Tag Archives: houston

Circuit Breaker: What Is Its Purpose?

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circuit breakerWhen the power suddenly goes out in the house, most people immediately check the circuit breaker. This is a step in the right direction, as all the electricity in the building must go through the circuit breaker, where it is determined if there is a problem in the current, such as being the electric current being too high. But how many people really know what the purpose of a circuit breaker is? A circuit breaker is a device that will automatically stop the flow of a current in an electric circuit to protect an electrical circuit from damages caused by an overload or a short circuit. This ensures that if there is a problem, the circuit breaker will then “trip”, cut the power, and will not allow electricity where the problem is occurring until the problem is fixed.

photoSometimes, the problem is as easy as resetting the circuit breaker, but it is very important to find out what device/appliance that initially caused the “trip”. This is important, because if the problem starter is not found, whenever the appliance is used again, it will only cause the circuit breaker to cut the power again.  Even worse, it can result in a fire; therefore, it is important to talk with a Professional Electrician, if you are not knowledgeable on circuit breakers. Resetting a the circuit breaker can be done by turning the switches that are on “off”, back to “on” or by turning off all the electrical switches to off and then switching them back to on.

Other times, the fuse within the circuit box has burned out. Fuses are designed to burnthrough a thin metal strip if the current passing through the fuse exceeds its limit. Once the fuse is removed, it is always recommended to buy the exact type of fuse that was originally installed. Again, if you are not knowledge or do not feel comfortable with the circuit breaker, as electricity can be very dangerous, give A & H Electric a call.

Now we know that the circuit breaker is a crucial device in regulating the electric circuit within a building. If there is a faulty appliance, high electric currents, or exposed wires, the circuit breaker will trip, causing the closed circuit to open in the general area of where the problem resides, and how to fix the problem.

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How To Save Money On Your Electric Bill: Habit Changing

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How To Save Money On Your Electric Bill - Houston, TexasDuring the spring and summer your electric bill can go through the roof due to cooling costs. We have come up with some helpful hints on habits you can change to keep your electric bill down so that you can keep your home nice and cool.

  • Use a single higher wattage bulb instead of several bulbs with lower wattage. A 100-watt bulb produces more light then two 60-watt bulbs and consumes 20% less energy.
  • Make sure to only use long-lasting bulbs when the advantage to an extended life outweighs them putting out less light per watt then standard bulbs. For example, If you need three to get the lighting level you desire it’s not worth it.
  • Buy lampshades that have a wide opening on the top and the bottom since this helps spread light in the room.
  • Turn off incandescent lights when you aren’t using them. Turning lights on and off will shorten the life of the bulb but turning them on and off in themselves does not consume any power. Fluorescent lights on the other hand are better to be left on if you are only turning it off for a short amount of time.
  • Make sure that before you buy an appliance to check the yearly wattage usage and shop around for the energy efficient ones.

Bulb Education: What Is A Tubular Fluorescent Light?

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Tubular Fluorescent Light - Houston, TexasUnlike Incandescent lights, tubular fluorescent lights are one of the most efficient type of lighting you can have, averaging up to 20,000 hours of lighting. Most commonly found in commercial buildings tubular fluorescent lights have made leaps and bounds in their design.  There are now small diameter lamps like the T-10 and T-8 that are super-efficient.

Unlike incandescent lights, tubular fluorescent lights efficiency doesn’t depend strictly on the bulb but the lamp and ballast system you have it in. There are both magnetic and the more modern electronic ballasts but with either type they are required to meet a governmental standard of efficiency.

If you are thinking about getting this type of lighting in your home make sure to hire a certified electrician to do the installation since any electrical work can be very dangerous if not done correctly.

Bulb Education: What Is An Incandescent Light?

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Different types of Lightbubls

Incandescent lights are one of the least efficient light bulbs but at the same time the most  common. They are popular because they produce a mellow light that is very similar to  natural sunlight and they also are the most inexpensive bulbs to buy. However, incandescent lights usually range from 1000 to 2000 hours of use in a standard home.  Not only do they have a short life span, they only convert 15% of the energy they use into actual light.  The rest is converted into heat making them one of the most expensive types of bulbs to use for lighting.  If you don’t want to use other bulbs like Tungsten-halogen, Compact Fluorescent Lamps, Tubular fluorescent fixtures or High-intensity discharge (HID), you might want to try using Reduced-wattage incandescents which produce the same amount of light output but use less energy than the standard incandescent.

For more information on how to get your home running at peak energy efficiency, visit A&H Electric or give us a call at (936) 756-0442.

Why is my outlet sparking when I plug in something?

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A&H Electricians in Houston TexasCauses of Outlets Sparking

Not many people think about it but outlets are one of the most important features in a house; they provide electrical power to all the appliances and electronics in your home.  We’re sure that you have had the experience of plugging a cord into an outlet and it sparks.  There are many reasons why this could happen and none of them are good; this could lead to an electrical fire.  Make sure that if an outlet ever sparks to contact an electrician right away.

Exposed Wiring

The sparking could be caused by exposed wiring this means that the insulation around the wiring has deteriorated or is missing for some reason. These exposed wires touching each other can cause short circuits and sparking.

Improper Wiring

Improper wiring is also a very strong possibility if you are getting sparking in an outlet; this could mean that the terminal wiring is loose or the internal contact is poor.  If the outlet feels hot to the touch this may be the cause of the sparking. Remember that these are just some of the things that might be causing sparking.  You should leave any actual electrical work to a certified professional electrician.

Overloaded Receptacle

Sparking could also be caused by an overloaded receptacle.  Outlets are designed to have two plugs in them so if you have multiple adapters or converters plugged in this could cause instability in the outlet.  If this is the case, try using surge protectors instead.

Why Aren’t My Light Bulbs Working?

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We will be addressingLightbulb issues some of the lighting issues you may be having in your home or business.  Improper lighting is not only annoying but can be a safety issue

Light Bulbs Flicker: If it’s just one light that is blinking, this probably
means that there is a poor electrical connection in the light fixture.  If
the flickering is in the whole house that could mean that there could be a bad connection in the main wire.

Recessed Light Turns Off: If you have a wall or ceiling light that is flush
to the wall and it keeps going out, this could be that the built-in shut-off
is getting activated from over-heating.  Over-heating can be caused by using
the wrong watt light bulb or an over insulated casing.

Bright Light – Dim Light: If you have some bright lights and some dim lights
in your home or maybe you have appliance burning out for no reason, this may
be a bad main neutral.

We want to remind you that it is not safe to fix these types of wiring
problems by yourself.  This should be left to a professional, let us help!

A&H Electric’s Vision

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A&H Electric Company was founded in September of 1977 by Ray Audas and David Heintz with the vision of creating an electrical contracting business dedicated to customer service and reliability. These basic business principals and our 34 years of experience in the electrical trade will allow us to offer the finest electrical contracting services well into the future.

Call us today at (936) 756-0442.