If You Live in a Classic Home Built Before 1940, Chances are You Have Old Wiring in the House.

If you’ve ever watched the show “Holmes on Homes” on HGTV, you’ve likely seen the problems associated with old or faulty wiring.  Mike Holmes tends to get very agitated by safety issues, and for good reason.  Each year, over 40,000 homes suffer fire damage due to home electrical problems.  These electrical fires account for hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.  And what’s the main culprit?  Old wiring!

If you live in a classic home built before 1940, chances are you have old wiring in the house.  You may have knob-and-tube or Romex wiring, both of which can become brittle over time.  The insulation dries out and starts to crumble, causing the inner wire to become exposed. The cloth insulation around the wire deteriorates with age and eventually becomes unsafe.

But perhaps one of the biggest threats of Romex and knob-and-tube wiring is that these types of wires aren’t grounded.  That means if one of your appliances shorts out, you could become the path to the ground for the electricity.

Even if your home is only 20 or 30 years old, you could still experience electrical problems at home due to a lack of capacity.  Most homes built more than 10 years ago are not designed to handle the amount of electronics we use today.  Think about it:  if your house was built in 1980, it was built before home PCs and laptops and HDTVs and surround sound and all of the other toys and gadgets we use today.  These appliances can draw a lot of power, and your current electrical wiring may not be up to the task.

If you own one of the houses that’s more than 20 years old, it’s a good idea to have a licensed electrician come out and take a look at the wiring.  He or she can make sure that your house will be safe and productive for many years.

For more information about Marbec’s list of electrical repair services, please visit us on the web or call.

Longwood, FL | (386) 956-1594 | marbecelectric.com | twitter.com/MarbecElectric | marbecelectric.tumblr.com | plus.google.com/102338195995648896384/posts?hl=en

Almost everything nowadays operates on electricity.

Almost everything nowadays operates on electricity. The modern conveniences that drive our world depend on electricity. Without a constant supply, our world grinds to a halt, as massive blackouts have proven in the past. Electricity has two forms in modern electronics: AC and DC.

AC [alternating current], is most frequently used in devices that require high amounts of power to operate.
DC [direct current], is more commonly found in devices requiring smaller amounts of power to operate.

Understanding AC vs. DC
Direct Current
DC was the original electricity that was created by Thomas Edison. This style of electricity sends a current in only a single direction, from a power source and to the power source again in a loop. Today, DC is used to power electronics that require batteries. Any device in your home that uses batteries uses DC current. Interesting to note, if your battery is plugged in to the power supply to recharge, it transforms AC current into DC.
Direct current is also used in manufacturing situations where electricity is generated on site for personal use. Factories and mills that require vast amounts of energy often create their own DC current to power their machinery. Most commonly, DC is found in steel mills, aluminum production, and is used to power mass transportation in large urban centers in the form of electric streetcars.

Alternating Current
AC power is easier to generate, which is why we use it as our standard electricity nowadays. The alternating current design allows energy to flow in both directions, making electricity easier to create and use in society. Regardless of where the current is moving, it is always moving in both directions at once. This results in current being present at every point in the power grid at every time as long as the connection to the generation unit is intact. The power that comes from the power plants, down the lines to our homes, is always AC in nature, thanks to the way our modern power grid is set up.

The power grid operates by creating AC current and sending it down the power lines. This current can be at whatever intensity the power company chooses.
Frequently, the electricity coming from these lines is far too powerful to be used in our homes. The transformers that we see on power poles transform the electricity from its high-powered state into something that our homes can use. Without the transformers, we wouldn’t be able to use the power that our society depends on.

Regardless of the style that we use in our devices and our homes, electricity plays an important role in society. Without both AC and DC electricity, we wouldn’t have those things that make modern life as comfortable as it is.

Contact Marbec Enterprises for any of your electrical needs!

Lake Mary, FL | (386) 956-1594 | marbecelectric.com|twitter.com/MarbecElectric | marbecelectric.tumblr.com|plus.google.com/102338195995648896384/posts?hl=en

Were your appliances installed safely & correctly?

Appliances can make for exciting and valuable additions to your home; however, they use a lot of electricity and can ultimately take a toll on your electrical system. We've have seen it time and again—homeowners buy new appliances that, even when they have an “Energy Star” label, use a significant amount of electricity. These homeowners are unaware, however, that the more important problem lies in the installation of these devices, taking for granted the safety precautions that were addressed (or not) during the installation process.
The old “set it and forget it” mentality that a lot of people seem to have when it comes to their new appliances is that, whether or not a Marbec Enterprises electrician is called to help install the appliance, the importance of appliance installation safety is ignored and the awareness of potential dangers and mistakes in installation is minimized. As a result, things that at the time of installation seemed trivial in the long run can cause significant problems.
Ideally, with the help of a Marbec electrician, you should have no problems installing your new electrical equipment. Here are some tips that might help you prevent safety concerns with the installation of your brand new appliances:
Check the electrical requirements of any new appliances, especially if they will be replacing older equipment. It’s important to ensure that the installation was done properly and that the transition from the old appliance to the new one is smooth.
Call your Marbec electrician to help you remove old, hardwired appliances. This is extremely important! In many older homes, appliances were hardwired to the electrical system. Removing them incorrectly can result in serious damage to the wiring.
Turn the power off before installing new appliances. Some think that this goes without saying, but you’d be surprised how many people forget about this very simple rule. Not turning off the power can result in damage to the appliance, as well as shock and possible injury to you.
Be sure to place the new appliances where they can be easily moved for cleaning. Flammable lint and dust often collect in the back of appliances, causing a fire hazard if they can’t be moved to be cleaned routinely.
Hire a Marbec electrician to check that the new appliance installation was done safely and correctly, especially if it was done in an older home.
If you have any doubts or questions about how to install your appliance safely, don’t hesitate to call us at Marbec Enterprises so we can make sure that your installation goes off without a hitch.
Winter Garden, FL | (386) 956-1594 | marbecelectric.com | twitter.com/MarbecElectric | marbecelectric.tumblr.com | plus.google.com/102338195995648896384/posts?hl=en

Marbec Electric!

Electrical Services Commercial:

We tackle every project with a team-based approach to deliver projects ahead of schedule and under budget for the owner. The electrical scope of a project is often the largest, most complex component of a project and the efficiency of the electrical installation often determines the success of a project for all stakeholders.

Many of our key employees have been with Marbec Enterprises (MarbecElectric.com) for years, providing continuity, professionalism and a commitment to quality that cannot be matched in Central Florida’s electrical construction industry. We also have long-standing relationships with many architects, engineers, inspectors and project managers and superintendents for general contractors throughout Central Florida. This recipe for success positions us to efficiently perform our work and helps ensure the project’s success for everyone involved.

Tenant Improvements:

Our expert and dedicated hands-on management and attention to detail allow these projects to be installed with minimal disruption to the customer’s normal business operations. Our employees provide a level of professionalism and customer service that is not often found in the construction industry.

Design / Build:

Strong relationships with area engineers give us an avenue to provide cost-effective design and allows our clients to review carefully prepared options prior to making critical decisions.

Service Department:

We worry about your electrical systems so you don’t! Our customers enjoy a sense of comfort and reassurance knowing that our experienced service technicians are just a phone call away. We offer 24/7 repair service and also provide preventative maintenance services for commercial and light industrial customers.

Marbec Enterprises (MarbecElectric.com)

Winter Garden, FL | (386) 956-1594 | marbecelectric.com | twitter.com/MarbecElectric | marbecelectric.tumblr.com | plus.google.com/102338195995648896384/posts?hl=en