If you're ready to take the plunge and purchase a state-of-the-art home theater system, you have more to consider than just the equipment you intend to purchase. Even if all of your components are top-of-the-line, you won't get the most bang for your buck without professional design and installation.

To make sure you get the home theater of your dreams, it's important to consult an electrician early on in the process. A quick electrical inspection of your desired theater space will help you understand what kinds of electrical upgrades you might need to set up a media center that is functional, safe and that provides the highest quality viewing experience.

Handle the Load

A big-screen TV by itself won't strain the electrical system in a modern home. But factor in a disc player, set top box, stereo receiver and multiple speakers, and you might be talking about a serious electrical load. A licensed electrician can easily test your system to ensure it's ready to power your dream theater. If upgrades are necessary, you can take confidence that new wiring or circuits will be installed by a qualified professional.

Hide the Cords

Wireless speakers and other multimedia components might seem like an attractive option because you want a streamlined look, but you'll often sacrifice a great deal of quality by cutting the cord. Instead, let an electrician make a plan for hiding all of your home theater's power cords away so that the room looks great and there's no risk of tripping in a darkened room. Without tearing up your decor, a professional installer can run cables within your walls and install new outlets to avoid that snarl of wires.

Protect Your Investment

You probably already use a surge protector to safeguard your home computer against the threat of power surges. But your home theater equipment is just as vulnerable, and a single lightning strike can turn thousands of dollars in equipment into trash. While you can protect your home entertainment technology using surge protection adapters, the best solution is to install a whole-home surge protection system. There's no need for clunky power strips, and your entire home's electronics and appliances will be safeguarded.

Unless you have extensive electrical experience, don't go it alone when setting up your home theater. Make sure your design is smart, safe and spectacular by enlisting the talents of a licensed local electrician.

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.

As a Top Dallas Electrician, in today’s economy, I’m amazed at all of the companies that have been losing their Better Business Bureau ratings due to sloppy work and customer service. In the last few months, the BBB has dropped business’ ratings, or their BBB listing entirely, due to sloppy workmanship and unacceptable customer service practices.

Here at ElectricMan Inc., where we strive on a daily basis to maintain our A+ rating as a BBB Accredited Business, we don’t understand this way of thinking. Customer service is what sets us apart from our competitors, and even in an economy where customers and businesses may be struggling, it is never acceptable to lower the quality of service or your customers’ experience.

How do we achieve this level of customer service?

As the owner of ElectricMan Inc., I am so confident in our ability to satisfy our customers’ needs that I am including my personal mobile phone number here to ensure that our high level of customer service is never jeopardized.  If you ever have any concerns regarding the level of service, or the quality of the work that you receive from ElectricMan Inc. please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally. You can reach me, Nick Schaeffer, Master Electrician and Owner of ElectricMan Inc., at 972-898-8098. I will always be happy to do everything that I can to make your experience with my company an enjoyable one.

At ElectricMan Inc, We will always go the extra mile!