It’s getting darker earlier and earlier these days, but we still want to enjoy our gardens, patios, porches, and pathways.  Now a days, the best way to do that is with energy efficient LED Light bulbs.  A good quality LED bulb will last an extremely long time and cost much less in energy cost then the traditional incandescent light bulbs.   

And, the best thing about the LED bulb lately is that there are so many options to choose from.  You can use them in your landscape lighting, patio, and security lighting.  As electricians, we are always happy to help people choose the right bulb for the right application. 

Even decorative and Christmas lighting are available in LED.  If you like to decorate with Holiday Lights, you know what that can do to your power bill.  Purchasing LED Holiday lighting can cost a bit more up front but your savings will accumulate year after year.   Call an Boise electrician to put in handy under eve receptacles and your holiday lighting projects are now no stress!  Nothing is more festive than a string of colored lights, no matter what the occasion.

Same Day electric would be happy to help you not only with your electrical repairs, lighting additions, and extra outdoor outlets, but all of our licensed Boise electricians are dedicated to green products and energy and money saving ideas for our customers.  We also recommend solar options where low lighting is needed for pathways and ponds.  With solar there’s no  power needed but you won’t get the brightness necessary for security or porch lighting. 

Stop by  Same Day Electric’s new location on the corner of Chinden & 43^rd St in Garden City and talk to us about your electrical, lighting, or solar needs. 

Making sure your Home and Business are Electrically Safe

Every year faulty wiring causes lost to homes and business, but more importantly it can cause harm to your family and employees.  There are ways to make sure your home and business is electrically safe.

A couple things that a home or business owner can look for before calling a Boise Electrician are:

Check all your outlets.  Look for cracked receptacles, black areas, warm or hot receptacles or loose wires.  It’s a good idea to put child safety plugs in unused sockets.

Also, look for any exposed wires.  Exposed wires can be extremely dangerous.

Once you have done a visual inspection, its time to call a qualified electrician.  They can provide you with an extensive inspection of your electrical system.  An expert Boise electrician can see and spot things that don’t look right or may need upgrading for your safety.  They will check attic and crawl spaces for loose, exposed wire, and exposed connections.  All electrical connections should be contained within a junction box.

An experienced Boise electrician will check your electrical panel for any concerns.  He will rejuvenate your system and tighten all connections.  He will check to make sure breakers are working correctly, check for arching that can be caused by loose breakers, and check your bus bars for pitting.  Pitting on the bus bar will cause weakening and is a serious problem that should not be overlooked.

Electrical safety is a must for every home and business and is something that should not be taken lightly. If you know you have faulty wiring, something doesn’t appear to look right, or you are experiencing any electrical odors, then you need to get it fixed. Do not delay; many electricians are set up for fast response and same day service. 

What should I do if I lose power in my house, or business?

The first thing is to ask yourself what was going on when you lost power. Did I have something plugged in that I haven’t had plugged in for a while?  Sometimes an appliance, or a piece of equipment can cause power failure.  If you unplug the device and then reset the breaker, and the breaker holds then you have a bad piece of equipment or appliance.

How do I reset my breaker? If you lose power to part of your Home or Business (not a complete power failure where you have no power at all anywhere), then you may have a breaker tripped. Tripped breakers will look like a breaker that has been turned half way off. Push the breaker all the way to off and then back to the on position. If the breaker does not reset than you need to call a Boise electrician. The reason why your breaker won’t reset is because you may have a short circuit in your wiring somewhere.

 Here at Same Day Electric, we train our electricians once a week in trouble shooting faulty wiring issues, panel equipment, and appliances. Our Boise electricians are the best troubleshooters in the country. Not only because of our training, but because we trouble shoot hundreds of homes and business a year, we know what to look for. This not only saves you down time, it also saves you money.     

Licensed Boise Electricians

The consumer often asks when hiring an electrician to work in their home or business "Are you a licensed Boise electrician"?  This is a good question but don't stop there.  In the state of Idaho you are required to be licensed as an journeyman electrician to do electrical work for customers.  So having "a licensed electrician" to do your electrical work is essential but it's not enough. There a few more questions that every consumer should ask before letting someone work in your home.  Do you have Liability Insurance (both property damage and bodily injury) and Workman’s Compensation Insurance?  Liability Insurance would cover damages to your home or office if the Electrician did something that caused it to be damaged.  Ask to see proof; a reputable contractor will have no problem producing a certificate of Insurance for both the Liability and workman’s comp.  Be aware that home owners are sued for injuries on their property. Most Home Owner Insurance Policies exclude outside contractors, so it is critical to make sure there is proper and adequate coverage. Don't be fooled by the contractor who says he doesn't need insurance because he is self-employed.

I know this topic has been talked about numerous times in the past, but I think it's a good idea to bring it up again.  Everybody is looking for a good deal in these tough economic times but don't put your home or family at risk for that good deal. 

Here are a few scenarios:

You may have an out of work Boise electrician that lives down the street, he works cheap but be aware of the risk.  Yes, he has a license but that’s not going to help you if something goes wrong. 

What about the Boise electrician that works for a company that carries all the Insurances but you hire him to do side work?  You are not under the umbrella of the company he works for and their Insurance Policy would not cover the work he preformed in your home. 

Low bids.  Low bids can be a sign of an Boise electrical contractor that is not insured or under insured.  Today, insurance is a significant cost to any electrical project.  A Contractor working without insurance can give you a low bid but will be putting you at great risk.  

Ask questions, ask for proof of insurances, ask about their experience, ask for references. There is more than price when it comes to hiring an Boise electrician do work in your home.

 http://www.iic.idaho.gov/