Residential Electrical Contractors and Electrical Services

Electrical contractors have a huge role to play in adding convenience to our daily life: Electricity.

Call Your Electrician for Wiring Changes | (480) 926-1033

What Electrical Contractors in Phoenix Can Do

While electricity is a wonderful modern convenience, if there are problems with your wiring, it  can lead to many more issues. That's why calling an electrical contractor is always a good idea.  They always have a lot to do from wiring installation to power panel upgrades and so much more. By no means should you try to work on your electricity by yourself.  Why?

Well, electrical work can be difficult as well as potentially life-threatening.  It's estimated that the average American home has a whopping two miles of cable in it! Things can certainly go wrong in the event someone with little to no experience tries to take the wiring into their own hands. What's the biggest danger where wiring is concerned?  Someone who watches do it yourself shows.

Everyone wants a dream home.  They want their  homes to be aesthetically beautiful, they want security and comfort. They see a home improvement show and think that all they need to put in some accent lighting is a bit of wire, an imported Italian electric wall sconce, and voila, they have light.  Oh that can happen, but what's the worst that could happen?

Electrical Problems:  Fire and Injury

Electrical problems can manifest in a lot of different ways.  You could flip the switch and nothing happens.  That's usually easy.  That usually means that you have a loose wire in the fixture.  But you could flip the switch and the next thing you know, your breaker trips out back.  That means you're overloading a circuit.  But that, while annoying is not the worst thing that can happen, as we have discussed in our article series on electrical safety.  To sum up, you could run the risk of electrical injury including burns, or a fatal electrical shock or electrocution.  You could also cause an electrical fire.

So, sometimes, electrical projects aren't as simple as you might think.  Sometimes, there are a lot more factors involved in them.  For example, if you pick the wrong type of wire, and connect it to  your existing wiring, you may cause a chemical reaction.  Aluminum and copper wire cannot be mixed together or they can ignite.  This happened a lot in the 70's and 80's.

So be careful.  Know when  you can do something, and when you're in over your head.  And call an electrician contractor in Ahwatukee for any wiring projects.

Read More on this Subject...

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033
http://www.dodgeelectric.com

Residential Electrician: Fire Safety and Home Security (Contd)

Residential electricians can also help with keeping your home safe from fire as well as intruders, and this article will explore more reasons why an electrician may be your best choice.

Install Home Security in Ahwatukee | (480) 926-1033

Life in Ahwatukee: Call a Residential Electrician

Crime is a problem worldwide.  There are always people who will have no qualms about stealing from you and yours, or worse, causing harm.  While crime is a big problem in rough neighborhoods, what about in a fairly well to do suburb like Ahwatukee? It can happen here, and in fact, you may be a target and not even know it.  Just for a moment, think like a burglar.  Let's say you are a burglar and you live somewhere run down.  You know your neighbors don't have much.  So who are you going to go after?  The family who lives in a plywood shack who doesn't have anything of any real value, or the family in Ahwatukee with the 60" Smart TV, home theater system, and expensive furnishings?

Install an alarm system to send a not so subtle message to any would be burglars.  In short:  KEEP OUT!  Does a security system stop an intruder completely?  Of course not.  Just because you have one installed doesn't mean that you shouldn't take other protective measures such as deadbolt locks, reinforced door frames, tempered glass windows, and security doors.  No, a security system is a deterrent, nothing more.  However, as most security systems are connected to the local police station, if the police get a signal they are going to send a cop car to the house, and a burglar knows this.  Without security measures, you are essentially a target and it is only a matter of time before someone decides to hit your house.  The key is to stop them before they start.

How do You Know Which Alarm System to Pick?

When you are getting ready to install a security system, how do you know which one to pick?  Well, never go cheap for one.  If you are getting an impossibly low deal on a security system, you're probably either getting conned with reconditioned equipment that's seen better days, or you're getting sub par equipment that won't work right.  That's another area a residential electrician in Ahwatukee can help.  He can recommend a security system that fits into your budget that also works.

So remember, that the more you protect yourself, the less likely you are to be a statistic.  Always make sure your home is locked when you are there, or when you leave.  Put window locks in and make sure that you call an electrician to install a security system.

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033
Contact Us

Residential Electrician: Fire Safety and Home Security

Residential electricians can also help with keeping your home safe from fire as well as intruders.

Help protect your home and your family | Install a security system | (480) 926-1033

Why You Should Install a Security System

If you want to keep your family safe, install an alarm system in Ahwatukee. Installing a home security system can protect your home and family from intruders.  The odds are in your favor that you will never have anything horrible happen such as a home invasion, but the fact remains that no matter how minimal a chance there is, there is still a chance it may happen.  

The biggest reason to install a home security system is  protection from intruders. Homes without security systems are 2.7 times more likely to be targeted by a burglar.  In most cases, burglars target homes that don't have anyone in them at the time that they break in.  However, sometimes, if they make a mistake and they find someone in the home that they are targeting, it may cause them to act aggressively and commit acts of violence.With a security system in place it gives the household time to get to safety while law enforcement are en route, and give the burglar the idea to run rather than stay and cause more problems. Security systems are for when you are home and when you're not home as well.

Residential Electricians and Security Systems

You are trying to sleep and you hear something.  Your dog isn't barking.  It's probably nothing.  You drift off to sleep, then you get a feeling that's something wrong.  You wake up and see a stranger standing over your bed.  Scared yet? You should be.  This is after all the stuff of nightmares.  With a security system in place, however, it reduces the odds of this happening down to zero.  Intruders usually want to make it easy on themselves when they are picking a target.  

Even in the age of telecommuting, most people don't stay at home all the time.  Arming a security system while you're away helps to keep your home safe.  It also is a good idea to have a security system installed when you're going on vacation.  While having a house-sitter is also important, a security system is an extra level of security.  And surprisingly enough, you may not need to go to a security company to install it.  You may wish to call a residential electrician instead.

As if you needed more reasons to get a security system...

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033
Contact Us

Your Residential Electrician and Child Safety

Your residential electrician in Phoenix can also help in a surprising way: to keep your kids, and you, safe.

Electrician in Phoenix | Call Us Today | 480-926-1033

Residential Electricians and Electrical Safety

Mixing children and electricity together is a disaster waiting to happen.  That's why it's a good idea to have a residential electrician in Phoenix inspect your home's wiring at least once every decade. It isn't just frayed wires that you have to watch around your kids; a residential electrician can also keep your kids safe by helping to childproof your home.

Childproofing outlets is a great idea if you have kids. Plastic plugs, for example, are ineffective and can be a choking hazard. In addition, a lot of the tamper proof outlets do not completely seal the opening. This means that a child could still put a stick pin into the socket. A residential electrician can help the parents choose the protection that is best for their family and install them.

Children are especially vulnerable where electricity is concerned. They often don't understand the dangers of electricity. Since they're smaller and have thinner skin an electrical shock that would be dangerous to an adult could be fatal to a kid.  That's where a residential electrician contractor comes in.

A residential electrician can inspect is the condition of cords and wires used in the home and can recommend strategies to fix them.  For example in high traffic areas, the cords can be put under non-conductive wire guides. Another danger with kids is too many extension cords.  They can be a fire hazard.  If necessary, it would be a good idea to install extra outlets.

More Electrical Safety Tips

GFCIs, or ground-fault circuit interrupters, are another safety feature that a residential electrician can install.  If there is a dangerous change in the current, these outlets will shut it down.  They're required equipment in new homes.  Installing a smoke alarm may not seem relate to electrical safety, however, it can keep you and your family safe. However, ultimately electrical safety is something that you as a parent have to teach your children.  Teach them at an early age to be careful around electricity and reinforce your lessons all the time.  That way your kids don't end up being a statistic somewhere.

So remember, electrical professionals aren't just someone who can install things.  They can also be your first line of defense where electrical safety is concerned.

In addition to your children, you want to keep your family safe from fire and intruders...

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033
dodgeelectric.com

Living Room Lighting Tips

Here are some helpful tips about living room lighting from  your electrician in Phoenix.

Install Light Fixtures | (602) 753-0411

Living Room Lighting 101

People spend a lot of time in their living room.  So you want to choose your lighting sources carefully, and have your residential electrician in Phoenix wire it all up. The right lighting can have a dramatic effect on your living room. It is as important if not more so than the color of paint that you pick.  With properly placed lighting it can make your living room look larger if you have a small space, or more intimate if you have larger space to work with. Layered lighting for example is a great idea.

What is layered lighting? Well, each room has three layers: ceiling, walls, and floors. Overhead light fixtures can illuminate the entire room easily. For direct lighting, use table lamps and floor lamps. These are useful for reading or any other activity that needs a light source nearby. Alcove lighting or accent lighting is usually at wall level and is used to draw attention to something. A good thing to realize with lighting is that it should reflect your needs as well as what the design of the room needs to reflect your wishes.

Overhead light fixtures near a flat panel TV aren't a good idea as it will reflect off your television and detract from the picture itself. A good trick is use floor level accent lighting that illuminates the wall behind the television, particularly if you install a dimmer switch. That way you can dim the lights and have a proper home theater system. A good thing to remember about living room lights is that you want an electrician to wire it. If you have an older home, your wiring is probably starting to get a bit brittle. You also want to make sure that you don't mix and match incompatible wiring together, such as copper and aluminum.

A Residential Electrician Contractor is Your Go To Guy

If you're doming home improvement projects, some of them don't require an electrician.  If you're going to paint your living room, you need a painter.  New plumbing for the bathroom?  A plumber of course.  However, when it is time to do any sort of wiring, such as rewiring your living room, then you need to call a residential electrician in Phoenix.

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033
Contact Us

Electrical Projects: Using Alcove Lighting

 Alcove lighting can remodel your home without decimating your budget.  First off, let's look at lighting choices.

Types of Alcove Lighting

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In our last article, we covered swimming pool lights.
As your electrician in Ahwatukee, however, we feel that some areas of the home can also do with a bit of electrical remodeling. One area that is a good way to remodel is to do alcove lighting. There are two types of alcove lighting, incandescent bulbs and LED.  While CFL bulbs are around, they look odd in accent lighting.  After all, unless you get the bulb variety, a CFL bulb looks rather like a soft-serve ice cream cone.  LED lighting has the advantage that you can save a bit of money on your electric bill and they last for anywhere between 3 and 5 years.  LED light, however, can often be a bit bright for an alcove  unless you get a lower wattage.
Like LED bulbs, if you wish to use incandescent bulbs in an alcove, you also want to use lower wattage. Remember, an alcove is essentially accent lighting. You want to highlight a feature of a room, not overpower the room, which leads us to our next point: using colored lights.

Less is More with Alcove Lighting

Remember, where alcove lighting is concerned, less is more. You don't want your alcove to be overpowering. If you want to use colored lights, just remember that if you're not careful, too many colors in an alcove will look garish and unsettling. Avoid color-changing LED lights. You want a nice alcove, not a circus tent. If you're going to use colored lights in your alcove, use either a neutral color or a complementary color. Sepia and amber light look good almost everywhere, red, green, blue and purple, not as much.
Another thing to consider with this wiring project is the advice of a professional. You want to make sure that you get the right type of recessed lighting for your alcove. You want to make sure that it is compatible with your current electrical wiring as well as practical concerns such as whether or not it will melt with high watt lights. Some plastic light fixtures can warp with even the heat of a light bulb. The bottom line of lighting is that you want to use lights that are below 60 watts. You want your lights to accentuate not be too bright to see. When you're ready to install your lighting, be sure to call an electrician in Ahwatukee.
Alcove lighting is only one type of lighting that you can play when you're designing your living room lighting.
Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033
Contact Us

Swimming Pool Lights

Electric wiring in your swimming pool may not seem like a good idea.  After all, electrical wiring and water obviously don't mix.  However, if you do it safely, you can totally transform your pool

Replace Your Swimming Pool Lighting in Ahwatukee| (480) 926-1033

An Electrician in Ahwatukee and Life in the Foothills

Ahwatukee is a part of the Phoenix area, and as such is home to dozens upon dozens of swimming pools. Considering the fact that Arizona has some of the hottest summer temperatures of anywhere else in the US, a swimming pool is a welcome source of relief from the hot sun of the Arizona desert.  But what about October when the weather's much nicer?  First off, what a lot of people don't know is that you can swim a lot later here than your friends and family back east.  Unless you have a heated pool, however, fairly soon you're going to have to stop swimming.  That is of course, unless you're a member of the Ahwatukee chapter of the Polar Bear club.  You know, those people back east who get their jollies from swimming in icy rivers and lakes.  So if you need to stop swimming, what do you do with your swimming pool?

Well, when it is the time that you're not using your pool, it is the perfect time to do some maintenance.  Drain your pool, and check out the surface for any cracks in the cement.  You also call an electrician in to look at your swimming pool lights for a lot of reasons. The first is safety.

Rewire Your Pool Now, Get Ready for the Summer

Take this time of year, and rewire your swimming pool. If you have the money and the desire, if your pool isn't heated, this may be the time of year to remodel and make your pool a heated pool. That means swimming all year round. In the winter, it feels really nice to swim in warm water with the cool autumn air. However, another reason to rewire your swimming pool is electrical safety. If your swimming pool's lights are below the water surface and they have any cracks or damage to them, someone could jump in the water and suffer from a potentially fatal electrical injury.

So let's see if we have this straight. Electrical safety: check. Improved functionality: check. And an overall better pool: check. All wonderful reasons for calling an electrician in Ahwatukee to work on your swimming pool's wiring.

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033
Contact Us