By Clarissa Allison | January 13th, 2017

Homeowners have always wanted to bring another time to life. Many of us want our homes to feel like a peaceful getaway echoing a country retreat, or to act as a transport to a different (note: picturesque) period of time. Unlike many design trends, the New Farmhouse style marries both of these desires and blends them smoothly. New Farmhouse doesn’t boast the same masculinity as straightforward Neo-Industrial nor is it a predictably dated Shabby Chic look, although some elements can cross-over. Finding the right items to achieve this scheme can be confusing, so we’ve compiled a few recommendations for the ideal lighting fixtures to complement your new design project.

The Kitchen

Electrical repair isn’t a subject most people think of on a regular basis. Unless you’re an electrician, or you know an electrician, you don’t really think about the wiring inside your home and office walls, wiring that makes just about everything in our world possible!

Sometimes, though, an electrical system needs a little help. When it does, you’ll find yourself thinking about electrical repairs more than you ever thought you would. And you’ll need to find a good electrician, too!

But, first, how do you know you might need to make electrical repairs to your home or office?

If these sound familiar, you might be in need of electrical repairs in your home or office:

-> Appliances that switch off, consistently, when another appliance is switched on

-> Power off in just one part of the home

-> Do you consistently replace a certain breaker in your breaker box?

If any of these symptoms sounds familiar to you, you might need to make electrical repairs to your home or office. The best place to start is to find a good electrician. A good electrician can help you to locate the problem, estimate the repair cost, and get the job done right!

There’s no real science to finding a good electrician just like there’s no real science to living life! Ask your friends or neighbors for advice, or do some research online. Whatever your process might be, the following two items are *essential*. Your electrician must be both certified/licensed and insured.

The electrical system in your home is a complex and delicate thing. Don’t neglect it! Fire is a real danger when it comes to ignored electrical problems – in just 2011, alone, 43,700 domestic fires in the United States were linked to electrical problems in the home or office.

So, if you suspect trouble, no matter how small, find yourself a good electrician and find peace of mind!

In just about any home you visit, the kitchen is often the focal point and the most frequented area. Think about the amount of work that gets done in such a small amount of square footage. With massive appliances like a fridge, stove, or dishwasher doing hours of work a day, it is important that your home electrical system has been planned and installed properly to support this work force.

In the kitchen you have some of the most energy hungry appliances you can find in a home. The energy to keep these running comes from the electrical outlet. If the outlet is not designed to give the amount of electricity that the appliance requires there can cause damage to the appliance and to your home’s electrical system. For some of the main appliances in the kitchen the electrical outlets should be:

Of course with the size of the appliance these requirements can vary. As fridges become larger and stoves get more features, the appliance may require much more. It is important to check the requirements of your new appliances prior to installation. Make sure that you have an expert electrician check your outlets and compare them to the requirements of your new appliances.

To make sure appliances are getting the right energy requirements, you can follow the outlet to the electrical panel. When there is a heavy load on a circuit, it is important to check that the appliances are given their own circuit and that the wires behind the wall are up to code to support the capacity. If too many appliances are on the same circuit you can continuously trip the circuit causing larger problems in the long run. Also, if the wiring does not comply to code there is a chance of an electrical fire. This is a scary problem because it can hide behind the walls for years before it can happen.

If you are planning on purchasing new kitchen appliances or remodeling your kitchen make sure that you have done your homework. Review what your kitchen and home’s electrical system are capable of and what your new appliances require. The best way to know for sure is have an expert electrician do a thorough review before installing the new appliances. This can not only put your mind at ease, but avoid expensive bills in the future.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® and Mister Sparky® are North America’s most trusted home services brands thanks to the skilled, hardworking tradespeople who proudly wear our uniforms. That’s why we’re equally proud to announce a partnership with Mike Rowe, creator and executive producer of CNN’s “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” and Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.”

In addition to his TV work, Rowe is the founder of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting honest work and reinvigorating the skilled trades. Our home services brands have committed to donating $100,000 in scholarships to mikeroweWORKS over the next 12 months, and will work alongside Rowe to promote the skilled trades industry and empower future and potential trade professionals.

The partnership, announced yesterday at our annual convention in Las Vegas, features Rowe in television, radio and print advertisements, where he will appear alongside real technicians from each of our brands. Rowe will also work with the companies to highlight the benefits of careers in the plumbing, electrical and HVAC industries. No other home services provider has embarked on a partnership of this kind to promote skilled trades and the professionals who’re carrying those industries forward.

“We are pleased to join forces with Mike and appreciate his commitment to the trades,” said Mark Baker, president of franchise for the three brands. “The men and women with careers in this field power all three of our brands. We are excited to support them and share the message of how our trusted technicians, plumbers and electricians are like superheroes to our customers, often saving the day when they encounter a problem and helping to protect their homes and families.”

Rowe became a household name by working alongside tradespeople in essential but often unglamorous fields in his two television programs. Since establishing mikeroweWORKS in 2008, he has written and spoken extensively about the value of hard work, the widening skills gap, offshore manufacturing, infrastructure decline and related topics. To date, his foundation has awarded more than $3 million in education “work ethic” scholarships for schools around the country.

“The goal of mikeroweWORKS is pretty simple - help close the skills gap by encouraging men and women to get the training they need to pursue good jobs that actually exist,” said Rowe. “One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky are perfect partners because, collectively, they offer thousands of jobs waiting to be filled. And they know first-hand what a "good job" really is. I'm flattered for the chance to speak on their behalf and grateful for their generous donation to my foundation."

Join us in welcoming Mike Rowe to our home services family, and watch for him in new advertisements for our brands coming soon!