Across the U.S. approximately 4,400 people are injured and an additional 400 die each year resulting from electrical hazards annually. Add in electrical fire, and you have what results in an estimated $1.6 billion in property damage each year. Could these accidents have been prevented? When it comes to electrical safety, what you don’t know can hurt you.

GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. A GFCI is required in any areas with an increased risk of shock due to electrical hazards, such as water. In order to protect you from electrical hazards, a GFCI monitors electrical current, turning off an electrical circuit when it detects an imbalance - current flowing along an unintended path. Think of a GFCI as a small, extra-sensitive circuit breaker built right into an outlet to protect you against electrocution – even in outlets that are not grounded. GFCIs are currently required for use in:

Note: Never use GFCI outlets with refrigerators, freezers, or other appliances, as they could trip without your knowledge.

AFCIs stand for arc-fault circuit interrupters, and they protect you from electrical dangers, but of a different variety – those that create heat via arcing. Examples include a rodent chewing on a wire, driving a nail through a wire, or a device overheating where it is plugged into the wall. AFCIs detect this arcing, shutting down outlets before damage can occur. They are not found in wall receptacles like GFCIs, but instead are easily incorporated into your home or business’ main service panel in the form of specialized circuit breakers. AFCIs are required in:

Though you may have an older home or business where building codes do not require these outlets, proper home safety does. Regular outlets and circuit breakers are designed to protect the house's electrical system, not people. With these devices being so easy and inexpensive to install, why wouldn’t you want to protect yourself and others from the unnecessary electrical hazards overlooking them presents?

As of 2014, the National Electric Code (NEC), the nation’s singular code for safe electrical installation, has added the following standards for the safety of your home or business:

All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in a laundry room now require GFCI protection, whether or not a sink is present.

As dishwashers age, the risk of electrical shock increases, thus the latest requirement for GFCI protection on all dishwashers, whether they use a receptacle outlet or are hardwired in.

As of 2014, the NEC has recently added kitchen and laundry areas to the list of areas requiring AFCI protection. This includes all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying not just outlets but also devices found in these rooms.

Shocked by how inadequately prepared for electrical hazards your home or business is? Don’t get burned by ignoring the need for these inexpensive, potentially life-saving devices. Contact Mr. Electric® today.

Electrical safety testing is an important part of any Electrician’s job. It should be done periodically—by a professional and to a very high standard.

An Electrician will undertake an inspection to ensure there are no deficiencies in an electrical installation. Over time, an electrical product will deteriorate. Age, wear and tear, environmental factors, poor maintenance, and improper use can all cause electrical products to malfunction and stop working. When this happens, it is the Electrician’s responsibility to ensure the product is repaired as soon as possible. If this is not possible, then the product should be not be used. Faulty electrical products are very dangerous and can cause injury or death if not handled with care.

Maintaining Safety at All Times

A periodic inspection of all portable electrical appliances will reduce the risk of them malfunctioning in the future. An inspection is an ideal opportunity to check for any signs of electrical equipment being overloaded, to locate any potential electrical shock risks, and to highlight any defective work. It should only ever be done by professionals who understand what they are doing.

Although portable appliance testing is not compulsory for companies within the United States, those that have periodic inspections find it brings them peace of mind. Appliance testing is done in many military and science installations in throughout the country.

his LinkedIn profile), an energy expert at Titan Energy and the author of today’s blog post, you have more control than you think over your home or building’s energy supply. Whether you want lower bills, more reliable service, or a better approach to the environment, you need to know your rights…

Since the Federal Energy Deregulation Act passed in 1999, many business and homeowners still haven’t exercised their right to choose their energy supplier. The ability for consumers to lower their energy costs, protect against rising rates, and, if interested, make an environmentally friendly choice, are all benefits of Deregulation. 3rd Parties help accomplish this by strategically purchasing the energy you use, in the same way the utility previously did, in the open market.  Depending on your state and the utility which serves you, the benefits will vary.

Deregulation dictates that your local utility can’t “Profit” on the supply of energy. Therefore, they don’t compete with 3rd parties, and shouldn’t care that you choose a supplier. However, you can still see this happen in states like Ohio (in certain markets), when they choose a supplier for you if you don’t choose yourself. Your local utility still delivers, services, and bills your account, as well as responds to any emergencies. This is where the utilities earn their profits.

By taking action, you can significantly improve your cash flow. Whether you own a home, a small office, or manage a nationwide organization, speaking to an energy professional can produce immediate and lasting results. First an energy consultant will analyze your billing and usage history. Next, the appropriate, licensed suppliers in your area will vie to be your energy supplier. Finally, your consultant will present you with options that meet your individual needs, whether they’re financial, environmental, or both.

If you live in the Des Moines area and need an electrician please call!  We service all of Des Moines and surrounding communities.  We get calls everyday asking if we work on older homes and existing wiring.  The answer is always yes!  We constantly get repair calls for older homes and love helping customers!   From the 50317 Des Moines zip code to the 50312 zip code and all others.  We love older homes.  In face we love older homes so much we have electricians that specialize in existing wiring!

You know the saying they don’t make it like they used to?  Well its defiantly true when it comes to electrical wiring in new versus older homes.  New wiring methods, practices, and materials are safer than ever before.  Older home wiring may need updated depending on the condition.  Our electricians specialize in getting the proper circuits and wires to were they need to go without damage walls and ceilings.  They carry specialized tools, cameras, and fishing devices to get the wire were it needs to go without damage.

Our electricians are on call 24 hours per day.  No matter what time of night your emergency is we have electricians ready to help!  They have access to a large inventory of parts no matter what the time is.  They carry most items on there service vans and if the item is not on there service van we carry many parts in our very own warehouse.  Even if the first two locations don’t have what you need we have 24 hour access to all the major supply houses via our on call service program with various strategic partners.  Our crew even has access to Mid American Energy if you have a damaged service that needs shut off for life or safety reasons.  Your Des Moines repair is in good hands with Custom Electrical Services!

Our team of highly skilled licensed electricians has the ability to repair or replace your overhead service.  Many older neighborhoods have the main power lines coming into there home from the air.  Or an arial service drop or overhead service.  Our electricians have the ability to bring out a bucket truck to access those high overhead lines coming into your home.  Often times after your overhead service gets damage the utility company is unable to turn your power back on for safety reasons.  They may require you depending on the condition of your service to have it repaired prior to getting power restored.  That is when Custom Electrical Services comes to the rescue!  We can repair your overhead service with ladders or our bucket truck if needed.  Get everything safely repaired and ready to be re-energized.  We will then contact Mid American energy once repaired and have your power restored.

After you’ve been around something for a while, you start to take it for granted.

Things like dissolvable cornstarch packing peanuts.

It took one imaginative 11-year-old boy and an email from a happy customer to remind us just how nifty these little earth-friendly peanuts are.

If you’ve received a shipment from Pegasus Lighting in the past few years, your box most likely had a sticker on it with those words. Inside the box is a note that shares the reasons behind our choice to use biodegradable cornstarch packing peanuts, not the least of which is because they are really fun to play with.

Thank you, Happy Customer, for restoring our packing peanut fascination by sending this great note and photo of your son’s clever art sculpture (whatever you decide that it will be)! Oh, and for the record, I’m voting Rocket Ship.