When you need electrical power but the nearest outlet is too far away for your device to reach, an extension cord can bridge the gap and bring the socket to you! Extension cords come in numerous shapes and sizes, and are intended for many different applications. However, are you choosing the right cord for your needs? Believe it or not, not all extension cords are created equal, and depending on the amount of energy you need and where you need it, you should carefully consider what cord you’re using. Check out our blog now to learn about the different types of cords and which one you should choose for the job.

While extension cords are great because they let you bring power virtually anywhere you need it, you should also think very carefully about where you will need this power, and where you plan on drawing the electricity from. Longer isn’t usually better, and in fact, the longer your extension cord is, the lower the delivered voltage will be. The more distance electricity must travel, the weaker it will be when it reaches you. This is because every cable has a certain amount of resistance, which causes your voltage to drop as well as produces heat. If you can help it, don’t use a 100-foot extension cord if you only need power about 20 feet away. You’ll bring better voltage over a shorter cable, and have less cable to manage during use as well.

On a related note, if you do have to bring electricity to a further-away distance, never link two extension cords together. This is a recipe for disaster. If you must bring electricity to a further-away distance, always upgrade to a longer cord that will meet your needs.

If you pull too much power through too small of a cord, you will draw too many amperes (or “amps” for short), and the cord itself being too small or having too much internal resistance will get hot and possibly fail, which could result in melting, sparks, and even a bad electrical fire. A device that uses more electricity, such as a major appliance like a stove or electric grill, should always be plugged into a larger-gauge extension cord, whereas smaller gauge cords are generally safe for use with things like laptop and phone chargers, low-energy lamps, and more.

Extension cords are a huge trip hazard, and the more you use one, the more likely it is that someone will eventually get tangled up and fall because of it. Be very cautious where you run your extension cords, and always make sure you secure them down with tape or cover them with a large carpet or rug to make sure nobody will accidentally become tangled in one.

If you own a business and find you are in constant need of an extension cord to a particular spot, you may want to consider calling a Marietta electrician and having them permanently install a new electrical outlet to get rid of the need to use an extension cord all together. This can significantly improve worker safety even save you money on your electric bill by helping your devices get the voltage they need easier.

Electricians have been using copper for electrical wiring since the 1820s. It may surprise you to know that since then, we’ve never found, or needed, a replacement! Copper has numerous properties that make it ideal for electrical wiring. In fact, we can likely expect copper to continue to be used far into the future.

Ductile and Malleable—ductility and malleability are two very useful properties of metals. Something that is ductile can be hammered into a thin wire easily, and something malleable can be manipulated and bent into shapes easily. These properties make copper wires inexpensive to produce and easy to install.

Excellent conductivity—copper’s electrical conductivity is far superior to other types of non-precious metals, which allows it to carry greater amounts of current with a smaller diameter wire.

Non-corrosive—one of the biggest benefits of copper wiring is that it is non-corrosive, able to survive in harsh environments with almost no risk of wear and tear. It’s not uncommon to see copper wires last for 40 years or more!

All of these properties make copper the gold (or should we say copper!) standard in the electrical industry. For both commercial and domestic purposes, copper is considered the go-to material for wiring. In fact, most modern buildings being constructed today are designed to accept copper wiring. The prevalence of copper wiring makes rewiring a lot easier as well.

During the 1960s and 70s, aluminum wiring was used in many homes as a cheaper alternative to copper. Unfortunately, problems were discovered with aluminum wiring. The biggest danger associated with aluminum wiring is that it can react to materials used in outlets, light fixtures, and splices, where it can oxidize, deteriorate, overheat, and catch fire. The CPSC estimates that about 2 million homes were built with aluminum wiring between 1965 and 1973—and many of these homes are located in the MD, VA, and DC area.

The other problem with aluminum wiring is its high electrical resistance, which makes it more difficult for current to flow. As a result, you experience greater losses with aluminum wiring than you would with copper.

More than any other material, copper has stood the test of time for use in residential and commercial applications. If you’ve been thinking about rewiring your home and want to use the best materials possible, call Kolb Electric today!

Do you find energy conservation confusing? You're not alone. According to a recent study, Americans are by-and-large misinformed about what household appliances consume the most electricity. As a result, homeowners who wish to cut down on the energy they use in their home electrical work might find themselves spending time and resources to improve efficiency in areas where they won't see big gains. Read on to learn more about where most of our energy goes and how you can get the biggest payback for your conservation efforts.

The Failings of Cognitive Accessibility

In general, Americans tend to overestimate the amount of power that is devoted to common home devices like computers, television and lighting, while underestimating the amount of energy that is consumed by bigger ticket items like heat, air conditioning and hot water heating. That's because we confuse the amount of time we spend actively using a specific device with how much power it uses.

“Consumers tend to use the frequency with which they think or interact with a given energy source as a proxy for its consumption,” Ohio State University psychology doctoral student Dan Schley, lead author of the study, said to the Washington Post. For example, someone who spends eight hours a day working on a computer might naturally be inclined to think that device is what's driving up the electricity bill.

How to Make Your Actions Count

However, it turns out that the energy consumed by common electronics is dwarfed by what goes into major appliances. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a whopping 48 percent of energy in the average home goes toward heating and air conditioning. The hot water heater takes the next largest individual chunk, at 17.7 percent. The refrigerator uses 13.7 percent, with all other appliances and electronics accounting for about 21 percent of the total.

The upshot? If you really want to cut back on consumption in your home electrical work, you need to target the biggest guzzlers. That means making interventions like installing smart thermostats, turning down your water heater temperature and beefing up the insulation in your home. The simplest, most effective change that most families can make is to bump the thermostat down a few degrees in the winter and up a few degrees in the summer.

Don't Neglect the Small Stuff

That's not to say you should ignore simple behavioral changes that can save money in other areas of your home electrical work – things like unplugging devices when they aren't in use, installing energy efficient cable boxes, using the power-saving settings on your computer and turning off the lights when you aren't in the room. Just treat these items as the appetizers and desserts of your energy-saving strategy, rather than the main course.

If you need help identifying the largest loads on your home electrical work, arrange for a visit from an expert electrician today.