Home Electric Safety

You get out of work and jet home as quickly as possible, turn on the T.V., pop some leftovers in the microwave, and plot down on the couch when you notice something… the smell of burning plastic.  You wander around the house looking for the source of the smell until you arrive at a faulty sparking outlet in your bedroom.   Time to call Electric Bill’s.

Electric Bill’s of Donelson, TN specializes in all things electric.  That’s why we’ve compiled this list of five common causes of in-home and at work electrical fires.  While some fire prevention, such as faulty outlets, needs an electrician, in these instances, every homeowner can prevent electrical fires.

Common causes of Electrical Fires:

1.     Permanent extension.  Extension cords are temporary.  If you’re using an extension cord for an appliance that is never unplugged, it greatly increases the risk of electrical fire. 

2.     Increased bulb wattage.  Having a light bulb with a wattage that is too high for your lighting fixtures can lead to fires.  Also, sometimes people (especially in-home) will put different materials over lampshades to diffuse light, but doing so greatly increases the risk of an electrical fire. 

3.     Faulty electrical outlets and appliances.  We know, smartphones and computers, you use them all the time.  And it doesn’t take long for the cord on your device to fray!  However, using a frayed cord, running cords under carpeting, or removing a prong from your plug (i.e. making a three prong cord two prong) are all huge causes of electrical fires.

4.     Space heaters.  Leaving a coiled space heater too close to combustible materials can lead to electrical fires.

While electric Bill’s can’t help you with the above habits, we can help with this:

           

Outdated Wiring.  If your home is over twenty years old, chances are it does not have the wiring capability to handle the electrical appliances of the modern home.  When circuits get overloaded with too much electricity, an outdated breaker box with worn out systems can get overwhelmed and start a fire.

Electric Bill's specializes in in-home electrical repair including home wiring, electrical troubleshooting, electrical house wiring, electrical outlet wiring, electrical outlet repair, and electrical outlet installation.  Whether you need a repair on your generator, or something small and simple like outlet repair, light switch repair, or light switch replacement, we’ve got you covered.

If you’re looking for an electrician in the Nashville, Donelson, Mt. Juliet, Hermitage, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, or Brentwood Tennessee regions.

Tips for Finding a Great Electrician

Finding the a great electrician can be stressful.  That’s why Electric Bill’s of Nashville, TN compiled this list on how to find the right electrician in your area:

1.     Ask your friends.  Asking friends and neighbors insures firsthand experience with an electrician.  Also, doing a good job isn’t usually a one-time instance.

2.     Use the internet.  There are plenty of sites online to find reviews of electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.  And while sometimes the reviews can get skewed with one person who had a bad experience, it’s not usually too difficult to discern if the person writing the review just wanted to complain, or whether the grievance they had is a through line in all customer reviews.

3.     Get multiple quotes.  Asking for the full cost of the job and getting it in writing (or E-mail) before the job begins allows you to pick a price that works for you, and insures you won’t be upsold after the work is done.

4.     Local or National.  Find out if the electrician you’re hiring for a job is an independent, local contractor, or if they work for a larger, national corporation.

5.     Check for papers.  Valid electricians carry licenses.  If the electrician you hired for a job doesn’t have a license, don’t hire them.

6.     Check for insurance.  While all electricians must not have insurance, making sure the electrician working on your home has public liability insurance is a must, in case they have an accident while working on your property.

7.     References.  If you feel there isn’t enough information online and you decide to go with an electrician who did not come at the recommendation of a friend, ask the electrician themselves to provide their own refrences.

Electric Bill's specializes in home electrical repair including home wiring, electrical troubleshooting, electrical house wiring, electrical outlet wiring, electrical outlet repair, and electrical outlet installation.  Whether you need a repair on your generator, or something small and simple like outlet repair, lightswitch repair, or light switch replacement, we’ve got you covered.
If you’re looking for an electrician in the Nashville, Donelson,Mt. Juliet, Hermitage, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, or Brentwood Tennessee regions, contact Electric Bill’s Inc. today.
At Electric Bill’s we know electricians can be unnecessarily costly.  That’s why we offer $20 off your first service call and why we pride ourselves on only charging you for the electrician service and parts you need.