By Blake Daniel, Franchisee of Mr. Electric of West Fort Worth

Whether it’s due to thunderstorms in the spring, ice storms in the winter, or blazing heat and power distribution regulation in the summer, the electricity supplied to your home can be unstable at times. This makes your home vulnerable to power surges.

Preventing power surge damage has traditionally been left to the consumer to guess what to do. Do you buy numerous surge protectors and power strips? Do you spend time running around the house during a lightning storm unplugging everything in sight, while putting yourself at risk for electrical shock? Or, do you rely on your homeowner’s insurance policy to cover any power surge losses that may occur?

Now there is no need to worry, you can protect your investments by preventing power surge damage with a Whole House Panel Surge Protector, the heart of industrial protection for your home. There are features not seen in the marketplace until now, creating a main zone of protection and acts as your first line of defense while stopping power surges before they can enter the house through the transmission lines.

As the main line of defense, a Whole House Panel Surge Protector prevents high-energy power surges from ever entering into your home and protects your electrical panel, motor-driven, and other AC-powered appliances in your home against power surge damage.

While this is not a one-unit, full coverage surge protector, as there are many ways in which you can receive a surge, you can be confident that your electrical panel and most electrical items in your house are covered. If you would like more information on how to protect your house from power surges, ask your local Mr. Electric service professional.

Simply put, these are electrical protection gadgets that can be used with a wide range of voltages. MCCBs, as they are commonly known, have adjustable trip settings and can hold as much as 2,500 amps in current ratings. They are also used with frequencies that are 50 and 60 Hz and have the following 3 functions:

Outdoor lighting can be one of the easiest improvements that you can make to the exterior of your home, and it can make a huge impact. Not only will outdoor lights improve the way your home looks at night, but it can also increase the value of your home. If you wish to sell your home in the future, you will be able to add your exterior lights to the list of amenities that your home can offer potential buyers.

Some of the most popular places to add landscape lighting are along paths or walkways, and around patios or decks. Los Angeles homeowners often place outdoor lighting at different points throughout their flower gardens, too, which creates a beautiful setting for any summer evening. By placing small outdoor lights throughout the yard, it gives the impression of twinkling stars right in your own back yard. Landscape lights can be installed in many unexpected places, such as your own vegetable garden!

The Electric Connection, a licensed, bonded and insured local electrician in Los Angeles, can be a big help when it comes to deciding what type and style of outdoor lighting to use. They can also recommend where to place your lighting, and how far apart the lights should be. It’s always best to have this type of electrical lighting done by a licensed electrician.

Strategically placed outdoor lighting can be just the thing to help you make better use of your deck or patio, whether you’re spending time outdoors at night simply enjoying a quiet evening at home, or if you’re hosting a big party or a neighborhood get-together.

When it comes to the types and styles of landscape lighting choices that are available, there’s no need to worry because you’ll discover that there are plenty of options to choose from. For help and suggestions, you can find us on our website at TheElectricConnection.com. You can also give us a call to chat with us about your outdoor lighting options during our regular office hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. We’ll be happy to set up a free landscape lighting estimate for you whenever you’re ready to get started.

A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) receives information from one or more inputs. This semiconductor control device processes the information based on a software program. Finally, it sends an output control signal. The microprocessor based control system performs functions such as timing, logic, sequencing and others. The PLC follows instructions from an operator-defined program.

These intelligent systems provide reliable, high-speed monitoring and control of processes in automated applications. In addition, they are easy to program and configure.

Once the program updates the output, the CPU starts over and the cycle repeats again. The cycle depends on the number of inputs, outputs, and size of the program, while the action will depend on the inputs coming from a variety of sensors.

The input sensors include components such as switches, proximity sensors, photoelectric sensors, pressure switches, level switches, encoders and temperature sensors, while the output devices include actuators, relays, switches, and many more.

PLCs rely on software programs that help them in making the necessary decisions. The PLCs are programmed through a variety of tools, which may differ in ease of use, appearance, and complexity. The most commonly used PLC programming language is Ladder Logic, a graphical software that uses common electrical symbols. Other languages include Function Block Diagram (FBD), Sequential Function Chart (SFC) and Structured Text (ST).

The programming is done on the device such as a computer or handheld device after which it is transferred to the PLC memory using a communication interface.

Selecting a suitable PLC that will address your current and future needs can be a challenge, especially with the large number of different PLCs on the market today. The available PLCs have varying capabilities, physical sizes, complexity, cost, power requirements, scalability and other parameters. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the correct programmable logic controller for your specific application. Special systems can be designed for use in harsh environments.

The Programmable Logic Controller has revolutionized and simplified controls in automation and industrial applications. PLCs are easy to install, wire, program and modify to suit changing application requirements. These control systems are usually available in a wide range of sizes that ensure finding exactly what you need for any application.