If the motor seems to be fine, attempt to reconnect it to a load. For motors spinning in the wrong direction that are three-phase, swap any two leads either in the starter or in the motor connection box to reverse its rotational direction. Motors that struggle with a load may have something plugged up or jammed in the load itself. A mechanic may be required to check fans, belts, or pumps that are powered by a motor. When a motor trips the overload device, attach an anmeter to measure the current during startup and operation. Check the FLA on the motor nameplate to see what the expected current draw should be. If it is high, the motor may simply be overloaded. If not, the overload protection device may be set too low or may need replacing.

By following these basic ac motor troubleshooting tips, any electrician can quickly determine the cause of most problems in an AC motor.

We are giving away 1 ceiling fan to a lucky winner!  Best of all, it comes with installation!  To be eligible to win you must:  Like our page and share this post.  That is it!  Winner will be drawn October 30th, 2016.  *

Fall is fast approaching.  For many its there favorite time of year.  Mild days and cool nights make it a great opportunity to open up some windows and let some fresh air in!  Ceiling fans are a great solution to move some air around.  Many modern day home layouts don’t allow for much cross ventilation depending on the window alignment.  With a ceiling fan installed it easy to get that air moving again.  A ceiling fan can even reduce your energy consumption by up to 30%!  Who wouldn’t want to save 30% on there energy cost?

A chemical free deterrent to bugs and mosquitoes can be as simple as turning on your ceiling fan.  It is a known fact that the wind reduces the amount of air born insects around you.   Also the wind dilutes and blows away the carbon dioxide you exhale.  Similar to why airplanes have trouble landing in high wind so do bugs?  They often seek protection during high winds or try to avoid them all together.

A ceiling fan should only be properly installed by a trained electrician.  We often find ceiling fans installed on plastic boxes or boxes with the wrong size screws.  Can you imagine a ceiling fan rotating at high speeds and weighting 30 to 50 pounds falling from your ceiling?  We have seen ceiling fans that have even fell on a child’s bed due to improper installation.  Thank goodness no one was hurt in that case!

A under sized ceiling fan wont be as effect as a properly sized ceiling fan.  Also, ceiling fans should be installed at a minimum of 7′ off the floor, 20-30 inches from walls and 10-18 inches from ceiling to increase there effectiveness.  Also consider features of the ceiling fan such as the light quality, remote option, and number of speeds.  As the old saying goes ” you get what you pay for” this is also true when it comes to ceiling fans.  Cheap fans are usually more wobbly, nosier, and don’t last as long.  Spend what you can afford but try not to buy the cheapest fan possible.  Search for name brands such as Casablanca, Emerson, Minka and other high quality fans.  Unless your truly a handy individual and know the electrical code when it comes to proper ceiling fan installation you should have a professional install your ceiling fan.  Contact us today to have one of our trained, trusted, and background checked electricians install your fan and put the cool back in that room!

*To be eligible for ceiling fan giveaway you must live within 20 miles of the 50325 zip code.  For installation you must currently have a ceiling fan or light fixture installed and location installation of choice.  Box supporting existing light fixture or ceiling fan must be rated for a ceiling fan.

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The National Weather Service is predicting a lighter hurricane season than normal this year, but that doesn’t mean everyone shouldn’t be prepared. As we’ve seen in the very recent past, it only takes one major storm to make landfall and throw everything into chaos. One of the best ways to prepare for a major storm is to make sure you have a properly maintained standby generator. Consumerreports.org has some excellent advice for those who are looking for or who already own standby generators—read on for some great tips!

Depending on what you plan on running in the event of a power outage, you’ll need a different size of generator:

Midsized standby generators (5k – 8.5k watts): standby generators of this size can power the refrigerator and sump pump as well as most lights in your home, a portable heater, computer, and heating system.

Large standby generators (10k to 15k watts): large standby generators can power everything a midsized standby generator can, along with a small water heater, central air conditioner, electric range, clothes washer, or electric dryer (although not all at once).

While we don’t often feel the brunt of major hurricanes around here, we still live in a risky area and it’s important that proper precautions are taken. Here is a list of hurricane preparedness tips from Ready.gov:

Before the hurricane:

When a hurricane is likely in your area:

During the storm:

After the storm:

We don’t often experience major hurricanes in our area, but it’s still important to be prepared! Kolb Electric sells and installs Generac generators, so if you want to be extra prepared this hurricane season, call us today!

Is there a better way to kick off a lighting design awards show than to distribute glowsticks to the finalists for “experimentation”?

Well, we can’t think of one.

The photos below have been floating around on Twitter in anticipation of the 2014 Lighting Design Awards, a worldwide architectural lighting competition to be held in London on March 20. Leave it to the creative lighting professionals to craft a rainbow motif, an “alien landing” scene, and a dog collar – all from a box of glowsticks.