Out of all of the challenges winter presents, there’s one small, quiet issue that plagues us all on a routine basis. We’re talking, of course, about static shock! Have you ever noticed that little zap is a lot more common in the colder seasons? Have you ever wondered why? If you answered yes to either or both, read on to learn a bit from the Columbia electricians at Kolb Electric!

Need reliable, top-quality electrical services for your home or business? Contact the team at Kolb online today!

There’s probably no one in the world that hasn’t encountered a static shock. It’s that small, surprisingly little jolt that you can often get when stepping out of your car or touching a door handle in your home. But though it seems like a simple incident, static shock (or more specifically static electricity) is actually a lot of science going on all at once.

Put very simply, since to explain it in detail would be, frankly, a bit involved and boring, a static shock is the product of an imbalance in electrical charge. Everything is constantly exchanging electrons.

Everything. All of the time.

And when you happen to be exposed to an insulator, which naturally holds onto electric charge (like rubber, or wool) you basically start scraping charge off of everything around you. This collects on the surface of your body, and the next time you come into contact with a conductor of any type, typically metals, that built up charge will jump to the conductor, producing that somewhat agitating shock.

So why is it that when winter hits, we see a lot more static electricity? The answer is pretty simple, actually! In seasons like summer, moisture in the air called humidity tends to be far higher, and those water molecules actually act as a great grounding barrier, helping you mitigate building an excessive static charge.

But when winter sets in, we see a lot less moisture in the air. And what is there tends to be frozen, thus a solid and no longer part of the air content. This cold, dry air is a breeding ground for static, allowing your body to pull in massive amounts of electrons which will ultimately result in that startling shock.

And did you know your furnace actually makes it worse by sucking out what little moisture your home retains? That means bad times for those of us with a furnace system and wool carpets!

As a Columbia electrician knows well, our winters can get really dry, and really cold, which means wrestling with a lot of static electricity. Looking for ways to reduce your shock factor? Try these tips out:

It’s all about adding a bit of moisture, and avoiding materials that present the properties of an insulator!

We can’t do a whole lot about the static in your home (save maybe some sage advice), but if you’re looking for a trusted team of top-class Columbia electricians for electrical installation and repair, there’s no team better than Kolb! Contact us online to learn more about our electrical services, or to learn more great tips, tricks, and handy info, keep up with our blog!

When working in an industrial environment you may have a variety of equipment pieces that are plugged into a standard electrical outlet. If this equipment vibrates, you may find that the cord eventually unplugs itself. In other situations, if the equipment is critical to operations and you find that it is being disconnected frequently it can interrupt the workflow. For these situations, a twist lock receptacle would be the ideal solution.

A normal three-prong outlet can simply be pushed or pulled to connect with a standard wall outlet. To add a layer of protection to this process, a twist lock receptacle requires that it be twisted in order to connect properly. The male connector usually has curved prongs that plug into the receptacle and then are twisted to lock into place. To unplug, the plug must be twisted the opposite direction. Without this process the electrical device cannot be disconnected from the wall.

A twist lock is beneficial in those environments where the electrical equipment is critical to operations, is semi-permanent, and should not be easily unplugged. This should not be used as a solution to prevent foot traffic disconnections. Others may continue to trip over the cord, which can damage the cord and create stress. This will expose the wires and create an electrical hazard. If the cord is a tripping hazard it should be rerouted or secured to the ground to prevent this from happening.

If a weather-resistant twist lock is chosen it can be useful when the receptacle is exposed to the elements. It can prevent water from entering the connection and causing electrical surges. The twist lock creates a tight connection and seal. The plug will not become loose and create exposure of the prongs and receptacle holes.

If you can think of a device in your home or workplace which is semi-permanent, will not or should not be unplugged easily, then a twist lock receptacle could be beneficial. This will require the male plug to be replaced on the electrical device and also the wall receptacle to be replaced. We highly recommend that a licenced electrician complete this replacement. A mistake in this task can cause damage to the device and constant electrical shortages or surges.

If you are interested in twist lock receptacles, contact Expert Electric at 604-681-8338. We can help you to determine if a twist lock is the ideal solution and help complete the installation properly and up to code.

Solar Farm

From science fiction to massive solar plants in the American West, solar energy has fascinated and tantalized scientists and writers for generations.  The promise of easily-accessible, virtually free energy from the large fusion reactor at the center of our solar system (the sun) is enticing and we’re getting closer to harnessing its power effectively every day.

Solar power is interesting because it’s one of the few electrical energy systems that does not use a turbine to generate energy.  Photoelectric cells contain a material that releases electrons when hit by a photon, generating electrical power.  There are no moving parts, no fuel to burn and pay for, and only occasional maintenance to keep the system performing optimally.

So what is holding back the proliferation of solar energy?  Space and storage.  We can generate large quantities of energy from solar, but we do not, at present, have the right method to store that energy for periods without sunlight (night time and storms).  So far the best response has been homeowners installing solar cells on their own homes with battery storage systems linked into their own neighborhoods.  By splitting up generation and storage within the neighborhood itself, enough solar cells can be installed to generate energy both day and night.

Space is at a premium when it comes to energy generation.  Solar power plants take up more space than traditional plants, while generating less energy per square foot.  Because solar cells need to be placed over large areas to maximize sunlight, installing power plants in urban areas can be difficult.  Though installing solar cells on your home can be done simply.

We mentioned self-starting or “œblack-start” energy systems.  These systems can be started without power applied to the system, a huge benefit to fuel-fed power plants, and necessary in the event of major blackouts and power losses.  True, we can supplement with gas turbines or nearby power generation, but we also want black-start renewables.  Fortunately, hydroelectric power plants require no off-system power to function.

Hydroelectric plants are special because, while they also have a somewhat variable energy source, they also have one of the best energy storage systems available: potential energy.  Hydroelectric dams use flowing water to spin turbines, typically generated from lakes and rivers.  Rather than storing generated electricity, hydroelectric plants can store water at a higher altitude.  By storing water in special tanks, they have access to electrical generation potential by simply releasing the stored water and allowing it to spin the turbine.  Hydroelectric power is perfect for energy storage, but they’re limited to specific areas.