Easiest,quickest,cheapest way to transform your home!

Working with thousands of homeowners Marbec Enterprises has taken part in just about every home improvement project you can think up. Unfortunately, many homeowners’ plans for their dream home makeover have been put on hold due to a lack of funds. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to perform an affordable home makeover for a lot less than you might think.
By far, the most dramatic way to change the look and feel of your home, without a complete makeover, is by simply changing the way it shines! The lighting in your home plays a huge role in the first impression that you get when you walk into a room, and can be one of the major determining factors in setting the ambiance and overall feel of the room. By installing the proper recessed lights and pendant lights, along with chandeliers in your home, you will be able to accent the existing décor you already have.

Recessed can lighting will clean up your ceiling and do away with unsightly light fixtures installed everywhere.  When installing a recessed can, the type of trim is essential to maximizing the amount of light that you can get in an area.  A baffled or recessed trim will create a spotlight effect, whereas a flush mount trim allows the light to start at the ceiling and move throughout the room.  This gives a much more even look upon finished product.  Any electrician that has done a lot of installations should be able to guide you in the proper direction so that the style of lighting that you are looking for will be achieved.  Be careful attempting these by yourself, drywall will need to be cut for installation, and you never know where a wire or plumbing pipe may be hiding.

Pendant lighting is also making a big hit right now.  This type of lighting can be used to decoratively light up kitchen islands and kitchen bar-type counters.  This is a creative way to separate your kitchen from your living room.  Typically, homes are not pre-wired for these lights, and wiring will have to be added before they can be installed.  We highly suggest when wiring for these lights, that a new switch leg be installed for independent control.  As always, installing new wiring to your existing electrical should be done by a Marbec electrician.

Depending upon your tastes in furniture, replacing a living room of furniture can cost ten or twenty thousand dollars! Updating the lighting in the same room can drastically change the look and feel of the room, often for less than one thousand dollars. Replacing lamps and old fixtures with recessed can lighting and a classy chandelier can transform a dim dreary space into a room that you can be proud of. Switch out the chandelier with a nice ceiling fan that compliments the room, and you can even do your part in going green with the energy savings that come with using a fan to circulate the air in your home instead of relying constantly on your energy hogging air conditioning system!

If you need some help in creating your own affordable home makeover by replacing the out of date lighting in your home, contact an electrician at Marbec Enterprises to discuss the options available to upgrade.

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

If your breaker trips consistently it could be dangerous!

Tripped circuit breaker: many of us have experienced them at some point in our homes, yet instead of asking ourselves, “Why Do Breakers Trip?”, we reset the breaker without much thought. Before flipping the switch back over to the “ON” position, however, it’s important to understand why the breaker tripped in the first place, and what can be done to keep it from happening again.
At Marbec Enterprises we understand the danger of ignoring the warning signs of a tripped circuit breaker. But first, you need to know what a breaker does and how it works.
Simply put, a home or business circuit breaker is a safety device that monitors the amount of electrical current going through the electrical wires in your home and shuts off the circuit if too much electricity is being pulled through it, or if there is any disturbance in the current that could result in a fire.

Whereas a fuse performs the same task but can only be used once, a circuit breaker can perform over and over with the use of a switch that trips to indicate when it has effectively cut off current to a particular area.

So, Why Do Breakers Trip and what kind of things could cause a circuit breaker to trip? Some of the most common causes of a tripped breaker include:
Overloaded circuits: Often times, when there are too many appliances plugged into an electrical circuit, the wiring reaches unsafe heat levels due to pulling more electricity through the circuit than it is designed to accommodate,  and puts your home at a risk for a fire. That’s when the circuit breaker trips, shutting off everything that is plugged in to that circuit, preventing overheating, reducing the risk of fire. This happens often in older homes, where the wiring was not designed to withstand the power of modern appliances.

Electrical shorts: Other times, a tripped breaker can happen as a result of an electrical short, due to old and worn out appliances, with damaged wiring in your home. Common causes of electrical shorts in the home include faulty wiring, rodents or other animals chewing through your wires or aging wiring in older homes. Because of the large range of possible culprits, diagnosing an electrical short can be more difficult and therefore should not be ignored. Determining whether a short is in an appliance may be as simple as disconnecting your appliance and resetting the breaker, if it continues to trip, definitely call a Marbec Electrician. Often times, it’s when an appliance is not being used and the electrical short is happening, that it is much more complex and requires professional help.

Because of the many reasons why your circuit breaker could be tripping, and because of the purpose of the circuit breaker, you should never take a tripped breaker lightly. It’s important to understand that the circuit breaker is a safety device; simply switching the circuit back on without investigating the culprit can become costly in the long run and, in many cases, extremely dangerous.

If your breaker trips consistently, chances are there is a potentially dangerous electrical issue that needs to be looked at. Call Marbec Enterprises to make sure that your home is safe and free from the risk of a short or a fire.

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Proper smoke detector installation is very important!

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!

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There are two types of timers for home systems:

In the current economic climate, in which everyone is trying to save money, you might not know that a Marbec electrician can help! Sometimes, saving money is as simple as finding a simple idea that makes your life run more efficiently. When it comes to electricity, one of the best and least utilized ways to save money and energy is by putting your lights on a timer.
As any Marbec electrician can tell you, timers are extremely useful! You can use them to turn lights on and off, whether or not you are at home. This makes it easy for you to appear as though you are home when you are on vacation, or control your Christmas lights, but those are not the only instances in which timers are a good idea. For instance, you can set a timer to make your lights turn off after you go to bed, and come back on in the morning. This makes a great backup alarm clock, and also ensures that you don’t accidentally leave lights on all night. You can also set them to turn off lights when you are at work, in case you forget.
There are two types of timers for home systems: mechanical and digital. Digital timers look good and are very useful, with several automated features. Even though they can be installed by someone who is not an electrician, homeowners may feel more secure hiring a professional, because digital timers have sensitive electronics inside that require a neutral wire that switches do not. A Marbec electrician will be able to choose the right digital timer for your needs, competently install it, and even change out the switch plates if necessary.
Mechanical timers are less common than digital, but are very useful. They are often used to control swimming pool equipment and outdoor lighting. In addition to controlling lights, they can be attached to a water heater to keep it from running when you don’t need hot water. This can make a huge difference in your electric bill!
The main difference between mechanical and digital timers is that mechanical timers are typically larger and sturdier, and can handle a larger electrical load. Digital timers are more aesthetically pleasing, and will fit better into your home’s décor. A competent Marbec Enterprises electrician will advise you as to which timer best suits your needs.
Whether you have an electrical problem, or are just looking for ways to save money on your electric bill, Marbec Enterprises can help!  Visit our website or if you would prefer, you can always call us to schedule an appointment today!

West Volusia, FL
(386) 956-1594
marbecelectric.com

Marbec Enterprises' emergency crew is available 24/7

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.

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Storm Season Tips

Storm Season Tips

With the weather in Florida being so unpredictable, how can you be sure that you are prepared to tackle what Mother Nature dishes out? Follow these simple tips to protect your home, your electrical system and your family from dangerous and frightening conditions.

#1 Have your electrical system checked regularly. With this storm season upon us, it is extremely important that you get in touch with your Marbec electrician and have him look over your circuit breakers, wiring and outlets as part of his regular maintenance. Flaws in your electrical system, be it with breakers, wiring or any other aspect, combined with unpredictable weather, is the recipe for a very, very bad situation.

#2 Use power surge protectors on all your appliances. Did you know that, even a lightning strike that hits miles from storm-season-tipsyour home can affect your appliances? Power surge protectors show up often in storm season tips everywhere, and there’s a reason why. Power surges can be deadly for your appliances and anything else hooked up directly into the outlet, particularly during lightning storms.

#3 Install a built-in surge protector on your circuit panel. This will protect everything hooked to the circuit panel from potentially damaging surges. Even when the power is restored after an outage, it often still does not come on right away; instead, it flickers, which shoots and cuts off electricity randomly to your appliances, ultimately causing damage.

#4 Always keep a weather radio handy. Weather alert radios are an invaluable addition to your home’s severe weather storm-season-tipkit. In case of an emergency, an outage, lightning strike or blackout, you will have access to weather updates, evacuation information (if necessary), and instructions on how to keep your family and home safe in the event of bad weather.

#5 Invest in an indoor generator. Indoor generators are a great way to take a little pressure off of the overloaded power grid during a power surge or blackout. When there’s a blackout, the indoor generator kicks in, keeping a steady flow of electricity going to your home and keeping your appliances from getting damaged. Some generators are solar-powered, which can save you energy, time and money.

Marbec: Helping You Prepare

Severe stormy weather doesn’t have to be scary, inconvenient, dangerous or costly. Following these simple storm season tips can ensure that you and your family are spared the expenses and headaches that come with unpredictable weather in Florida. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you prepare for a stormy season.

Do you need a chandelier installed in your home or office?

Chandelier Installation
Chandeliers look beautiful when installed in your home, but the process of properly installing them should be left to a qualified, experienced electrician West Volusia homeowners can trust. Proper installation of a complex electrical fixture like a chandelier is best left to a licensed residential electrician who understands the intricacies of adding a chandelier to your home and who can make sure that the process is carried out safely and efficiently so that your fixture has a long life with little need for repairs.

Instead of finding an electrician homeowners sometimes opt to do a chandelier installation themselves. What they don’t realize is that chandelier installations are very difficult and complex, and as a result it’s always best to contact local electricians who are experienced to do the job. installation chandelier that is installed incorrectly can mean many costly and dangerous complications in the future. Follow these important electrical tips to ensure your chandelier is properly installed in your home.

1. Hire an electrician who is experienced with this type of installation and its wiring, as it is very different from many of the other fixtures in your home. Homeowners are often unfamiliar with the proper wiring for a chandelier; as a result, they end up damaging the fixture when doing the installation themselves. Experienced electricians know that the side of the wiring with the ridges and bumps is the “power out” side and the smooth wiring side is the “power in.” Getting those mixed up can cause serious damage to your wiring and your equipment.
2. Make sure that your electrician follows the manufacturer’s order of instructions for fixture installation. Steps missed or skipped can cause serious problems and result in wasted money and time, as well as risky complications. For example, it’s important for your electrician to remember that, when installing a crystal chandelier, the fixture must be installed before hanging the crystal. Otherwise, the fixture will be too heavy and fragile to install.
3. Be mindful of weight limits when it comes to chandeliers and your ceiling. If the chandelier weighs over 100 pounds, chances are you’ll need an additional complex support installation in your ceiling to ensure that there’s enough support to hold the weight. Not being aware of these weight limitations can cause major problems with the installation.
4. The residential electrician you hire needs to make sure that the canopy cover is properly installed and adjusted to the correct depth before hooking up the chandelier’s wiring. Placing the canopy cover flush to the ceiling may result in twisted wiring and a bad connection.
5. Your electrician should know that chandeliers are hung from their chains, not the wiring itself. Hanging the chandelier from the wires can stretch them, causing a fire hazard. Chandeliers, in any case, are not designed to hang from anything other than the chains they come with.

Marbec Enterprises offers quality emergency and routine electrical repairs for residential and commercial clients. Whether you need a chandelier installed or you have an electrical emergency of any sort, Marbec can send a licensed and experienced electrician homeowners can count on. Call us today and connect with us online.

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