Imagine a future free from electricity bills. A home where you can maintain or improve your current levels of comfort, but one that is so efficient that it costs little to nothing to power its electrical work. Someday soon, this vision could become a reality, with a combination of renewable power generation and hyper-efficient technologies allowing Americans to enjoy elevated standards of living without placing a burden on their pocketbooks or the environment. Read on to learn more about the ultimate in energy-efficient homes.

Testing the Effectiveness of New Technology

One hotbed for innovation in efficient home construction is in the Pacific Northwest. A pilot program comprised of builders and utility companies is studying new homes built in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington to discover how new technologies are functioning and which ones are most effective. The program is looking at homes that are at least 30 percent more efficient than required by local code and monitoring them for a year after they are built to ensure that their performance is living up to their promise.

Among the energy-saving features that are included in the new houses:

Filling in the Other Side of the Equation

Naturally, any modern home should also include features like LED lighting technology in lieu of incandescent bulbs and efficient Energy Star-rated appliances to keep the costs for your electrical work low. Add smart technology to the mix, which can automatically find extra savings, and you are looking at a historically low electrical bill.

Of course, it's extraordinarily rare to find an American household that gets by without electricity at all, so no matter how efficient you are, you'll still have some level of energy consumption to power your electrical work. That's where the other side of the equation comes in: personal, renewable power generation. Once you install solar panels or a wind turbine on your property, you can make your own power. Pair that with a good electricity storage option and you're well on your way to being free from electrical bills forever.

Conservation in Your Circuits and Wires

The nation hasn't realized its efficiency dreams yet, but we are well on our way. If you need electrical work in a new or existing home, call up a qualified residential electrician today.

Remodeling a kitchen or bathroom can be daunting.  Do I do it myself or do I get help from the professionals?  These are important questions to ask yourself because if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing a remodel job can become an exercise in frustration costing more time and money than you originally planned.

There are many things to think about:

If the remodel is being professionally done then consider:

If you’re doing the remodel yourself consider:

If you’re planning on selling your home in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, it’s extremely important that you make sure everything is up to code. Some code violations are illegal, others can be dangerous—some are both!

Wiring mistakes – most wiring mistakes are made by handymen doing electrical work instead of certified electricians. Among the worst we’ve seen are electrical systems that were hooked up using extension cords instead of dedicated electrical wires!

Overcrowding with too many wires – overcrowding is another sign of a contractor who didn’t know quite what they were doing. Since poorly maintained wires can get hot, any place where there are masses of wires packed tightly together can create a major fire hazard.

Exposed wires or junction boxes – frayed or exposed wires can pose a major electrical safety hazard and should be either replaced or patched up. And while junction boxes should be within reach, they should not be so easily accessible that they can accidentally be touched.

Ground Fault Interrupters (GFI) outlets or breakers not working properly – GFI outlets are especially important for the kitchen, bathroom, and anywhere else where water or humidity could create an electric shock risk. If these outlets are not working properly, you could be in danger without even realizing it!

Mixing line- and low-voltage wires together – the National Electric Code (NEC) expressly forbids this, but we often see it, especially when dealing with HVAC installations.

Light fixture or ceiling fan installed without a junction box – junction boxes are required to be installed so they are always accessible and are used to run multiple conductors in two or more directors. The most common problem we see is junction boxes installed out of reach in a concealed wall or ceiling space.

Missing or damaged switch and outlet covers – plate covers on switches and outlets are important for preventing electric shocks. If you’ve recently painted or remodeled the room, you may have taken the covers off. Make sure you put them back on!

Damaged outlets – damaged outlets can cause appliances and anything plugged into the outlet to malfunction and can also create a major fire risk.

These days, many home sellers are seeing the value of having an electrical inspection prior to putting their home on the market. Having the ability to correct any electrical code violations ahead of time may help in avoiding delays in the negotiation and sales transaction.

If you’re planning on selling your home in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric! We can perform an electrical inspection and make any necessary electrical code corrections. Don’t wait—call us today!

Performing safe commercial electrical work is always our electricians number one priority.  You need to know all work is performed to code and performed in the safest manner possible.  Our commercial electricians will make sure your employees and your customers are safe.  In the event the commercial electrical work cannot be performed safely with non certified people near by they will rope off the section and make sure no one is in any danger of injury.  Our commercial electricians follow all company safety rules as well as OSHA rules and regulations.  Our electricians receive OSHA certification from a 3rd party such as ABC of Iowa as well as in house safety briefings.  You can see in the photo of our commercial electricians performing electrical work, the lift is properly set up and placed in a safe manner.  The commercial electricians have on a hard hats as well as the properly fitted and rated fall safety equipment, the section around them is also zoned off in the event that something were to fall from the lift or work zone.

Need some commercial electrical work done at your store or business but need to remain open?  No problem at all!  Our commercial electricians can safely work around your employees and customers while you keep operating your business.  Today the crew was able to perform some work at your local big box home improvement store Lowes.  Special equipment was needed to perform the work needed.  The crew was able to get all equipment in place as needed as well as perform the electrical repair and installation in a safe manner.  

Custom Electrical Services can help your home as well as your business 24 hours per day!  We have trained commercial electricians that are able to get your business up and running in no time.  Our commercial electricians arrive in what we like to call a warehouse on wheels.  Their state of the art service vans come fully stocked will all the major parts and if for some reason they don’t have the part needed on their service van we have a fully stocked warehouse in Clive.  We also have access to all the major supply houses in the Des Moines Metro 24 hours per day.  If our commercial electricians need to go get a part there is never an additional charge to you!

Custom Electrical Services is a proud member of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce, West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, and Norwalk Chamber of Commerce.  Custom Electrical Services can be contacted 24 hours per day for commercial and residential electrical work at 515-669-3418 or via their contact page for non emergency items here.

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