Older homes have their charm, but as anyone living in one can tell you, they also come with more than their fair share of issues. Building and electrical codes have changed dramatically over the years, and our everyday electrical demands have continued to skyrocket. At Kolb Electric, we don’t want to discourage anyone from living in the home of their dreams.  That said, we do want people to be safe, so if you currently live in or are thinking of moving into an older home, here are some things you should be on the lookout for.

Electrical wires can function for a long time, especially if they haven’t been damaged and if the insulation hasn’t become brittle and flaked off. Even knob and tube wiring, an old standard for wiring that hasn’t been used in years, can still keep the lights on. Age does catch up with wiring eventually, however, and if the insulation fails, by becoming abraded, being chewed, or any number of other reasons, a short or electrical arc could start a fire.

Older homes often have wires surrounded with a spiral metal jacket. Metal-clad wires are still used today, especially in areas where the wire is exposed to potential damage. Armor-clad wires are distinct and do not have a separate ground wire within the metal sleeve, instead using the sleeve itself as the ground. As a result, for fire safety reasons, armor-clad wires are often barred in new construction.

If you can see obvious signs of a problem, including scorch marks on terminals in switches and outlets, missing or damaged insulation or any other signs that look potentially dangerous, you should call Kolb Electric for home rewiring before you expose your home to a live wire.

Restoring old chimneys and relining flues are common expenses of owning an older home. Here’s what happened: as coal started to become readily available, existing homes were retrofitted with central heating systems. Nowadays, most coal-fired systems have been converted or updated for oil or gas, but many are still vented into unlined chimneys. Where chimney liners are present, they are usually made of terra cotta and can rapidly deteriorate with higher-combustion, energy-efficient heating equipment.

When evaluating a heating system, make sure you consider its age, type, condition, and efficiency. For example, an old cast iron boiler may last a century or more, but updating to a more modern system can reduce your future heating and maintenance costs.

Old plumbing systems are notorious for being a mish-mash of old and new materials, especially as additions are added to the home or kitchens and bathrooms are remodeled. Iron and lead piping can become clogged with corrosion and mineral deposits, and typically need to be updated in sections. Cast iron piping is even worse, and can corrode from the inside, becoming thin, pitted, and cracked. Horizontal sections are usually the first to go—especially if chemicals drain cleaners containing sulfuric acid have ever been used.  Unless the home has already had repiping done, you can almost guarantee you’ll need to do it yourself.

Unless your roof is under 80 years old and / or is made of slate, you can bet it’s probably not original to the home. There are numerous types of roofing materials, all with unique life expectancies and maintenance requirements. Many older homes have multiple additions with roofs of different ages and types, so like the plumbing system, individual sections may need to be replaced.

If you’re moving into an older home, make sure you have it inspected thoroughly beforehand to make sure it’s safe. And if you need electrical maintenance in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric today!

Although LED T8s have not been around long enough to produce a thick memoir, there are some interesting things to note about why they exist.  A few years ago, there was concern that the rare earth metals used in fluorescent tube lamps might start getting significantly more expensive for the U.S. to purchase from China. Light bulb manufacturers began an arms race to develop an affordable and effective LED T8 replacement tube.

A sustained sharp increase in the price of phosphors never really happened. And so LED T8s have gained momentum in their evolution, organically evolving to better perform well in certain applications. Their price point has decreased, and their performance has gone up. And now, LED T8 linear lamps are certified by the DesignLights Consortium to be high quality, high efficiency lighting products.

However, LED T8s continue to be very controversial – even divisive – in the lighting world. Many people think they’re great; but some people think their existence is entirely unnecessary. Both sides of this argument tend to contextualize their visions of the merits and pitfalls of the LED T8 in a comparison with the merits and pitfalls of the traditional fluorescent T8 tube light.

LED T8 Linear Light Bulbs vs. Fluorescent T8 Linear Light Bulbs

First of all, the merits of fluorescent T8s cannot be overstated. Fluorescent tube lamp technology has been developed over decades and is now basically mastered. Fluorescent T8s are extremely inexpensive and have ridiculously long rated lives. In fact, in some cases, fluorescent T8s can last as long as LED T8s!

And it doesn’t stop there. The production of light with fluorescent tube lamp technology works really, really well. It is probably at its peak in terms of performance and cost. Fluorescent T8 light bulbs can last 50,000 hours. And despite their not-always-positive reputation for rendering color, fluorescent T8s can achieve high color rendering indexes (CRIs). But, it must be clearly noted, fluorescent T8s get more expensive as you seek a higher CRI.

And in terms of cost, let’s just say it straight: In many applications, the LED T8 tube light’s initial cost doesn’t make sense when compared to the relatively low cost of fluorescent T8s.  For example, at this stage of the game (June 2014), lighting large spaces like classrooms or large offices is job better performed by fluorescent T8s than LED. First, there’s the cost. Fluorescent tube lamps last long, cost little, and give off crisp light. Furthermore, fluorescent tubes give off light omnidirectionally, casting light upwards toward the ceiling as well as downward. This makes a space look more fully lighted. LEDs, in contrast, are generally more unidirectional and cast light downward only. This is something that will change, but, currently, this is just affirmation of the fact that fluorescent T8s reign supreme for some applications.

Fluorescent T8s often take a while to come on; they’re adversely affected by temperature (and somewhat sensitive about it); they can flicker often; and if the lights are turned on and off frequently, as in laundry room or bathroom applications, for example, they can fail quite prematurely, to the dismay and annoyance of everyone involved. And then there’s that toxic mercury vapor which poses danger to humans and the soil on which we live.

Oh yeah, fluorescent tube lamps require a ballast, too: A component that will also, eventually, fail.

Now, let’s give some attention to LED T8 tube lamps. It should first be noted that LED T8s have a higher initial cost than fluorescent T8s, which can be purchased for only a few dollars in some cases.

Despite their higher cost, LED tube lights have some nice advantages. First of all, LEDs love the cold, so they are great in cold weather applications, unlike fluorescent T8s, which become seemingly infirm in the cold, slow to turn on and flickerish. Basements, sheds, garages, porticos, covered pathways, bathrooms, etc, are great places to utilize the LED T8 linear lamp.

You also have to consider that if an LED T8 tube breaks, it will not release harmful mercury vapor into the air. Mercury from fluorescent tubes can get into the air but also the water supply, which is why you have to recycle them. For some people, the whole mercury thing is enough to open their minds to alternatives to the long-reigning fluorescent T8.

Plus, you can get better color rendering with LEDs than with fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lights work by transforming ultraviolet radiation into visible light. If you have a vague idea about what UV light is, you know that it’s the part of the light spectrum that’s just past the blue and violet area. Even with a rudimentary understanding of light, then, it’s easy to see how the result of transforming UV light into visible light would leave you with a bluish result. As a result, in general, fluorescent lights do not render reds well.

LEDs exude very little to no UV or infrared radiation, both of which fade the color of displayed objects including wall art, furniture, and even rugs. Fluorescent tubes – did you know this? – do indeed fade sensitive belongings over time.

Finally, LED tubes do not generally require a separate power supply. They run on line voltage and require no separate drivers, ballasts, or transformers. That’s one less thing that can break. In conclusion, LED T8s are more expensive than fluorescent T8s, but LEDs are safer, render color better, require no ballasts, operate better in the cold, and do not decline significantly in lifespan due to frequently switching on and off. This means that there are some applications, like cold places, bathrooms, basements, laundry rooms, kitchens, closets, storage rooms, walk in refrigerators or freezers, or places where there’s a risk of broken light bulbs like gyms, warehouses, etc, for which LED T8s might be the better choice. And since LED T8s don’t weaken with frequent switching on and off, they are great for use with occupancy sensors.

Maybe you have never heard of electrical preventative maintenance or maybe you have but decided that you had no need for it. Many people ask if preventative maintenance for your commercial building is important—the answer is yes. The electrical system in your property is the most essential system throughout your building. Not only do the electrical systems in your building provide lighting for employees and clients, but they also play in an essential role in day-to-day operations—supplying power to almost every essential electrical device your business depends on.