Do you own electrical equipment that is overheating? If you’ve noticed any of your electrical devices, like a toaster or a radio, overheating you may have a serious electrical problem on your hands. Fortunately, at Kolb Electric, we have just the tools to diagnose and fix the problem.

Overheating of electrical devices can be caused by a number of problems. From faulty wiring to an outdated electrical system, it’s important to get to the bottom of an overheating electrical device.

At Kolb Electric, we offer thermographic inspections for your home or business. A thermographic electrical inspection will test the equipment’s temperature against the temperature of surrounding components. Significant variations in temperature indicate electrical problems in your appliances and equipment. Temperature abnormalities are often due to defective or failing components. By catching problems early on, they can be corrected before they can cause even greater damage later.

If you manage a home-based business that relies on several pieces of electrical equipment, it is especially important that you routinely schedule thermographic electrical inspections in MD, VA, or DC in order to prevent your important equipment from malfunctioning.

A thermographic inspection is completely non-contact and safe to perform on energized electrical systems. Thermographic electrical inspections can be conducted while your equipment is still in operation, which means you won’t lose time by having to shut down your equipment.

When combined with traditional home inspection techniques, the infrared thermography inspection method reveals considerably more about your house than can be seen with conventional inspection tools. Some things our infrared thermography inspections have detected include:

Water leaks: using an infrared camera to scan the inside of your home can reveal moisture leakage around plumbing systems, the roof, any windows, etc. We’ll be able to see them because areas with more moisture will appear darker than surrounding warmer, dry areas.

Insulation deficiencies: our scanners will reveal large temperature differences within your home where insulation is deficient or absent.

Roof leaks: we’ll be able to spot water and moisture intrusion and accumulation below the surface of your roof, which can help you pinpoint leaks and lessen their effects before they do major damage to your home.

Electrical system problems: one of the best things about an infrared thermography scan is that it helps you see any deficiencies in your electrical system, including loose connections that could cause certain appliances to run inefficiently (or to not run at all).

Structural issues: finally, infrared thermography scans will help locate structural issues within your home, including poor heat transfer, bad conductivity, and more. We may even be able to detect missing or damaged structural components.

For all your infrared thermography needs in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, contact the electricians at Kolb Electric today—877-287-1179877-287-1179 or click here!

 

The history of electricity is a fascinating subject. When we see a light go on or an appliance fire up, it is hard to imagine the thought processes that went into making that possible. In this article, we will look at the history of electricity from its very beginnings to how it has evolved over the years.

Benjamin Franklin flying a kite during a thunder and lightning storm. Franklin tied a key to the end of the kite string. The electricity from the storm clouds flowed down the wet string and ended up giving him an electric shock. This would serve as the first form of evidence that electricity existed. But it would be a long time until people could actually figure out how to use electricity in a practical sense.

One of the first breakthroughs in the history of electricity occurred when British scientist Michael Faraday discovered its basic principles. He discovered he could create an electric current by moving magnets inside of coils of copper wire. This revolutionized how we use energy. Faraday’s basic theory still comes to play on how we produce power today. Although now, we have the capability of doing this on a much larger scale.

Rural Electric Administration that ensured the availability of electricity in rural areas. By 1939, the number of rural homes with electricity had risen by 25%. Farmers were able to access electrical appliances like stoves and washing machines which made life much easier for them.

We see plenty of tips and tricks for residential electric company owners that are meant to help save them money, but what about business owners? Businesses face the same issues as residential customers. When electric rates rise, businesses lose money from their bottom line. In order to keep the bottom line healthy or just to save a few dollars that could be put to use in other areas, it is important managers and employees learn a bit about energy savings. An electrician in Burbank, like those at The Electric Connection, has some tips that can help you lower the electric bill while lessening the demand on the power grid. It is a win-win situation.

*On Fridays, turn off power strips and unplug things like the coffee maker and other small appliances in the office. This will help reduce the phantom power that is drawn even when appliances, computers and other equipment are not in use.

*Install motion sensors in the copy room, bathrooms and supply rooms that are not always in use and do not always need to have lights on. The sensors detect movement and will automatically turn the lights on when somebody enters the room and shuts the light off when a person leaves the room.

*Switch your lighting to LED. This is a huge energy saver and you will see savings on your next Burbank electrical bill. Track lighting is common in offices. These fixtures are typically equipped to handle the energy-efficient LEDs. If you need to upgrade your existing lights, talk with your local electrician.

*Make sure to regularly maintain the fans on your computers. Keeping the computers dust free helps them run better and will ultimately lose less energy. This also applies to the coils on the office refrigerator and the furnace filters. Dust isn’t just unsightly—it costs you money!

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a lighting upgrade in your office, give The Electric Connection a call today.

We all want the best for our children, and one of the most important ways we can help the next generation is by ensuring that they are receiving the highest quality education they can. But what if I told you there is an element to education that most people overlook when discussing ways to change education, even though it has been proven to improve behavior and focus, reduce disruptions and increase reading speed and learning capacity?

Though often overlooked, Research has shown that full-spectrum, cool white light is best for encouraging concentration in a classroom, so swapping out outdated fixtures for newer technology could be a great start to better classroom lighting.

Although fluorescent fixtures are popular in schools, the way they flicker (often imperceptibly) especially if a child has a visual impairment that necessitates a brighter environment. Try to position the lights (or the students) so that the task lighting is on the opposite side of their dominant (writing) side. This ensures that their writing arm won’t block the light, and distracting shadows won’t affect their work.

Teachers should try to avoid standing in front of lights or windows when talking, because these can easily distract or bother students. Though it can be difficult, students will focus and learn better when the teacher eliminates as many distractions as possible. And who among us hasn’t caught themselves drifting in a daydream out a window, whether interested in the topic at hand or not?

There are many programs and initiatives for better classroom lighting in place, though many are local to specific regions. Have you heard of any neat programs geared towards smart classroom lighting? Let us know in the comments!