause an unnecessary power requirement that may cause a brownout. In other words, turn on the items only when you’re going to use them.

Check your electrical circuits for damage. 

Look for corroded circuit breakers or bad terminals, and repair them immediately.

A brownout may look like a simple and innocent event, but it can cause a lot of problems when you fail to follow precautionary measures against it. Make sure that your home is ready for power interruptions and fluctuations when they strike. The best solution is to contact an electrician to help you prepare your home before the next brownout happens. That’s where Wire Craft can help. Our team of electricians can help you get your home ready for whatever the summer heat and power surges bring your way. Reach out to us today and we’ll work with you to protect your home.

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Installing Ceiling Fans to Beat the Summer Heat

ceiling fans

In Washington state, you’d be hard pressed to find a home with air conditioning installed. As the Seattle Times reports, fewer and fewer homes in Washington actually have AC. It can make sense throughout the fall and winter – why invest in something you won’t need most of the time? That sentiment might change once summer heat hits. If you don’t want to make the leap to AC, a ceiling fan can be a great way to keep you house cool as well as being a fun DIY project. Not sure how to do it? Here’s a high-level overview of ceiling fan installation.

Before you Begin Installing Any Ceiling Fans

Make sure your work area is clear and everything is laid out neatly nearby. Turn off the electricity and make a note that it should not be turned back on until you are finished. Read through the installation instructions and keep them close at hand for reference if you need them later.

The next step is to chose an existing light fixture and remove the wires, mounting nuts and screws. Once the fixture has been removed inspect the joist to ensure that it will hold your fan. If needed, install the ceiling fans support brace. You are now ready to begin the installation steps.

Step One: Mounting Bracket

Attach the mounting bracket to the ceiling box, during this step be sure to follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions. It is recommended to use the motor extensions provided, when a fan is mounted without an extension the ceiling can restrict airflow.

Step Two: Wiring

Connect the house wiring with the wires to your fans motor. Follow the instructions to ensure you properly connect all your wires. Be sure to secure all connections with wire nuts. Be aware that remote control ceiling fans will have additional wires you will need to connect to the receiving unit.

Step Three: Attachments

Mount the fan canopy cover, this covers the fixture and the mounting bracket opening. Attach your fan blades and brackets to the fan motor and tighten all of your mounting screws. If your ceiling fan comes equipped with light fixtures attach the fixture assembly and switch housing to the fan motor assembly. Follow the manufacturer’s wiring instructions and install your bulbs and glass dome.

Step Four: Install Wall Switch

Most fans operate much like standard fixtures with a simple on/off switch. Some higher end fans have fan speed and dimmer functions. These often will need to have a new wall switch installed due to the added complexity of functions.

Not a DIY person? Need some help for your fan installation? No problem at all, Wire Craft can help. Reach out to us today and you can discuss your ceiling fan needs with one our electricians. We’ll help find the right fan option for you.

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Four DIY Electrical Projects You Can Start Today

4 DIY Electrical Projects You Can Start Today

Home electrical wiring is serious business. Even if you’re avid about having DIY projects to do around your home, your home’s electrical systems can rightfully feel a bit daunting – we’ve even warned about knowing your DIY limits on this very blog. But for those who are eager to get a summertime project going around the house, there are still some easy tasks you can set for yourself that can really make a difference for you and your family.

Consider taking up some of these odd jobs around the home to help keep your home running efficiently.

Replacing Switches

Faulty switches can be a real nuisance, but they’re also surprisingly easy to fix. As with the rest of the projects listed in this post, you’ll want to make sure the power is turned off from the circuit breaker before you get started. After that it’s a matter of grabbing new switches and plates as well as a voltage detector from your local hardware store. Dummies lists a handy step-by-step guide that on how to do this safely and efficiently.

Fixing or Upgrading Light Fixtures

Flickering lights driving you crazy? Or maybe you’re just wanting a new look for your home? Replacing some light fixtures can be a great day project to give your home a minor but helpful improvement. While some fixtures like track lighting might be a bit out of scope for those who aren’t professionals, some standard fixtures don’t take much effort at all and are a remarkably similar process to replacing light switches.

Replacing Outlets

There are few things more infuriating than an outlet that doesn’t work when you need it. Rather than wait until you can have someone come out and fix it for you, this is another task that is within the range of your own toolkit. With the power off, you can remove the face and outlet from the wall, test the power, and reattach to your new outlet in no time.

Mapping Your Circuit Breaker

We don’t suggest getting to into the weeds with your home’s main power. However, you can do some housekeeping with your circuit breaker. This organizational practice can save you and your electrician a lot of headaches down the road. Go through each of the breaker controls on your panel and note which one corresponds with which rooms and outlets. You may have to switch them on and off to determine what goes to what. After that, you can label each switch and not have to think about it ever again.

These projects are great way to get you started. By all means don’t feel like you have to do them alone. Our expert electricians at Wire Craft are available to help with tasks big and small. Don’t try and take off more than you can chew – let us help. Reach out to Wire Craft today.

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Preparing Your Home for an Inspection

Preparing Your Home for an Inspection - Wire Craft Electric - Edmonds, WA

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.

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Maintaining Your Summer Home

summer home

If you have a summer home, especially one a good distance away from your primary home, you know how hard it can be to keep it up. More than just brushing off the dust off surfaces, you also need to check and make sure everything electrical is working properly when its been sitting idly for so long. Consider these ideas to help keep your summer home functional and safe even when you’re not there on vacation.

Think Ahead The Next Time You Leave Your Summer Home

With enough foresight, you can make a world of difference in maintaining your summer home. The next time you venture out for a getaway, take some time at the beginning and the end of your trip to do some routine maintenance. Check for rust or condensation in your wiring and clean up any residue. Your vacation time is valuable, but setting aside just a little bit of time can ensure that your home is good for the rest of your trip.

Upgrade Your Wiring and Appliances

One of the best ways to limit electrical mishaps is to make sure you’re home is completely up-to-date. This is especially true for summer homes, which often don’t get nearly as much attention as your main home. If you’re vacation spot is an older home, you may want to consider checking and seeing if you need to rewire the whole thing. Otherwise, upgrading your appliances, outlets, and other electrical devices will minimize the risk of a faulty cable giving you issue when you’re gone.

Hire an Electrician to Inspect Your Home

Sometimes you just simply can’t get out to your summer home as much as you’d like. This is especially if you live a fair distance away the rest of the year. Even if the house is empty, you still don’t want to run the risk of a wiring issue. The best thing you can do is to hire an electrician to come out to your home and do an inspection. You can request a thorough report back. Ideally they’ll come back without much at all. However, it’s better to have peace of mind than a disaster to have to clean up later on.

Looking for an electrician to check out your summer home in the Seattle area?

Wire Craft’s team of electricians can help. Experts in our field, our electricians will check through every nook and cranny to make sure your home is safe. Even while you’re away and ready to go when you return.

Give us a call today.

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Dangers of Aluminum Wiring in the Summer

aluminum wiring in the summer

Summertime and the living’s easy…right? That’s not necessarily true if you have aluminum wiring in the summer at your home. There’s a lot of reasons why aluminum wiring has become outdated, but many older homes still have it in their homes. The summer adds even more concerns for your wiring – especially if you’re living in an older home. It’s important to know exactly what those issues are and why it’s important to make a change. We walk through some of them below and give you direction on what to do next.

Summer Heat Expands Wiring

In general, aluminum wiring in the summer will always expand more than the new standard of copper wiring. So when the summer rolls along and heatwaves come in, your home’s aluminum wiring is going to feel it maybe even more than you do. As the wiring expands, it closes in the space between the wire and the connectors. This is a major fire hazard, especially if it comes into contact with any flammable materials that might be within your walls.

Wiring Working Overtime to Keep You Cool

Aside from the external factors of the weather, you and/or your family might be putting strains on your wiring as well. Running A/C or fans means your wiring is working overtime to keep you cool. The more work you’re putting on your wiring, the hotter they’ll get and, well, you now know what that can lead to. There are steps you can take to more efficiently use electricity in the summer months, but if you’re using aluminum wiring then even the best habits can still lead to disastrous results. What do you do then?

Transitioning out of Aluminum Wiring in the Summer

You’re left with a choice – do you keep your aluminum wiring and try to tip-toe around its faults and hope for the best or do you make a change? We’d strongly recommend the latter. No one wants to live in fear of their wiring shorting or causing a fire, especially in the summer when you should be relaxing and enjoying the warm, rare Seattle weather. However, summer is also a great time to rewire your home. Unlike the winter where the electrical downtime can leave you out in the cold, take advantage of the tepid summer and bring in an electrician to get your home set. This isn’t just an investment in getting through the season, but a longterm solution to keeping you and yours safe.

Convinced now is the time to finally rewire your home? Wire Craft can help! Our team of home electricians have helped homeowners across the greater Seattle area.

Contact us today and we’ll set up a consultation and help create a plan for rewiring your home. Summer is fun – so let us take some of the stress out of your walls.

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What to do in a Summer Blackout

summer blackout

Typically when we talk about preparing for summer blackout, the conversation centers on how to stay warm and push through the harsh winter. But during a heatwave where circuits are being overloaded from people blasting their AC and fans, you’ll find you a whole other set of challenges to face. How do you keep cool, keep your food, and stay prepared for a summer blackout? We’ll show you how.

Invest in a Generator

First and foremost, if it’s vital that you have power ASAP then you’ll want to have a generator handy.  For families with specific medical needs that require machinery or just people who are running a business from home, sometimes you can’t afford to have any downtime. Whether you invest in a portable or standby generator is up to you, but either will help you get your home running power again quickly.

Stock Up on Water and Non-Perishable Food

Those jugs of water you’ve been keeping in the garage have a purpose. While most plumbing systems don’t require electricity to function, there are some concerns to consider other than lacking hot water. The CDC points out that a widespread power outage might affect water purification systems. You can go through the purification yourself by boiling water, but you can also invest in bottled water and storage gallons to get you through while you wait for the power to come back.

With your fridge temporarily out of water, one of your best bets is investing in non-perishable foods. Typically this means pre-packaged and canned foods that don’t require cooking. If you have an outdoor grill or camping stove handy, you can use those to cook. A cooler will help you keep food for a couple days, but you’ll quickly find yourself running to the store to buy more ice (assuming they still have power as well).

Keeping the House Cool Without A/C During Summer Blackout

We’ve talked here before about keeping cool in the summer without breaking the bank, but what about when you don’t have any power at all? Summer blackouts often happen from too many people trying to run their cooling systems at the same time, meaning it’s pretty stinkin’ hot out! Without power, being in your own house can feel miserable. Instead of hiding in the car and blasting the air conditioning, first take a look around your house. Make sure you have the blinds down so that the sun won’t come in and heat things up. Wait to open your windows at night when you’ll hopefully be able to let in a cool breeze. Also try and stock up on battery operated fans. Having a few handy is always a good idea. They’ll likely be in high-demand if there’s a widespread blackout, so invest in some now before they become a necessity.

Has the power gone out in your home and you’re not sure why? Don’t wait and suffer it out in the summer heat.

Call Wire Craft today and we’ll send one of our expert electricians to inspect your home. We will identify the problem, and help you figure out the next steps. Summer blackouts aren’t any more fun than winter outages – make sure your home is properly prepared this season.

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Summer Storms and Protecting Your Home

summer stormsIn Seattle, we often think of summer as the one refuge away from the stormy and gloomy weather. And while Seattle summers can be gorgeous, they also can often result in lightning storms. Is your home prepared for any damage these storms can do to your home wiring and appliances? Here are a few ways to prepare yourselves for summer storms.

Watch the Weather for Upcoming Summer Storms

The biggest mistakes come from not paying attention. In the summertime, when you get accustomed to all the sun ano clear skies, it’s easy to disregard watching the weather reports or checking them on your phone. Who needs that when you can just look outside and see the sun? Well, as many longtime Northwesterners will tell you, the weather in Seattle can change on a dime. Even if we’re in the middle of a heatwave, you’ll want to double check to prepare yourself and your home. Knowing if there’s a storm coming will give you vital time to make sure you have your home in order and have your electronics setup properly.

Whole-House Surge Protectors

A whole-house surge protector is a device that’s plugged into your homes’s main electrical service box. What they do is monitor what electricity is allowed to come into your house, protecting your appliances and electronics should something like lightning strike. The voltage from lighting could fry your home devices, setting you back more than just a few dollars. Whole-house surge protectors are becoming more and more common in newer houses, typically added in development, but there’s no guarantee that everyone house has one and older homes are less likely to already have one in place. Check your service box to ensure that one is installed – never assume that to be the case.

Outlet Surge Protectors

Whole-house surge protectors aren’t terribly cheap, but they are a worthwhile investment. If you’re not in a place where you feel that you can make that kind of purchase, outlet surge protectors will at least give your home some protection. As the name would imply, these are devices you plug into your wall and then plug your appliances into the device, much like you would with a power strip. This will help block excess electricity from harming your electronics. They can be a great failsafe and back-up should a spike electricity hits your home. These are also highly recommended for people living in older apartments.

Back-up Generators

Even with all the prep you can do for your own home, there’s still a chance that a power line goes down and you’re left waiting for the city to take care of it. Depending on where you live, this can be done quickly or take days. If you can’t afford to have downtime from electricity, it’s a good plan to have a back-up generator on hand. Finding the right generator for your needs can be difficult; thankfully we’ve already created a guide to help you decide what will work for you.

Need help installing surge protectors or buying a generator to protect your home from summer storms? Our team of expert electricians at Wire Craft can help.

Give us a call and we’ll schedule a time to walk through your home and make a plan to get you storm ready.

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