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Is ground wiring more reliable than aerial wiring? Types of wiring, like anything else that you have a choice about, can be evaluated using a list of pros and cons that could bring you to either conclusion. In some instances ground wiring is better; in others the selection you need is aerial wiring. It depends largely upon the terrain the wiring is being run across and the intended use of said wiring. The wire itself may be the same material, but the outer insulator will be different for each.

If you string wire up above, like phone and cable companies often do, the wire itself has to be covered with an insulator that can withstand the elements. The way that it’s fastened is important, whether it runs from pole to pole or is strung from a fence post to an outlet outside your home. Keep in mind that wind may dislodge the anchors you fasten it with if they’re not secure. Live wires blowing free in a storm can cause serious damage, even fatalities, so make sure all aerial wires are secure.

Ground wiring is different. It typically runs through a conduit which protects it from ground water and any attempts by wildlife to penetrate it. Ground wiring won’t break and blow in the wind, but it will eventually wear out over time. Nothing is indestructible, and replacing wire that is buried underground is a major construction chore. That’s a pretty good reason to not install it yourself. Here at Priority 1 Electric we specialize in ground wiring for patio and landscape lighting.

If you’re planning on doing some upgrades and are wondering where the wiring is going to go, give us a call and we’ll go over some options with you. There are benefits to having your wiring buried underground, both aesthetic and practical. You as a homeowner want to make sure that your property looks good and has an adequate power supply. We can take care of both for you. Give us a call for more information.

It’s hard to imagine that there are actually still homes and commercial buildings that don’t have 220v circuits, but there are. Anything less is not only inadequate for a power supply, it can be unsafe. The electronic devices of today require more power and at the very least won’t work properly if you don’t have 220v circuits. It’s time for an upgrade. You’ve been putting it off long enough and there’s no reason for it. Priority 1 Electric can do it for you quickly and affordably.

There is more to upgrading your power supply than just getting more electricity into your home. For older homes, it’s also a matter of safety and security for your family. Wiring and cables that are many years old can short and cause electrical fires, not to mention wreak havoc on delicate components of those new video game systems and computers you just installed. We recommend that, before you purchase new technology outside your home, you first address the wiring inside your home.

As we’ve mentioned many times before, circuit panel upgrades are a good place to start. Your circuit breakers control the quantity and flow of electricity in your home. If they are not up to date and modern, those new devices you just invested all that money into won’t work properly. Even worse, since they are new to you, there’s a good chance you won’t even realize that you’re not getting what you paid for. Remember the first time you saw an HD or 3D movie? If you had watched it on a television with an inadequate power supply and poor wiring, you would not have appreciated it as much as you did. Electrical power is an integral part of those experiences.

Look around your home and count the outlets. How many of them are two prong and how many are three prong? The answer to that question is usually a good indication of how long it’s been since the wiring and circuits in your home were upgraded. There’s no reason to wait any longer. You’re depriving yourself of all the good things technology has to offer if you do. Call Priority 1 Electric today and let us upgrade you.

If you’re creating a spa in your home, there are certain types of spa lighting that are recommended and others that you should stay away from. There are a few different definitions of what a spa is supposed to be, but all of them have one important thing in common – you’ll be at your most exposed when you’re inside that room. If there’s a hot tub in there, you’ll be wearing a bathing suit at the most, and if it’s a spot to exfoliate or get a massage, you will be wearing significantly less. Don’t play around with the lighting. Let a professional handle the installation for you.

Modern technology has provided us with many wonderful devices in recent years. Some of those fall in the category of lighting. There are lights that provide a full spectrum of daylight; other’s that offer only the lower or higher end of that spectrum, and some that are designed to help you tan, like you would on the beach in summer. Those who build spas in their homes are inclined to include at least one, maybe all of these modes of lighting. The wiring and power requirements can get fairly complex.

Do not attempt to install spa lighting on your own. In fact, don’t attempt to do any electrical work in that room unless you are a trained, licensed, and experienced professional electrician. A delicate balance is necessary if you’re going to get the desired effect, and circuit panel upgrades may be necessary. Those are our specialty, and we’ve helped design many spa environments, both residential and commercial. They are wonderfully relaxing rooms where you can relax, meditate, and let go all of the cares of the outside world – as long as you have them wired correctly.

Like landscape lighting, the installation of spa lighting may require that you do some circuit breaker changes. It would be best to put the room on a dedicated circuit, two if there’s enough juice going in there. For spas with complex sound or video systems, those should also be attached to a separate circuit. Give us a call and we’ll help you plan the development of your spa. If you do it right, you’ll always have a place to escape to.

Beautifying your home is a process. Some homeowners begin on the inside, making the surroundings that they see most often as pleasant as possible. Others prefer to work on the outside first, making sure the neighbors have a good view from their windows. Either way, embarking on the journey of upgrading your domestic look is an act that requires careful planning, some professional assistance, and a healthy supply of patience and tolerance. Not every phase of the upgrade process will go as planned, except of course for the installation of your new landscape lighting, the portion of the beautification process that Priority 1 Electric will handle for you.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer who wants to handle as much of your outdoor upgrade project as possible on your own, please stop before you get to the wiring portion of the job. Electrical wires and cables should only be handled by trained professionals. Everyone knows that they shouldn’t work with live wires, but do you know which wires to use for outdoor lighting? Are you running them underground or through the air up above? You do know those are two entirely different types of wire, right? We do. Please let us do the job we’re good it. It will actually save you time and money.

Any time you add a new element to your electrical system, one of the first tasks on your list should be some circuit breaker changes. One of the primary reasons why you call an electrician to install outdoor lighting is to make sure that your home can handle the additional demand for power. Do not overload circuits or you could have problems down the line. The breakers will constantly trip or you could be at risk of an electrical fire. Our technicians know how to prevent that. As knowledgeable as you are, unless you’re an electrician yourself, you may not be able to do those upgrades.

Our people can do some incredible things with outdoor lighting. Your backyard could look like it’s in broad daylight or bathed in moonlight. We can install colored lighting, high efficiency lighting, and security landscape lighting with motion sensors. If you want your neighbors to see your yard clearly, we can make sure that they do, but you’ll have to hire someone else to mow the lawn for you. That’s one task we don’t do.

You still have a fuse box? There’s a good chance, if you do, that you live in an older home that was built before 1980. It’s also likely that you’re seeing more instances where fuse repair or replacement is necessary. Have you ever added up all the money you’ve spent buying fuses over the years? They’re not all that cheap, and they’re certainly not reliable, so why are you still using them? It’s time to upgrade to a circuit breaker system, something much more reliable that doesn’t require new components every few months. Wouldn’t that be a nice change?

The electrical requirements of your home today are not the same as they were decades ago, so why are you still using the same electrical system? Fuses were designed to regulate electrical flow, to blow when there was a power surge so you weren’t at risk of fire or damage to your equipment. Circuit breakers don’t blow; they trip when there’s an overload on the system, allowing you to shut some things off, unplug a few devices, and then click a switch to turn the power back on. You do not have to rummage through a drawer for fuses or even worse, go out in the middle of the night to buy them.

Circuit breakers, like fuses did in the past, regulate electricity flow, but they do a much better job of it than the older systems did. Even of you have circuit breakers, circuit panel upgrades might be something you want to consider. The new technology that is being developed today puts more of a demand on your home electricity supply, so increasing and making sure that supply is regulated properly has to be a top priority. That’s why circuit breaker repairs and upgrades are our most requested services.

The next time you’re out shopping and see a cool new device that you’d like to bring home to make your life easier, ask yourself the power supply question first. How many of those cool devices do you have now and when was the last time you had any upgrades done? The world is changing and becoming smaller with the dawn of new communications devices and information technology. Why are you still using fuses to regulate the power going to that technology? Think about it.

Have you had any new wiring done in your home or have you called an electrician in the past to replace or repair a defective appliance or electronic device? Did your last electrician make any circuit breaker changes? Hopefully, he did. Any new addition to a home should be accompanied by a complete check of the wiring and electrical supply system, including the circuit breaker panel. Newer equipment has different power requirements and the recent influx of modern technology in homes dictates a need for upgrades. If you haven’t addressed them yet, it’s time to look into getting them done.

Computers, televisions, Blue-Ray players, cordless phones, wireless modems and routers, stereos, DVD players, DVR, and multiple electronic kitchen appliances are just a few of the items you have in your home that are powered by electricity. Go back twenty years to when internet and cable TV were not in every household in America and you’ll have an idea of what building contractors were thinking when they had your home wired. Like many of the highways in the United States, the electrical system in your home was outdated almost before it was completed.

No one could have predicted the torrid pace of technological developments in the past two decades. The information age hit like a tidal wave and suddenly just upgrading to 220v circuits wasn’t quite enough, though it was necessary to enjoy any of the new household toys being made available. Fiber-optics and wireless technology was introduced and power supplies needed to be boosted. The old fuse boxes went first, and circuit breaker panels became a necessity. Now, those panels need to be upgraded.

In days gone by, the amount of electricity that you had coming into your home was never as important as it is right now. Regulation of that electricity is even more critical. A modern circuit breaker panel helps to make sure you’re always getting a constant, steady supply of the exact voltage your new technology requires. If you don’t get that, those devices may not work properly. You wouldn’t want your Blue Ray to malfunction, would you? It doesn’t have to if you call Priority 1 Electric for a circuit breaker upgrade.

The appliances in your home are reliant upon the power that comes from your electrical system. Regulating that power supply is partially the responsibility of your circuit breakers. If they malfunction in any way, you’re at risk of power surges or inadequate electricity flow going to your appliances, both situations that will cause them to function improperly. Regular circuit breaker upgrades can prevent any of this from happening. That’s where we come in. The technicians at Priority 1 Electric can make sure that your circuit breakers, and subsequently your appliances, always work properly.

Most homeowners view their circuit breaker panel as a defense mechanism against shorts and surges. What they don’t realize is that each time a circuit is tripped or a fuse is blown, an appliance or electronic device that is running at that time is affected. Dishwashers and washer machines can overflow and cause flood damage. Refrigerators grind to a halt and computers shut off if they’re the plug-in, desk-top variety. Even your phone can be affected. Power disruption on any of these devices can result in problems.

In older homes, fuse repair and replacement was a constant chore. The circuit breaker panel was invented to eliminate that problem, but they are not infallible and they don’t last forever. Some of the earlier models are now obsolete or have been proven defective over time. It’s our job as your electrician to stay current on these issues, but we can’t impart that information to you unless you call us. Like any other system in your home, your electrical system should be inspected regularly. If you haven’t done that in a while, make the phone call today and we’ll come check things out.

If you are planning on building any new additions, or remodeling your bathroom or kitchen, have your circuit breaker panel checked first. Power requirements for new appliances and electronic devices are different than they were ten or twenty years ago. The same can be said for any spa lighting or landscape lighting you might want to have installed. Your home may not be wired properly to handle it. Call Priority 1 Electric before you have the work done and we’ll make sure your home meets the electrical standards necessary for those new additions, both indoor and out.

There’s a lot of work that goes into establishing yourself as an expert in your field. Priority 1 Electric was formed after years of experience dealing with every kind of residential circuit breaker box. And we continue to spend time learning everything we can about older and the latest circuit breakers and circuit breaker panels. We not only use this information to better ourselves as electrical technicians but we also help our customers keep informed about the electrical system in their home. That’s how we became known as a circuit breaker specialist.

For example, if you’re still relying on fuses as a safety device for your electrical system, it’s about time you made a change. Circuit breakers are more reliable and efficient, and you don’t have to buy new ones when they trip. With a fuse box, you have to constantly replace burned out fuses and even the new ones don’t necessarily have the capacity to handle today’s complex electrical devices and their power requirements. The fuse box is also most likely connected to an older wiring system, something else you might want to look into having us replace for you, for safety purposes.

Circuit breaker panels are not all the same, and there have been many circuit breaker changes in recent years that we try to stay current on and inform homeowners about. If you have a Federal Pacific Electric “stab-lock” panel, Zinsco circuit breakers, or Pushmatic/Bulldog breakers, you should look into upgrading. These systems are usually out-of-date and could be defective – a safety hazard in your home. To protect your health and the health of your family, please call us to evaluate these systems and recommend a viable replacement that will eliminate any danger.

It’s important, when installing or trouble-shooting a circuit breaker panel, that all breaker switches be clearly labeled for the rooms or outlets they are attached to. In the event of an emergency, if the fire department, a plumber, or an electrician needs to get to your circuit breakers to turn power off, not labeling properly could cause a delay that will result in unnecessary damage to your home or possible injury to the emergency response personnel. If you haven’t had an electrical inspection done recently, call our office and we’ll take care of it for you.