Power Overloads and Troubleshooting

Power overloads and Troubleshooting
Power overloads are one of the many scenarios an emergency electrician can help a homeowner address and prevent. In the event of an electrical emergency like a power overload, which can be the result of faulty wiring, only a qualified emergency electrician will be thorough enough to find the problem, repair it and help you avoid it in the future.

Overloads, though seemingly minor issues, are, in fact,  one of the most overlooked and dangerous problems you can have with your electrical system. An overload can cause everything from electrical shorts to fires. What’s more, a power overload is one of the most avoidable electrical problems—you don’t have to let it get to the point of electrical emergency.

What is an Overload and What are the Causes?
During a power overload, the circuit gets overwhelmed and shuts itself off. It’s a common occurrence in many homes. For instance, you could have the microwave, a rice cooker and a stove running off the same circuit in your kitchen when you suddenly notice that your power goes out in the kitchen while it stays on in the rest of the house. Then you check the breakers and realize that the breaker wasn’t tripped.

Because they see things like this all the time, licensed electricians can easily identify the source of the trouble. There are generally three main causes of power overloads.

Melting wires. An overloading a circuit—meaning too many appliances are running on one power circuit at a time—can cause wires to melt and become damaged and shorted. This common problem can be very dangerous, which is why many electricians recommend that, particularly in your kitchen and living room areas, circuits should run individually from separate power sources in order to prevent overloading.

Changing weather. The use of window A/C units and space heaters, which use massive amounts of power, can wreak havoc on your circuits and overload them. In fact, A/C units require so much power to function that even the units by themselves can overload a circuit. As with other sources of overloads, running these units on a separate circuit and with their own source of power can help prevent a bigger problem.

Old wiring. An emergency electrician is often called to address power overloads in older homes that have antiquated wiring. This is where it pays off to have an experienced licensed electrician troubleshooting your electrical system, because this kind of overload is tough to diagnose without an emergency electrician who is familiar with the way older homes are wired. Today’s homes are built to prevent problems like bathroom circuit overloads, where using hair dryers that require a lot of power wattage to function can easily blow a circuit. In fact, new homes often include separate circuits for heavy-power usage rooms like the bathrooms, kitchen and family room areas. If you have an older home, it may be worth it to have an experienced electrician take a look at the home’s wiring.
Power overloads are preventable with a little thought and planning. When ignored, however, they can result in very costly repairs—or worse.

Marbec Enterprises: Emergency Electrician to the Rescue
Are you experiencing a power overload or another issue that requires an electrical troubleshoot? Marbec Enterprises' emergency electrician crew is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to your electrical emergency. Give us a call today to learn more about our emergency electrician services.

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

Unsure if Your Wiring Has Sufficient GFI Protection? Call Marbec Enterprises!

One of the most important safety devices used in modern wiring is the GFCI, also known as an RCD (residual current device), but perhaps most commonly known as a GFI (ground fault interrupter). Typically, these are built into electrical outlets, and are most commonly located in bed-rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms where most electrical shocks occur. It’s also a good idea to locate these in outdoor porch and patio outlets, and in workshops and garages. The safest possible use of GFCIs involves installing one for every circuit in a building.

Then, a GFCI will provide protection for ground shorts occurring anywhere in that building. GFCIs are also built into the cords of hairdryers, and other electrical appliances and tools which are used near water. Before GFCI installation became law for new homes and new hairdryers, scores of deaths occurred in the U.S. after hairdryers were dropped into sinks or tubs full of water, and people reached in to retrieve them. These deaths still occur, because many older homes have not been updated with GFCIs, and many older model hairdryers are still in use. However, newer hair-dryers have been saving lives, and GFCIs located in outlets are saving lives when accidents occur with older hairdryers.

Although most of us are familiar with GFCIs and their identifying buttons, it’s a good idea to understand how these work. Let’s use the hairdryer accident as an example. First of all, without a GFCI, when an older style hairdryer is dropped into a sink full of water, the electrical current becomes shorted to ground from the live wires inside the dryer. When this happens, high voltage electricity is flowing out of the hair dryer and through the water to ground, typically through a metal drain. Next, imagine that someone with wet feet standing on a wet floor, or in a bathtub full of water reaches down and grabs the hairdryer. The electricity now begins flowing through that person’s body to the floor, which acts as a ground. Technically, the electricity flows from ground to the hot electrical contacts in the hairdryer, but it’s helpful to think of the hairdryer as the source. An electrical shock from household current can cause death when a victim’s heart is stopped by this shock. Although it may seem foolish to grab a wet hairdryer from a sink, this usually happens as a quick reflexive action, before anyone can imagine the consequences.

Now, let’s see what happens with the same hairdryer accident when a GFCI exists in the hair-dryer’s cord, or in the electrical outlet. As soon as water enters the hairdryer and the electricity is shorted to ground, the GFCI detects the short, and turns off (interrupts) the electrical current. This happens extremely fast, usually in about 25 thousandths of a second (25 ms). So, long be-fore anyone’s hand can touch the water, the flow of electricity has been stopped.

Of course, a wet hairdryer is only one of many possible ways in which dangerous electrical shorts can occur. Frayed or cut electrical cords, old and cracked insulation, worn out switches and outlets, and a host of other conditions can cause shorts resulting in electrical fires and accidental electrocutions. In fact, over 40,000 electrical fires occur in the United States every year. In addition, many unnecessary deaths occur from these fires and electrical shocks. This is why in-stalling GFIs in every circuit is so important. If you are unsure if the wiring in your home or business has sufficient GFI protection, call a qualified electrician at Marbec Enterprises and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

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

When You Must Consider Circuit Breaker Repair, Call a Marbec Electrician!

When you must consider circuit breaker repair

Circuit breaker repair becomes necessary when you’re looking to install security systems to keep intruders at bay. Even the addition of recessed lighting, task lighting, accent lighting, wall scones, mood lighting, track or other specialty lighting fixtures may require circuit breaker repair. The installation of landscape lighting, saunas, pools, steam rooms, sprinkler systems, steam rooms, will also require a look at your circuit breaker. During natural calamities such as ice storms, hurricanes, blizzards, or even ordinary blackouts, your circuit breaker may get damaged, requiring you to call a professional electrician from Marbec Enterprises.

Other reasons calling for circuit breaker repair
Installation of new wiring for home theaters, television sets, surround sound speakers and DVD players will require changes to your circuit breaker. The use of excessive power strips, outlet plugs and extension cords can cause circuit damage. If you want to increase the electrical capacity of your Hillsborough home, a circuit breaker upgrade post repairs is highly recommended. Circuit repairs can also become a necessity when adding satellite or cable connections to the other rooms in your house. If you’re annoyed with unplugging and re-plugging devices every now and again so that lawn equipment or power tools can be used to good effect, circuit breaker repair is crucial.

Getting your circuit breaker repaired by a professional from Marbec Enterprises will help you achieve efficiency while ensuring that there are no blackouts. Professional services with 24/7 operations like Marbec Enterprises can prove handy in the most extreme of circumstances.

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

Aluminum Wiring in Older Homes Can Be A Fire Hazard!

When a light switch or electrical outlet doesn’t function correctly, a professional electrician from Marbec Enterprises can trace this back to a variety of causes. First, it’s possible this non-functioning device was never connected to the wiring in your building. Secondly, the circuit affected by a switch or outlet may not be completed because of another component. For example: A switch may control an outlet which is unoccupied by a lamp or any other electrical device. Also, an outlet may be connected to a switch which is in the off position. A third cause might be related to a defective breaker, or a breaker which was tripped or turned off, but never switched back on. However, a fourth possibility may relate to a much larger problem.

Sometimes, a switch or outlet fails when it is damaged by arcing. If the arcing was caused by a connection to aluminum wiring, great potential hazards exist. If your home or building was constructed or renovated before 1972, or during the late sixties, it may contain aluminum wiring. Aluminum wiring was used legally during those years, but outlawed for installation in new homes, commercial buildings, remodels and renovations after it was identified with conditions which could lead to electrical fires.

Although aluminum wiring itself is generally no more hazardous than copper, its splices and connections with other metals present a real hazard because they can become corroded and begin arcing. Because arcing in these connections can lead to fire within surrounding materials, aluminum wire was discontinued. However, many homes still contain aluminum wiring, and research conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reveals that buildings with aluminum wiring pose a fire risk which is 55 times greater than the risks with similar structures wired with copper. So, if you discover an electrical outlet or switch which doesn’t appear to be functioning correctly, it’s possible this outlet or switch was damaged by a connection with aluminum wiring. If you have safety questions about this type of problem, or any electrical concerns regarding your residence or commercial building, please contact an electrician at Marbec Enterprises. Our licensed electricians are trained and equipped, and they can repair any type of electrical problem

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

Old Wiring Can Be Dangerous In Your Home... Call A Marbec Electrician Today to Inspect Your Home!

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.

Orange City, FL
(386) 956-1594
http://marbecelectric.com

Here at Marbec Electric We Strive for Excellence!

Purpose:

Marbec Enterprises (MarbecElectric.com) exists to provide opportunities for each employee to maximize their personal and professional potential and to allow us to collectively making significant cultural and economic contributions to the communities in which we live and work.

Core Values:

Marbec Enterprises (MarbecElectric.com) upholds a commitment to EXCELLENCE in every endeavor; a commitment built on painstaking attention to detail and persistent communication and reflected in our superior quality of work and unparalleled customer service.

Marbec Enterprises (MarbecElectric.com) strives to provide a TEAM-ORIENTED atmosphere; one that promotes a positive attitude and encourages humble leadership and one that values each employee as an integral part of the Marbec Enterprises (MarbecElectric.com) family.

Marbec Electric embraces absolute INTEGRITY with employees, customers, end-users, consultants and every individual with whom we encounter; we are morally and ethically bound to do the right thing even when the right thing is not the easy, convenient, or profitable thing.

Marbec Enterprises (MarbecElectric.com) maintains a MERITOCRACY; an environment that seeks to reward continual personal and professional self-improvement and requires unfiltered honesty with ourselves and with each other.

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