Assurance Electrical Services shares ideas for lighting upgrades for your Prescott home

There are many reasons to upgrade the lighting in your home. You may be getting ready to sell or remodel your home, or your home may not be bright enough. Your reason for upgrading will help determine the type of lighting you should use. Assurance Electrical Services shares ideas for lighting upgrades for your Prescott home.

General Lighting
General lighting is designed to provide the right amount of light for you to move around your house. This light helps make every part of your home accessible. The only areas in which you may not find general lighting is an attic or a garage. Recessed lights and overhead lights are typically used for your general lighting needs.

Task Lighting
There are parts of your home that require more light than others. Your kitchen countertops, for example, require additional lighting for preparing food. The desk in a home office would require extra lighting. You can think of task lighting as the lighting you need to get work done (or read a book).

Accent Lighting
If you want to make a part of your home stand out, accent lighting is the way to go. This type of light helps draw attention to specific elements in your home. These elements may include a portrait, an accent wall, or a sculpture. If you want to sell your home or give your home a fresh new feel, accent lighting will give you the aesthetic you want.

Regardless of the type of lighting you choose, it is vital that you follow proper safety practices. If the lighting fixtures are not properly installed, your new upgrades could damage your home or put your family in danger. If you have questions about lighting upgrades or professional installation, contact Assurance Electrical Services. We provide the quality work you need and the friendly service you want. For information, call 928-713-2177 or visit us online http://www.myprescottelectrician.com.

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Residential Electrical in Prescott
Prescott Commercial Electrician
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Assurance Electrical Services asks: Does your Prescott home show signs of hazardous electrical outlets?

Electrical fires are a threat to life and property. Assurance Electrical Services asks that you check to see if your Prescott home shows signs of hazardous electrical outlets.

The sad fact is, home electrical fires account for 51,000 fires per year and more than 500 deaths according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International. About 5,300 of those fires are caused by electrical receptacles. The good news is, most of these fires could be easily prevented by recognizing the warning signs of a faulty outlet in your home and getting routine maintenance.

Here are some warning signs of potential outlet hazards:

• An outlet or power strip is overloaded. Outlets may have multiple plug options, but that does not mean they are capable of handling huge loads of power. Power strips can add to the number of items a single outlet can handle, but the amount of power may exceed their capacity. Do not plug multiple high-voltage items into a single outlet or power strip. You will likely overload the circuit.
• An outlet is next to the shower or bathtub. An outlet should always be a safe distance from a water source. There should be a minimum of 3 feet between outlets and your bathtub and shower. GFCI receptacles improve the situation, but it is always best to contact a qualified electrician and have the outlet moved. The cost of removal of an outlet and installation of a safer alternative is much less than the cost that will result from a house fire.
• Unprotected outlets. For some reason, young children are fascinated by electrical outlets. Playing with an outlet can cause a child to be shocked or burned, and if a child inserts a metal object into that outlet, the result could be severe electrical shock or a fire. Child safety wall plates are the best solution. If you do not want to replace the outlets in your home, at the very least install plastic outlet covers.

Assurance Electrical Services wants you to be sure your Prescott home does not show signs of hazardous electrical outlets. If you need help reviewing your home’s electrical system, or for any other electrical needs, call Assurance Electrical Services at 928-713-2177. Learn more at http://www.myprescottelectrician.com.

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Residential Electrical in Prescott
Prescott Commercial Electrician
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Assurance Electrical Services discusses common electrical upgrades for your Prescott home

Summer is upon us, and that means it is time for renovation projects. Whether you are remodeling your bathroom or are adding a room to your home, your project may require you to upgrade your electrical wiring and main circuit breaker. Upgrading your electrical system is no small task. During the planning stage of your renovation, there are a few electrical upgrades to consider and include in your plan. Assurance Electrical Services wants to make sure your Prescott home receives the electrical upgrades it needs.

Why Upgrade?
As technology progresses, so do the power requirements for your home. We have more electrical devices in our homes than ever before, and many older homes were not built to handle the power load. Your decision to upgrade your electrical system may be due to breakers that are tripped on a regular basis.

What Should I Upgrade?
Here are three of the most common electrical upgrades for your home:

• Wiring
• Circuit Breaker
• Electrical Service

New Wiring
Homes that are several decades old may still have knob and tube wiring. While this is not inherently bad, it does limit the amount of power available to you. New wiring will allow you to run the microwave and the blender at the same time without blowing a fuse or tripping a breaker.

Circuit Breaker
Over the years, your home’s electrical system may have been updated several times. While this is a good thing, it can also mean you do not have enough available circuits to complete your current project. If you are simply out of slots, you may be able to add a sub-panel. However, if your home has 60-amp service, you will likely need to upgrade your electrical service and your electrical panel to accommodate the increased draw on your system.

Electrical Service
When it comes to your home’s systems, it is usually a bad idea to upgrade one part without upgrading another. This is especially true of your electrical service. You may have new wiring and a new circuit breaker, but if you have 60-amp service, it is likely you will constantly overdraw your system.

Before taking the leap to upgrade your electrical system, consult with a licensed electrician to learn what upgrades your Prescott home may need. Most importantly, do not attempt to upgrade your electrical system yourself. Improper installation or mismatched power requirements can pose a significant danger to your home and your family. If not done with the proper permits, it could hurt your home’s resale value or void your homeowners insurance in the event of a fire. If need help navigating your home’s electrical upgrade, call Assurance Electrical Services at  928-713-2177 or visit us online at http://www.myprescottelectrician.com.

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Prescott Commercial Electrician
Residential Electrical in Prescott
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Assurance Electrical Services talks about the dangers of overlamping in your Prescott home

What is overlamping? Overlamping is when you install a light bulb with higher wattage than what is recommended for the light fixture. We have all been here before, a light bulb burns out, so we go to the closet and grab the closest available light bulb. Other times, we only purchase 100-watt bulbs, so we can see clearly in our home. But we make these decisions with little or no thought for the wattage of the light fixture. Electrical requirements for home appliances and devices can be complicated and challenging to follow, so Assurance Electrical Services wants to educate Prescott homeowners on the dangers of overlamping in terms everyone can understand.

The Dangers of Overlamping
So you put a brighter bulb in your lamp, what is the worst that could happen? The insulation on light fixtures is created with temperature limits. If your light bulb is 100-watts and your lamp is rated for 60-watts, the additional heat from the hotter bulb can overheat and melt the socket and wiring insulation. This in turn can create an electrical arc which is responsible for starting house fires. At the very least, you risk damaging your light fixture beyond repair.

How to Prevent It
Check your light fixtures to ensure they are at or below the rated wattage. The wattage recommendation is typically located on the fixture’s wire jacket. You should also see the letters “NMB” or “NM”. “NMB” means the fixture can withstand temperatures up to 194 degrees which is the highest possible rating. Finding the wattage rating on older fixtures may be more difficult than checking the wire jacket.

Overlamping poses a severe risk for your home and family, and it should be dealt with quickly. If you have questions about overlamping or would like to have the fixtures in your Prescott home checked by a professional, call Assurance Electrical Services at 928-713-2177. Visit http://www.myprescottelectrician.com for more information.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Prescott Residential Electrical Services
Commercial Electrician in Prescott
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