Author: oleg

We have become so highly dependent upon electricity in our daily lives that a power outage is debilitating to most of us. From the simple loss of lighting to more pressing issues like our food spoiling and suffering with the indoor heat or cold—the level of inconvenience experienced when the electricity goes out is beyond measure. It is also important to recognize that certain electrical problems can cause losses and danger to your home and family.

At Gervais Electric, Inc. we take tremendous pride in our top-rated products and services. We want to take this opportunity to offer our valued clients insight on some of the most common electrical problems that occur during the hot summer months.

The summer season certainly aggravates the many electrical issues that homeowners find themselves faced with. Here is a helpful list of common issues you may very well face this summer and some tips on how to avoid them.

INCREASED ELECTRICAL OVERLOAD

• When sparks from plugs, flickering lights, overheated receptacles, buzzing sounds, and tripped circuit breakers are present, rest assure overloading has occurred. In the summertime, your air conditioning is on a good majority of the time, if not every day. In addition, people tend to use more appliances in the summer months as well. If you find yourself faced with these scenarios this summer, then perhaps it’s time to upgrade your electrical panel, which will not only resolve the problems but keep your home and family safe.

POWER OUTAGES DUE TO SUMMER STORMS

• Although mostly beautiful weather, summer also brings with it wind, lightning and thunderstorms. Wind storms can cause damage to the electrical wires outside of your house, resulting in disruption to the supply of electricity to your home. Thunder and lightning storms often cause sudden power surges that ultimately result in overloading and can even cause damage to the electrical appliances and devices in your home. If faced with these situations, please do not attempt to resolve the electrical problems on your own, but rather reach out to our highly skilled and licensed electricians to identify problems and provide effective solutions. One ideal solution to storm problems may very well be to invest and install a surge protector device or power regulator in your home.

CONSISTENT POWER SURGES

• When power-demanding electrical appliances such as air conditioners, stoves, and refrigerators are all in use at the same time they draw a lot of power and can contribute to overloading. Surges can occur because of lightning storms as well.   Whatever the source of the problem, if the power surges are excessive they can, over time, result in electrical fires. For this reason, be sure to turn off and unplug appliances and devices during a lightning storm. To minimize the risk of overload and fires, again we recommend you invest and install surge protectors in your home.

BLACKOUTS AND BROWNOUTS

• With summer storms comes blackouts. Typically, blackouts occur during these massive storms and homeowners are often left without a power supply for hours and in some cases, even days. Being proactive in this situation by investing in a backup generator will keep you out of the dark during a massive storm. Brownouts are much different than blackouts. They occur when your power supply is interfered with causing a minimized supply of power to your appliances and devices. Brownouts can cause overheating of appliances and devices which often results in a short circuit. You should make certain to turn off and unplug as many devices and appliances during a brownout and know that the backup generator you purchase for blackouts will also come in handy with brownouts.

With summer right around the corner, we thought it useful to make our clients aware of the common electrical problems that can occur and offer a few practical yet simple solutions to each. Remember, whether summer, spring, winter or fall, if you need a reliable, professional licensed electrician then we are the team for you. At Gervais Electric we stand ready to serve you with all your electrical needs. Simply give a call out to our experts today. We look forward to serving you and to providing you with the best all round products and services this side of Tennessee. Don’t delay. Contact us today!!

Spring is here, and many homeowners are planning home improvement projects. Whether your home upgrade includes an addition to your garage, an addition to your living space, remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, or new lighting upgrades, it’s important to give focus to upgrading your overall electrical service as well. Home improvement projects not only enhance the appearance of your home but can also add value when you’re ready to sell your home. All competent inspectors look at the quality and age of your electrical service in your home when they make their final assessments.

Sometimes when planning home improvement projects, electrical panels, meter boxes and service wires are completely overlooked. If signs of age or wear and tear are visible, you could have major problems down the road. We suggest addressing these electrical service issues sooner rather than later. Upgrades can minimize possibilities of property damage or tragic accidents and save you money in the long run.

When you perform home improvements you run the risk of not having enough electrical power to run your home. In today’s world, a home should be equipped with at least a 200-amp service. In comparison, much older homes were typically equipped with only 60 amps of service. When you have insufficient amperage in the home, it can lead to breakers or fuses tripping, which is frustrating as you may already know.

There are many houses that still have very old fuse boxes in their basements. This typically means that the home is not wired correctly for today’s style of living. When fuses start blowing or breakers start tripping, many people think they simply must go out and buy a bigger fuse. But this is far from the truth. It won’t solve the problem, but rather adds to it. Upgrading your electrical panel and electrical service is necessary for the overall comfort and safety of your home and family.

The highly skilled and certified electricians here at Gervais Electric stand ready to serve the middle Tennessee area. Utilizing the most innovative and state of the art products and techniques, our expert team is equipped to handle any residential or commercial electrical projects. If you are performing home improvements or remodeling projects, the timing for electrical upgrades should be perfect. Open walls help make our process that much easier. However, this is not the only time to give focus to upgrading your wires and electrical service. Even if the existing walls are not being opened, we can still install new wiring with closed walls as well. There is no project too big or too small for our professionals.

Give a call to our professional electricians today at 615-973-1436 and schedule a free consultation. At Gervais Electric, our customers are our number one priority. We look forward to serving you.

Electricity provides great benefits and comforts to us. Can you imagine living without it? Though its uses are infinite, electricity is one of the most dangerous elements in our everyday lives. It is essential that your electrical systems are grounded. If they are not, the risks can be detrimental. Here are some vitalfacts about grounded electrical currents that most people don’t know.

Understanding Electricity

Wherever there is an electrical circuit, you have both an active wire that supplies power and a neutral wire that carries a current back. A grounding wire, whether attached to an outlet or other electrical device, should be securely connected at the breaker box to the ground. The grounding wire serves as an extra path for an electrical current to safely return to the ground without causing danger to anyone should a short circuit occur.   When a short circuit occurs, the current flows through the grounding wire causing a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse. If that current was not grounded, a tragic shock would likely take place.

Top 4 Reasons Grounded Electrical Currents are Important

There are a variety of reasons why grounding electricity is critically important. These are the primary reasons why you should ensure your electrical system is properly grounded.

• Protects against electrical overloads – Grounding electrical currents protects your home, your appliances and your family from surges in electricity. If the power in your home was to surge for any reason at all, or if lightning was to strike, high voltages of electricity would be produced in your electrical system. However, if your system is grounded, all the additional electricity that is generated simply goes into the ground rather than causing severe damage to everything that is connected to your electrical system.
• Helps stabilize voltage levels – When your electrical system is grounded it makes the task of distributing the right amount of power to all the right places much easier. This can contribute greatly to ensuring that circuits are not overloaded or at any one time blown.
• Helps guide electricity – A grounded electrical system allows for power to be directed exactly where it is needed. Electrical currents are then allowed to travel safely and efficiently throughout your entire system.
• Helps prevent damage, injury and even death – When your electrical system is not grounded you put all your appliances connected to the system at risk of being damaged and even destroyed. An ungrounded system could overload causing fire, extreme property damage and even physical injuries or death.

It is important to create a safe and efficient electrical system in your home. By ensuring your electrical system is properly grounded, you provide protection against fluctuations in your power supply. In addition, you can rest assured your family and belongings are safe. If you live in an older home or suspect a shoddy electrical job was performed, take time out to have your system professionally inspected. The team at Gervais Electric stands ready to help make sure your home and family are safe from any electrical tragedies. We provide quality products and services that will simply not be matched by any of our competitors.

Get in touch with us below if you have any questions. One of our professionals would be happy to speak with you about any concerns you may have. We look forward to serving you!

We all rely on electricity. It is important to at least be familiar with potential dangers and how to identify possible electrical hazards. Electrical fires and electrocutions happen more frequently than you may know. Most of them are preventable. Knowing commonly found electrical hazards will help ensure the health and safety of your home and family.

Water

We all know that water and electricity should never be mixed. Even still, there are occasions when a simple mistake can result in serious injury. Simply turning on your curling iron or hair dryer while your hands are wet could have serious consequences. It is critical that you never touch electrical outlets or appliances of any kind when your hands are wet! Also, be sure to keep any cords away from water sources such as bathtubs, sinks, spas or pools. And always take appropriate steps to ensure that your hands and feet are completely dry before you touch any type of electronics.

Damaged Wires and Cords

If you notice any cords in your home that are frayed, corroded, melted, or have turned black in color, don’t use them. If you can see wires on the inside showing, the odds of suffering a shock, burn or even a fire are increased. As a rule of thumb, if you have damaged cords or wires, do not attempt to fix or mend them. Replace them altogether or contact a professional electrician to help.

Extension Cords

Extension cords can be really handy, and most people use them. However, they should not be used for extended periods of time. Extension cords are meant to be used temporarily and should always be unplugged when they are not in use. When running an extension cord, we also warn you not to run them through your home’s ceilings or walls because this can easily result in overheating and a dangerous electrical fire. If you are constantly in need of using an extension cord, reach out to our qualified electricians here at Gervais Electric and have additional wall outlets installed.

Children and Pets

There is one last hazard, possibly the most important one, we’d like to point out to you. Curious children or even pets are susceptible to shock or worse. Most electrical outlets are positioned and installed near the floor, which makes them easily accessible to our little ones. Though you cannot move the outlets themselves, you can place plastic covers over each of the outlets or plastic plug-ins to safeguard your children and animals. These covers can help stop kids from poking fingers, toys or other objects inside outlets. Also, keep in mind how curious your pets can be and take steps to keep loose wires and cords away from where your pets can easily get to them.

Using these simple but practical tips to minimize the electrical hazards will help safeguard your family, pets and home from serious electrocutions or fires. To learn more about how to protect your family and home, consult with the professionals at Gervais Electric today or read more here on our blog. And don’t forget, whatever your electrical needs may be, no matter how big or small a project you have, Gervais Electric are the ideal team for you. We look forward to serving you with all your family’s electrical needs—winter, spring, summer or fall. Don’t delay. Contact us today!

When it comes to electricity in our homes, we can all agree that our safety is paramount. High utility bills, flickering lights or surges and even faulty appliances are some common electrical problems homeowners deal with. Identifying these problems and repairing them is critical to the overall safety of your home and family. We have put together a helpful list of problems to be on the lookout for.

• Frequent Electrical Surges – There are a number of factors that can cause electrical surges in the home—lightning, faulty appliances, damage to outdoor power lines and bad electrical wiring in the home to name a few. Though an electrical surge lasts but a second or two, frequent surges can cause damage to a variety of electrical components connected to your home, especially larger home appliances such as refrigerators, computers and air conditioning units.
• Malfunctioning Light Switches – Switches that do not work properly can usually be attributed to either sub-standard products or poor workmanship. Switch issues may be the result of a newly installed switch elsewhere in the home or even fixtures that have been removed. Most of the time it is the result of a fault in an outlet, circuit or the wiring.
• Dips in Power – Much like electrical surges, dips in your home’s electrical supply can be the result of faulty devices connected to your power grid or devices made with sub-standard materials. These devices are likely drawing power away from other electronics when they are switched on.
• Tripped Circuit Breakers– Microwaves and hairdryers and other high wattage devices can easily trip the circuit breakers, especially if several power-consuming items are being used on the same circuit. When your circuit breaker trips, take a look at what you are using at the time and take steps to relegate that going forward.
• Lights are Either Too Bright or Too Dim – If you notice lights in your home that are too bright while others are too dim then you have one of two problems. Lights with different wattages or a compromised main neutral connection. It is recommended that you do not attempt to fix the problem on your own as doing so can be quite dangerous.
• Electrical Shocks – The primary cause of electrical shocks is that the electricity is not being properly utilized. A shock usually occurs when you turn an appliance on or off. This can be a problem with the appliance itself or bad wiring. Either way, don’t attempt to repair it on your own. Getting electrocuted can be tragic!
• High Electric Bills – If you are experiencing unusually high electric bills, it may be because of a single appliance that’s working overtime. You may also want to take time out to determine which electrical appliances and devices are accountable for multiple power surges you are experiencing and replace them. Furthermore, you may want to unplug devices, chargers and appliances when they are not in use. Look into having faulty or damaged wiring and circuits repaired or replaced to help lower those electric bills.
• Light Bulbs Burning Out Quickly – The wattage on your bulbs may be too high for the lamp or fixture, the bulb may be the wrong type for the fixture, insulation may be too close to the light, bad wiring may exist on the mains or on the circuit, or a poor connection exists on the circuit. Overall, if you are going through an excessive number of light bulbs, then it’s best to contact an electrician to solve the problem.

If you are experiencing any of these common electrical problems in your home and they continue to persist, then it’s time to call in the professionals. That’s where the experts at Gervais Electric, Inc. come in. Get in touch with us today so we can help diagnose and identify your issues. We take tremendous pride in providing all our clients with peace of mind and safety assurance and look forward to serving you with all your electrical needs. Don’t delay. Contact us today!!