Babies are cute little beings, but their inquisitiveness can breed problems if not look into on time. One of such issues or risks associated with having babies in the house is electricity accidents and injuries. You can be cajoled to think the biggest risks to your baby are outside your apartment; you will be surprised to be wrong. 

There are many hazards a baby can encounter in the home, and how you will ensure you keep things right before any problem occur is what we will discuss in this piece.

Steps to childproofing your home’s electric system

Put kitchen appliances out of reach

For all the goodness that comes from the kitchen, your baby can also experience electrical hazards in there. So, here is what you should do: store your electric appliances in cabinets and keep the top spaces free. This will ensure wandering hands can’t drag anything to the floor.

If your appliances have to be in the open, then ensure that they are not at the edge of the counter. Make sure they are switched off at the wall, and the power cables are well hidden. When you are cooking, cultivate the habit of putting the handle of your frying pans facing the wall.

Inspect power cords

No thanks to the modern home setting, your home is probably riddled with power cords. And these cords are liable to wear and tear after usage for years. As these cords get twisted, their insulating sheath can be damaged and expose the conductive wires.

Bearing this in mind, you should inspect your power cables regularly for signs of fraying. If the damage is severe, you should change it. Other means you can childproof your home is to make the cables less accessible by putting them behind heavy rugs or furniture. If that isn’t possible, then you should use cable chips to reroute them.

Invest in electrical outlet caps

You can’t beat a child’s inquisitiveness; the best is to keep things out of their way. Power outlets, especially ones that are below the waist level, are susceptible to a child and can ultimately hurt them.

The right thing to do is to buy some electrical outlet caps. These protective outlet plugs are not costly and offer an easy solution to eradicate the chances of your child experiencing a severe electric shock.

Restrict access to some parts of the house

Despite all we have discussed earlier, it might still be difficult to keep a child completely from hurting himself. In that situation, it is best to restrict access to those parts of the house. The laundry room or garages for instance are places in the house with sharp and dangerous electric appliances. And your child has no business being there, so keep them off.

Conclusion

You need those electric appliances, but they are also dangerous to your child, so you must do all there is to do to ensure they both live in peace. If that includes employing the services of a professional like Brunelli Electrician to help you, please do. Brunelli Electrician will ensure you have protective gear and tools in place, and in the event of an accident, you will be informed on the right steps to take. Contact us today by giving us a call at 508-400-5571 or by filling out a contact form!

Light-emitting diodes, better known as LEDs, are ninety percent more efficient at light production than incandescent light bulbs. That is because LED lighting works by passing an electrical current through a microchip. As the current passes through the microchip, it illuminates the tiny LED light which produces the visible light. The absorption of its heat prevents performance issues of the LEDs lighting into a heat sink.

LED lights do not “burn out.” Instead, they experience “lumen depreciation” by their brightness slowly dimming over time. For this reason, the lifetime of the LED lighting is based on a prediction of when the output of light will decrease by thirty percent.

Now that you know a little more about how LED lights work, you may be wondering the best uses for them.  

 Uses of LED Lighting 

1. Everyday uses in the home

LED bulbs can be found in various shapes including recessed lighting as well as watts and lumens that have been converted for everyday uses. LED bulbs can replace a regular light fixture such as a lamp that has been burned out. They can also replace traditional bulbs in floodlights that light porches, driveways, patios, decks, and backyards.

You can also replace desk lights and reading lamps in your home office with LED lighting to provide better visibility. 

An advantage of the LED bulb is that it uses thirteen to fifteen percent of the electricity that a standard light bulb uses. Traditional bulbs may last hundreds of hours, but a LED bulb lasts tens of thousands of hours.

2. Workplace Lighting 

A study was conducted at the Harvard School of Medicine to determine if there were benefits of using LED lighting in the workplace. It was shown in the results of the study that the workers were more alert, exhibited better performance, maintained a more positive mood, were able to concentrate better and were more alert by the end of the workday when they were working in an environment that was lit by LED blue-enriched white light.

3. Community Places 

LED lights oftentimes replace public space lighting and streetlights. This saves the costs of lighting public places for the local governments. More than just the cost efficiency, LED lighting is brighter than traditional lighting and is, therefore, safer as well. Communities that are using these to light their streets, parking lots, stadiums, parks, and other public locations are benefiting not only from significant energy savings but also a considerable reduction in crime because of the increased visibility. 

4. Flashlights

The LED flashlight has made its arrival. LED flashlights are incredibly durable and reliable, they also consume low amounts of energy, making them the current choice of flashlight. These flashlights use the same size of battery as the traditional flashlights, but they last much longer. There are even LED flashlights that no longer need a battery at all, simply charge it by hand cranking. These flashlights are much more durable and will last a lifetime.

5. Automobile Lights

It is becoming much more common for car manufacturers to use LED lights for the interior and exterior lights of the car. The LED bulb takes only milliseconds to respond, whereas the incandescent bulb takes several tenths of a second to illuminate fully. Although it could seem as if a few tenths of a second are not very important, when you are traveling at highway speed, you will travel ten to forty feet before the brake lights up. Therefore, LED brake lights provide increased safety, as they warn drivers quicker. This makes rear-end collisions less likely.

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of LED lighting or want to install LED lighting in your home or place of business, contact Brunelli Electrician! Give us a call at 508-400-5571 or fill out a contact form.

A home remodel can either be a simple affair, or it can entail a detailed transformation with complex parts and significant considerations. Careful planning is generally required if you are remodeling your home and would like to avoid certain mishaps that could prove costly. With your remodeling plans, one question that may be asking yourself is, ‘Do I need an electrical upgrade too?’ The answer to this question depends on your home and the type of remodeling project you plan on carrying out.

You Need an Electrical Upgrade at the Same Time as Your Home Remodeling Project

Chances are, if your home is an older structure, it may already be due for an electrical upgrade if one was not done recently or depending on the date of the last upgrade. If your home’s electrical demands have increased, but your current electrical system doesn’t appropriately support it, you should get an upgrade while doing your remodeling project. Maybe you need to get your electrical system updated to meet building codes and ensure that new appliances, outlets, and switches and other additions won’t pose a safety risk. It’s smart to upgrade your electrical system while doing your home remodel since it will save you time and money. The electrical work can be done while the home remodeling project is taking place and not afterward. You want to avoid reopening walls and panels that you just paid contractors plenty of money to put together.

If You Need an Electrical Upgrade

Keep in mind that it’s typically more cost-effective and far safer to perform an electrical upgrade on your home when tackling your remodeling project. Major remodeling projects usually require some consideration into electrical upgrades, but individual homes or remodeling projects differ. If remodeling specific spaces, like home offices, kitchens, entertainment rooms, and bathrooms, you should consider an electrical upgrade.

Need More Power

While kitchens and bathrooms are two of the most popular spaces that are renovated in the home, other spaces, like additional rooms, home offices, workshops, are spaces that you should also keep in mind when it comes to an electrical upgrade. It doesn’t matter if these spaces are entirely new or freshly renovated; it’s crucial to have an electrical system that adequately supports these different spaces. You may need new wiring and a new electrical panel. Kitchens tend to have several outlets and having an electrical system that is efficient enough to support the different appliances and gadgets and multiple plug-ins at the same time is crucial. If these outlets are not appropriately spaced – 6 feet away from obstruction or a break in the wall based on today’s building codes – this could create a hazard.

 

If you have a home remodeling project coming up, whether large or small scale, Brunelli Electrician can make your job a whole lot easier. We have a team of professionals that do exceptional work daily, providing customer satisfaction. Your remodeling project can be a success with our help. Contact us today by filling out a contact form or giving us a call at 508-400-5571.

Once you purchase a generator it’s important to keep up with the maintenance of it. By keeping up with the maintenance you’ll be able to extend its lifespan by years! Making sure your generator is well kept will also ensure that when you need to use it, it won’t have any trouble performing. Here are some tips to help you keep up with the maintenance of your generator. 

Make Sure You Have a Warranty

It’s certainly important to have a warranty for your generator so that you have that extra layer of protection. Be sure that you know the coverage, and whether it is full or partial. Purchasing a generator is definitely an investment that you’ll want to protect, so make sure you do! 

Invest In A Cover Or An Enclosure

This is an obvious one! Since your generator will most likely be spending all it’s time outdoors, you want to make sure it’s protected from the weather. If it is not protected many different elements may get stuck in it causing the generator to not work properly. If leaves, branches, dirt, etc. gets stuck in your generator it could also be hazardous to your home. Investing in a cover or enclosure is highly recommended so that your generator is always protected and you can reduce the risk of damage. 

Prevent Motor Burn-Out

Motor burn-out is when the motor of your generator dies out from overuse. To avoid this, it is important to adhere to the recommended voltage guidelines of your generator. Using heavy-duty cords for less voltage use can help premature burnout while lighter cords can help increase the voltage if necessary. Since generators can be loud, you might want to purchase a longer cord so you can position it further away from your house. 

Power Up Your Generator Every Few Months

It is commonly recommended to power up your generator every few months. Simply charge your generator for about 30 minutes every few months to make sure that the power needed to start the engine is there. By doing this you can avoid the scenario of your generator not starting when you need it to! 

Fill Up Your Tank

Make sure your generator’s tank is always full in order to avoid damage. If the tank is not full while in use, the power generation will stop. This will then cause your home’s electrical load to suck the magnetic field out from the generator itself.  

Contact Brunelli Electrician in Franklin, MA

Overall, generators are a fantastic investment as they are a lifesaver during power outages. However, you don’t want to run into the scenario of your generator not working when you need it the most! So make sure to keep up with these tips! Contact Brunelli Electrician if you’re looking to install a backup generator for your home or if you’re looking for help maintaining it. Call us at 508-400-5571 or fill out a contact form!

 

Is your yard dull and very dark at night? Whether you want to add some beautiful backyard lighting or light up a pathway at your home, solar lights are a great choice! Not only are they pretty lights that will make the ambiance of your home look spectacular but they are beneficial to the environment and much more! 

If you’re not familiar with solar lighting you might have a lot of questions related to the benefits of solar lights. Here are the benefits of installing solar lights in your backyard or pathways. 

Environmentally Friendly

Using solar lights instead of regular lights can save a lot of energy. Solar lights play a major role in reducing the carbon footprint that is created by producing energy from non-renewable energy sources. 

Cost-Effective

Solar energy is extremely cost-effective. While it may seem expensive at first to install, you will end up saving a lot of money in your electric bills that will make up for the cost of installation. Since solar lights run strictly from the sun’s energy, you won’t need to pay for them at all once they are installed. 

Solar Energy is Unlimited Source 

As long as you live somewhere where there is constant sunlight, your solar lights will stay working forever! The solar lights get their energy from the sun so they are able to charge up during the day, resulting in them staying on and working well at nighttime. 

Low Maintenance

As mentioned above, once solar lights are installed there is not much more you have to do. You’ll have to check up on them to make sure they are working properly as well as clean them once in a while, but other than that you won’t have to worry about them at all! 

Solar Lighting is Available in Many Styles

You can purchase and install solar lighting in many different types, shapes, sizes, styles, etc. You’ll be able to choose the perfect solar lights that look beautiful outside your home. Because there are so many options to choose from it is guaranteed you’ll find the perfect lights for you. 

Contact Brunelli Electrician

If you’re looking to install solar lights outside your home, contact Brunelli Electrician today! Our experienced and knowledgeable electricians will work with you to pick out the perfect solar lights for your home and install them quickly and efficiently. You won’t be disappointed with our work! Contact us today by calling 508-400-5571 or by filling out a contact form on our website.

Electrical power is necessary for most of the tasks we do in our everyday life. Appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, televisions, etc. wouldn’t be able to run without electricity. Because power strips are convenient and easy to get, we often plug multiple appliances into the same outlet.

Because we use these appliances in our everyday lives and usually don’t think twice about it, we often forget that we need to do safety checks. It’s important to touch our outlets here and there to make sure they are not warming up. If they are warming up it doesn’t necessarily mean they are broken or need to be replaced but its a sign that something is overworking and needs to be adjusted in order for the outlet to cool down. Here are some reasons as to why your outlets may be warming up and how you should go about fixing the issue. 

Too Many Devices are Plugging In

If you have many different things plugged in at once, the outlet may be overwhelmed and can’t keep up with the electricity demand. It is recommended to unplug a few things for a few hours or even days. If the outlet cools down you can then plug them back in but it’s probably best to only plug certain appliances in when you need them. If they don’t need to be plugged in all the time, don’t leave them plugged in. Another solution is to move some appliances to other outlets in your home. Don’t plug all your appliances into just one outlet for your convenience. You have a number of other outlets in your home for a reason. 

If you go back to the outlet after letting it sit unplugged for a while and the outlet is still warm, it probably needs to be replaced. 

Your Outlet Is Broken

If your outlet continues to get warm even if a lot of things aren’t plugged in it is likely that your outlet is broken and you’ll need to replace it. It is very common for outlets to break or wear down over time. So if you haven’t replaced your home’s outlets in many years, its probably time to do so. 

Damaged Wiring

There is a chance that if your outlet is constantly overheating that the wiring behind the outlet is damaged or worn out. Since the wiring is trying its best to work it will overheat and become very warm. If you believe your wiring is damaged it’s recommended that you call the professionals to come and replace the wiring as soon as possible. 

Your Fuse or Breaker is Incorrectly Sized

Older homes tend to run into this issue more than newer homes. The older electrical systems were not designed to handle some of the appliances and electronics we have these days. They were also not designed to handle how many things we plug into one outlet. Power strips nowadays can hold up to 10 appliances. If your outlets were created many years ago, it is likely they cannot handle power strips without overheating. 

Contact Brunelli Electrician

If you are experiencing warm outlets in your home it may be best and safer to call a professional to come to evaluate and fix the issue. The professionals at Brunelli Electrician will take a look at your outlet and wiring systems to find what needs to be fixed or replaced so that your home can remain safe. Don’t hesitate to contact us today by calling or filling out a contact form on our website!

In order to find out how to prevent high electricity bills, its important to know how much electricity each appliance in your home uses. Here are some tips to help you keep your home as energy efficient as possible in order to lower your electricity costs. 

Air Conditioning & Heating 

Your HVAC system that cools and heats your home is what uses the most electricity. This makes sense as it needs much energy to either heat or cool each room in your home. Some things you can do to reduce using your HVAC system as often include: 

• Using ceiling fans 
• Make sure your HVAC is regularly inspected
• Close your curtains during hot summer days or keep them open during the winter to get heat from the sun. 
• Replace your air filters so that your HVAC works properly
• Regularly dust and vacuum to prevent clogs
• Dress appropriately by wearing extra layers in the winter and fewer layers in the summer
• Use blankets for extra warmth in the winter.
  

Water Heating 

Water heaters are next on the list for things that use the most electricity. If you’re wondering how to use your water heater less, try these options:

• Set the temperature to 120F or lower
• Insulate the hot water pipes
• Wrap a water heater with an insulation jacket
• Turn down the water heater during the day when you are not home or when you go on a vacation
• Invest in water-conserving showerheads and faucet aerators
• Upgrade to a solar water heater

Appliances 

You may think that there’s no way of lowering the amount of electricity your day to day appliances use, yet, there is. 

Refridgerator 

While you can’t turn your refrigerator off, there are things you can do to reduce the electricity used. 

• Don’t put too many things in your refrigerator
• Keep the products you use the most in the easiest to reach place so your door is not open for too long
• Make sure your refrigerator is set to a recommended temperature
• Regularly clean underneath and behind the refrigerator to maintain airflow
• Invest in a newer refrigerator that is more energy efficient

Washer & Dryer 

When it comes to using your washer and dryer there are a few ways to lower the amount of energy it uses. 

• Do full loads at a time instead of half loads so that you are using the machine less frequently. However, do not overload as that will result in the washer needing more energy
• Wash your clothes with cold water to avoid having the water heater turned up
• Use drying racks as much as possible to avoid using the dryer
• Clear the lint in your dryer after each use

Electric Stove & Oven

Use these tips to reduce the electricity load from your electric stove and oven with these tips:

• Use a smaller appliance if possible such as a toaster oven or microwave
• Try to use the oven and stove during cooler hours of the day
• Only preheat the oven if it is necessary for the dish to cook the right way
•  Turn off the burners a few minutes before the dish is done and let the remaining heat finish the job

Lighting

The lights throughout your home do not use as much electricity as one may think, however, if they are left on for no reason they can rack up the electricity bill. Here’s what you can do:

• Make sure lights are off in rooms no one is in
• Use LED bulbs that are energy efficient
• During the day open the curtains so you can use the natural light instead of needing to turn on your lights
• Use motion detectors on outdoor lights so that they only turn on when someone needs them

Contact Brunelli Electric 

If you’re looking for an electrician in Franklin, MA, or its surrounding towns, contact Brunelli Electric! We are happy to assist you with all your electric needs. Check out all the services we offer on our website. 

When most people think of landscape lighting they automatically think about a home’s exterior lighting. However, landscape lighting is just as important for businesses as well. You can never go wrong with extra lighting. Exterior lighting can help your business in more ways than you may think, and here’s why.

Use Accent Lighting to Make the Entrance the Focal Point

Lighting up the entrance to your business is important. When people approach your business while it is dark, it is important for them to not only be able to see but to feel welcomed and excited to enter your business. Exterior lighting will give people a better first impression than if the entrance was dark. There’s a chance exterior lighting will also give you more business. If it is dark outside and there are no lights highlighting the building, people may think you are closed.

Make Your Area Feel Safer At Night

Even if some people aren’t necessarily scared of the dark, nothing is less inviting and intimidating than a dark entrance to a building. People often feel safer at night going into a business because of the outside lights. For example, if you own a convenience store and are open late hours, it is important to light up the outside of your store. This will make people feel safe to approach your business, leading you to get more business. Safety is most people’s concern at night time so making your customers feel safe should be a top priority.

Highlight Signage for Specials and Deals

Lighting is what often catches people’s eyes during the night time. If your business is promoting something or having a special of the day, it is important to highlight the sign outside that promotes this. The bright sign will not only allow people to read it easier but may catch someone’s attention who wasn’t even looking. This would then again lead to more customers for your business.

Increase Your Visibility From the Road at Night

When people are driving at night and looking at their surroundings, everyone knows that the lit-up buildings are open and the dark buildings are most likely closed. Your business will easily catch someone’s eye while they’re driving if there is bright exterior lighting. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of potential customers just because your business’s building was not highlighted during the dark hours.

Contact Brunelli Electrician 

Brunelli Electrician will assist you with all your outdoor lighting projects. We have a team of experienced and skilled electricians that will help you create a beautiful lighting set up for the outside of your business. Contact Phil Brunelli today for more information or to schedule an appointment! 

We all expect the lights to go on at the flip of a switch every time we enter a room. It can get frustrating, or even scary, when you flip a light switch and the light does not go on. You realize the bulb has burned out, and you are forced to postpone whatever you intended to do and get an alternative source of light. These bulb burn-outs can get costly in the long run, and you will need to understand the major causes of this problem, and what you can do in case a bulb burns out on you.

What Causes Bulb Burn-Outs?

Most cases of burnt-out bulbs are as a result of the following:

Excess Power Supply Voltage

The standard voltage for lighting in North America is 120V. Outlets that supply too much voltage will cause the bulb to burn out sooner, for example, those light bulbs connected to non-standard lighting outlets meant for high voltage appliances.

Poor Connections

When connecting the light bulb to the power outlet, you will need to ensure that the bulb is connected as it should. If the bulb is connected loosely, there might be intermittent voltage, and that will cause the bulb to bun out. Other faults include bulbs that are screwed too tight, damaging the contacts or misaligning with the contacts. These bulbs will not receive consistent power, and this may lead to burning out. It is also important to check that the bulb has enough solder at the contact base.

Wrong Bulb Type

One of the most common causes of burnt out light bulbs is the use of wrong types. Using a 120 watt light bulb in a 60-watt lamp will create excess heat and could even cause a fire. It is imperative that you use the correct bulb for your lamp’s wattage. Other bulbs are burnt out by constant switching on and off. To prevent this, use LED lights for applications like motion sensor lights, rather than compact fluorescent lights whose electrodes diminish due to the constant on/off switch.

Contact Brunelli Electrician

Whatever the cause may be for your burnt out light bulb, one fact remains. Electric faults are dangerous to the unskilled person, and you do not want to be that person. It doesn’t help if you go poking around with a screwdriver and trying to find out what caused the burnout.  You are safer, and better placed to receive a lasting solution if you reach out to experts such as Brunelli Electrician. Armed with many years of experience and the best equipment, we will offer you the best solutions for your light bulb problems. Contact us today!