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Month: September 2020

What You Should Know About Recessed Lighting

Posted on by oleg

Recessed lighting is certainly an excellent lighting option for providing the highest quality illumination in every room of your home. Embedded into the ceilings, these lighting fixtures provide the brightest and most efficient lighting options you could want in your home along with many other benefits.

 

ADVANTAGES OF RECESSED LIGHTING

 

The lack of visible cords or other elements is surely a favored benefit by many with the simple fact that they provide a greater coverage area. Being spaced throughout the ceilings in your home, these lighting options are sure to easily light up nearly every corner of every room or space, uniformly. More often than not, homeowners choose this type of lighting in their living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms and even in their closets.

 

Yet another advantage of recessed lighting is that they are available in a wide range of styles. From an eyeball trim style that contributes to wall-wash lighting, to a reflector trim that is more suitable for popular mirrored surfaces, the styles available are many. Homeowners can tailor lighting options to fit with, not only, their home’s décor but also unique personalities as well.

 

Finally, recessed lighting is often used for highlighting various objects in your home including, but not limited to, valuable, attractive pieces of art- adding a whole lot of charm and ambiance to your artwork and to the rooms in your house.

 

DISADVANTAGES OF RECESSED LIGHTING

 

There aren’t many disadvantages to this popular lighting choice. Recessed lighting is unidirectional, meaning that you will more often than not need more than one light in order to properly light up the rooms in your home, but this also makes for creating a nice mood or vibe. Choosing the ideal lighting can be somewhat of a challenge, but when reaching out to Gervais Electric, Inc. you are sure to gain the insight and advice you need to make informed decisions that suit your individual needs best.

When it comes to the type of recessed lighting, LED is by far the best option. The new lights comes with a built in switch where you can change the type of brightness. You’ll also never need to replace lamps, as there is no lamp. Recessed lights produce no heat and are a sealed, so no heat or A/C can escape into or out of the cavity between floors or attic space.

 

THE PROFESSIONALS YOU CAN TRUST

 

Whether you are considering the installation of recessed lighting in your home or office, or are in need of high-quality electrical products and services, be sure to reach out to Gervais Electric, Inc. Our team of dedicated and highly skilled professionals are steadfast in their commitment to provide only the highest quality products and services to all our valued clients. Why delay? For all your electrical needs in Franklin and the surrounding towns, give a shout out to our friendly team of certified electricians today!

The Advantages of Electric Cars

Posted on by oleg

Many people are now turning their interest to electric cars and perhaps for all the right reasons. There are a number of reasons why these vehicles may be the ideal next purchase for most consumers. Gervais Electric, Inc. wants to take this opportunity to share some of the advantages with our valued clients, which include lower fuel costs, energy independence, and the power of contribution to a cleaner and safer environment. The cost to charge an electric vehicle ranges from $15 to $50 a month. How much money will you save if you were able to lower your fuel cost to $15-$50 for an entire month?

TOP BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC CARS

  • Minimized and even the alleviation of fuel costs – We are all familiar with the many trips to the gas station and how expensive that cost can be. With the fluctuating prices in gasoline, the costs can become quite a burden, and a challenge to many. When you purchase an electric car, you can stop worrying about the necessary trips to the gas station and the ongoing price increases as well. As we all know, electricity is a great deal less expensive than gasoline and comes with a pretty stable price tag, which ensures that price increases and swings are no longer a concern.

 

In addition, to this obvious benefit, costs can be reduced even further when you choose to install rooftop solar panels to charge your new vehicle. When you choose to produce your own electricity by way of solar panels, monthly electric bills no longer present with high increases. This may be an added investment that many consumers may want to consider.

 

  • Add to the safety and cleanliness of the environment – When you invest in electric cars you are reducing car emissions. When switching over to these innovative new cars, we help to reduce the amount of damage that is done to the environment and the earth. Carbon dioxide emissions that are emitted from traditional cars and trucks actually help to accelerate many of the climate changes we are witnessing today. Electric vehicles, on the other hand, do not release any carbon monoxide into the atmosphere when they are driven. In addition, hybrid electric cars use a vehicle battery to enhance the distance drivers are able to travel with an engine powered by gasoline.

Also, electric vehicles of all types can be fueled by electricity generated by a number of renewable sources such as hydropower, wind, and of course, solar. Gasoline, on the flip side, can only produce by way of extraction and transportation processes. Electric vehicles are built to be far more environmentally friendly and safer than typical vehicles with batteries that can be recycled. When you choose to invest in an electric vehicle you can easily reduce your carbon footprint and minimize the amount of pollution to help conserve our environment.

  • Now you can be energy independent – When you own a conventional vehicle of any sort, you are technically a slave to the gas pump since it is the only way to fuel your car or truck. However, with electric cars you simply connect to an electric grid. And the electricity generated provides the fuel needed. Electric vehicles also allow owners to become much more energy independent through the use of renewable electricity for fueling. When you match a solar PV system with your very own electric vehicle, you are able to produce electricity that is free from the sun. This makes your vehicle energy independent. Why go out and purchase gasoline week after week, day after day when you can enjoy the convenience and benefits of renewable electricity as your fuel source?

THE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS YOU CAN TRUST

For more information on electric cars, energy independence, and other benefits of an electric vehicle investment, be sure to reach out to Gervais Electric, Inc. Our team of dedicated professionals has been putting charger stations in homes and at business locations since 2012, and we stand ready to answer all your questions!

What You Should Know About A Home Electrical Safety Inspection

Posted on by oleg

We all use an abundant amount of electricity in our homes every day. Whether baking your favorite dessert, blow drying your hair, washing clothes, or surfing the web, we all rely heavily on electricity. With that said, it is important that all your appliances, devices and electrical outlets function at peak levels and any risks of electrical fires are minimized. One way to ensure that your home and family are safe is by way of an electrical safety inspection.

 

WHEN SHOULD YOU INVEST IN A HOME ELECTRICAL SAFETY INSPECTION?

 

Certainly, scheduling an inspection can provide you with the peace of mind you need to know that both your home and family are safe and there are no risks for electrical fires. The Electrical Safety Foundation highly recommends that homeowners perform an electrical safety inspection if any of the following scenarios exist:

 

  • A home is 40+ years old.
  • You are purchasing a new home.
  • Multiple renovations are being performed on your home.
  • A homeowner purchases and installs new appliances in their home.

HOME DEFECTS THAT CAN HINDER YOUR PASSING AN ELECTRICAL INSPECTION

 

There are a number of specific defects that, when present in your home, can keep you from passing an electrical safety inspection. If you are attempting to sell your home or are simply wanting to ensure the safety of your family, it is important that none of the following common defects are present in your home:

 

  • Carbon monoxide detectors that are not functioning or no detectors at all.
  • Improperly functioning smoke alarms or the lack of such alarms.
  • Outdated knob and tube wiring.
  • Overcrowded wires.
  • Wires that are spliced illegally.
  • The installation of new lights into very old wiring.

 

If any of these defects are present in your home it is important you resolve these issues before scheduling an inspection, whether you are looking to sell your home or simply want to ensure the safety of your home and family.

 

CODE COMPLIANT REQUIREMENTS

 

There are specific codes that must be compliant in each of the rooms in your house. Below are specific requirements for the various rooms in your home.

 

  • Bathroom requirements would include combination fan and light having its own 20-amp circuit. All outlets in the bathroom must be GFCI and light fixtures in a shower area must be covered with a lens and be moisture resistant.

 

 

  • Kitchen requirements would include microwaves, refrigerators, dishwashers and garbage disposals, all having their own circuit. In addition, there should be two receptacle circuits located above a countertop. Finally, the oven, electric range or cooktop must have its own dedicated 240-amp circuit.

 

  • The living room, dining room and bedrooms would all have similar requirements. Wall switches that control ceiling lights or outlets where lamps are plugged in need to be installed near to the entry door. Outlets should also be installed not more than 12 feet apart from one another and any ceiling fixtures should be controlled by a wall switch and not a pull chain mechanism.

 

  • The laundry room requirements would include washers and dryers having their own 20-amp receptacle, with the electric dryer having its own 240-volt circuit.

 

  • Staircases and hallways have their own set of electrical codes primarily because they serve as a safe way out of the home, should there be a need to get out. Whether from a fire, severe storm, or any other emergency situation, it is important to ensure that all codes are compliant. For starters, if a hallway is longer than 10 feet there should be an outlet installed for miscellaneous purposes and sufficient lighting all along the staircase. If the stairway winds or turns there should be additional lighting installed as well. Finally, there should be three-way switches installed at the top and bottom of the stairway and at each end of the hallway.

 

THE PROFESSIONALS YOU CAN TRUST

 

If you are thinking of selling your home, or want to take steps to ensure the safety of your home and family, then surely you have come to the right place. Gervais Electric takes pride in providing all our valued clients with the highest quality electrical products and services and that includes performing a home electrical safety inspection to ensure your home is up to code. To learn more about electrical inspections or to schedule your home inspection, be sure to reach out to our highly skilled and certified team of friendly professionals today.