Christmas is upon us again and more than any other time of year, it’s the time of year where people put strain on their electrical system.  The lights on your house and the beautiful decorations you’ve been storing in your attic finally are brought out and plugged in for your friends and neighbors to view and appreciate.  And, of course, the vast majority of homes you visit have at least one Christmas tree.  Since most of these things are electrical, it’s probably not a surprise to you that, as a top Dallas electrician, I start getting a lot of calls this time of year.  Though it’s always nice to have the business with Christmas so close, I thought it’d be great to share with ways to avoid wiring problems with your Christmas decorations this year:

 In general, there are a few important tips that can help you avoid wiring problems.  If your lights look frayed or dangerous, they should always be replaced or repaired before using them, frayed wiring are hazardous.  You should take care that your electrical source is safe before you even begin the installation process.  To avoid the potential for overloads, you should have dedicated circuits installed for your holiday decorations.

Most importantly, you should never try to supply power for your lights without contacting a top Dallas electrician to help you install the necessary equipment and make the necessary safety precautions.  Short cuts are potentially dangerous. I can remember one example where a customer had supplied power to their lights by splicing an extension cord directly into their circuit breaker box!  Even worse, they’d shut the breaker box door, pinching the cabling!  Left unchecked, even if this hadn’t started a fire, damage from a power surge or overload could have easily destroyed their whole breaker, meaning they’d have to spend thousands to repair the damage at the absolute worst time of year!

 

Home hot tubs are becoming more popular. And why not? There’s nothing better than relaxing after a hard day’s work in a hot tub with a cold drink. But the increased demand has created a plethora of options for consumers to consider. Of course, hot tubs come in all  colors and sizes with differing jet placements and a range of other features, but getting a hot tub bubbling is not as easy as many people think.

A hot tub cannot be simply plopped on a deck, filled with water, and plugged in. Here are some hot tub owner tips to consider before you look at buying a hot tub.

Most — locales require a homeowner to obtain a permit before installing a hot tub. Check with your local officials to see if this is required in your area.

Finding the right spot is vital. Make sure it’s in a convenient place, generally close to the house so that it’s not hard to get to at night.,. If you are going to put it on a deck, make sure that your deck is rated for the right amount of weight. One gallon of water weighs about 8.3 lbs., meaning most hot tubs will weigh at least 4,500 pounds before people get in.

Different hot tubs have different electrical needs. Some of the units have a normal three prong plug, but it’s much more common for the hot tubs to need  50 -70  amps of electricity, which means they will require hardwiring. Depending on how much electricity your home is using, you may need to upgrade your electric panel.  This hot tub circuit   will need to be  Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protected, which is an electrical code requirement.

Don’t leave a hot tub electrical installation to an amateur. Hot tubs are expensive electrical appliances that draw a lot of power and need to be operational at all times without negatively affecting your home electric. You may need a special wiring run, additional amperage, or fairly complicated electrical services that should be left to the professionals.

By Clarissa Allison | December 24th, 2015

Wow, now this is pretty impressive. The Tracy Light Show is a yearly and free Holiday Light Show put on by a local music director in Tracy, CA. This spectacular Star Wars production is sequenced to the film’s iconic musical score with over 70,000 lights, 14,000 channels, and special effects. Be sure to check out the rest of his amazing videos online.