Archive for April, 2010
April 30th, 2010 | 
Author: “Every household needs electricity for it lights up your house and runs almost every pieces of appliance in your home. Television, refrigerators, ovens, iron, electric fans and many more are run by electricity, that’s why adequate knowledge and understanding on how electricity works is a must. As a homeowner, you have to make sure electrical installation is in good condition or else you will lose a large amount of money for your properties and your life will be at stake.
Electrical repair is the worst and the most dangerous repair in your home, that’s why you should hire a certified professional electrician in Putnam. Make sure that the Westchester electrician you’ve hired knows how to solve electrical problems and are equipped with well-functioning equipments to avoid accidents and fire. Always make sure your electrical repairs are done by a pros alone not by amateurs. Recalcitrance and non compliance often leads to further damage and accident. Numerous fires are caused by faulty home electrical wiring, faulty extension cords and defective electrical appliances.
Another thing, here are the tips to secure your home is safe from electrical problems.
Wiring
Home wiring should meet the standards of the national Electrical Code. Also, as early as possible detect all the poor wiring installation in your house to avoid further damage to properties. Don’t wait ‘til an appliance explode before you respond quickly. Check symptoms of poor wiring such as: fuses blow or circuit breakers trip often, extension cors frequently used, light dim and TV picture shrinks when refrigerator or other equipment is in use, and toaster and electric iron heat slowly.
Outlets
Outlets that have loose fitting plugs when overheat can cause fire. If you spot some faulty outlets, replace any broken and missing wall plates. Also, make sure that the outlets have safety covers and inaccessible to small children.
Cords
Cords shouldn’t be nailed or stapled to the wall or to any object for it can explode if improperly handled. Do not place cords under carpets or rugs or rest any furniture on them.
Extension Cords
Extension cords should not be overloaded or it could lead to octopus wiring. Make sure extension cords have safety closures to avoid injuries.
Plugs
Make sure the plugs are properly fit in the outlets. Never remove the ground pin (the third prong) to make a three-prong fit a two-conductor outlet; this could lead to an electrical shock. If the plug doesn’t fit in the outlet, do not force the plug for it can explode. Also, plug has corresponding number of voltage or watts so avoid overloading plugs with too many pieces of appliance. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) GFCIs can help prevent electrocution. They should be used in any area where water and electricity may come into contact. Test GFCIs following the manufacturer’s instructions monthly or after major electrical storms to make sure they are working properly.
Inadequate electrical capacity is mainly due to increasing the number of devices that consume electricity in your home like new heating and cooling equipment, frost free refrigerators, clothes dryers, water heaters, electric ranges and ovens, dishwashers, and other powerful electric motor driven tools and appliances.
As you add devices to your home, the power supply may become inadequate. If you have indicators like fuses or circuit breakers tripping, or lights dimming, it’s time to carefully look at your circumstances before equipment failure, fire, or other problems arise.
- 5 Causes of Inadequate Power in Your Home -
1.Limited service panel capacity
When the overall demand from total electrical devices is greater than what the panel is able to supply, the main service panel will likely fail, frequently. Excess demand indicates that the panel rating is less than needed or the panel might be limiting capacity because it has no space left for more fuses or circuit breakers.
In either case it’s time to make a circuit map to calculate demand and compare it with the capacity of the main panel to supply. If you find the power demand is less than the capacity and there is no room for more breakers, then a sub-panel might be the answer. Conversely, if the overall demand is greater than the main panel ability to supply, then you will need a licensed electrician to install a new main panel.
2. Overloaded circuits
Another use for the circuit map is to determine if demand on the circuits are greater than the amperage rating of the circuit controlling it. It is important to note peak demands of appliances that may draw more power on starting and create a power surge that trips the breaker.
A power surge that doesn’t trip the breaker is indicated by lights dimming when an appliance turns on. Appliances that produce surges should have their own separate circuit designed to tolerate the surge.
To prevent the risk of fire do not exceed the safe amperage of the circuit. Blown fuses or tripped breakers indicate an overloaded circuit. Do not replace breakers with ones of higher amperage just because they fail. Instead run a new circuit from the main panel that is within the supply capacity.
3. Insufficient number of outlets
A general recommendation is to have at least one outlet for every 12 feet of wall, ground fault interrupted outlets in bathrooms and exterior walls, one outlet for each counter top in the kitchen, or as required by local codes.
The most obvious indicator that more outlets are needed is when you start to use multi-outlet extension cords on a regular or permanent basis. Most low cost extension cords are not designed to carry heavy amperage demanded of permanent wiring. Excess loads may cause overheating and fire.
Computer workstations can require outlets for more than two devices from a single dual receptacle wall circuit. Older CRT monitors and laser printers can cause surges when they are turned on. The best solution is to supply the required outlets on separate circuit(s) designed to exceed the demand. The next best option is to use a fused and surge protected uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to protect your equipment. UPS are now available for less than $100 and can protect your computer investment from power problems better than anything else. The less expensive power bars and extension cords run risks of equipment damage or fires if the circuit is overloaded.
4. Inadequate feeder lines
Older houses may have original two-wire feed lines from the power company’s nearest utility pole. One of the wires is hot, delivering 110-115 volts and the other is neutral. Obviously these lines will not power 240 volt appliances nor is the amperage likely able to power more than a few newer appliances at a time.
The electric company should replace the two wire system with a three wire system at their own expense. Since you will have to pay an electrician to install a new service panel, use your circuit map and any expansion plans to determine future demand, then size the new panel capacity accordingly.
5. Overtaxed transformer
In older high-density neighborhoods electricity demands over time have increased. In some cases the transformer serving the area may not have been increased to meet the growth in demand. Although the power companies are required to scale up supply according to demand, it is wise to check into the matter before paying to connect a larger service.
Tips
Demand Side Management (DSM) refers to actions taken on the customer’s side of the meter to change the amount or timing of energy consumption. Utility DSM programs offer a variety of measures that can reduce energy consumption and consumer energy expenses. Electricity DSM strategies have the goal of maximizing end-use efficiency to avoid or postpone the construction of new generating plants.
When you’re planning a kitchen remodel the geography of your kitchen and the surrounding areas is definitely something that requires some thought and special planning.
The way you work in the kitchen needs to be thought out and planned for. One of the most functional working designs is the kitchen work triangle.
A kitchen work triangle has the kitchen sink in one tip of the triangle, the center of the cooktop or range in another tip of the triangle and the center of the refrigerator in the other tip of the triangle.
According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association the triangle formed by these appliances should total 26 feet or less for maximum efficiency.
It’s also highly recommended that you don’t have any appliances, cabinet doors or entries to the space block each other when you open them. If you have a kitchen island then also make sure that any appliances or doors across from the island don’t hit the kitchen island when they open.
Most kitchen plans now are designed with an open space between the kitchen and the dining room and quite often include the family room as well all as one great room.
This allows the cook to be connected to everyone while working in the kitchen and is a more social and intimate space use and is a more desirable trend in kitchen designs these days.
When you have the kitchen and dining area or dining room and even the family room all in one big space a great way to visually designate the different areas is through the use of color and ceiling height.
Having slightly separate tone on tone colors that vary slightly but are still in the same color family can help achieve this or even choosing colors that are not in the same color family but yet are still complimentary can also work out quite well too.
Another option in your remodel is to have the kitchen ceiling a little higher than the dining area. Dining is a more intimate activity and having the ceiling a little lower can create that cozy intimate feeling where as in the kitchen there is a lot of movement and activity going on and the more spacious it feels the more comfortable it will feel to move around in it.
Having higher ceilings creates the illusion that the space is larger so having higher ceilings in the kitchen is something you might consider.
If you have a smaller kitchen and are trying to put together some design plans for kitchen remodeling, you might want to consider designing galley kitchen plans. After all, a smaller kitchen is perfectly sized for a galley kitchen and, by implementing galley kitchen plans, you will be able to get the most efficient use out of your limited kitchen space.
When creating galley kitchen plans, there are a few design elements you might want to consider implementing in order to get the best use of your available space. Some of these include…
Galley kitchen designs are best created with a space that is long and narrow.
Utilize the classic kitchen triangle floor-plan with galley kitchen plans in order to more effectively control foot traffic.
Consider placing one door at the end of the room that doesn’t open to the family room or dining room in order to control the flow of traffic.
Consider converting one of the walls to a half-wall, and installing a countertop with barstools on the other side of the room, in order to open up the space and make it easier to serve food.
Place the sink and stove on one side of the galley with the refrigerator on the other side; if installing a half wall, the sink and stove should be placed on this wall and the refrigerator on the other wall.
Make sure your cabinet doors and sliding drawers have enough room to be opened at the same time.
Place the sink and the cooking area on in the same line if possible.
Consolidate your counter space near the appliances that you use most often.
Consider installing a pullout tower pantry or a wall of base cabinets in order to create more storage space.
No matter what type of design plans for kitchen remodeling you are creating, it is important to consider the many ways you will be using your kitchen. This way, you can select the design elements that best meet your needs and lifestyle.
If you are considering making galley kitchen plans, however, keep in mind that these kitchens are designed to be used by primarily one cook and that you will have a difficult time preparing meals if people are moving in and out of the kitchen while you cook.
At the same time, due to the narrow design and efficient use of space, a galley kitchen design will make it easier for you get the job done!
Households in the UK have, once again, been found out to be stockpiling valuables worth several thousands of pounds. While it was jewelleries that were stashed in hundreds of homes sometime back, this time a new study discovered that homeowners in the country have amassed kitchen gadgets that are hardly used.
In this case the perpetrators are over 250,000 households and the appliances in question are worth about £2.6 billion or £500 per home. The gadgets range from spice shakers to blenders.
The study, from Halifax Home Insurance, highlights the danger homes, and kitchens in particular, are exposed to as homeowners undertake risky culinary experiments. A couple of months backs this issue was extensively discussed as it was found that many people were trying to copy celebrity chefs in the class of persons of no less standing than Gordon Ramsay.
With the risks being so obvious and households are insisting on not just stocking the appliances, but also putting them to use even when many lack the required experience to use them, having adequate home becomes a very important step.
Men, who hardly read instructions before jumping into using the appliances, were found to be in the forefront of buying the culinary tools. While they spend an average of £119 purchasing, women lag behind with about £88. Men therefore outspend them by about a third.
Among the tools that were owned and hardly used by their owners are toasted sandwich makers, which topped the list of the unused with 32 per cent of owners admitting to not utilising them. There were also blenders, which came next with 21 per cent of owners admitting to the same habit.
Others in the roll call of the unused were steamers, juicers and electric carving knives etc. These were owned by 17 per cent of people who left them redundant.
The irony, however, is that even when used some of these appliances have caused more harm than good in homes. For example kitchen blow torches and electric carving knives were said to have been misused and the result was often a costly accident in the house. Accidents caused with gadgets like slicing through worktops have resulted in about £64 million of damage.
Men, unlike women, as enthusiastic as they have been in leading the way to amassing the tools need to realise that beyond buying them they should used them. And beyond merely putting the gadgets into use, they should think of the likely results of not reading instructions or keeping to safety rules.
Women are not entirely exonerated from blames. They too have been found to contribute immensely in making this a major issue. While it is important to buy the entire appliances one would need in their kitchen, they need to know that time should be created for using those and above all, making use of the appliances safely.
Even when playing safe, one can not completely rule out the possibility of accidents. The precaution here is for households to make sure they take out the right home and contents insurance to protect their homes and possessions in case things suddenly go wrong. But, prevention still remains the best antidote.