In case there is a flash flood or storm in your area or if there is a severe plumbing leak or pipe burst, that can result in flooding of water in different areas of your home. Water can cause a lot of damage to the installations and features on your property, and you would have to start the clean-up and repairs without delay. This is also when you start evaluating what can be salvaged and what would have to be replaced – and this includes your home’s wiring.

The wiring inside the walls can become dysfunctional and dangerous if it’s exposed to or submerged in water. If there is a severe flood, it becomes important to completely replace the wiring in your home. Not too many builders actually use wiring that’s rated for water exposure of this kind. Of course, not much can be done till the time all the flood water recedes and all the water has been cleared out from your home.

Even when all the water is pumped out from the indoor spaces, it’s best to shut down the electricity supply at the circuit box mains before continuing with anything. Call in your local electrician to test the wiring in your home. Even if it is still in a working condition, it’s never a good idea to use it.

The insulation can get degraded and that can raise the chances of an electrical fire in the future. In addition, when there are traces of moisture in the wiring, that leads to mould & mildew growth and the metal parts in the system can corrode. This is especially the case when the property has become flooded with salty water.

When it comes to rewiring jobs, you also have to factor in the cost of opening up the wall panels and fixing them. In instances of a flood, the walls are generally torn down right up to the framework. If you take this opportunity to upgrade the wiring in your home, you can save a significant amount of money.

Floodwater is never clean and that proves to be an additional hazard to the wiring and other installations in your home. Chemicals, oil, sewage and a number of other contaminants that come with the floodwater work their way into the smallest spaces, and this is why it’s best to just start afresh with the installation. In comparison, if your home’s wiring has been impacted by water from a burst pipe, you might be able to save these features; this is because it may not be fully-submerged in water.

However, it’s never a good idea to test the condition of the wiring yourself and you should call in a skilled and licensed electrician to thoroughly check and evaluate the installation and give their opinion. Regardless of whether the wiring in your home has got impacted by flood water or water from a damaged plumbing installation, it’s important to get it checked without delay. The professionals will provide suitable solutions based on the condition and location of the wiring.

Throughout the modern age, we have become desensitized to the radical displacement of major products, categories, and even whole industries. It’s amazing how one simple technological innovation can change the way we use a major product or service in our lives; one of today’s largest examples of this is how LED bulbs are rapidly displacing the standard incandescent or CFL bulb.

VCRs, cassette tapes, home phones, movie stores, steam engines, and more have been added to the list of technologies that were once considered revolutionary, but are now just a novelty. The same will soon be said for CFL and, especially, incandescent light bulbs, as LED bulbs seem to outperform their predecessors in nearly every way.

There are really only two ways to point to an LED bulb and find that it has any flaws when compared to a standard light bulb: They don’t last (quite) as long when kept in a closely confined container that is left on for extended periods and they cost more to purchase. The former issue is solved by adjusting the type of fixture you install LED bulbs in (or losing the fixture altogether, as LEDs don’t need them nearly as much) and the latter is an ever-decreasing problem, as LEDs are becoming more-and-more mass produced and affordable. Even now, for a couple extra bucks, your 4-pack of LED bulbs will pay for themselves with a single bulb in about a year, then continue to last far longer – likely years – longer than an incandescent bulb bought on the same day would have.

One of the major criticisms to LED bulbs was once that the light was too pristine, not natural enough, or just generally felt different. Now, however, LED manufacturers have begun to perfect making LED bulbs replicate and exceed the capabilities of standard light bulbs. In fact, LED bulbs can now even be purchased to replicate vintage-style bulbs (often called Edison bulbs), that fully function on a dimmable switch and provide all the exoticl pizzaz of classic bulbs without the abysmal lifespan. It is reasonable to expect that as LED lights continue to replace incandescent bulbs in standard applications that they will take their place in other areas, including colorful, uniquely-shaped, and even more exotic or rare fixture fittings.

You’ve likely heard the claims of savings and safety features associated with LED bulbs; if you’re skeptical, then worry not, most every claim about LED bulbs is true or even understated. LED bulbs are so much more efficient, reliable, stable, and long-lasting than incandescent bulbs in nearly all situations, that there really are almost no reasons to not choose LED over your standard bulbs. In fact, it is likely not worth waiting for your current bulbs to die, but, instead, upgrade your entire household now; the savings is so significant that you’ll likely save money on your electrical bill in under a year.

Whenever you need electrical work done around your Des Moines home, contact the experienced professionals at Electrical Gurus. We are proud to offer the finest licensed local electricians in the area and are always more than happy to help out on your household projects.

Out with the old and in with the new should never end with your used electronics in a landfill. A growing concern across the globe, electronic waste, or e-waste, is rapidly creating a crisis. Only 11-14 percent of electronic waste in the United States ready for disposal is actually recycled or reused, while the remainder is creating environmental and health issues worldwide.

Don’t have time to deal with your e-waste? Don’t dump it. Contact Mr. Electric today. Proper disposal and recycling is essential to preserving our environment and the health of future generations. With the help of HirePatriots and Mr. Electric, we can quickly and responsibly handle all of your electronic waste needs.

Saving energy is a laudable goal. By using less electricity and other energy around your home, you reduce your contribution to environmental degradation and climate change. On the other hand, easy and reliable access to electricity is in large part responsible for the high standard of living that most Americans enjoy. Read on to learn more about the intersection between comfort and energy consumption, and how you can cut back while still participating in modern 21st century life.

Energy Consumption and GDP Go Hand-in-Hand

When it comes to residential households, cheap power allows us to run the electrical work that lends so much convenience and comfort to our day-to-day lives – refrigerators, air conditioners, lights, computers, televisions and much more. On a societal scale, access to fossil fuels and the energy potential stored within is what has made possible so many technological and logistical advances in the first place. However, as the years advance, the science is becoming ever more clear – excessive carbon emissions are causing the planet's climate to change, often in destructive and unpredictable ways.

Of course, no one wants to go back to the days of pushing a plow behind a donkey and churning butter by hand, either. The big question, and one that may become existential, is whether we can decouple our energy consumption from our standard of living. Historically, consumption and GDP have risen together in lock-step. Can the United States and other developed countries figure out how to break the chain?

Decouple Lifestyle from Consumption

A recent report by the Energy Collective tells us that “reductions in energy intensity is arguably our most important tool to achieve a sustainable energy future.” What does it mean? That we can get the same or more production out of less energy usage. In some ways, we've already made progress – between 2007 and 2013, energy consumption dropped 4.5 percent in the United States, while the Net Domestic Product continued to rise.

That's all well and good for the country, but what about your household? The same principles apply – for a more sustainable future, look for ways to get the same results with less energy use. That means switching to efficient appliances, like Energy Star certified equipment. It means replacing old incandescent light bulbs with modern LED models. And look for little changes that can make a big difference, like adjusting your thermostat a few notches up or down to reduce the load on your HVAC equipment.

Make a Difference in Your House

You can do your part to cut down on your energy use while still enjoying the amenities of modern life by making targeted efficiency investments and simple behavioral changes. If you need tips on how to reduce your energy bills without reverting to stone age-style living, or need any other electrical work, contact a reputable electrician today.