Early Christmas morning in Stamford, Connecticut, the fire department rushed to the aid of Madonna Badger’s family as their home was engulfed in flames. The simple act of discarding ashes from the fireplace turned deadly when those ashes were not fully extinguished, sparking the blaze from outside the home. The heartbreaking news that both of Badger’s parents and her three young daughters perished in the fire turned what would normally be a joyous holiday into a time of mourning for friends, family, and community members in Stamford. Our hope, at ElectricMan Inc. is that this sad story will help drive home the message that smoke detectors are the most important safety feature that you can have in your home.

Electrical installation testing is a practice that has become more important over time. This is due to the increasing complexity of installations in both commercial and residential spaces. When it comes to electrical work, the top priority is always going to be safety. This focus is the reason electrical standards and wiring regulations exist in the first place. Electrical installation testing serves the purpose of identifying any possible deficiencies. These shortcomings could be areas in which an electrical system doesn’t meet regulations.

It’s important to have older electrical systems looked over to ensure they’re still in good working condition. At the same time, new installations need an inspection to make sure they conform to today’s stringent standards. You might also feel inclined to have testing done if you’ve recently purchased a building with preexisting installations. If you’re curious about what makes electrical installation testing so complex, or if you’re wondering why only a professional should be doing it, read on for more information.

There are different phases of an electrical installation to keep in mind. The first step is to perform a visual inspection, which is exactly what it sounds like — an expert will confirm the permanently wired electrical components are compliant with safety regulations. He or she will make sure there are no outward signs of damage, and that the required safety measures are present.

After the visual inspection, electrical testing begins. This is where having a qualified individual working becomes even more critical. Everything from specialized training to safety-oriented clothing is necessary for this aspect. In fact, non-authorized people might have to keep a certain distance away from the testing itself.

The testing will cover a building’s wiring, as well as its various components. This can include electrical panels, outlets, distribution boards and lighting. Essentially, the examination covers all systems that conduct electricity within a building. The electrician will use the tests to make sure every necessary precaution is in place to reduce the risks of injury or death due to electrical shock.

In some cases, the testing will call for exploratory work to complete the job as effectively and safely as possible. Parts of the system might need to be temporarily shut off for this. This means you should make sure you don’t have something important — and electricity-based — going on while the installation testing is taking place.

Let’s face it—halogen and incandescent headlight bulbs are a thing of the past. fanless, driverless LED headlight bulbs were used in this installation.

If your vehicle allows for horizontal adjustments, mark the distance between your headlight centers with two vertical lines of tape. These lines are important for projector headlights and/or lining up beam cutoff points. Repeat these tape lines for your other headlight.

6. Remove your headlight assembly if necessary, remove the current bulbs, and install your new LED bulbs. Check your owner’s manual for specific instructions on how to replace your headlight bulbs.

7. Depending on your vehicle, you may have to adjust your headlight beam before or after the assembly has been reinstalled. Your owner’s manual will explain how to adjust the beams. Align each headlight so that the top edge of the beam is at the same height as your horizontal line(s). If your headlights can be adjusted horizontally or produce two light cutoff points, use the vertical tape lines to align them properly.

3. Shake the vehicle to ensure that your suspension system is settled. For more precise adjustments, inflate all tires to their designated psi capacity and have someone sit in the driver’s seat. Also, make sure that your vehicle’s gas tank is at least half full.

4. Measure from the ground to the center of your headlight assembly where the bulb is located. This step must be done for all vehicles. If your vehicle allows for horizontal headlight adjustments in addition to vertical adjustments, it’s important that you also measure the distance between the centers of both headlight bulbs. The vehicle featured in this video allows for vertical headlight adjustments only; therefore, center lines aren’t necessary but are shown for demonstration purposes.

5. Turn on your low-beam headlights. Using painter’s tape, mark your headlight measurements on a flat wall. Measure from the ground up, and apply a horizontal line of tape to the wall; this line represents the top of your headlight beam. You can either apply one long, continuous line or small sections where the brightest areas of the headlight beams are shown.

If your vehicle allows for horizontal adjustments, mark the distance between your headlight centers with two vertical lines of tape. These lines are important for projector headlights and/or lining up beam cutoff points.

Mortgage lenders try to look at the big picture, considering things like taxes and insurance when deciding how much they can loan out to homeowners and buyers. However, there's a major ongoing expense that appraisers currently don't take into account – monthly utility bills. You don't need to be an electrician to understand that the money you pay for power each month makes an impact on your budget and even affects the value of your home. A bill currently in front of Congress – the SAVE Act – would acknowledge that reality and let federal mortgage lenders make energy efficiency part of their formula.

Increasing the Value of Your Home

Essentially, the SAVE Act would make it easier to get financing for efficiency upgrades, even folding funding for it into traditional mortgages.

“This bill would require federal mortgage agencies to recognize the energy efficiency upgrades in a home during the mortgage underwriting process, thereby increasing the value of the home,” President of the Alliance to Save Energy Kateri Callahan said in a statement. 

The SAVE Act claims it would bring a number of benefits in addition to loosening the drawstrings on bank financing for efficiency. Among them:

A Diverse Group of Supporters

The SAVE Act was first introduced in 2013. Although Congress has yet to vote on the measure, it has lined up a diverse group of supporters who aren't typically on the same side of major issues, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers to the Alliance to Save Energy, the National Resources Defense Council, the U.S. Green Building Council and others.

In the meantime, there are a number of steps you can take around your home today to cut down on your utility bills. If you need any help installing efficient appliances or upgrading your home electric system, contact an expert electrician today.