How Does Electrical Estimating Work?
Commercial electrical can be a complex process. Contractors often work with a variety of construction professionals like architects and engineers, larger general contractors, their direct clients, and many other people to complete new construction projects, or on maintenance projects that include electrical service contracts. Unlike residential electrical in South Florida, which is usually a straightforward process that mainly revolves around getting a few quotes and choosing the contractor that offers the best deal, commercial electrical...
read moreGoing Green: How Solar Panels Work
It has become a common sight in the Sunshine State, to see solar panels on the roofs of homes and businesses. After all, with all that sunshine, it makes sense to take advantage of the energy savings and energy efficiency benefits that going fully or partly off grid offers, and what better way than to harvest sunshine! Whether you’re interested in green building in general, or just considering retrofitting your home with solar panels to take advantage of energy savings and lower utility bills, you might have wondered how it all works. So we...
read moreWhat Does It Take to Become a State-Certified Electrical Contractor?
In the U.S. becoming a commercial electrical contractor is a multi-step process that requires study, practical experience, and various licensing exams. That’s a good thing too, because contractors literally work with something (electricity) that has the power of life and death. No one would let an unqualified surgeon perform surgery, and the same goes for our homes. Throughout the U.S. we’re choosy about who we allow to work with electrical power, and that’s a very good thing. Various Types of License Many people don’t realize that there is...
read moreGizmos and Gadgets: How Smart Home Trends Are Changing Electrical Installations
At one time, if you did residential electrical in South Florida, you knew exactly what to expect. New construction electrical was pretty much the same, with a few variations in size and quantity of outlets, perhaps a bigger panel, and a few other minor differences. Those days are rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and the demand for smart home electrical systems to support a wide range of technologies is becoming much more common. So far, there are a few contractors who have embraced this change, but much of the industry seems divided on...
read more4 Real World Electrical Disaster Stories
When you work in commercial electrical, and you pride yourself on attention to detail, quality installations and top notch electrical maintenance, you usually don’t want to think about electrical disaster stories. However, every once in awhile, it helps to look at real world examples of what can happen when you don’t do the right thing, or when you fail to take steps to ensure electrical protection. So here are a few electrical disaster stories that should give you food for thought! 1. Thomas Edison Sets Vanderbilt Parlor Alight, 1879 We...
read moreWhy Cheap Standby Generators May Cost More in the Long Term
Have you ever really thought about the term “grudge purchase?” You know the types of things we mean. Insurance. Dentistry. Car repairs. They’re all things we need, but we don’t really want to spend our hard earned money on them. While we’d like to believe otherwise, we realize that a standby generator or a whole home generator probably falls into the same category. They may be necessary for life in South Florida, but they’re not really sexy or exciting, are they? That might be why so many people are tempted to buy cheap units, and hope for...
read moreElectrical Faults: Are There Clues in Your Utility Bills?
If you’ve ever received a utility bill that is much higher than normal, then you’ve probably had the same reaction everyone does. Chest pains, followed by an angry call to the electric company to tell them they’ve made a mistake. Often, it is an administrative error that sends your residential or commercial electrical bills skyrocketing, but sometimes, the cause is inside your home, and not with city administrators. Here’s what you know about how high electrical bills can be a clue that there’s something wrong with your wiring or that you...
read moreElectrical Upgrades: Turning a Private Home into a Beachfront Guesthouse
It’s a great dream. Turning your beach front home in Florida into a high end guest house, retiring from the rat race, and spending your days taking care of all the guests that are going to flock to your property to get sand between their toes and salt in their hair. However, there’s a little more to commercial renovations in South Florida than just hanging your shingle outside and hoping for the best. Here’s what you need to know about the process of going from residential electrical to commercial electrical in a South Florida property,...
read moreChoosing an Electrical Contractor: Why Age Is a Factor
Ever heard the saying “age is only a number”? We’d like to say that we agree, and that it’s a number that doesn’t matter much, and in most things, that’s true. Except, of course, when it comes to hiring an electrical contracting firm. When you’re talking about commercial electrical, or even residential electrical in South Florida, and you’re shortlisting companies that might be able to help you solve your electrical problems on an existing project or a new build, then you almost certainly want to go with a contractor who has been around for a...
read moreBetter Insulation Saves Money and Prevents Hay Fever!
These days, we’re all more aware of our carbon footprint, our energy consumption, and the need to be more cautious about the resources we use. Even if you’re not actively trying to “live green” you almost certainly know that using more energy hurts your wallet! Whatever your reasons for energy conservation, if you’ve done any research at all, you probably know that better insulation is a huge factor in household energy consumption, but did you know that better insulation can also help your hay fever this allergy season? Insulation and Air...
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