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Tips to Avoid Common Electrical Appliance Problems

We tend to take our electrical appliances for granted. We put clothes in the washer, add detergent, push a few buttons, and presto – clean clothes! The same goes for the dryer. But that power we’ve learned to depend on is also a potential source of problems. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, electrical malfunctions cause more than 50,000 mostly preventable building and home fires every year.

Here are five important electrical appliance tips:

Give your appliances proper space for air circulation to avoid overheating.

Without proper air circulation, electrical equipment can overheat and become an electrical fire hazard, according to Constellation Energy.

Also, avoid running electrical equipment in enclosed cabinets. For best electrical safety, it’s also important to store flammable objects well away from all appliances and electronics. Pay close attention to your dryer, whether gas or electric, as it needs to be at least a foot from the wall to function safely. Also remember to regularly clean out the dryer’s lint trap.

2. Unplug your unused appliances to reduce potential risks.

One of the simplest safety tips is also the easiest to forget: unplug appliances that are not being used, says Constellation. This saves power by reducing the amount of energy a device consumes even when it’s not being used, and protects against overheating and power surges that can damage equipment.

3. Keep electrical devices and outlets away from water.

Water and electricity don’t mix! Keep electrical equipment dry and away from water to prevent equipment damage and shock hazards. Keep your hands dry when using electrical equipment, and keep equipment away from flower pots, aquariums, sinks, showers, and so on. Have GFCI protection installed if it isn’t already there and moisture is likely to be present.

4. Check that you’re using the correct wattage bulbs in appliances and fixtures.

Using the right bulbs can prevent common electrical problems. If a light fixture has no wattage listed, use 60-watt bulbs or less with incandescents and halogens, which are also incandescents.

For unmarked ceiling fixtures, use 25-watt bulbs. Remember that 90 percent of an incandescent bulb’s energy output is heat, and only 10 percent is light. Any issues are almost certainly the result of too much heat.

LED bulbs and CFLs consume less power, run cooler, and thus reduce the risks of overheating and potential fire hazards. You can get the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb of a given wattage for far fewer watts, and thus less heat, with LEDs and CFLs. Check the packaging when buying bulbs, it should give the incandescent wattage and light output equivalent.

5. Avoid overfusing appliance and other circuits.

“Overfusing” means using a fuse or circuit breaker that is rated for more current than the circuit’s wires can safely carry. For example, most residential lighting circuits and some receptacle circuits use 14-gauge wire and are rated for 15 amps of current. For 15-amp circuits, there will be a “15” molded into the breaker handle or printed under the fuse glass. These circuits should not be supplied from a 20-amp (or even worse, a higher-rated) fuse or breaker.

Some residential receptacle circuits are required to use 12-gauge wire (heavier than 14-gauge) and are rated for 20 amps. Most commercial circuits start with 20 amps and go up from there. Larger appliance circuits, both commercial and residential, are usually handled differently.

If a circuit is overloaded, the fuse should blow or the breaker should trip. If you can replace the fuse or reset the breaker, the trouble is most likely an overload. Please consult a licensed electrician for advice and help.

Our Service Charges

Ever wonder about our service charges and if they are worth it?

When we arrive at your door, we’ve already incurred a number of costs just to get us, our service truck, and our equipment there.

Think of this analogy: Without years of expensive medical training and experience, your doctor couldn’t make a diagnosis and prescribe treatments. As a patient, you pay for this expertise, plus a share of the clinic’s overhead, which includes on-going training, staff, equipment, office space and other operating costs.

Little Sparkie Electric’s charges involve similar inputs. As a licensed electrical contractor, we’ve had extensive training and more than a decade of experience. Catherine Nazarene, Managing Member, is also a Generac factory trained Commercial Level II Certified technician, and attends on-going training sessions.

We also have equipment, staff, travel time and other overhead expenses. The bottom line is that even a service call that only results in a diagnosis and estimate for resolving the problem(s) warrants a service charge for our professional, experienced recommendation. You’re not only paying for what we do, but also for what we know!

We appreciate recommendations!

If you would like to recommend us to your friends or colleagues, please take a minute to write a review on Facebook or Google:

https://www.facebook.com/LittleSparkieElectric/

Google: http://bit.ly/LittleSparkieReviews

Thank you!

Avoiding Rodents and Electrical Arcs!

electric arc — An electrical arc can literally be the hottest thing on earth!

Nobody likes mice or rats on their property, but beyond the obvious reasons for keeping rodents out, here’s another one: they can chew your electrical wires and potentially cause a fire.

Damaged, worn, cracked or corroded electrical wires can increase the chance of electrical accidents. Have a qualified electrician check your wiring on a regular basis to make sure your home and workplace wiring is safe. If you need to, upgrade and replace old and faulty wires.

Some common home and workplace hazards include:

Loose or improper connections, such as electrical outlets or switches
Frayed appliance or extension cords
Pinched or pierced wire insulation, which could occur from, for example, a chair leg sitting on an extension cord
Cracked wire insulation caused by heat, age, corrosion or bending
Overheated wires or cords
Damaged electrical appliances
And, of course, electrical wire that has been chewed by rodents

Dust can also be dangerous!

Too much dust is also dangerous, whether from coal, silica, cement, asbestos, grain, fabrics, flour, wood, metals or materials like leather and rubber. A cloud of concentrated dust is potentially combustible, in addition to causing physical problems.

Use an exhaust ventilation system, a dilution ventilation system, or a vacuum that’s approved for collecting dust. The presence of dusts in ignitable quantities means that the area where they are present is considered a “hazardous location”, which means many new safety rules come into play.

For home, office, and workplace, make sure your portable fire extinguishers are inspected and tagged as often as needed, and that your family and staff know how to operate them.

And finally, always hire a licensed electrical contractor. This is not the area to be a DIYer or to rely on an all-around handy person. Even a “small job” done carelessly or incorrectly can pose serious life-threatening fire hazards. A break in a hot wire or a loose connection won’t trip a circuit breaker (except for the newer arc-fault breakers) or blow a fuse, and the resulting electrical arc is literally the hottest natural phenomenon on earth.

Safety pays off in many ways!

Here’s Why You Need a Generator…

Why do you need a generator?

Winter is here, and with it the possibility of losing power. Power outages often last for hours, days or even weeks, and they can be costly if you’re not prepared. But it’s not just inclement weather that can turn the lights out. Curious animals, automobile accidents, human error, and utility failures also can trigger a blackout. That’s a big headache for businesses and residents.

At home, consumers deal with food spoilage, lack of heat and light, security systems out of order, not to mention being cut off from the world when the Internet service goes out. If you run a business or work out of your home, going without power for an hour, a day, or longer, can be a major inconvenience for you and your customers.

That’s why many of our commercial, industrial and residential customers have purchased automatic standby and portable generators from Little Sparkie Electric, and why they call on us to keep them going.

Standby generators start automatically when the power goes out and go back to sleep when it returns. They run chiefly on propane or natural gas. Some use diesel fuel. Portable generators typically run on gasoline. All generators should be operated at a safe distance from any structure, to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and hazards from heat while the units are running.

It’s helpful to research this useful appliance before you urgently need it. Here are some considerations courtesy of Lowes:

Business

Power essential computers, networks and phones
Power an entire business
Provide temporary jobsite electricity for tools and lights
Provide backup power for short-term or occasional outages

Home

Power essential appliances and lights
Power occasional protection devices such as a sump pump
Power an entire home or part of a home
Provide backup power for short-term or occasional outages
Provide long-term backup power where weather systems can disrupt power for days or weeks, sometimes several times a year
Provide backup power for individuals who may have difficulty handling and operating a portable generator

Little Sparkie Electric installs and services Generac generators, including large commercial generators that have a rating up to 150 kW. Catherine Nazarene, Managing Member, is a Generac factory trained Commercial Level II Certified technician. Additionally, we supply and install manual transfer switch systems for portable generators.

If you’re interested in a generator for your business or home, call us at 301-606-5181 or email [email protected]. For more information on our generator services, visit https://www.littlesparkie.com/generators.

Celebrate Safely this Holiday Season!

This isn’t just the time of year when we eat more than usual, it’s also when we have the most household accidents and fires, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, Inc. (ESFI).

With multiple strings of lights, electrical holiday decorations, candles and lots of cooking, it’s easy to see why. To keep your holidays from going from merry to scary, remember these ESFI Holiday Safety Tips:

1. Keep decorations at least three feet away from heat sources – especially those with an open flame, like fireplaces and candles. And remember to blow out your candles when you go to sleep or even leave the room.
2. When decorating, don’t run cords under rugs or furniture, out of windows, or across walkways and sidewalks.
3. If you have a natural Christmas tree, water it well to keep it fresh and safe. holiday safety for Christmas trees Real trees can dry up and turn into kindling in no time at all. Get rid of the tree after Christmas; dried out trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home or garage.
4. Always turn off your decorations when you leave home and when you’re sleeping. Most deadly fires happen while people are asleep.
5. Don’t overload electrical outlets. Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are a common cause of holiday fires. Avoid overloading outlets and plug only one high-wattage into each outlet at a time.
6. Be mindful of how you are using electrical outlets. If you’re using extension cords or adapters that add receptacles, consider having a qualified electrician add more outlets to your home. Extension cords are a common cause of home fires.
7. Only use electronics in dry areas. As tempting as it may be, don’t decorate your aquarium with icicle lights!
8. Keep your phones and tablets on your nightstand. We all love falling asleep to the muffled crooning of Bing Crosby and Michael Bublé, but overheated electronics under pillows and blankets are dangerous.
holiday safety space heater 9. Invest in a heater with safety features such as automatic overheat protection, cool touch exterior, a self-regulating ceramic element or a tip-over safety switch that turns it off in the event of it being knocked on its side. Read manufacturer’s instructions and any warning labels before first using it. Do not leave heaters unattended; turn them off before you go to sleep.
10. Inspect electrical decorations for damage before use. Cracked or damaged sockets, loose or bare wires, and loose connections may cause a serious shock or start a fire.
11. Keep batteries stored safely in their packaging and out of reach of anything that might try to eat them, like small children and pets. Eating a battery can be deadly.

Our best wishes for a safe and blessed holiday season,
Catherine and John Nazarene

Avoid Electrical Fires Before they Start!

Electricity causes more than 40,000 fires every year in the United States, resulting in hundreds of injuries and deaths. Electrical fires kill more than 750 people and cause more than $1 billion in property damage annually, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The top electrical safety hazards include electrical fires caused by aging wiring, misuse of surge suppressors, and shocks and electrocutions from wiring systems and large pieces of equipment.

Extension cord fires outnumber fires beginning with attached or unattached power cords by more than 2-to-1. Employers and employees need to remember that an important aspect of workplace electrical safety is properly using extension cords, power strips, and surge protectors.

Other sources of electrical accidents are faulty or defective equipment, unsafe installation, or misused equipment. Follow these guidelines to help keep your workplace safe:

General Electrical Safety Tips

Replace or repair loose or frayed cords on all electrical devices.
Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
In areas with small children, such as child care centers, electrical outlets should have plastic safety covers and be tamper resistant.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet.
Avoid overloading outlets. Consider plugging only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time. If the circuit breaker for that receptacle is doing its job, it will trip if the circuit becomes overloaded.
If outlets or switches feel warm, shut off the circuit and have them checked by a licensed electrician.
Avoid using “cube taps”, power strips, and other devices that allow you to plug multiple appliances into a single receptacle.

Outlet Safety

Receptacles (properly known as “receptacle outlets”) are perhaps the most commonly used and least thought of devices in the workplace. And now everyone has cell phone and other mobile device chargers to plug into a limited number of outlets.

Here are some tips to keep your workplace’s outlets safe:

Check outlets regularly for broken parts, overheating, loose connections, and corrosion. Consider having an electrical inspection performed by a qualified, licensed electrician to determine the integrity of your outlets and your entire electrical system.
Check for outlets that won’t hold a plug. Tired receptacles can lead to arcing faults and fires.
Hot is not OK. If a receptacle or switch wall plate is discolored or hot to the touch, immediately shut off power to the circuit and have it checked by a licensed electrician.
Replace missing, damaged, or broken wall plates.

Power Strips and Surge Suppressors
Power strips allow employees to plug more products into the same outlet, which can be handy, but can also be a safety hazard. Power strips, aka outlet strips, don’t provide more power to a location, just more access to the same limited capacity of the circuit to which it is connected.

Surge suppressors do help to protect connected equipment, but are not an absolute guarantee. Many come with dollar-figure guarantees for connected equipment damaged in a surge. Please do yourself a favor and read the fine print!
Any circuit likely also still serves a variety of other outlets and fixtures, in addition to the items plugged into the power strip. When using power strips and surge suppressors, keep these safety principles in mind:
Don’t overload the circuit. Know the capacity of the circuit and the power requirements of all the electrical items plugged into the power strip and into all the other outlets on the circuit, as well as any light fixtures on the circuit. We have seen power strips literally explode when faulty equipment was plugged into them.
A heavy reliance on power strips means that you probably don’t have enough receptacles. Have a qualified electrician install additional outlets where needed.

Surge suppressors can manage the small surges and spikes sometimes generated by turning equipment on and off. They may even protect against a large surge generated from outside sources like lightning or problems along the power lines to the business. In the event of a large surge or spike, the surge suppressor only protects your equipment one time, and then it will likely need replacing. These devices basically sacrifice themselves to protect connected equipment. Check them regularly for the “happy light,” usually green, which shows that protection is enabled.
Consider purchasing surge suppressors with cable and phone jacks to provide the same protection to your phone, fax, computer, TV, and so on.
Not all power strips are surge suppressors, and not all surge suppressors can handle the same load and events. There are also surge protective devices that mount to or inside a breaker panel. Ask a licensed electrician for advice to be sure the equipment you buy matches your needs.

Have questions? Give us a call at 301-606-5181 or send us an e-mail at [email protected].

Follow These Fall Safety Tips!

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), reminds you to keep electrical safety in mind as the cooler fall weather moves many activities back indoors. The following safety tips will help you stay safe during the change of seasons:

Safely store warm weather tools like lawn mowers and trimmers.
Check cold weather tools, such as leaf and snow blowers, along with their power cords, for unusual wear and tear.
Repair or replace worn tools or parts right away.
Unplug and safely store battery chargers that won’t be in use again until spring.
Use only weatherproof electrical devices for outside activities. Protect outdoor electrical devices from moisture.
Make sure electrical equipment that has been wet is inspected and reconditioned by a certified repair dealer.
Keep dry leaves swept away from outdoor lighting, outlets and power cords.
Make sure electric blankets are in good repair and certified by an independent testing lab such as UL, CSA or ETL.
Power cords should not be frayed, cracked or cut.
Do not tuck your electric blanket under mattresses or children, and do not put anything, such as comforters or bedspreads, on top of the blanket while it is in use.
Never allow pets to sleep on an electric blanket.

Dangers from Space Heaters Are Not Over Yet!

By Master Electrician Catherine Nazarene, Little Sparkie Electric LLC

Maryland has seen some warm winter days recently, but that doesn’t mean the dangers of space heaters are over. In fact, people may actually use the space heaters more to avoid cranking up the thermostat when temperatures drop. Unfortunately, they can pose significant fire and electric shock hazards if not used properly.

Fire and electrical hazards can be caused by space heaters without adequate safety features, by heaters placed near combustibles, or heaters that are improperly plugged in, or are plugged into receptacles with loose or improper wiring.

Heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires in the United States, and more than 65,000 home fires are attributed to heating equipment each year, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI).

These fires result in hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries and millions of dollars in property damage, says the ESFI.

Put safety first

Here are some tips from the ESFI for keeping your home safe and warm during the chilly months ahead:

Make sure your space heater has the label showing that it is listed by a recognized testing laboratory.
Before using any space heater, read the manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels carefully.
Inspect heaters for cracked or broken plugs or loose connections before each use. If frayed, worn or damaged, don’t use the heater.
Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off when you’re leaving a room or going to sleep, and don’t let pets or children play too close to a space heater.
Space heaters are only meant to provide supplemental heat and should never be used to warm bedding, cook food, dry clothing or thaw pipes.
Proper placement of space heaters is critical. Heaters must be kept at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including papers, clothing and rugs.
Locate space heaters out of high traffic areas and doorways, where they may pose a tripping hazard.
Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet. Do not use an extension cord or power strip, which could overheat and result in a fire. Do not plug any other electrical devices into the same outlet as the heater.
Place space heaters on level, flat surfaces. Never place heaters on cabinets, tables, furniture, or a carpet, which can overheat and start a fire.
Always unplug and safely store the heater when it is not in use.

Little Sparkie offers safety checks as part of our services, and we see scary things just about every day. We check circuit breakers and wire connections, look for deterioration and corrosion, run tests to help ensure that electrical equipment is functioning correctly, and make recommendations to help ensure safety.

And you should always check to make sure your smoke alarms are working; we also install hard-wired alarms to comply with local electrical codes.

If you have any concerns about your home or office’s wiring, please give us a call at 301-606-5181, or email us at [email protected]. We serve Frederick, Carroll, Howard and Montgomery Counties, along with Western, Southern, and Eastern Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

Seeking advanced helper or journeyman-level electrician

Seeking advanced helper or journeyman-level electrician for flexible work hours. Mechanical ability is a huge plus to help service our approximately 100 Generac generator customers.

Maturity and the ability to relate to customers are a must.
Usual hand tools are required.
Competitive wages are commensurate with experience and competence.
Non-stuffy work environment – we have fun on the job.
Some experience is required but will train the right person.

Please email your resume to [email protected].

Little Sparkie Electric, LLC