Category Archives: Residential Electricians

What Can I Do to Fix My Circuit Breaker?

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Fixing a Circuit BreakerThe circuit breakers in your home are among the most important things in your entire house. They’re designed to prevent the electrical wiring in your home from overheating. If they ever sense that too much electricity might be passing through your electrical wiring and putting it at risk, they’ll “trip” and shut off the electricity in the part of your home that is experiencing the problem. Here is how to fix a circuit breaker that has tripped.

Find out which circuit breaker has tripped.

If you ever lose power in a portion of your home, the first thing you should do is run down to your breaker box and take a look at your circuit breakers. If one of them has tripped, you’ll notice the lever for it will be located in between the “on” and “off” positions. You can push it back into the “on” position so it restores electricity to the portion of your home where the power went off. When you do this, see how the circuit breaker responds and then check to see whether or not the power has been restored.

See if a circuit breaker might be loose.

While you’re in the process of resetting a circuit breaker, jiggle it around a little bit to see if it feels loose to you at all. If it moves around more than you think it should, it could indicate that your circuit breaker is faulty and that it needs to be replaced. You should consider leaving the circuit breaker in the “off” position until you’ve had a chance to replace it with help from a residential electrician.

Call an electrician if a circuit breaker continues to trip.

You’ll want to reach out to an electrician right away if you ever notice a loose circuit breaker in your breaker box. You’ll also want to get in contact with one if a circuit breaker continues to trip over and over again once you’ve returned it to the “on” position. It’s not out of the ordinary for a circuit breaker to trip every now and then. It’ll sometimes happen when you plug in a vacuum cleaner or a blender in a part of your home where you already have a bunch of other things plugged in. But if you have a circuit breaker that’s tripping all the time, it could be an indication of a larger issue that will need to get looked at right away.

There are some circuit breaker problems that you can fix on your own. Nevertheless, there are also plenty that’ll require the services of a professional electrician. Always on Electric will provide you with the electrical services you need in your home. Call us at 970-309-2616 to schedule an appointment with an electrician.

Myths About Saving Electrical Energy at Home

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Energy Saving MythsWould you like to cut down on how much energy you use in your home on a daily basis? If so, there are many ways for you to do it. However, there are also a lot of energy-saving myths out there that can lead you astray when it comes to scaling back on your home’s energy usage. Avoid these myths at all costs since they won’t save you much energy at all.

Myth: Turning a light off and then back on uses more energy than just leaving a light on.

For years, some people have been under the impression that it makes more sense to leave lights on in their houses as opposed to turning them on and off all day long. But this is, of course, not true. Turning a light on doesn’t use up any more energy than letting a light sit on. It’s why you should get into the habit of turning lights off when you’re not using them to conserve energy.

Myth: Running an AC all day to keep a house cool uses less energy than turning an AC on at the end of the day when a house is hot and stuffy.

Many homeowners leave their AC systems running all day long to keep a house that no one is in cool. They do it because they think it’ll help them steer clear of having to waste energy later by attempting to cool off a stuffy house with an overmatched AC system. It will take your AC system some time to cool off a stuffy house, but it’ll still require far less energy to take that approach than it will to keep your AC running throughout the day. If you’re concerned about coming home to a warm house, consider installing a smart thermostat that you can turn on about an hour before you get home.

Myth: Appliances don’t use any electricity when they’re plugged in but not turned on.

Many older appliances used to shut down when you had them turned off and not waste energy. But these days, many appliances and other gadgets continue to use up energy unnecessarily when they’re not being used. It’s a great idea to unplug appliances that don’t need to be plugged in all the time if you want to save energy.

If you’re serious about wanting to save energy, don’t buy into any of these myths. Instead, let Always on Electric show you some ways to bring your energy costs way down. Call us at 970-309-2616 to schedule our residential electrical services.

Signs You Need a Residential Electrician

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Residential ElectricianDo you have electrical circuit breakers in your home that are tripping on you all the time? This could potentially indicate a big problem with your home’s electrical system. It’s important for you to call a residential electrician right away so that they can take a closer look at the issue.

There are also other signs that you need to touch base with an electrician sooner than later. Check them out below.

Flickering lights

If the lights in your home flicker every once in a blue moon, it might not be the end of the world. Nevertheless, if you notice that your lights are flickering or even turning off completely on an almost daily basis, you shouldn’t ignore it. This is more than likely a sign that you should have a residential electrician come to evaluate your electrical system.

Warm outlets or switches

Feel the outlets and switches in your home every now and then to see if they’re warm. If they are, there is a decent chance that you have some kind of electrical issue on your hands. If the problem starts to spiral out of control, it’s not uncommon for the wall surrounding an outlet or switch to get warm, too.

Old electrical wiring

The electrical wiring that you have in your home is not supposed to last for decades and decades on end. Most electrical wiring is only designed to last for about 25 years before it needs to be replaced. It’s a good idea to have a residential electrician inspect and possibly replace old electrical wiring before it causes issues for you.

The next time you notice one of these signs of trouble, let Always on Electric come out to your home and provide you with residential electrical services. Call us at 970-309-2616 today to set up an appointment.

The Advantages of Having a Standby Generator for Your Business

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Backup Generators for BusinessesLooking for a Standby Generator for Your Business?

Always on Electric provides electrical services for local businesses and homes throughout the western Colorado region. With the Fall and Winter seasons closely approaching, a standby generator have major benefits on your business. Snowstorms, colder temperatures, and other elemental weather can cause power outages. Knowing your business won’t shut down due to having a standby generator will leave you with a sigh of relief.

Benefits of Having a Standby Generator for Your Business

When faced with a natural disaster or power outages in your area, the last thing you want to worry about is not being able to service your customers, which will result in loss of business and money. There are several reasons why a backup power source will help you stay in business through unexpected power loss.

  • Safety– To ensure your safety and the safety of your employees, invest in a quality generator that will keep your lights and security systems operating and protect important electronic data.
  • Security– In the event of a power outage, sensitive data you store electronically can be lost. With the use of a standby generator, you can ensure that your personal business information and customer information is not lost when the power goes out.
  • Building Trust with Customers– When an outage occurs in your area, customers will look for businesses that are able to continue to provide services despite the current outage. If your business is able to operate in these conditions customers will remember this in the future for other needs they may have for your services.

Choosing the Right Generator for Your Business

While searching for a generator, there are different factors that must be considered before choosing the right generator for you. These factors can depend on your personal business practices, the size of your business and ability to provide maintenance on the generator.

The four main types of power generators are:

  • EMD Generators– Electro-Motive Diesel is a low maintenance and low risk generator that has flexible functionality.
  • Diesel Generators– A diesel generator operates with the use of a diesel engine and electrical generator. Diesel generator are best used for emergency power.
  • Portable Generators.- Portable generators typically operate using gasoline as fuel and are portable which makes it ideal for commercial or industrial use.
  • Natural Gas Generators– Natural gas generators operate using natural gas for fuel. Natural gas generators help reduce the amount of pollutants released into the environment because it is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels.

From floods, tornadoes, blizzards and earthquakes , Colorado has experienced it. Allow Always On Electric to ensure that your business can withstand whatever nature brings our way! Contact Always On Electric at (970) 309-2616 today or visit us online for more information!

4 Ways to Save on Your Electric Bills This Summer

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Summer is right around the corner, and as the heat rises, so can the cost of bills. Many people enjoy the outdoors during the summer, but for some, the only way to beat the heat is to stay inside, out of the sun. Here are some ways to ensure you can have a cool, relaxing summer, while also saving money.

Woman cooling down in home from heat of summer

1 – Swap the AC for Some Fans

It’s tempting to crank the air conditioning at the first sign of summer- but holding off and using some fans provides relief from the heat, and relief on your wallet. A box fan in a window can blow cool air in at night, or, if you prefer less wires, consider getting some ceiling fans installed to get a nice breeze throughout your home.

2 – Upgrade to Energy Efficient Appliances

It may be time to look at some of your most used appliances and see if they could be the culprit of a high bill. Is your stove Energy Star Certified? What about your AC unit? Making the switch to Energy Star Certified appliances ensures you have the most energy efficient appliance- which allows you to rest easy knowing that you’re saving money, even when using them.

3 – Invest in Light Blocking Curtains

While long hours of sunlight are a bonus of the summer, it also adds more hours of heat to your home, particularly if coming from southern and western facing windows. There are many curtains that not only block bright light, but keep rooms cool as they block heat. Consider installing these curtains and keeping them shut throughout the day- even if you keep some curtains open, it will still make a dramatic difference in the overall temperature of your house!

4 – Get an Evaluation

Above all else, safety is the most important thing when considering any upgrades or electrical changes. Always consult with professionals to ensure you’re maximizing your savings this summer. At Always On Electric, we provide evaluations, as well as assistant in repairs, or do total installations. Let us help you get ready for a relaxing summer, today! Give us a call at (970) 309-2616 for a free estimate!

 

Outdoor Lighting Maintenance Tips

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Exterior Lighting There are many benefits that come along with installing residential and commercial outdoor lighting. You can make properties safer and more attractive by doing it. However, in addition to installing outdoor lighting, you also must take steps to maintain it so that it continues to work both now and in the future. Here are some tips for doing basic outdoor lighting maintenance.

Replace any lights that have burned out immediately.

Outdoor lighting can really brighten up the exterior of a home or business. Nevertheless, it’s obviously not going to be able to do it if you have bulbs in your lighting fixtures that have burned out. You should replace any burned-out bulbs with new ones right away. You should also consider using long-lasting LED bulbs that won’t have to be replaced every few months. It might cost a little more to purchase these bulbs, but they’ll pay off in a big way when you don’t have to worry about replacing them for years to come.

Clean lighting fixtures that are covered in dirt, cobwebs, and more.

Are the lighting fixtures that you use to light the outside of your home or business filthy? If so, they might be bringing down your curb appeal significantly. You also might be putting them at risk for mechanical failure at some point in the future, and they just won’t work as well when they’re covered in gunk. Every so often, you should make it a point to sweep cobwebs away from outdoor lighting fixtures and clean your fixtures thoroughly. It will keep them shining and ensure your lights always turn on.

Fix any lighting fixtures that have been broken.

It’s not all that uncommon for a lighting fixture to break. An errant baseball or a large tree branch can come through and wreak havoc on outdoor lighting. If you ever notice that one of your lighting fixtures has broken, you should have it replaced right away. It can prevent further electrical problems and keep your outdoor lighting system up and running.

Do you need maintenance done to your outdoor lighting? Always on Electric can set you up with services that will take care of all your outdoor lighting needs. Call us at 970-309-2616 to schedule an appointment with an electrician.

Electrical Safety Tips for Kids

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Electrical Tips for Children If you have kids in the home, whether they’re always there because they’re yours or they’re just visiting, it’s a good idea to go over some electrical safety basics with them.

Electrical Safety Precautions to Share With Your Children

For instance, tell kids not to plug too many things into one outlet or overload an extension cord. As much as it seems like “no big deal” to do so, the truth is that having too many things plugged into one or two outlets can end up overwhelming the circuit. At worst a fire could result, and nobody wants that to happen.

Speaking of outlets, with kids around it makes sense to have parents or the adults-in-charge put safety caps on all unused electrical outlets. Not only does this help save energy by stopping cold drafts, but it also prevents babies and toddlers and others from sticking their fingers into the outlet area where they could get a bad shock or worse.

Teach kids not to yank cords from the wall. Instead, teach them to literally go up to the outlet and pull the cord out from it right there. If and when a cord is pulled from anywhere besides its head, damage can be done to the plug, the outlet and/or the appliance.

Another thing: cords need to be kept out of the way so people don’t trip over them. Furthermore, if a cord can be placed in such a way that a pet can’t easily get to it, that’s great– too many dogs and cats have chewed cords and gotten shocked– not good. With little kids around, too, it’s best to find ways to keep them away from cords whenever possible– they’re not toys to be played with.

Kids also need to be taught that water and electricity don’t mix. So, for instance, they have to be extra careful in the bathroom when using things like a hair dryer near the sink, toilet or bathtub.

Finally, with regards to electricity outdoors, kids should know not to play on or near electrical boxes/substations. They need to stay away from power lines. And if they fly a kite, which kids like to do, make sure they’re not flying the kite anywhere near power lines.

If you need help repairing the electrical lines in your home, contact the experts at Always on Electric, Inc. today.

When is it Time to Upgrade Your Electrical Wiring?

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Electrical Wiring Most people don’t think much about the electrical wiring in their home, unless or until something goes wrong. For instance, the big football game is coming up on TV and people are gathered at your house to see it. A couple minutes before the game starts the TV inexplicably turns off. Nothing seems to work to get it back on. Maybe it was a blown fuse? Maybe it was something else? Whatever it was, it’s frustratingly irritating!

Signs You Need to Upgrade Your Electrical Wiring

When is it time to upgrade your electrical wiring? For most people, if their house is over 40 years old, then it’s time. Things have changed a lot since the original electrical work was installed. Think about how much different our world is today– back then, they didn’t have the kind of devices and appliances we have now, like microwaves, desktop computers, and tablets. Furthermore, if you have several people living in a house trying to plug all their stuff in at once, you might have run out of outlets– so it’s time to expand the number of outlets in your home to properly accommodate the power needs of all the people who live there.

One thing that might scare you– and it should– is that faulty wiring is a leading cause of house fires. The older your house is, the more likely the wiring is outdated and/or unsafe… which could very well lead to a fire. You don’t want that. You want wiring that’s “up to code,” or, more importantly, up to the current code.

Hire a Professional Electrician

When’s the last time your wiring was professionally inspected? Most of you would say, “I have no idea.” Others might say, “When we first bought the house.” If it has been “some time” since it was checked, make it a priority this year to have a company like Always On Electric come take a look at what’s going on in your house with your electrical wires.

You’ll especially want to have your wiring checked if you’ve noticed fuses are blowing repeatedly, lights are flickering or dimming, you smell burning coming from a certain room or appliance, or– don’t laugh– you get a tingling sensation when you touch a certain appliance.

Your wiring should also be inspected if you’ve noticed particularly warm outlets or ones that have become discolored or spark when you plug things into them.

Call 970-309-2616 to connect with Always On Electric.

Prepare for Cooler Weather with New Electrical Equipment

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Fall is here, which makes this a good time to start thinking about winter electrical installations. Each season has its own electrical demands, like air conditioning in summer. As fall continues, it is a good time to consider any upcoming electrical projects or needs before the weather turns cold.

Frozen PipeCommercial

Heat tape systems can be used for several applications, including freeze protection for pipes and tanks, maintaining hot water temperature, de-icing and snow melting. Our experienced electricians can install a new heat tape system for your commercial property that will meet your needs and keep plumbing fixtures free of freezing problems.

Residential

Is it time for a new boiler or hot tub at your home? The skilled electricians at Always On Electric can safely complete the power installation for your new hot tub, boiler or steamer.

Tired of the power going out during winter storms? Always On Electric has you covered here, too, with professional back-up generator solutions. Don’t take a chance on your safety and comfort this winter!

Agricultural

The agricultural industry works year-round, with no break for bad weather. Winter brings unique challenges for farmers and ranchers because of water troughs or buckets icing over whenever temperatures fall below freezing. Trough heaters are the solution to the common wintertime chore of breaking up ice so that animals can drink.

Industrial

Severe winter cold can shut down an entire truck fleet, but using engine block heaters can help ensure your trucks will start in the morning after a long, cold night. Of course, each heater requires a fair amount of electrical power, and powering multiple truck heaters will probably require some new wiring. Our electricians can help you safely add the connections you need to power your truck heaters this winter.

Always On Electric provides a full range of electrical services for clients throughout western Colorado. Contact us today at 970-309-2616 to prepare for fall with new electrical equipment and wiring installations.

Warning Signs It’s Time to Re-wire Your Home

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Re-Wiring Home Does it feel like you blow a fuse at least once or twice every week? There’s a chance that you could have too many appliances plugged into one circuit. There’s also a chance that your home’s electrical system might be outdated and that you could benefit from rewiring your entire home in the near future. Take a look at some of the other warning signs you’ll likely notice when it’s time to rewire your house.

Your home is more than 40 years old.

Electrical systems have advanced a lot over the course of the last few decades. So if you have a home that was built 40 years ago or more and you’re still using the original electrical system, it’s probably just about time to think about updating your system. By rewiring your home, you can make it a lot safer and avoid many of the potential problems that come along with using an older system.

Your home has aluminum wiring in it.

Speaking of outdated electrical systems, there was a time when many systems relied on aluminum wiring. That is, until electricians started to figure out that many aluminum wires ended up causing fires once they got old. Today’s electrical systems rely on copper wiring as opposed to aluminum and are noticeably safer. You should consider going with copper if you still have aluminum in your home.

Your home has certain outlets that have stopped working altogether.

Are you running extension cords all over your house to power up certain rooms? This might seem like a reasonable solution, but extension cords should not be used for this purpose. You should have an electrician come take a look at your nonfunctional outlets. They might be repairable, or they might be a sign of a larger problem within your home’s electrical system.

Is it time for you to update your home’s electrical system? Always on Electric can help you with it. Call us at 970-309-2616 today to set up an appointment with one of our reliable and experienced electricians.