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Tag: tips and tricks

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Safety

Stay Warm Safely: Space Heater Safety

The weather outside is frightful, but the warmth of that space heater is sure delightful! 

Portable space heaters are a great way to stay cozy and warm in chilly winter weather, but they can also pose a danger to your home. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, these space heaters are responsible for an average of 1,700 house fires yearly, which is about 43% of all house fires. Keeping your property and family safe from these fires is easy, if you use space heaters safely:

 

  • When placing or moving your space heater, remember that these appliances are intended to sit on a hard, level, nonflammable surface, like the floor rather than a table, counter, or shelf.
  • Don’t plug another electrical device or extension cord into the same outlet as a heater to keep the outlet from overheating.
  • The heater should be at least 3 feet away from anything combustible like furniture, bedding, curtains, etc. If your space heater is taller, it may have to be even farther away.
  • Establish a 3-foot zone around the heater that your pets and children cannot access.
  • Never place a space heater in a child’s room–your child could play with it, knock it over, or leave flammable toys too close to it.
  • Never use a space heater in a workshop or garage near paint, gas cans, matches, or other flammable materials.
  • When not in use or when you go to bed, turn it off and unplug it from the outlet
  • Check the space heater’s cord periodically for damage, wear, and tear.
  • Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home and in every bedroom, and test them monthly.

If you’re looking for a new space heater, there are plenty of options on the market. However, when you’re looking, keep an eye out for these safety features for your peace of mind:

 

GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) Plug: Many space heaters don’t come with a GFCI plug, which prevents electric shock. Heaters with one will be safer and give you more peace of mind, while heaters without one are more likely to spark or shock, and should not be used around water.

 

A good cord: You’ll want to find a space heater with a long and sturdy cord. Because you can’t use extension cords with space heaters, you want a cord that’s long enough (6 feet or more) to maintain a 3-foot radius while also being able to be placed where you like.

 

Certification: Any heater you buy should carry a safety certification label from an independent testing organization, like the UL mark, the ETL label from Intertek, or a certification from CSA International. 

 

Shutoff features: Some newer space heater models come with smart sensors that automatically shut off when it overheats or a tip-over switch that automatically shuts off the heater if it’s knocked over. These features are absolutely essential in making sure you are as safe as possible. 

 

So while you’re staying warm this winter, also stay safe with these tips and these safety features!

Categories
Safety

Electrical Safety Tips for the Winter

During the winter, there are unfortunately more hazards to look out for than icy roads and freezing temperatures. With your home’s electrical, the winter brings more challenges. Look out for these three home essentials this year to ensure your home is as safe as possible.

 

Check your carbon monoxide detectors

With more use of common fuels like natural gas, wood, or coal, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases. Installing a carbon monoxide detector, replacing the old one you have, or even just changing out the batteries can do a lot for your safety and your peace of mind. 

 

Use space heaters safely

Space heaters are common appliances for many homeowners in the winter, but it’s important to be extremely careful with their usage in your home. These heaters can cause electrical fires if left alone to overheat. To use your space heater as safely as possible, keep them at least four feet away from furniture, curtains, or clothes, and never plug them in using extension cords or leave them turned on when you’re sleeping or leaving the room.

Be cautious with your heated blankets

We get it, these cozy heated blankets are super tempting to keep you warm. But these, like space heaters, can be dangerous if used unsafely. Check your blanket for any worn or damaged areas. If there are any signs of wear and tear, most likely from the heating element, you should get rid of that blanket, it’s time for a replacement. Also, although it may seem counterintuitive, never use your blanket while you’re asleep. An electrical fire caused by your heated blanket is not something you want to wake up to. 

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Uncategorized

5 Ways Outdoor Lighting Can Elevate Your Space

5 Reasons To Upgrade your kitchen with under cabinent lighting

Enjoying the great outdoors and fresh air is a simple luxury that we take for granted with so much of our time going elsewhere–usually dedicated to some sort of technology. With outdoor lighting, you can extend your time spent in your outdoor spaces and truly make them an extension of your home. 

Elevate Safety

In the darkness of late night hours, many hazards can arise. With the right outdoor lighting, you can move much easier and safer in the dark. For your driveway or stair railings, places where slipping, tripping, and falling are common, outdoor post-mounted lanterns are a great way to illuminate your way. For the steps themselves or for other walkways, path and step lights help you see where you’re going. For your doors and entryways, outdoor wall lights can help you better see door handles, knobs, and especially, keyholes to help you get inside faster and easier. And finally, to make your home easier to find, address lights are a great addition.

Elevate Security

There are outdoor lighting options that are triggered by motion or timers to protect you and your home from intruders. These lights offer increased security without having to sacrifice looks–outdoor wall lights can be carefully added to the design of your home to keep you safe and light up your home in style. 

Elevate Aesthetic

Speaking of looks, outdoor lighting is a great way to elevate the natural beauty of your home’s architecture. With it, you can highlight your favorite features: add a glow to the welcoming ambiance of your home with an illuminated path and entry, spotlight the hard work you’ve done on your garden or landscaping, or capture the beauty of a water feature with underwater LEDs. The options are endless and can be customized to perfectly suit you and your home. 

Elevate Home Value

Outdoor lighting is one of the easiest, most affordable ways to boost your property value and curb appeal. When you can highlight your design elements, make areas look larger, heighten beauty, increase the usability of outdoor spaces after dark, and skyrocket your security and safety with this one strategy, why leave these benefits on the table? With Coffin Electric, we can help you elevate your home in more ways than one simply by enhancing your home’s outdoor lighting.

Elevate Your Enjoyment

Even after all of these amazing ways your home will be elevated, above them all is the increased enjoyment you can get out of your home. Now you can maximize your time in the great outdoors since you don’t have to retreat inside when it gets dark. Cozy up, grab a drink, relax, or have a meal with your loved ones, and enjoy the new glow of your outdoor spaces.

Categories
Safety

5 Reasons to Upgrade Your Kitchen with Under Cabinet Lighting

5 Reasons to Upgrade Your Kitchen with Under Cabinet Lighting

Are you remodeling or looking to add an extra spark to your kitchen? Under cabinet lighting may be a good option for you! It’s a simple addition to bring your remodel together, or can be an easy way to elevate the space. If you’re considering under cabinet lighting, here’s 5 reasons to consider. 

Lighting Up the Workspace

With under cabinet lighting, you can increase the quality of light and your experience cooking in the kitchen. This lighting provides light to where all the magic happens–the countertop–so you can see what you’re doing without having to worry about shadows hindering your knifework. 

Energy Efficient 

Adding under cabinet lighting in your kitchen can actually save you money on your energy in the long run. Under cabinet lighting systems use small bulbs to provide adequate light, which reduces your overall electricity consumption giving you boosted lighting efficiency without boosting your spending.  

Bulb Variations

Under cabinet lighting can be further customized to you with light bulb options. Not only does this offer you more flexibility from the temperature or color of light you want, but also gives you more options depending on your budget. Additionally, with efficient options like LEDs, you can save even more on your energy bill.

Increase Home Value

We spend a lot of time in our kitchens, so naturally, there’s a lot of value in that space. Adding under cabinet lighting can enhance even the most basic of spaces, and bring out their best features. This lighting is a quick way to increase your home’s value without breaking the bank.

Low Budget

Generally, when we think about making changes to our kitchens we think about how much we’re going to have to spend to make it happen. However, when it comes to under cabinet lighting, small bulbs, smaller and fewer wires, and quick installation all work together to create a budget friendly option that can be accessible to everyone. 

Have more questions or interested in getting a quote on putting under cabinet lighting in your kitchen, contact us today!

Categories
Safety

Should You Switch to Energy-Efficient Lighting

Can lighting change your home?

Energy Efficient appliances are one of the quickest and simplest methods to improve efficiency in your home, with a wide array of appliances and products that provide increased performance while also using less power. There are even high efficiency light bulbs that will help you make the switch to energy efficiency without having to make big changes like replacing your kitchen appliances. There are two main options for these bulbs, CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs and LED (light emitting diodes) bulbs. LEDs are the best option on the market today, as they generate light without generating heat, which is a big issue with standard incandescent bulbs. These incandescent bulbs use energy to run power through its filament, which is that little metal wire you can see in the middle of your bulb. This results in light from heat generation, which is where the inefficiency lies–most of that power is lost in the heat that is produced rather than the light generation. CFLs are similar and also highly efficient, but are often outlived and outperformed by LEDs.  Taking the plunge in including energy efficient appliances in your home, even just in your lighting, will provide great benefits to you and the environment.

 

Less Energy

The greatest benefit to adapting your lighting to energy efficient solutions is that both LED and CFL bulbs consume energy at a much lower rate than your traditional incandescent bulb–as little as a tenth or less wattage for LEDs and half to an eighth for CLFs. While replacing just one fixture’s bulbs won’t do much to your energy bill, upgrading your whole home to energy efficient lighting will make a drastic difference in your energy costs. 

 

More Life

Energy efficient bulbs, while more expensive than the traditional bulbs you might have in your home now, are a great investment in your home because they outlive those cheaper traditional bulbs by years. After you’ve made the switch to LEDs or CLFs, you won’t have to regularly repurchase bulbs to replace the burnt out ones for years to come.

 

Increased Stability

All of these energy efficient bulbs also outperform incandescent light bulbs in extreme temperatures. Whether in freezing temperatures or sweltering heat, they fail far less often than a traditional bulb. Furthermore, because they produce less heat, you might even save a bit on your cooling costs over the summer without the added heat of lighting. 

 

Better for the Environment

Not only will you be doing your part for your wallet, energy-efficient lighting will help you do your part for the environment. With these bulbs, you’ll be replacing them less and consuming less power, which will make a dent in your carbon footprint. 

Categories
Safety

Can Lighting Change Your Home?

Can lighting change your home?

If you’re looking for a way to revamp your home that’s a little less complicated than knocking down walls and replacing floors, you might want to consider changing up your lighting. There are a lot of different creative ways to change up the feeling of your space with light, from temperature to brightness. We can help you utilize these techniques to suit your home, your needs, and your budget. 

 

Brightness

Installing dimmers in your home allows you to control the brightness in your space, so you can customize the ambience of your space.

The level of brightness in your space is actually correlated to emotional response, partly due to the association with heat. During the day, you might notice the natural light helps put you in a good mood. In the same way, bright, glowing lights in your space can significantly improve the general atmosphere of your home.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a more cozy setting, low level lighting helps to make your space feel warmer and cozier. With a dimmer, you can change what kind of feeling you want in your home through the brightness of your lighting with the simple touch of a finger.

Bulb Type

The temperature of the lighting in your home is also an easy way to transform your space. For warmer, yellower light, the type of bulb you might be looking for would be something like a fluorescent light, while an LED bulb will give off a cooler, bluer glow. The room that you’re lighting might play into your decision on bulb type and temperature. For example, lighting in bedrooms is more likely to be softer and comforting, while your kitchen’s lighting is usually brighter for functionality. 

 

Placement 

The placement of your lighting can make a big impact on your home and is an easy process. Adding ambience can be as simple as adding accent lighting to give your space a focal point. In your kitchen, a great way to elevate your kitchen is to install under cabinet lighting. It’s easy to install, cost-effective, energy-efficient, and helps to increase safety, while also making the space feel inviting. In other areas of your home, like your living room, accent lighting helps to highlight your favorite parts of your home and create the ideal ambience. Spotlighting a focal point, like artwork or a unique architectural feature draws the gaze to these areas and can completely transform the feeling of the room. 

 

If any of these ideas sound like something you want to tackle to change the feel of your home, call us at Coffin Electric. With the help of our professionally trained technicians, you can have peace of mind knowing that your transformation will be safely and correctly installed, and will look great too. 

 

Categories
Safety

Safely Light Up Your Outdoor Space!

Safely Light Up Your Outdoor Space!

Looking to shed some light outside? Whether you’re looking to add a twinkle to your deck, wanting to see your grill after dark, or seeking extra security, there are multiple ways to light up your outdoor space. Let’s weigh the pros and cons to help you find the best way that fits your needs.

 

Plug In Lights

Pros: The simplest and easiest way to brighten things up is as easy as plugging in a strand of string lights into an exterior outlet. Most building codes require a certain amount of outlets outside your home, and you’ll usually be able to find at least one near the front and back doors. With splitters, extension cords, or remote-plug ins, you can take full advantage of the outlets you have access to. 

 

Cons: If you decide to use extension cords, be sure to check that they are intended for outdoor use and be careful with how you utilize them. If used improperly, cords can not only be a trip hazard, but can pose worse risks like fire or shock hazards. 

 

Solar Lights

Pros: If an outlet isn’t accessible or you’re looking for something a little different, solar powered outdoor lights offer a variety of choices. Without wires or battery packs, they’re good for the environment and easy to place. From floodlights to path lights, you should be able to find the light for you without the stress of tangled cords or far-away outlets. 

 

Cons: Solar lights are easy and eco-friendly, but their placement is key. They need to have access to adequate sunlight to store power, which can even be impacted by weather if clouds obscure the amount of sunlight the receptors can gather. 

 

Wired Lights

Pros: Hardwiring outdoor lighting to its own circuit will give you the most consistent power source without the extra elements like outlets, extension cords, or the sun. This is a great option for your outdoor spaces, as it is more than a temporary option, can reach harder spaces like sheds and patios without the need of an outlet, and you won’t have to worry about hiding any ugly extension cords. 

Cons: DIY isn’t an option for wiring your outdoor space. To ensure your lighting looks great and works safely and properly, you’ll need a licensed electrician to do your wiring. But there’s a bright side to this con: Coffin Electric is here to help. Our team is made up of qualified licensed electricians who are happy to help you bring your vision of your outdoor space to life.

Categories
Safety

Energy & Money Saving Tips

Energy & Money Saving Tips 

With more technology being used day to day and temperatures outside increasing, you might be seeing your energy bills get a little bigger each month. If so, you might want to explore what you can do to reduce your energy usage in your home. 

 

Upgrade old or unreliable appliances

It might be time to get rid of that old refrigerator that doesn’t stay cold, or even just to replace those flickering lights. These appliances often aren’t energy-efficient and increase the risk of electrical fires. Using newer, correctly working, energy efficient appliances might be an investment, but it will be one that will save you money in the long run.

 

Cut back and unplug

Even with new or energy efficient appliances, you might not be able to make as much of a dent in your energy bill if you’re not using your appliances wisely. It’s always a good idea to unplug or power off power strips for devices or appliances you’re not using often in your day to day life. But your biggest culprits of energy usage in your home will be your air conditioning and heating system, so using these only when needed will help you save money and energy. Look out for nice days to open the windows and let in some fresh air!

 

Better bulbs

Flip the switch on your incandescent bulbs and replace them with LED bulbs or compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL). CFLs use 75% less energy than your average incandescent bulb and can last 10 times longer, while LEDs are 80% more efficient than incandescent bulbs. Either way, you’ll be happy you saw the light of energy-efficient bulbs. 

 

Watch out for air leaks 

After all of this hard work trying to make your home more energy-efficient, you can still lose energy to this problem! Air leaks are a huge source of energy loss in your home. Look around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, fixtures, switches, and outlets for telltale signs of air leaks–gaps, improper caulk or weatherstripping, and doors or windows that don’t close properly. Sealing these leaks is one of the quickest ways to save money and energy in your home.   

 

Get an electrician’s opinions 

When all else fails, getting an electrician to inspect your home can never hurt. Without a trained eye, there may be something you’re missing in your home’s electrical system that’s eating away at your energy usage. Coffin Electric is proud to provide professional, expert service and help you get the most out of your electrical system.