With Summer nearly in full swing, it’s time to get ready for those Summer power bills. The air outside feels hot and humid, and you want to beat the heat indoors. So, the inevitable shocking electric bill is on its way, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few simple hacks for keeping your house cool and your energy bill low, enjoy Summer the way it’s meant to be enjoyed: relaxed and laid back. Here are some quick Summer hacks to keep your energy bill (and blood pressure) from spiking this Summer:
- Open your windows and doors, and point box fans outward. This hack from “yesteryear” uses a sort of a reverse “technology” than air conditioners by sucking warm air out of a room and blowing it outdoors while blocking the outside heat from entering a room through open doors and windows.
- Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use. A surprising number of electronics and appliances in your home drain energy and raise electricity costs even while not in use. Taking the time to not only turn off - but unplug your coffee maker, TV, or computer keeps these appliances safe from power surges and reduces their constant pull on your home’s electrical system.
- Use ceiling fans and be sure they’re rotating in the most beneficial direction. For peak performance in the Summer, your ceiling fans should turn forward (or counterclockwise) forcing air from the ceiling down and providing the wind chill effect that makes you feel cooler.
- Keep vents, and doors closed in areas of your home not often used. If you and your family spend most of your time in the living room, consider closing the air conditioner vents to guest bathrooms and bedrooms to reduce the unnecessary cooling of these rooms while not in use.
- Add insulation. A lot of cool air escapes from homes by way of space between the walls not protected by insulation. A simple spray foam purchased at a local home improvement store can work wonders when sprayed through drilled holes into the area between the walls.
Remodeling your kitchen can give a great new visual appeal, but what about behind those newly painted walls? It’s important to pay attention to updating your electrical circuits during a kitchen remodel. Whether you’re building a new home or buying an older one, the circuits play a major role in basically all of your household items.
Ready to experience the future of fantastic upgrades to your home’s lighting system? Modern and stylish, touch plate low voltage lighting systems come conveniently packaged with all of the materials needed for a quick, professional, and affordable installation. Even more exciting? Touch plate lighting systems are controlled remotely from your smartphone or another electronic device.
Changing your outlets to recessed outlets doesn’t seem like it would be a big deal, but such a simple switch can make a huge visual difference in a home.
Many home upgrades are made for the sake of convenience, functionality or even personal taste. But, there’s one upgrade that serves a much higher purpose: Protecting the safety and well-being of your home and family from the dangers of knob and tube wiring. 
Winter in Florida may not feature any snow, but it does produce a chill that makes you want to pull out that electric blanket and a small space heater and warm up! With that kind of weather slowly creeping in for the season, a crash course in space heater and electric blanket safety is a great idea. Here you’ll find five top tips to keep your home safe this winter.
The island of Puerto Rico has seen many hardships, but none the likes of Hurricane Maria. A storm so powerful it knocked out power to 100% of the island, and only 10% regained power two days later. That’s 90% of a very populated island, the very same island who’s electrical company declared bankruptcy several months ago befortoe the storm. After the damage was surveyed, the cost reached that of the billions, an estimated $85 billion to be exact. Out of 3.4 million residents, 80% of them are still without power while 30% are still without clean drinking water (Coto - ABCNews). 
Building a new home with a basement, or redoing an existing basement typically will require lots of new wiring down in said basement. Wiring a finished basement is a quite simple procedure, but it should be taken into though to wire for the future. What is the purpose of the basement? Will it be more for storage or used more like a den, or entertainment room? This decision will better help you prepare for the future of your basement’s wiring plans.
Since the 1940's, Touch-Plate low voltage lighting remains among the last historical-era remote control lighting/wiring systems that are still manufactured. With a wide variety of switch styles to choose from, Touch-Plate devices are stocked regularly and available at home improvement stores or authorized dealers. Touch-Plate control stations deliver convenience and cost-effectiveness in a single unit system that includes the devices, the mounting brackets, the cover plates and the screws. Touch-Plate systems are also able to be wired to work with various other three-wire low voltage systems, like GE, Remcon, and Bryant - for which replacement parts are more difficult to find.
We live in a time unlike any before. With countless technological advancements at our fingertips, our lives are improved, which is advantageous considering the rapid pace at which we live. In recent years, tremendous strides have been made in home automation. This technology allows the homeowner to run their home while they are away using a remote app on their Smartphone or iPad. In fact, automated homes are known as “smart homes,” due to their ability to seemingly think on their own. This ability to “think,” helps homeowners in some of ways.
While it is absolutely imperative to exercise caution around electricity regardless of the time of year, summertime is an important time to remind yourself and your family of a few basic electrical safety rules. Print out the following list and keep it in an easily visible spot to refer to regularly:
While retail sales of the latest in air conditioner technologies continue to grow, many homeowners are still underestimating the value of ceiling fans despite the fact that when used properly, they can lower the temperature of room up to five degrees.
If you’ve ever looked at a map provided by a satellite in orbit, you’ve noticed all the lights that you can see. But, what about when you’re looking up at night to find only a few stars in the sky? How much is hidden due to light pollution? More people are starting to ask that question as light pollution is becoming more of a problem. Dark sky friendly lighting is the key to solving this issue to fully enjoy the stars over Colorado.
A lot of people feel like because flipping a light switch on and off is so simple, that we forget how truly deadly and powerful electricity is. Most DIYers will simply experiment with the breaker, testing different electrical circuits until they see the lights turn off in the area they intend to work in and assume it’s safe to start working. This is a huge mistake because it is not always true that all outlets and fixtures in one area will be on the same circuit.
Most of us already know that a blackout is a complete loss of power. A brown-out is a condition of lower than normal power. This condition may be short-term (minutes to hours) or long term (1/2 day or more). A power line voltage reduction of 8 - 12% is usually considered a brown-out.
Is it just me, or are kids just getting smarter? I can remember a time when it only took little plastic inserts to keep electrical outlets safe from kiddos curiosity. Then, I discovered some statistics.
Keep the Inside Air in and the Outside Air Out
We tend to assume that anyone calling themselves a specialist, well, IS. Think about it for a moment: We let a complete stranger come into our home to work on the electrical system with absolute trust that they know what they’re doing, that they’re safe. We verify and reference our babysitters, but many of us don’t know how to do this effectively with our electricians, or even what to ask. 
Changing the mood of a space can be as simple as updating your lighting. Did you know light, or lack thereof, can have a serious effect on our moods? In a recent NY Times article on LED lamps, it’s been discovered that they can - and will - be used for more than illumination.
In the world of electricity, some things aren’t always black or white. In fact, we consider them to be brown or black. You’ve most likely experienced a blackout in the past, but have you heard of a brownout? How can you understand the difference?
