For some, flickering lights are an annoyance and can be a distraction. Others don’t notice the inconsistency in the lights. But, that fluctuation in light can signal problems in the circuitry or light fixtures in one’s home. Depending on the source of the problem, it could lead to serious safety issues in a home.

All lights flicker to some extent, based on the amount of power that is coming into the lines in your home.  If your lights flash or flicker regularly, it’s often a sign that there’s a problem – either in connection or power use. Situational flickering – like when an air conditioner starts – is a sign that there’s an issue with power supply. Simply put, the dip of the lights when the AC unit starts up occurs because the AC pulls the available electricity supply from the light. It’s usually temporary. It may also be a sign that the outdoor AC unit isn’t wired for maximum amperage. If the flickering lights aren’t related to a large appliance powering up and running, it’s a sign that there are issues – home may be brighter and more comfortable.

Most people have experienced a circuit breaker trip at some time or the other; and the first couple of times it happens, it can be quite alarming. However, this is a very important safety component in any electrical circuit. A circuit breaker is essentially an automatic device used to stop the flow of current within a circuit, as a safety measure. It is specifically designed to protect your property, equipment in your home/commercial space and you from overloading the electrical circuit.

The sole reason a circuit breaker trips is to prevent the overheating and overloading of an electrical circuit, beyond the capacity of that circuit. If there is no breaker in place, the electrical units in that circuit can get damaged and potentially lead to a fire.

In case a circuit breaker trips, the very first thing to do is to locate it in your panel box. The switch you are looking for is the one that isn’t completely in an On/Off position. Once you turn the switch into the ‘on’ position, the power will be restored. In case the power doesn’t come on, simply switch it off and then on again.

If the circuit breaker trips even after you have reset it, don’t just try resetting it again. It’s doing what it’s designed to do and telling you that there is something wrong that has to be investigated. There are three different things that can cause a circuit breaker to trip:

This is the commonest cause of a circuit breaker trip. It occurs when the electrical energy that’s flowing through the circuit is much more than what it can handle. The simplest way to solve this problem is to redistribute the power to some other circuits. Very simply put, in case too many heavy appliances are connected to a single circuit, move a couple of them to one that isn’t as loaded.

It’s important that you check whether the circuits aren’t loose. First, switch off the power and look for any loose wires; you can do this by closely inspecting the hot wires and outlets that lead from the service panel to the circuit breaker, and then tighten the connection that’s loose.

If after checking the circuit overload, you find there aren’t any issues in that areas, the problem could be a short circuit. This is caused when any live wire touches another neutral/live wire. At times a short circuit may be caused by a broken wire within the breaker. It’s far more difficult to identify this as it could be just about any part of the wiring system which is connected to that circuit. At times, the culprit could be an appliance that’s plugged into an outlet.

This issue is quite a dangerous and severe one and it’s important that it be diagnosed quickly. It can be quite tedious to look for a short circuit and the outlets, plugs and wiring that are connected to that circuit, but these checks are important. Look for cracks or signs of burning in the insulation and call an electrician without delay.

If it’s neither a short circuit nor a circuit overload that’s caused the circuit breaker to trip, it could be a ground fault issue. This happens when any hot wire touches the metal outlet box or the ground wire.

If a circuit breaker trips in your home or commercial property, keep in mind that it’s a very serious issue and not something that should be ignored. For the best electrical solutions, call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263. You can also drop us a line via email or contact us through this online form.

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Many homeowners are DIY enthusiasts and like to tackle various jobs around their home. It’s okay to handle small carpentry tasks, furniture finishing, garden maintenance, indoor and outdoor painting and other repair tasks as a weekend project. It gives you a sense of achievement that you have completed these small jobs on your own. In fact, this can also save you a tidy sum on getting professionals to handle the job for you.

Some people just hone their DIY skills by trying their hand at different projects in their home, while others put in a more concerted effort and take classes to learn more complicated skills required for a particular task. With easy access to the Internet, it’s not uncommon to find many people learning different DIY techniques by watching tutorials online.

However, it’s never a good idea to tackle any electrical repairs on your own. Let’s take a look at why:

Those who have no training and certification to handle electrical jobs aren’t aware of many basic things such as:

These may seem like very simple things, but a novice many not be aware of them. This is exactly why it becomes important to hire the services of a licensed, insured and experienced electrician to handle all the electrical jobs on your commercial or residential property. They will ensure that all the work is carried out legally and safely, without any kind of compromises. This also ensures your home insurance isn’t compromised in any way.

AllRound Electricals is a very reputed and well-established company that handles all types of commercial and residential electrical jobs. On board our team are experienced professionals that fully understand all the technicalities of handling electrical jobs. They wear the appropriate protective clothing and have the right kind of tools to carry out the job in a safe manner.

We handle small and big jobs with the same level of dedication and expertise and always look to provide our customers value for money. Regardless of whether you want to get an electrical fixture installed or need complete rewiring done on your property, we are the professionals to hire. For any information about our services, feel free to call us at 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.

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You may have heard a little noise a while back about incandescent light bulbs being phased out. As this phase out happens, you are finding fewer bulbs that come in the 4-pack and typically cost no more than a dollar or so. In their place are those swirled bulbs that cost a few dollars for a single bulb. You are probably a little frustrated and wondering what is going on. Your electrician in Santa Monica is here to explain to you why those cheap bulbs are not going to be available for much longer. If you want more information about this matter, give The Electric Connection a call.

Those swirl bulbs are referred to as CFLs. The technical term is compact florescent light bulbs. They emit the same amount of light and use about a quarter of the electricity of the incandescent bulbs. That means money saved on your electric bill. And although the CFLs cost more up front, they last 10 times longer than the incandescent bulbs.

You may discover some of your lamps or light fixtures do not accommodate the CFLs. While this is an issue, it is actually worth the money to invest in a new fixture that is more energy efficient. You will need to hire an electrician to take care of your Santa Monica electrical upgrades. Yes, there are some initial costs, but you will be saving money on your electric bill every month. It is estimated that about $20 out of every $100 electric bill is because of lights. By using CFLs and energy efficient fixtures, you could potentially save anywhere from $15 to $45 every month depending on your regular electric bill. If you would like to schedule your lighting fixture upgrade give The Electric Connection a call today and start saving money on your electric bill.

ballast-compatible LED T8 tube for office lighting, school lighting, hospital lighting, basement lighting, and more. The energy-efficient F32T8 tube light can be used in direct-wire fixtures or to replace T8 tubes in fluorescent fixtures without removing ballasts. Designed to last 50,000 hours—5 times longer than fluorescent tubes—the LED T8 tube reduces costly repairs, disposal fees, and the need for replacements. This energy-efficient LED light uses just 18 watts of power and is comparable to a 32-watt fluorescent tube light.