7 tips to keep your family safe

As a Marbec Electrician we know that your family’s safety is one of the most important things on your mind throughout the day, so we decided that now would be a good time to re-visit the subject of Smoke Detector Replacement and maintenance. As the weather is cooling off, it is very important that you are certain your family is protected in the unfortunate event that you experience a house fire. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “Each year fires occurring during the holiday season claim the lives of over 400 people, injure 1,650 more, and cause over $990 million in damage.” Remember these lucky
7 tips to keep your family safe this holiday season by ensuring that smoke detectors are installed correctly in your home, and that they are all in working order.

Smoke Detector Battery Replacement: At least once a year
One of the most important things to remember, if you already have smoke detectors installed in your home, is to replace the batteries at least once a year. An easy way to remember this is to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when you change your clocks for daylight savings time every year. Picking up this helpful habit makes it much easier to remember.

Smoke Detector Replacement: Every 5 to 7 years
Many smoke detector manufacturers recommend replacing the smoke detector unit itself every ten years, but a smoke detector’s reliability will actually decrease after 5 to 7 years. While this may seem like an extra cost, it is certainly a small price to pay for making sure that your family will have the most reliable method of early warning in the event of a fire, providing vital time for everyone to get out safely.

Smoke Detector Cleaning: At least twice a year
Dust, cobwebs, insects, and other airborne particles that make their way into our homes can collect on sensors and contaminate the circuitry inside your smoke detector, causing it to be less effective at sensing smoke. This is one of the most forgotten factors simply because many homeowners aren’t aware of the effects that dirt and dust can have on a smoke detector. Think about how dirty the blades of your ceiling fan would get if you never cleaned them. The same dust that accumulates on your fan blades will accumulate inside your smoke detector. At least twice a year, use your vacuum cleaner wand attachment to carefully remove dust and other contaminants from the inside and outside of your smoke detector.

Smoke Detector Types: Ionization, Photoelectric, or Both
There are two commonly used types of smoke detectors, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Ionization style smoke detectors are more responsive to quick moving, high flaming fires, while photoelectric smoke detectors are more responsive to smoldering fires that produce more smoke. You can never know what type of fire will happen in your home, so a great option to ensure the best protection is to choose smoke detector units that provide both ionization and photoelectric detection of smoke and fire.

Smoke Detector Location: Key guidelines for safe placement
Smoke detector placement is highly important in order for them to work properly. When installing smoke detectors in your home, it is ideal to have a smoke detector in each room, but at the very least, you should install smoke detectors on every level of your home, and in hallways near each bedroom to increase the likelihood that your family will be able to hear them even while sleeping. Smoke detectors should be placed 6 to 12 inches from the ceiling, and you should avoid installing them near vents, fireplaces, or kitchen appliances to reduce the accumulation of dust, soot, and oily residues from cooking.

Interlinked Smoke Detectors: Whole house warning
Modern smoke detector systems are more than simply individual detectors. It is recommended to install a system that allows all of the smoke detectors in your home to communicate with each other causing all of the detectors to alert of the fire if any single detector senses one. These systems can be wired directly into your homes electrical system, or allow wireless communication between each smoke detector. This has been a major advancement in smoke detector technology, allowing more time for residents to escape if a fire begins in any area of the home. These systems are especially valuable in late-model homes where the master bedroom is often on the opposite side of the house from children’s rooms.

Smoke Detector Testing: At least twice a year
We often take for granted that a smoke detector will simply work as designed once it is installed, but as you can see from this list, there are a lot of factors that go into a reliable smoke detection system. At the very least, make sure that you test your smoke detectors twice a year using the test button that is located on the smoke detector unit itself. When testing interlinked smoke detector systems, be sure to verify that all of the other detectors in your home alert when you test each unit individually. Even if a unit alerts when you test it, if it does not cause the other units in the home to alert, that means that there is an issue with communication between the units, and it should be inspected by a licensed Marbec Electrician.

If you have any concerns about your smoke detector system, or any other electrical projects in your home, the electricians at Marbec Enterprises. will be happy to help. Reach out to us by phone or through the “Contact Us” page on our website, and let our professional electrical technicians ensure your family’s safety by guaranteeing that the job is done right!

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

Understanding AC vs. DC

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 dir

ections, 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!

Heathrow, FL | (386) 956-1594 | marbecelectric.com | twitter.com/MarbecElectric | marbecelectric.tumblr.com | plus.google.com/102338195995648896384/posts

Never use electrical devices that have damaged or frayed wires

It is the rare person who does not deal with electrical appliances today. Most people watch television, turn the oven on to cook food, or simply pop frozen foods into the microwave. With electricity pouring through virtually every home, everyone should be aware of the following electrical safety precautions:

1. Never use electrical devices that have damaged or frayed wires.
The thick wires that connect an electrical device to the wall for energy are designed to safely transfer electricity from the socket to the device. When those wires tear apart, fray, or otherwise become damaged, they can allow the flow of electricity to escape the wire. This can lead to a shock of you grab the wire in that area, but it can also lead to an electrical fire. Safety precautions require you to throw these appliances out if you cannot replace the wire.

2. Play it safe with water in close vicinity to electrical devices.
When water comes in contact with an electrical outlet or electrical device plugged into the wall, it can become live with electricity and present a danger to humans. If you have a flood in your home, do not step into the water if it is covering electrical outlets. Do not place electrical devices where they can fall into a sink or bathtub full of water.

3. Watch the placement of cords leading to electrical devices.
All electrical devices have cords, and it is common to run longer cords along the wall in order to place them where you want them. The problem is you can create a tripping hazard if you run cords along doorways or across floors in heavy traffic areas of your home. Carefully place cords where they are safe for everyone in your home.

4. If you are going to change parts on or repair an electrical device, you have to disconnect it from the outlet or otherwise shut off electrical flow to the device.
Never do work on or repair an electrical device while it is live with electricity. In most cases this just means unplugging the device before you open it up to make repairs, but when doing home improvement projects it could mean shutting off electricity from the breaker box. If you don’t know how to do this, then do not attempt the repairs on your own.

All of these electrical safety precautions should be remembered by adults working with electrical appliances. If you know someone who isn’t aware of any precaution on this list, send them here to learn. It could save a life!

When in doubt, call an electrician from Marbec Enterprises and have them take the worry out!

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

Correct safety & maintenance of your hot water heater.

The hot water heater represents one of the greatest hazards in the modern home, yet far too many homeowners have never read their heater’s owner’s manual. Common dangers associated with these household appliances include severe burns from scalding water, electric shock hazards, explosions, and fire.

Because most water heaters reside in closets, basements and garages, and are for the most part hidden from our daily lives, many aren’t as aware as they should be of the maintenance and precautions which are necessary for safety. Many homeowners don’t know for instance, that they should drain and flush a hot water heater every six months, to prevent sediment buildup. Others are unaware that hydrogen gas can build up inside electrically heated hot water systems when they remain inactive for two weeks or more. Hydrogen buildup requires carefully performed procedures to safely remove this flammable gas from hot water pipes. Many don’t know how and why water softening systems shorten the lives of water heaters, or that every electric hot water heater should be properly grounded with the correct gauge of copper wire. Marbec Enterprises can do this.

Correct safety and maintenance measures covered in a water heater’s manual are extremely important for household safety, so every homeowner should study this to learn how to properly maintain their hot water systems. It’s also extremely important to understand the electrical dangers these appliances represent. Because a hot water heater contains electrical heating elements immersed in water, these elements can deteriorate with age and short out electrically to the water heater’s metal casing. When this happens, it’s possible to receive a severe and perhaps fatal shock when touching the hot water heater’s housing or connecting pipes. If you do not have the necessary skills to work safely around high voltage electrical conditions, you should always call a professional electrician at Marbec Enterprises any time you suspect a problem with your hot water heater or when you have any other electrical concerns. When any questions about electrical safety arise, please call Marbec Enterprises. Our electricians are trained and equipped to identify any type of hazardous electrical condition, and to determine the proper repair procedures.

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