Maintenance Archives - Page 3 of 5

Ceiling Fans, Maintenance, Residential, Safety

Can bathroom fans keep you from getting sick?

15Apr2020

Bathroom fans aren’t just for odors. Their primary purpose is to decrease moisture in bathrooms. New sensors and timers can keep your rooms’ humidity at a level that controls bacteria, mildew, mold, and viruses.

How Traditional Bathroom Fans Work

Bathroom exhaust systems have a ceiling fan connected to ductwork that leads to outside ventilation. Older bathroom fans may be noisy – in fact, if they’re too quiet they probably aren’t working.

Most bathroom fans are controlled by a wall switch. Usually, you turn it on as you exit the bathroom and forget to turn it off until much later. The exhaust fan should be on for about 20 minutes following toilet or shower use. If you leave it on too long, ball bearings inside can lock up which could cause the motor to overheat. That’s a fire hazard you want to avoid.

Bathroom Fans Can Reduce Bacterial Growth

There are ways to control bacterial levels in your bathroom. In addition to frequent cleanings, close the toilet lid when you flush. If your toilet is in the same room as your sink, store your toothbrushes in a cabinet. Exhaust fans can’t completely eliminate moisture-related bacteria.

Your bathroom fan may not be working if you have:

Ceiling/wall moisture stains
Frequent frost on windows
Metal corrosion
Mold
Peeling wallpaper/paint
“Uncomfortable,” heavy air quality

Humidity sensors not only “clean-up” your air; they also save money by lowering energy use. People with frequent allergies or illnesses are likely candidates for home humidity sensors.

Humidity Sensors: How They Work

The sensor unit is a “hygrometer.” It measures and reports air temperature and moisture levels. Those measurement ratios are called “relative humidity” and impact your comfort level.

Capacitive sensors use metal oxide electrical components.
Resistive sensors use salts and ions to measure electrical resistance and reactance.
Thermal sensors conduct electricity using dry nitrogen and ambient air (the ratio of nitrogen to oxygen) sensors.

Any electrical appliance installation should be managed by your local electrical contractor. It’s not worth the risk of fire or damage and can void your insurance policy. Plus, installing a basic bathroom fan is a time-consuming and difficult job. (Don’t try this at home.)

Installing a humidity sensor is assuredly not a DIY (do-it-yourself) job. They must be calibrated on a 9-point curve system. A professional must adjust the voltage deviation.

Humidity sensors should have an accurate rise time and fall time for voltage output. This is known as “response time.” A DIY bathroom fan installation could be essentially worthless if the sensor is out of sync and you don’t know it.

3 Seasons for Allergies; 13 Weeks for Flu

We only have 4 seasons and three of them are high in allergens. This year, the flu season (normally 13 weeks) is taking longer to dissipate. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is important to keeping allergens at bay and controlling the transmission of viruses.

“It’s difficult to predict how (the flu virus) will behave,” says LiveScience, “But even if you can’t predict what will happen, you can prepare for it.” There are

IAQ Important to Health and Comfort

Good indoor air quality and clean water top the list of property owner requirements. Homeowners and commercial businesses want comfortable, clean air. Replacing your bathroom fam with a humidity-sensing appliance can be your ticket to better health, too.

Now is a good time to schedule that home improvement project you’ve been putting off! If you have questions about any type of electrical installation, please contact the professionals at Turn It On Electric.

Electrical Wiring, Maintenance, Residential

4 reasons to consider electrical rewiring

2Jul2019

When a local homeowner contacted Turn It On Electric (TIO) about electrical rewiring, he indicated he had recently purchased an older property. After attending the Phoenix-area neighborhoods’ Historic Homes Tour in February (2019), the couple knew an older home was what they wanted.

“It’s a historical home,” he said, “But my wife says it’s a hysterical home.” The new old-homeowners told Turn It On Electric there were several signs of electrical problems in more than one room.

Reasons Properties Need Electrical Rewiring

Old homes have charm. They also often have electrical wiring issues. –American Home Shield

When a property needs electrical wiring replacement, a professional electrical rewiring is necessary. Electrical rewiring is not a DIY (do-it-yourself) job. Ever.

If something went wrong and damage resulted from faulty DIY wiring, your insurance company could deny coverage. And that’s the best-case scenario. DIY electrical repair jeopardizes the safety of your loved ones. It’s not worth the risks.

There are 4 reasons your home or business property may need electrical rewiring:

1. New Homes

During a new-house-build, something could have been overlooked as contractors strive to complete on-time, within-budget demands. According to ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors), some “surprising” examples include kitchen fans that don’t vent and behind-the-wall damage that jeopardizes electrical wiring.

2. Older Properties

ASHI also recommends a close inspection of electrical systems in any 15-year-old home. A 25-year old home is “middle age,” and “In this age group we may find that the lighting and wall-receptacle wiring is aluminum; this could be a serious problem,” ASHI continues.

3. 50-Year-Old Homes

Electrical systems could be outdated by today’s standards; an electrical rewiring assessment should be made and follow-up annual maintenance visits scheduled.

4. Historical Homes

Century-old structures can be beautiful but art imitates life: Aging has its challenges. These homeowners often consider electrical rewiring a good preventive measure.

Signs of Electrical Issues

Our Phoenix-area historical homeowners made a wise decision to contact Turn It On Electric when they did. Red flags signaling their property needed electrical rewiring were:

Extension cords – The couple noticed previous owners ran extension cords to power strips in every room. Not only was the wiring risky; the house needed several more outlets.
Flickering lights – When room lights dim or flicker, it’s seldom a light fixture problem. Your licensed electrician can determine if it’s a circuitry problem.
Hot outlet – One of the electrical outlets in the kitchen was hot to the touch; another major red flag. If this occurs, discontinue using that outlet until your professional electrician examines it.
Odd breaker panel odor – “It was a little bit like burning rubber,” said the homeowner. If your fuse box or breaker panel emits any kind of odor, contact your local licensed electrician immediately.

Top-Rated TIO Electric

Electrical rewiring sounds extreme, but imagine the possible losses due to a house fire. Turn It On Electric is a residential and commercial electrical contractor serving all of Phoenix Metro area including:

Carefree
Cave Creek
East Valley
Glendale
Paradise Valley
Peoria
Scottsdale

If it’s time for your home to have an electrical rewiring assessment, contact Turn It On Electric.

Electrician, Maintenance, Residential

Maintaining your home’s electrical system

2Jul2019

A well-maintained home electrical system is crucial. It ensures your system lasts longer and also gives you peace of mind knowing your home is safe. Electrical system maintenance can lower costs and reduce risks.

Your Arizona Electrical System Company Must Be Licensed

Your electrical system professional should be a trained, experienced technician for a local company licensed with the state of Arizona. Check the Arizona ROC (Registrar of Contractors) if you are unsure. A CR11 license means your electrical system company holds a commercial and residential license and can…

install, alter, and repair any wiring, related electrical material and equipment used in the generating, transmitting, or utilization of electrical energy less than 600 volts, including all overhead electrical wiring on public right-of-ways for signs and street decorations, and all underground electrical distribution systems of less than 600 volts serving private properties.

What You Need to Know About Electrical System Inspection, Maintenance

When buying or building a home, an electrical inspection should be performed. The inspection should include a thorough examination of all electrical wiring and connections. As part of a new maintenance program, your local electrician will perform an initial inspection. As a result, they will report on your property’s current safety and what might be needed now or later.

An annual preventive maintenance visit is recommended for all commercial and residential properties, new and old alike. Here are things your local electrician will examine during an inspection and annual maintenance visit.

Fire prevention – Short circuits can trigger house fires. They can be caused by weak/loose wiring in the meter or the cabling. Electrical fires are usually caused by:
- Extension cords
- Faulty electrical outlets
- Faulty wiring
- Space heaters
- Worn-out light fixtures
Lower risk of electrical surges – Surges can not only lead to short circuits, but they can also ruin your appliances. Your electrical system technician will check various wiring points to lower the risk of surges.
Shock prevention – A small shock when you touch an electrical appliance shouldn’t send you into a panic, but shouldn\’t be ignored. It not only can negatively impact your appliance’s performance, it can also ruin it. In addition, this is a red flag that there is a fault in the wiring, which can lead to more damaging problems.

Electrical Maintenance for Your Home or Commercial Property

It is imperative that you get the right electrical technician… A novice or amateur might just damage the electrical connections that could lead to different types of disasters, apart from you failing the inspection. –D&F Liquidators

Most property owners schedule preventive maintenance for HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) and vehicles, but neglect electrical system maintenance. In this era of rapid technology evolution, your local, licensed electrical services company should participate in continuing education.

The professionals at Turn It On Electric of Arizona are trained and experienced in electrical technology for home and commercial properties. Also, we are LEED-certified and Home Advisor-approved. (LEED is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.) This means we care about our planet and will always seek sustainable solutions for your property.

Valley-area families and businesses trust TIO Electric. You can trust them, too. We appreciate DIY (do-it-yourself) home maintenance but want our friends and neighbors to avoid electrical mistakes. For affordable electrical system safety with up-front pricing, contact Turn It On Electric.

Electrician, Maintenance

10 signs that your home needs electrical rewiring

2Apr2019

Your home\’s electrical system is easy to take for granted and the signs of wear and damage aren\’t always obvious. Sometimes, seemingly minor issues point to major problems. Spotting the signs your home needs electrical rewiring can save you from damaged appliances, shocks, and even life-threatening house fires.

Breakers flipping or fuses blowing – If your circuit breakers flip or fuses blow when you use several appliances at once, your electrical system is probably undersized. Older electrical systems offer fewer amps compared to new ones. This means they can’t meet a modern household\’s demand for electricity. Worn out wiring is another possible cause.
Dimming or flickering lights – Some lights, such as fluorescent lights, always flicker. Incandescent or LED lights, however, shouldn’t flicker or go dim. If they do, it\’s a sign of voltage fluctuations and a home in need of electrical rewiring. The cause could also be loose wires or terminals somewhere in your system. Those are both fire hazards.
Burned outlets – Brown or black charring on or around an outlet\’s contact openings means a small fire occurred. Usually, these fires are the result of loose connection or faulty wiring causing a short. That short then causes arching and sparking big enough to leave scorch marks.
Sparks from the outlets – A small blue spark that occasionally appears when you plug in or unplug an appliance is perfectly normal. A yellow spark that lingers and happens every time you use the outlet, though? That means trouble. Either the outlet or the wiring behind it is loose or damaged.
Electrical shocks – Getting a shock when you plug in a cord or touch one that\’s plugged in is more than just unpleasant. Shocks signal a problem with your electrical system. First, check the cord for damage. Look for damage and test it in other outlets. If the cord is fine, the outlet might be faulty or in need of updating and could cause serious injury.
Light bulbs burning out – When a certain socket burns through bulbs too quickly, the problem is most likely that socket. If all your light sockets seem to be that way, your wiring may be to blame. Fluctuating voltage in your system can wear out your bulbs. These fluctuations might be due to an overloaded system or loose connections.
Burning smells – A burning smell that\’s not coming from something you\’re cooking often means an electrical issue. If you can\’t trace the smell to a single appliance, the problem could be wiring. There might be a short within your walls or floors. Someday, one of those shorts could spark a fire.
Buzzing noises – When the house is quiet, you might hear wiring or switches making a faint buzzing noise. This is normal for lights on a dimmer and large appliance. Most light switches, outlets, and circuit breakers, however, shouldn’t buzz. This buzzing suggests overloaded wires or circuits.
Porcelain fuses – These fuses were popular in the 1930s and earlier before more reliable modern fuses became available. They don’t meet modern safety standards. If you find them, it\’s a clear sign your home needs electrical rewiring.
Out-dated wiring – Aluminum wiring was popular in the 1960s when copper prices were high. It\’s more likely to sustain damage or cause fires compared to copper wiring. That’s why much of it has been recalled. If you have this wiring, contact an electrician about updating your system. Knob-and-tube wiring was used before the 1940s. This wiring should definitely be replaced.

Electrical rewiring is a major home project best left to a professional electrician. If your home needs electrical rewiring, call Turn It On Electric today.

Maintenance, Safety

Electrical Wiring 101

18Feb2019

The wiring in your home is nothing to mess around with. Poor wiring can be a matter of life or death, and it can lead to serious injuries or death from electrical shocks or fires. Here are some things to know about working with the electrical wiring in your home.

Three Components of Basic Home Electrical Wiring

Your home’s electrical wiring has three basic components:

Service entry point. This is where your utility’s electrical line connects your home’s load center to the main grid. The area should be free of obstructions and water that can penetrate the wiring and cause a shock hazard.
Panel or Load Center. You may know this as the fuse box or circuit breaker box. It’s your home’s command center for all electrical wiring. All the wiring in your home starts at this panel. During major remodeling projects, like a new addition, new wiring runs from the panel to the new area.
Branch circuits. Your home contains many circuits that come from the breakers or fuses to the various areas of your home. By having multiple circuits, you’re able to turn off power to specific areas when performing electrical repairs.

Dangers of Aluminum Electrical Wiring

Newer homes have wiring that is made from copper and feature ground wires for safety. Homes built during the 60’s and 70’s generally have aluminum wiring instead of copper wiring. This can be extremely dangerous. Because aluminum is soft, brittle and prone to oxidation, it is 55 times more likely to cause an electrical fire than copper wiring. If you know or suspect that your home has aluminum wiring, contact the professionals at Turn It On Electric to inspect it for safety issues. Keep in mind, aluminum can be safe but it is best to have it maintained and inspected by a professional electrician.

Wiring to Switches and Receptacles

When connecting electrical wires to a switch or receptacle, connect the:

Hot wires to the brass screw terminals
Neutral wires to the silver terminals
Ground wires to green grounding screws

Electrical work is governed by a national codebook. However, some municipalities have stricter requirements due to weather or temperature extremes. One example is the use of pigtails when connecting more than one wire to a single terminal. While it’s good practice, it’s important to know the requirements of your specific municipality prior to completing any electrical work.

Know Your Municipality’s Electrical Code

All municipalities have codes and regulations regarding residential wiring. These rules are there to protect the public from the dangers of electricity. Some projects are suitable for homeowners with a basic knowledge of electrical wiring, including replacing an outlet or lighting fixture. But others, like running a new line or entirely replacing your home’s wiring, will require the work of a professional and licensed electrician according to most codes.

Turn Off the Power When Working With Wires

To be safe, it is always best to leave electrical work to the professionals. But if you absolutely need to replace an electrical outlet or lighting fixture, you must remember to turn off the electricity to the area where you are working. Otherwise, you are in danger of an electric shock or sparking that can cause a fire or worse.

Turn off the electricity from the fuse/circuit breaker box and lock it so there can’t be an accidental turn on.
Test the wires to make sure the electric is off.
Do not touch any wires until you are sure that power is off.

Do not put your or your family’s safety at risk. Whether your home needs an entire electrical rewiring or you just have a few electrical jobs on your to-do list, contact the professionals at Turn It On Electric.

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Chuck P

01:46 23 Jan 25

Friendly, communicative, and professional.High quality work.

Renee Delu

18:10 11 Jan 25

Mike you are the best!! God bless you for comming out saturday when I blew my fuse trying to vacumm and shout out to Josh who although not have sat office hours called me anyway after I left a voicemail. .Bob Best was here and gave me amazing information that NO OTHER electrician had. .!! I'm happy to say this is an amazing caring company...and I'm a customer for life!! Please recognize and reward Mike And Josh for them saving me on Saturday as my security system had no power and my smoke alarm had been beeping for hours. These men deserve kudos. .if you are looking fir honest and highly qualified electrical work. This is where to go. I'm thankful and grateful. Bob is now an instructor ..I'm happy to know future electricians are being schooled and trained by him. Thanks to you all

Wally Johns

01:31 11 Jan 25

Good work and very polite guys.

Rebecca RB

01:03 21 Oct 24

This company literally saved us! We had some electrical issues discovered that were rather alarming and created an issue with the garage door opener completely lost power as well as our outdoor dusk to dawn lighting and the interior garage lights. Mike the electrician came to the rescue! He listened to the issues in my non electrical language (haha) translated it and solved everything with confidence! Knowledgeable, Friendly, prompt, professional and efficient! Highly recommended! Will definitely call for future needs!

luci redmond

15:28 12 Oct 24

Great customer service & a job well done!

Samuel Heffner

17:04 14 Aug 24

I called TIO Electric because a friend referred them and they did not disappoint. I had an issue and it was rough identifying the source of the problem. Miguel and Conrad worked together to identify and solve the problem quickly. As a services based business it was extremely important to get the repair done quickly and the team stayed to ensure the job was done before they left. I expected to have to schedule another visit due to the complexity of the case, but they understood I needed to be back up and running as soon as possible and got the job done in just a few hours. They were very professional and personable and the cost was in line with what I expected.Update 8/14/24: TIO helped me again. This time with an issue I was having at my home. Marcus was very nice and knowledgable and was able to identify the problem and make the repair in quick time. I had a secondary issue I wasn't too worried about, but Marcus took care of that as well. These guys know what they're doing. Still highly recommend.They did a great job. I would definitely recommend them for projects big and small.

Caren Zellmer

12:46 03 Jul 24

Excellent service!! Marcus has been to our house a couple of times and completed the work doing an AMAZING job. He was very polite, professional and explained every process to us. His work was also completed in a timely manner. It is very rare to find anyone with great work ethic anymore! This company is very lucky to have him. We would definitely recommend and use Turn It On Electric again.

Bob

14:42 10 Jun 22

They were on time, clean, friendly, professional and did an amazing job. I would have to say that the price was fair considering the amount of work done. Highly recommend Turn It On Electrical!

Category Archives: Maintenance