Are ceiling fans worth the investment?
Are ceiling fans worth the investment?
Ceiling fans effectively circulate the air in a room to create a draft throughout the room. If you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort. In temperate climates, or during moderately hot weather, ceiling fans may allow you to avoid using your air conditioner altogether. Install a fan in each room that needs to be cooled during hot weather. Turn off ceiling fans when you leave a room; fans cool people, not rooms, by creating a wind chill effect.
Let’s do the math. An air conditioner costs $0.36 per hour, and a ceiling fan only $0.01 per hour. If air conditioning costs are lowered even by a few cents per hour, fans could still be worth it. On average, ceiling fans can help save four to eight percent on cooling costs when combined with an air conditioner.
If you live in a climate where you can use fans instead of air conditioning on marginally hot days, then ceiling fans could be a very worthwhile investment.
While ceiling fans providebetter circulation of cool air and a wind-chill effect, they can still amount to wasted money and energy if no one is enjoying these benefits. For example, don’t:
- Install fans in rooms that aren’t used very often;
- Keep fans running after everyone leaves a room; and
- Turn on fans whenever the lights are on, even if the fan is not needed.
Electric Blanket Safety
Now that cooler weather has arrived, So like to use electric blankets. Is your new electric blanket safe to use?
DO
- Choose an electric blanket that conforms to Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards. This safety certification organization has been testing products and establishing standards for over 100 years.
- Lay the heated area of the electric blanket flat rather than folded or balled up so the heat doesn’t become too intense.
- Place the blanket on top of you, not under you, to prevent damaging the blanket’s internal coils. Keep other items such as books, pillows and stuffed animals off of the blanket so heat has a way to escape.
- Keep pets away from electric blankets, especially while in use. A sharp claw or tooth could puncture the cord insulation or damage the wires.
- Turn off the electric blanket when no one is using it. Most models have no internal temperature control, so they will not automatically turn off if they overheat.
- Loosely wrap the control cords around the blanket when folding it up for storage.
- Turn off and unplug the electric blanket immediately if you see smoke or smell something burning. Blanket discoloration could indicate melting or burning internal elements.
DON’T
- Don’t use if one area of the blanket becomes overheated or you see a scorch mark on the blanket.
- Don’t use electric blankets on infants or toddlers, people with disabilities, or anyone who can’t operate the heating controls themselves.
- Don’t use an electric blanket all night unless it is specifically rated for safe overnight use.
- Don’t run the power cord between the mattress and the box spring when using the electric blanket in bed. This could damage or heat up the cord and potentially cause a fire.
- Don’t twist or pinch the control cords since this could damage them. This is also means you shouldn’t use electric blankets with adjustable hospital beds, sofa sleepers, or Murphy beds where the cords could become pinched in the bed-folding mechanisms.
- Don’t use an electric blanket on a waterbed.
- Don’t use an electric blanket and a heated mattress pad at the same time. The combined warmth could cause overheating and possibly start a fire.
- Don’t wash your electric blanket. The twisting and tugging motions of a washing machine are almost certain to damage the internal coils.
- Don’t iron your electric blanket. This could melt the cord insulation.
- Don’t dry clean your electric blanket. Solvents used in dry cleaning could damage the cord insulation.
It may seem like using an electric blanket comes with many do’s and don’ts, but most of them are fairly common sense. Use your electric blanket safely and you’ll enjoy added warmth and coziness this winter.
Do You Need A Backup Generator?
Do You Need A Backup Generator?
No one likes losing power for an extended period of time. It’s not only inconvenient, but it can also be destructive – the temperature of your home drops significantly, food in your refrigerator and freezer can go bad, just to name a few. The wrath of a storm is nothing to mess with, so having a backup generator is a popular investment for homeowners that want to stay powered up, no matter what’s happening around them.
What Is a Backup Generator?
A backup generator is a permanent installation in a home that will provide uninterrupted electrical backup for days. They are connected to the home’s electrical panel but powered by external fuel, such as diesel, natural gas, or propane. Large systems can power a whole home with ease.
The generator has an internal switch that disconnects the home from utility services once it detects an interruption, then it will transfer power to the home’s electrical panel. Once the power comes back on, the switch will shut off and the home will be reconnected to the grid. Generators are popular for families with small children who do not want interrupted service, as well as those who work out of the home and need access to power all the time.
Why Install a Generator?
Generators bring a sense of safety and security to a home or business during natural disasters as well as other situations. In your house, generator power can bring light during a summer storm, and heat if the power is lost during winter. If power is lost in your community for an extended period of time, a home generator can save you the expense of having to relocate, allowing you to continue your day-to-day life in comfort.
Generators are designed for homes, large or small, and to meet the needs of whole-house or partial backup power. Homeowners can choose to use a portable generator or a permanent standby generator. A generator always needs to be wired into your home electrical panel by a certified, licensed electrician. Your local inspector will check the installation to protect not only your safety, but also the lineman’s safety when they are working on the electrical lines during an outage. Improper wiring or installation is very dangerous and can even be fatal.
Proper placement of the generator is also of high importance. Generators of either kind should be 10 feet or further away from the house and have three or four feet of breathing room between it and surrounding objects on all sides.
Why A Standby Generator is Better
1. You don’t have to do a thing when the power goes out.
When the lights go dark, a standby generator will start up in a matter of seconds, giving power to the fridge, microwave and air conditioner. There’s no searching for the portable generator, fuel and extension cord. Newer installed models will even send you a report about the power outage, telling you when the generator kicked on, how long it was used, and when the power came back. This can be especially helpful if you’re out of town when the power goes out.
2.They last longer than portable generators.
How long your portable generator lasts depends mainly on one thing – how much fuel you have on-hand. Installed generators connect directly to your fuel source, natural gas or liquid propane, allowing for longer run-times and enough electricity for reliable backup power for your home.
3.They’re the safer option.
If you don’t know much about electricity, a portable generator can pose a safety hazard. Most models require you to calculate the proper voltage for your appliances and remember to disconnect the utility power after a power outage. Permanently installed generators are set up by electrical contractors, who will pre-wire the circuits. The generator’s automatic transfer switch will sense when the power goes out, or is unstable, and will switch itself on, while disconnecting utility power. When utility power comes back, the generator will reverse the process, with no work needed from you.
Winter Electrical Safety
Winter Electrical Safety
The use of electricity understandably increases during winter when sunlight is limited, the days are shorter and the temperatures down to freezing. The need for warmth and the desire to stay indoors translates to an increase in the use of electricity, which in turn increases the risks that are associated with electricity.
Make sure you have functioning Carbon Monoxide Detectors.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless gas that kills at high concentrations and causes irreversible injuries at lower levels. Since CO comes from the burning of fossil fuel, Carbon Monoxide poisoning more frequently occurs during winter.
Signs of Carbon Monoxide exposure:
- Dizziness
- Shortness of Breath
- Nausea
- Vision Problems
- Rapid Heartbeat
Ignoring these symptoms can be fatal. Even at low levels, the damage caused by Carbon Monoxide exposure can lead to lifelong health problems.
Use space heaters safely and sparingly.
Due to the cold winter weather, you need to find additional ways to stay warm. For both financial and safety reasons, you shouldn’t rely on these supplemental options long term.
- Keep anything flammable away from the space heater front, including paper, drapes, pillows, blankets.
- Supervise children around save heaters. Space heaters can be a burn or shock hazard.
- Make sure the space heater plug is in good shape. A beaten-up plug can start fires.
- Do not run cords underneath area rugs. This can start a fire.
- never plug one into an extension cord or power strip.
Electric Blankets and Heating Pads
- Electric blankets and heating pads should never be used together on a bed.
- Get into the habit of inspecting your electric blanket or pad for flaws or fraying wires before you plug them in.
- Never tuck an electric blanket under a mattress, or cover with another blanket or layer.
- Be sure to follow instructions provided by the manufacturer before plugging in and using your blanket or pad.
Don’t overload circuits or wattage.
Despite the darker days, only use the recommended wattage for your light fixture. Don’t overload wall outlets and only plug three-prong cords into three-prong outlets. Use extension cords only for temporary purposes.
The most obvious sign of an electrical circuit overload is a breaker tripping and shutting off all the power. Other signs can be less noticeable:
- Dimming lights, especially if lights dim when you turn on appliances or more lights.
- Buzzing outlets or switches.
- Outlet or switch covers that are warm to the touch.
- Burning odors from outlets or switches.
- Scorched plugs or outlets.