By: Sarah Trocolli

Father of electricity Nikola Tesla was known for being brilliant, quirky and driven in his pursuits to understand electricity, and after many experiments, Tesla eventually laid the ground work for the modern day Alternating Current electric supply system. As a tribute to Tesla and all the dads around the world, Mr. Electric® presents a few kid-friendly experiments exploring the basics of electricity for a fun Father’s Day activity. The kids can explore electrons, static electricity, voltaic batteries and other simple components of electricity – all under the safe supervision of their dads.

Level of difficulty: Easy

What you need: A dark room, fluorescent light bulb and a comb or woolen scarf.

What to do: Run the comb through your hair or through the wool scarf at least 20 times to let the electrons build on the comb. Then turn out the lights and hold the comb to the bottom of your florescent light bulb and watch the electrons charge the bulb. This is great for learning about electrons, and it can be a fun magic trick! For further explanation, click here.

Level of difficulty: Easy

What you need: Cornstarch, vegetable oil, mixing bowl, large spoon, balloon, and a measuring cup.

What to do: Blow up the balloon, tie it and then rub it on your hair. Mix a fourth cup of cornstarch and a fourth cup of vegetable oil into a mixing bowl, and then put the mixture on a spoon. Hold the spoon with the mixture on it near the balloon and watch the mixture gravitate towards the balloon. This experiment looks like a gooey monster stretching to touch the balloon, and it is a fun way to learn about static electricity! For further explanation, click here.  

Level of difficulty: Moderate

What you need: Distilled white vinegar, five pieces of copper wire, five galvanized nails, ice tray and one LED light

What to do: Wrap five nails with five pieces of copper wire and place them separately in the ice cube tray filled with vinegar. Create a circuit by placing the end of the copper wire not wrapped around the nail into the ice cube tray next to it until each section has one nail and one copper wire in it, and then place the LED light in the tray. You have just created a Voltaic battery! For further explanation, click here.

Level of difficulty: Challenging

What you need: Eight D-sized batteries, mason jar or other clear glass, electrical tape, pie pan, scissors, toilet paper tube, mechanical pencil refills and two sets of small alligator clips.

What to do: Connect the batteries positive to negative to create train of batteries. Place the toilet paper tube in the center of the pie pan and using electrical tape, attach the alligator clips and mechanical pencil refills to the tube. Place the mason jar/glass over the tube and connect the other end of the clips to the batteries. After the batteries have a few minutes to charge the circuit the mechanical refills will begin to glow and you will have a DIY light bulb. This is a great way to show that household items can be used in an innovative way. Exercise caution, as this experiment exerts heat and can cause the glass to become very warm. For further instruction, click here.

We hope these electrical experiments provide an enjoyable experience for dads and kids to spend quality time together while learning lots and having fun. Thank you to all the fathers who enlighten children and empower the thinkers of tomorrow. Happy Father’s Day from everyone at Mr. Electric!

This Valentine’s day, show your partner how deep your love runs for him or her by cleaning all the neglected kitchen appliances! Chocolates, flowers, and jewelry are nice too, don’t get us wrong. It’s just that serious cleaning says a lot about how much a person cares. By tackling these uncharted territories, not only will the love your partner has for you grow, you may even rekindle the love you once had for your home. That’s a whole lot of love going around.

Can you remember the last time you cleaned the inside of your refrigerator or behind it? It isn’t the easy appliance to maneuver around, so it’s likely that you haven’t cleaned behind it since you moved in. To clean your refrigerator, first pull it out so that you can mop up the dirt, debris, and gunk that’s been left behind. Then, vacuum the coils, which are located either behind or beneath your refrigerator.

All refrigerators are equipped with door gaskets to prevent cold air from escaping. If you have loose gaskets, read through your owner’s manual to find out the replacement part numbers. Your local hardware store should have gaskets in stock.

Make the outside of your fridge sparkle with a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar. If you have a stainless steel fridge, rub in the direction using either a paper towel or a soft wash cloth.

Now that the outside of your fridge looks brand new, it’s time to tackle the other not-so fun part, which is the inside. Clean all shelves and crispers. Perhaps you can use this time to throw away all your expired foods and beverages that you forgot existed.

Even if you have the luxury of owning a self-cleaning oven, some work is still required on your part. Using a solution of equal parts water and vinegar, wipe down the door hinges and frames. You can tackle the particularly rough spots with a some baking soda and a sponge.

How to Clean Your Stovetop:

Soak your burners with hot, soapy water for a few hours, and then scrub. The drop plate may be the dirtiest component of your stove. Before your scrub this area, use a vacuum to get out all the accumulated gunk.

To loosen up all the baked-on foods in your microwave, fill a microwave-safe container with water and heat it until it boils. Wait a few minutes before opening the door so that the steam can do its job; then wipe.

We know how counter-intuitive this sounds, but trust us – it’s a task that needs to be done! Your dishwasher works day in and day out to clean your dishes; it’s only a matter of time before all the gunk accumulates.

If your planning to cook dinner for your partner this Valentine’s Day, he or she will notice how sparkling-clean the plates are!

Electric cars offer an energy efficient, less-polluting alternative to conventional gasoline engines, so why aren’t more people buying them? One of the major reasons for the slow acceptance of electric vehicles is that many people still believe a lot of outdated myths or have misconceptions about how these cars work. Here’s a look at some of the most common electric car myths.

As a homeowner, you face loads of trials and tribulations. Home maintenance, jobs, relationships, and plenty more! Life is rough enough without adding the uninvited members of the animal kingdom into your home, and when you find a chewed wire, you’ve unfortunately got just that! But, hey, don’t stress. The experts at Kolb Electric are here to help!

Why do rodents chew on the wiring in my home?

Rodent teeth are very capable of doing serious harm to your wiring. Why do they even chew on wires? Well, interesting fact, that. A rodent’s front teeth never finish growing, so they chew on anything around to control the length of their incisors. Cool fact, but bad news for your wiring!

Rodents chewing on electrical wires can bring you a world of frustration at the minimum, but can be a source of serious harm at worst! An infestation left unchecked can cause:

Well, traps are always an option, of course. But that remedy tends to be a little unreliable. The unfortunate fact is there’s no magical remedy here. There’s no magical rodent-proof wire coating, or specially crafted mouse vacuum. It really comes down to prevention, and failing that, quick action. To prevent a rodent incursion:

What do I do if I already have a rodent problem?

Call a pest-control specialists right away. It’s frustrating, and costs money you didn’t want to spend, but with each passing week you run the risk of paying more than a few lost cracker crumbs. Rodents chewing on electrical wires is no joke, and left unaddressed will leave you in a bad way, electrically speaking.

Once the nests have been handled, call on an electric professional (like us!) to inspect wiring as soon as possible. Damaged wiring can be caught and fixed before you end up with a real costly problem on your hands.

If things don’t go your way and you end up with some damaged wiring, don’t stress! The experts at Kolb would love nothing more than to assist, bringing you the expertise and service you need to set your wiring right again. Contact us today to learn more about our repair and installation services, or to set an appointment!