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Smart Homes of the Future

Smart Home Innovations

Technology makes our lives easier. And nothing encompasses that statement more than Smart Home technology. In today’s world, a homeowner can control their thermostats, their security cameras, their lights, their televisions, and even their refrigerators all from an app on their smartphones. But you’re about to find out by reading on that as far as Smart Homes go, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Smart Homes of the Future

In the last few years, new smart home innovations like smart speakers have changed the way we listen to music and watch TV. Experts predict the smart homes of the future will take this a step further. Smart speakers, for example, will be able to work as a middle man, if you will, to control all the smart furniture in your home. Yes, smart furniture. Imagine a bookshelf folding over to allow a large TV to emerge from a hidden compartment at your command. Your new smart speakers can move your furniture all while making you feel like you’re at the movie theater instead of at home binge-watching your favorite show on the couch. But this is just the beginning

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Why Does Electricity Need to Be Grounded?

Proper grounding is an essential component of home electrical safety because excess energy needs to be directed somewhere.

What Does a Ground Wire Do?

The ground wire connected to your outlets and electrical panel is literally dug into the earth outside your home. This buried ground wire provides a “safety valve” for excess positively charged energy within the wiring of your home.

Why Does Electricity Go to Ground?

The negatively charged ground wire attracts the excess positive charge in your electrical lines, providing a safe outlet for the energy. This is called grounding, and it eliminates the dangers of fire and electrocution, which are high in ungrounded home electrical systems.

How common is excess electricity in the home? Quite common. Each time you plug something in, power is typically not consumed in its entirety, so it requires a safe ground path. There are also myriad electrical excesses from power lines and from your appliances cycling on and off – not to mention lighting strikes. These situations all require good grounding to ensure the safety of your household.

Another interesting fact about ground wires: They are essential for surge protection. Do you use surge protectors to protect expensive electronics? Those devices are useless without an adequate ground.

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How to Store Light Bulbs of All Kinds

Keeping things organized around the house controls clutter and makes it easy to find things when you need them. Having a system to keep everything in its place is a great way to start keeping your home organized.

One household item that gets overlooked when getting organized is spare light bulbs. They often come in packages of multiples, in flimsy cardboard boxes that cannot withstand much weight or jostling. Additionally, most homes require light bulbs in many shapes, sizes, and brightness levels. This means that many homes have numerous spare light bulbs laying around, probably underprotected.

Because they are delicate, light bulbs need to be kept in a safe place to prevent them from breaking. If you have a bunch of extra light bulbs, you need to get organized with simple light bulb storage solutions.

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ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SERVICESELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE, TESTING & COMMISSIONING

The Best Surge Protectors to Protect Your Electronics

There’s no shortage of electronic gadgets filling up our entertainment centers and home offices, but you’re on borrowed time if they aren’t properly protected by a surge protector.

 

Sure, you may have your computer, printer and modem all neatly plugged in to a decent power strip, but one errant lightning strike and power outage, and you could be looking at hundreds of dollars in damage, hard drives lost, and time wasted.

The Best Surge Protectors

Not all surge protectors are created equal. Some are offer better protection than others (depending on what you’re protecting), and there are more expensive surge protectors that will give you a wealth of options, including plug customization. All are worth it over power strips, but depending on what you need to do, some are better than others.

 

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How to Install a USB Outlet

Knowing how to install a USB outlet is becoming a popular topic as phones and other devices are increasingly dependent on USB chargers. For enhanced convenience, many homeowners are making the shift from regular wall outlets to outlets that have USB chargers, you’ll get a clearer understanding of the benefits of USB wall outlets.

Benefits of Installing a USB Outlet

Simplifying and streamlining processes in your home can be great for productivity and minimizing stress for you and your family members. It may seem silly, but the truth is something as simple as a USB wall outlet can make your life easier. Here’s how:

  • No more bulky chargers taking up all the wall outlets
  • Tidy appearance for wall outlets
  • Charge and use your device simultaneously
  • Charge faster than traditional USB outlets found in desktops or laptops
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