Most homeowners typically don’t give their electrical systems a whole lot of thought, and we wouldn’t expect them to. However, with the increasing demands we place on these systems—with the purchase of high efficiency appliances and devices such as smart phones and tablets—it is important to consider your safety as well as the effectiveness of your electrical system.

One of the most effective ways to keep your electrical outlets throughout your home as safe as possible is by installing Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets in areas that need them the most. These areas include places where you use plumbing, since the main function of these outlets is to shut off the power if there is any risk of electrical shock near a water source.

Chances are, you already have a couple GFCI outlets installed somewhere in your home. You’ll recognize them as the outlets that have a “test” and “reset” button. As mentioned above, they are most used in areas with water sources—so bathrooms and kitchens. However, if you have an older home with outdated wiring, this may not be the case. In some cases you might even need rewiring services just to allow for the installation of GFCI outlets.

While bathrooms and kitchens are the most important locations for these outlets, they are not the only spaces that will benefit from them. You may want to consider GFCI outlet installation in your laundry room, crawlspace, basement, utility room, or even your garage.

Many homeowners with small children choose to update the entire home for safety purposes. Additionally, you might want to consider Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) outlet installation as well. Unlike ground faults—which can lead to electric shocks—arc faults are caused by damaged wires and can lead to fire.

The energy consumed by a single building or business can prove to be a huge overhead cost, especially for those buildings of a much larger size.

Starting the initiative to reduce energy consumption is becoming more and more common as the benefits become more and more clear. The benefits of reducing energy consumption is often times for one major reason, and that is to reduce overhead costs. By making switches (such as those listed here), you could realize a 50% or more reduction in overall energy usage in your facility.

Sound interesting? Learn how you can do that with the tips below…

Whatever lighting technology you have right now, if it isn’t LED, then you are probably consuming more energy than you have to be when it comes to your lighting system.

By converting to LED from a technology like fluorescent, you will easily realize a 30% reduction (on average) in energy consumption from your lights. Now, if you have lights such as metal halide or HPS (often used outside or in high ceiling lights), then you could realize even greater savings (by up to 75%)! This, in and of itself, can prove to be a major way to reduce energy usage in your buildings.

facility manager is, but it’s just a fact. Think, who knows more; someone who works with all the equipment everyday or someone who overlooks said worker? Probably the former, and that’s okay! But, just remember to ask them to be on the lookout for things and get them on-board with your efforts to reducing energy in your building. It will help a lot with your efforts!

Planting save energy in your building, but they are definitely the huge players that eat up a lot of energy. By changing just these 9 things, you will be able to put your efforts to the highest reward type initiatives.

Once you’ve switched these major energy consumers, you can then work on smaller areas of your building that are inefficient, just not as much as these 9 things.

What is one thing not listed here that you find to be a huge energy consumer? Comment it down below so we are all aware of it!

Cordless tools have been around for decades, but the technology is constantly evolving. They offer portability, convenience, and access to a wide ranges of devices to make any project go smoothly.

Overall, Milwaukee stands out as having the highest quality tools, but at a much bigger cost. DeWalt offers reasonable quality at a good price, while Makita features truly unique options. If you already own a certain brand of tools, the best advice is to stick with that brand. DeWalt tools are generally the best value per dollar, while Milwaukee is best for heavy-duty or high-demand applications. Many professionals simply try these tools out till they find the brand they prefer, then stick with that brand for all their tool needs.