Summer Energy Saving Tips!

The hot summer weather is here with temps in the upper 80's to 90's and high humidity make you eager to stay cool. This can lead to some hefty energy bills most times. But did you know you can save money on their summer bills by following these energy tips to reduce electric usage in the home.

- Install a clean air conditioning filter on a regular basis in the summer and replace or clean it monthly. Dirty filters cause the equipment to work harder and use up to five percent more energy.
- Set the air conditioner thermostat at 78 degrees. Each degree below 78 adds about eight percent to your cooling costs.
- Set your thermostat at a higher temperature while you're away from your home. This way the air conditioner won't be on as often while you're out.
- Preform heavy housework chores in the cooler time of the day (laundry, baking etc)
- Keep direct sunlight out as much as possible. Consider light-colored roofs, outside walls and drapes.
- Weatherstrip doors and windows to prevent expensive air leaks. Make sure all windows and doors are closet when the air condition unit is operating.
- The attic should be properly ventilated to prevent excess heat build-up, which causes your cooling system to work harder,

If you need any electrical work done to make your electric bill more efficient. Give Quality Electric a call and we can help!

Quality Electric Service 

www.qualityelectricservice.com

609.861.1409

 
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Time to Reassess Your Security Lighting

What's more important than your home's structure? The people and special belongings in it. With that in mind, one of the most important things that you can do to protect your loved ones and belongings is to install the right kind of outdoor security lighting for your home. Properly planned security lighting has been proven to deter burglars. 

A big misconception about outdoor security lighting is that the brighter the light, the better the chance is of deterring a burglar. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that bright lights outside on a driveway or front yard can create shadows around your house whereburglars can potentially hide. So, you want to know what the next-best alternative is? The answer is simply to use a lower level of light - or even decorative or landscape lighting. There are many ways that you can have fun with this as there are so many different styles of lighting fixtures for your yard and porch to choose from. Not only will the lights serve as security lighting, but they will also give a nice, new, updated look to your home. So goahead and have some fun with your outdoor security lighting!

The most important places to have lights are at all possible entrances on the first floor, including windows, doors porches or deck door-walls and garage entrances. It's also a good idea to have a light shining on all keyholes around the outside of the house. When it comes to selecting the types of bulb  try incandescent lights, as they are easy to maintain. Keep in mind that they are least energy-efficient type of bulb.

Adding a heat- or motion-sensing feature to your security lights is an excellent, energy-saving feature that will cause any uninvited guests to quickly run away when a light is suddenly shone on them! Lights with motion sensors turn on when they detect any movement, so if you live in an area with a lot of wind or animals, you may want to consider a sensitivity adjuster for your light so that the light does not go on and off all the time. Heat-sensing lights work in a similar way and turn on when the sensor detects body temperature heat.

Don't forget about some of the other benefits to outdoor security lighting: They make it easier for guests to find your home at night and they make it easier for you to pull in and out of your driveway at night.

Did you want to install outdoor security lighting? Give us a call we will do it for you!

Quality Electric Service 

www.qualityelectricservice.com

609.861.1409

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What will you do when a hurricane or severe storm strikes?

We are now into hurricane season and Quality Electric likes to make sure that all of our customers are safe and prepared in case anything comes our way. Most of you may plan on staying in your home during a Hurricane or Tropical Storm, so you should make sure you have basic emergency kit. A short list is below.

• Water: One gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation. 
• Food: At least a 3 day supply
• First aid kit
• Whistle: To signal for help
• Dust Mask: Help filter contaminated. 
• Cell Phone

One of the most valuable pieces of equipment you could have that will help you during and ater the storm is a home standby generator. A Generator will run your whole house. It will keep your refrigerator and or freezer operating so you will have food to eat and will not have to throw away your food and purchase more. It can be a life saver. A home standby generator will go far in making the transition time from hurricane strike to full recovery a much more comfortable and bearable process. It may just be time to invest! We give FREE in-home estimates!

Quality Electric Service 

www.qualityelectricservice.com

609.861.1409

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Are you prepared for Hurricane Season?

Hurricane season is rapidly approaching us with only a little over a month away. This year NOAA has predicted 7 total named storms, 3 will turn into hurricanes and 1 will be a category 3 or higher hurricane.

We all know that hurricanes can produce extremely high, dangerous winds, along with lightning and hail.  Power outages are all too common once a hurricane has stricken, and they are to be expected.  The high winds can take down power poles and cause damage to power plants.  It can take weeks and in many cases, months before power company personnel are able to fully restore power.

Being without power for hours even days at a time become such an inconvenience and an expensive one too. Your food can spoil, mold grows and basements that are prone to flooding are robbed of their working sump pump and being to take on water. These types of situations is where an Automatic Home Standby Generac Generator comes in handy. Once your electric goes out your generator turns on automatically, all hands free. The unit is wired into the homes electrical panel, eliminating extension cords. It begins powering heat, air condition, and well pumps moments after utility power fails. This means when it senses utility power has returned it safely shuts itself down and returns to standby mode.

So how will you prepare for this year’s hurricane season? Hopefully investing in a Generac Generator!

You can call us to schedule a FREE in-home estimate @ 609.861.1409

Quality Electric Service 

www.qualityelectricservice.com

609.861.1409

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Cold Weather Tips

The weather is getting colder and winter is on its way! Temperatures are expected to dip below normal across much of the eastern half of the country from the Plains to the East Coast and as far south as Texas and Florida. As this first taste of winter moves in, here are ten steps you can take to stay safe during the big chill and winter

1. Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.

2. Don’t forget your pets - bring them indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.

3. Protect your pipes, If your exposed pipes are not protected with heat tracing - run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

4. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.

5. If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.

6. Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.

7. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.

8. If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

9. Use portable generators correctly – never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

10. Never hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

Quality Electric Service 

www.qualityelectricservice.com

609.861.1409

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Save Money on Your Electric Bill This Fall and Winter

Winter is right around the corner, so start preparing now! In many homes during the fall and winter you tend to have higher electricity bills due to the increase in use of heating systems and other electrical appliances. However, there are many low-cost ways you can take to keep power consumption to a minimum. Below are some tips on how to save on your electricity bills:

Fix Up Your Home for the Winter- Find drafty windows around the house that bring the cold outdoor air into your home and cover them with plastic film along with thick insulating drapes to prevent the heat from escaping. Also, you should look for damage or leaks in piping around the house and seal them immediately to prevent unnecessary damage caused to the structure. Before the winter sets in, ensure that you inspect the heating system for any damage or leak and improve their fuel efficiency.

Make Small Adjustments to the Heating System- A major source of power consumption during the winter is the heating system, but with a few small tweaks you can save a considerable amount on your electric bill. If you are at home during the day, adjust the thermostat to the lowest possible temperature while ensuring that you are warm and comfortable. If you are outside the house, you can leave the thermostat roughly 15° higher than normal to save up to 10% on the electric bill. If you do not think you’d be able to do that they have programmable thermostats. A programmable thermostat is a thermostat which is designed to adjust the temperature according to a series of programmed settings that take effect at different times of the day. We can’t forget about your electric water heater, you can always put it on a timer as well.

Some other miscellaneous task you can do which can decrease your bills - During the winter , take advantage of sunlight and heat by opening all south facing windows during the day and shutting them at night.

Switching to low energy LED lighting systems can also help you in your energy saving efforts.

Here at Quality Electric we strive to help and make our customers happy. If you have any comments, questions or concerns about this blog, please feel free to contact us! 

Quality Electric Service 

www.qualityelectricservice.com

609.861.1409

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Avoiding Electrical Fire Disasters

Did you know that 53% of residential fires involve electrical wiring, which are hidden behind the faceplates on your light switches? Flying sparks are obvious, but lots of other electrical danger signs are more subtle. Keeping an eye out for these five warning signs below, this can be the difference between fire prevention and a fiery disaster.

Loose ends on extension cords. If your extension cord has loose ends, or you tried to bandaged an extension cord with electrical tape, it’s time to replace it. Damaged cords may have exposed live wires that lead to shock and fire hazards.

Tripping GFI outlets. A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFI) is an outlet typically located in kitchens and bathrooms – often within six feet of a water source – that prevents people from being electrocuted. These outlets immediately stop the flow of electricity (and “trip”) when they sense the slightest change in the current. If your GFI starts tripping repeatedly, you probably have an electrical problem or a worn-out GFI outlet receptacle. If that is the case you can contact us and we will fix this issue.

Wobbly ceiling fans. If your ceiling fan isn’t rotating evenly, your device either isn’t correctly mounted to the electrical box, your blades are unbalanced or your blades are warped. If it is not your blades being unbalanced we suggest calling an electrician (like us) to fix damaged wires and electrical boxes.

Inappropriate bulb wattage. Using a bulb that has a higher wattage than recommended is a fire hazard and may overheat the light fixture. If you are dealing with a fixture with multiple bulbs or a strand of lights, check all of the bulbs individually and replace them as needed. Be consistent with the bulbs’ wattage in this situation.

Warm faceplates. If your faceplate is warm to the touch, you probably have an oversized electrical load operating on that unit. Monitor any warm faceplate you find. If the problem persists, or the faceplate becomes hot to the touch, give us a call!

Quality Electric is here for you and can fix every electrical need in your home. Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you are having any of these issues listed above. We want our customers to be safe!

Quality Electric Service 
www.qualityelectricservice.com
609.861.1409

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