Category: Electrical

Nowadays, many homeowners are considering home improvement projects that require electrical work. Some jobs, such as installing light fixtures or adding outlets and light switches, may seem straightforward. Other jobs are more complex, like upgrading the circuit breaker, installing ceiling fans, or maintaining worn-out or outdated electrical systems. 

It generally isn’t hard to find a local electrician or electrical contractor who will show up at your home. Finding one that will do a professional job so that the work will last for years to come can be more challenging. Keep the following considerations in mind when you evaluate bids.

Do You Need an Electrician Urgently?

If you hear buzzing, smell burning odors, experience flickering lights, or have your circuit breaker trip frequently, you may have a serious problem that needs urgent attention. In this case, you should look for an experienced electrical contractor that offers emergency services. For new installations, upgrades, and construction, you can take your time and evaluate bids to find the best electrician.

What To Look for in an Electrician

Deciding how to hire an electrician may depend on the type of work you want them to do. Their level of expertise should be appropriate for the complexity of the job. If you need something relatively simple done, such as installing outlets or switches, a journeyman electrician should be able to do the job. 

For substantial changes to the electrical systems, replacing old wiring, or working with hard-to-find parts and equipment, an experienced master electrician is a better bet, despite the higher cost.

In general, you will want an electrician that has:

•  a license and insurance (including worker’s compensation insurance) according to your state’s requirements
• a one-year warranty
•  positive reviews on sites like Yelp
• a good reputation in your community

Use review sites, social media, and the Better Business Bureau to find an electrician who meets your needs.

Cost Considerations

An electrician should charge between $50 and $100 per hour plus the cost of parts. However, the hourly rate is not the only factor in determining an electrician’s cost. An inexperienced electrician could take longer to complete the job, pushing the total cost up. 

Also, if the installation fails after the warranty period, or if the electrician doesn’t offer a warranty, you will be out the cost of redoing the repairs. Even if the electrician fixes the issue while it’s still under warranty, the time spent on a second service call adds to your project costs. Getting the job done right the first time saves you money in the long run.

Contact Long View Lighting Today

When deciding on how to hire an electrician in Woodstock, GA, and the surrounding area, contact Long View Lighting at (770) 790-3805. We are professional electricians with years of experience and up-to-date knowledge of the latest parts and equipment.  Find out why residents of Woodstock, GA, trust Long View Lighting to provide quality electrical repair and troubleshooting by giving us a call today!

Electrical issues can lead to catastrophic failures within your home. It can damage your appliances due to the unstable nature of the power lines and wirings. It can also be the source of fires due to faulty wiring, which is why a lot of local wiring services are more important now than ever.

A short circuit might be all that it takes for a home to fall ablaze. Consider the thought that home electrical fires account for most of the damages within the US, with each year causing over $700 million in property damage. 

A home rewiring can help such matters, helping you avoid these forms of hazards. Today, we look at the warning signs that indicate your home’s need for rewiring. 

Flickering Lights

Look at your lighting fixtures and see if you see any of the bulbs flicker all the time. If you notice that they flicker regularly even after having them fastened firmly, then you need to get your wiring checked. This is usually a sign of loose wiring connections.

Burning Smells

A persistent burning smell is also another sign to look out for. This can come from your wires, which would usually indicate faulty wires or loose connections. These can lead to short circuits, which can damage and singe the walls and outlets. 

Old Wiring

For older homes, you might still be using older wirings. In some cases, you might be using aluminum wiring, which you would see in homes built between years 1965 and 1973. While they may seem effective as they are, these have a potential danger to them due to their inability to handle today’s technological needs.

In this case, these older wires have a high risk of burning out and short-circuiting. Old wiring can lead to other electrical problems, which can lead to electrical fires. You’ll need to consider whole home rewiring to resolve this issue.

Discolored Outlets and Switches

You might notice the outlets and switches that have visible burn marks, causing them to have a darkened or blackened color on them. These tend to be signs of shorting and sparks coming from the wiring. These are visible signs of faulty wiring, something that would need immediate attention.

Circuit Breaker Tripping Frequently

Circuit breakers trip to protect your appliances from power surges. If you notice that your breaker trips more frequently, you have other factors at play here. Consider having an electrical inspection done by a professional to ascertain the cause.

Low Number of Outlets

Having few outlets may end up with you using more extension cords. This can be handy but it is also dangerous, especially when you end up overloading the lines. A whole home rewiring can, once again, help solve this problem, allowing for more outlets installed.

Get a Home Rewiring Today

If any of these signs come up in your home, consider a home rewiring today. This gives you a chance to use new wires with durable material. Along with that, you also increase the number of outlets and you get to prevent fires from occurring.

You can get reliable wiring services for your home today. You can contact us right now to get started.

A house whose electricity functions properly is a safe house. It’s also a house that will allow you to live your domestic lifestyle with ease. That’s why ensuring that you don’t suffer any electrical problems is important. Not only will it prevent disruptive outages, but it will also prevent electrical damage from worsening.

Though homeowners are generally ignorant about many electrical problems, we can list a few of them so you can start handling them.

Keep reading to learn about eight common electricity issues. You’re most likely experiencing several of them, in which case it’s time to contact a professional electrician.

1. High Energy Bill

Costly electricity bills are more than perpetual dents in your wallet. They’re also indications that your energy isn’t being used efficiently.

You might be suffering electrical surges or damaged wiring. Switching to a better-valued provider or changing your electricity usage habits might also result in a cheaper energy bill.

2. Electrical Surges

If you’re noticing temporary voltage spikes that turn your electricity on and off, you’re experiencing electrical surges.

Power line damage, malfunctioning appliances, and miswired electrical wiring can all result in electrical surges. Frequent electrical surges can do long-term damage to all the electrical appliances in your home.

3. Malfunctioning Circuit Breaker

Faulty circuit breakers can cause those electrical surges mentioned above. They could start to happen more frequently, which could result in more damage to your breaker and any appliances it’s powering.

4. Using the Wrong Type of Circuit Breaker

Although circuit breakers can be repaired, you might also be using the wrong type of circuit breaker. Not only will an incompatible circuit breaker cause more damage to your home, but it also violates the National Electrical Code (NEC).

5. Bad Light Switch Problems

If your light switches don’t work the way they’re supposed to, then they probably weren’t installed properly. Fixtures might have been removed and switches may have been superseded. There might also be a problem with the general way you’re electricity’s running, whether that be with the circuit breaker or wiring.

6. Not Enough Outlets

An insufficient number of outlets may seem simply inconvenient, but it could create damaging habits. People typically tend to use extension cords and outlet expanders to create more outlet space. But this might burn out your main outlet and cause a hazard.

7. Burnt Out Bulbs

Bulbs that often burn out often indicate electricity malfunctioning. Your home’s electrical wiring could be problematic or misconnected, the bulb’s wattage may be too high, and your insulation could be too close to the light.

8. Too Bright/Dim Lights

Similar to the issue of burnt-out bulbs, lights that are too bright or dim are symptomatic of faulty electricity functioning. If two lights that are close together light at different brightness levels, then you may want to check the consistency of your electrical circuitry.

Solve Your Electrical Problems With a Professional

There are many common electrical problems you could be currently experiencing. But there are also many reasons behind each of them. That’s why it’s best to contact a professional electrician so they can specify the fundamental issues behind your problems.

When you’re ready to optimize your electricity usage, book an appointment with Long View Lighting today! If you’re curious about the quality of our services, check out our reviews. We’ve been providing homeowners with top-tier service for years.

Most people don’t give much thought to their electrical outlets unless something goes wrong. However, if you have an ungrounded outlet in your home, you could have a safety issue!

What are ungrounded outlets and why are they a problem? Keep reading to learn more!

Outlets 101

To understand the difference between a grounded outlet and an ungrounded one, it’s important to start with how an outlet works. An electrical outlet has a “hot” wire and a “neutral wire.”

The hot wire brings electricity from your local power company to your home. The neutral wire sends electricity from your home back to the power source. The left slot of an outlet holds the neutral wire while the right slot holds the hot one.  

If your outlets only have these two wires, you’re dealing with an ungrounded outlet, which presents serious electrical safety issues.

A grounded outlet has a third wire, called a ground wire. You can tell if you’re dealing with a grounded or ungrounded outlet based on how many holes it has. An outlet with a third prong hole is a grounded outlet.

The Danger of Ungrounded Outlets

Having a ground wires in your electrical outlets is an important feature. This protects you and your home in the case of a power surge (also called a power fault). During an electrical surge the excess electricity will travel from the outlet back to your home’s main electrical panel. It then goes through the ground wire back into the earth, where it’s absorbed. 

Without a ground wire, there’s a greater risk of the surge causing an electric shock, electrocution, or a fire.   

Until the mid-1960s, ungrounded wires were considered standard. However, as more people created a greater demand for electricity, they were phased out in favor of grounded outlets. Now, an outlet that doesn’t have a three-prong configuration isn’t just a safety issue, it’s also not up to code.

How to Replace Ungrounded Outlets

If you’ve found ungrounded outlets in your home or business, it’s never a good idea to attempt a replacement on your own. A professional electrician can replace an ungrounded outlet quickly and easily. However, since doing so requires direct contact with electricity, it’s best to leave this simple project up to the pros.

Hire an Experienced Electrician Today

If you have ungrounded outlets in your home or business, it’s time to consider upgrading them! You might be surprised to learn that this costs less than you might think.

The experts at Long View Lighting are here to help with all of your electrical needs. Whether you’re looking for a simple outlet replacement or a whole-house rewiring project, you can trust our electricians to take care of it correctly the first time.

Contact us today to discuss your needs and schedule an appointment with one of our highly-skilled electricians.

I wanna go home is something that many Americans strive to do. After all, it comes with a large number of benefits that you can’t experience through other means.

However, you also run the risk of encountering an electrical problem in your home, and not everybody knows what signs to watch out for.

Let’s explore everything you should keep in mind.

1. Flickering

One of the most common electrical issues that homeowners encounter is the flickering of their home’s lights. Although this may occur periodically on its, flickering may also happen when certain appliances are in use.

For example, you might find that the lights in your home flicker whenever you use the microwave, do a load of laundry, etc. If this happens on a consistent basis, it’s highly recommended to contact a professional to take a look. 


2. Circuit Breaker Issues

Sometimes, the root of the problem could lie within the circuit breaker itself. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to determine if your breaker has issues that you need to investigate.

If your breaker has exposed wiring or a burning smell, for example, you need to take action immediately to prevent any further complications from occurring. The same can be said for those who hear a constant buzzing sound coming from their circuit breaker.  

It’s also important to keep in mind that your circuit breaker should also not consistently trip. Since this function exists to prevent an overload, a breaker that is frequently overloaded needs to be repaired. 

3. Strong Odors

Odors are not limited to your breaker, however. Issues with a home’s electrical system often result in unpleasant smells that emanate from the affected area.

If you notice a strong odor coupled with lights that dim or flicker, you can be sure that there is an electrical problem that you’ll need to take a look at. Otherwise, you run the risk of damaging your home’s electrical system or causing damage to your property. 


4. Hot Outlets

An outlet that has not recently been in use should never be hot or warm to the touch. This problem also typically requires immediate attention in order to resolve.

So, it’s in your best interest to periodically check some of the outlets in your home to see if there is any cause for concern. 

5. Sparks or Shocks 

Occasionally, you may find that an outlet briefly sparks when you plug something into it. If this happens every time (or it shocks you in the process), you need to call a professional as soon as possible.

Otherwise, the problem will likely worsen over time and develop into a notable safety hazard.

Recognizing an Electrical Problem Can Seem Difficult

But the above information will make the process far smoother. From here, you’ll be able to ensure that you recognize (and repair) An electrical problem in your home as soon as possible.  

Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.