Covenant Heating and Cooling Blog: Archive for the ‘Electrical’ Category

Protect Your Home with This Electrical Upgrade

Monday, October 11th, 2021
electrician-working-on-electrical-panel

Also referred to as the circuit breaker panel of your home, the electrical panel is designed to take in so much voltage, and assign it to the various electrical components and wires throughout your living space.

If you have a circuit breaker panel that is aging, or even worse if you have a fuse box, then you are not supplying power to your home as safety as you could be, and you are likely due for an electrical panel upgrade. Most electrical panels last anywhere from 25-40 years before needing replacing, but this largely depends too on how much the electrical demand has grown in your household in that time, and if you’ve ever experienced problems with your current electrical panel.

Keep reading as we uncover some signs that it is, indeed, time for you to upgrade your electrical panel.

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Power Surge 101: Everything You Need to Know

Monday, August 2nd, 2021

plug-sparking-as-it-goes-into-power-stripOne of the biggest misconceptions about power surges is that they only occur due to lightning storms, and you really don’t need to worry about them outside of storm season. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true.

On the contrary, power surges are caused by and impact the electrical appliances and equipment in your home. You can have dozens of small power surges in your home a week and not even know it! And since homes have more precise electrical equipment in them than ever before, it’s important to be aware of this.

You likely have multiple devices connected to your home’s power supply at any time, right? You probably also have a number of charging stations to manage your family’s smartphones and other devices. If you want to protect all these devices, then it’s important to know what a power surge really is and how its voltage can impact your home. And before you tell us you’re not worried because you have power strips in place–that’s not the most ideal solution. Read on to learn more!

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The Benefits of Investing in a Solar Attic Fan

Monday, July 5th, 2021

solar-panels-on-roofWhen we’re in the middle of a hot and sticky summer, there’s only so much a homeowner can do to keep their living space cool. You can make sure you keep your air conditioner tuned-up properly, that you keep your blinds and curtains closed in the middle of the day to keep the sunshine out (especially on south facing windows), and run your solar attic fan!

Wait, what’s that? You haven’t invested in a solar attic fan yet? Well not to worry, it’s never too late!

Wondering what the benefits are? Consider this: On the hottest days of summer, the sun beats down on your roof for hours, while humidity lingers both outside and in your home. Your air conditioner keeps running to try to keep you home cool enough, with its compressor running for longer and longer. Your air conditioner can actually struggle with this, causing exacerbated wear and tear and higher than average energy bills. Fortunately, a professionally installed solar attic fan can help prevent this. 

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Why You Should Be Prepared for Power Surges, No Matter the Weather

Monday, March 15th, 2021

hand-plugging-in-cord-with-sparkHomes today have more technology in them than ever before. And most of this technology relies on that homes’ electrical system. Think about it—you probably have multiple devices connected to your household’s power supply at any given time, right? With many power charging stations handling your portable systems and many high efficiency appliances throughout the living space.

Here’s the thing—a voltage spike from any of those appliances or pieces of electrical equipment can cause irreparable damage to complex electrical equipment. You might think you’re fully protected because you have power strips everywhere. But this actually isn’t enough. We’ll expand on this below—read on!

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The Benefits of Choosing the Right Outdoor Lighting

Monday, February 15th, 2021

outdoor-string-lightsWhile wintertime is still here for a bit, soon enough spring and summer will be here. If you’ve been considering upgrading your outdoor lighting or your backyard setup, now is the time to start thinking about what you want!

With the help of our professionals, you can create the ideal outdoor space for recreation, safety, security, and more. Read on as we dive into how to choose your outdoor lighting and what the benefits of the perfect outdoor lighting setup are. Then, call us when you’re ready for professional outdoor lighting installation!

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Do You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade?

Monday, December 7th, 2020

string-of-lights-outdoorsEarlier this fall, we talked about how holiday lights could impact your electrical system if you’re not careful. But holiday lights aren’t the only potential threat to your home’s electrical capacity. These days, homeowners are adding more and more to their homes in the name of electronics and high-efficiency appliances.

This is all great, but it does pose a bit of a conundrum. Homes only have so much electrical capacity, and overloading your system will lead to numerous problems from electrical outages and power surges to even potential electrical fires.

This doesn’t have to describe your experience though! Read on as we uncover some of the signs you can watch out for that indicates you’re in need of an electrical panel upgrade. Then, if you recognize any of these signs, give us a call right away!

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Is Your Breaker Box Ready for the Holiday Season

Monday, November 9th, 2020

string-of-lights-outdoorsLet’s face it, the holidays are going to look a lot different this year. Many families aren’t even able to get together due to health concerns, and traveling is still questionable too. There’s still plenty to look forward to for many homeowners though. For instance, many people have a ton of fun decorating their homes, inside and out, for the holidays.

But before you go all Clark Griswold on the outside of your home, consider this: is your breaker box ready for it? Also known as your electrical panel, the breaker box is responsible for safely routing electrical current to and from the various electrical appliances and fixtures in your home. An overloaded electrical panel, though, can lead to expensive problems and potential safety hazards.

Read on as we uncover a few signs that you should upgrade your breaker box before plugging in any holiday lights!

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Where Do Power Surges Come From?

Monday, October 26th, 2020

electrical-outlet-and-wiringHomeowners have been putting increasing electrical demand on their homes than ever before. You likely have a number of devices connected to your power supply at any time, right? With many power charging stations to handle your portable devices? What are you doing to protect these devices and the rest of your appliances from power surges?

It’s important to think about this, because a voltage spike can cause irreversible harm to complex electrical equipment. And despite popular believe, power surges are not just caused by storms, and power strips are helpful, but they don’t do much to comprehensively protect your home. Read on as we uncover the problem with power surges and what you can do about it.  

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4 Reasons You Should Invest in a Whole-Home Generator

Monday, October 12th, 2020

technicians-installing-whole-house-generatorLet’s start by making one thing clear–there is nothing wrong with a portable generator. In fact, portable generators are the perfect solution in many situations. For instance, if you’re going on a campout and want to power up an electric grill–or you’re glamping and want to watch TV (hey, we aren’t here to judge!)

But the thing about a portable system is that why it’s great in many scenarios, the one situation where it’s not the right choice is if you want to power your entire home during a widespread power outage. In this case, you’ll need a whole-home automatic standby generator. 

This system allows you to power up all the important components of your household, from your water heater and refrigerator to your HVAC systems and even your electronic devices and medical equipment if needed. Read on as we uncover 4 main benefits of investing in a whole-home generator.

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Why Smoke and CO Detectors Should Be Hardwired

Monday, August 3rd, 2020

wires-and-electrical-toolsEach and every year, thousands of people die or are injured by unintentional CO (carbon monoxide) exposure or house fires. It’s a harsh statistic, but one that amplifies the importance of having properly installed smoke and CO detectors in your home. In fact, it’s the law that homes have these two devices in them when you move in, and illegal to tamper with these devices in most jurisdictions too.

Of course, you probably have them both up in your home, and your batteries are likely fresh (are you changing them every 6 months?) But what if there was an extra precautionary step you could take?

Well, there is! You can have your CO and smoke detectors hardwired into your electrical system. Read on as we uncover not only the importance of these systems, but also why you should consider hardwiring yours.

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