Trusted Regina Blog | All posts tagged 'Electric Expert Regina'

Active Electric are Regina Electricians that get it right the first time, delivering all electrical services including installation, upgrade, and repair solutions.You can feel confident calling Active Electric and you can be assured that they will treat your property and your person with the respect and attention to safety you deserve.

CO2 Detectors

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 2,100 people die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning each year in the United States. It is the number one cause of poisoning deaths in the United States. It is colorless, tasteless, odorless and absolutely preventable.

Is your home protected from carbon monoxide poisoning?

People who are unconscious due to inebriation or sleep can die before they ever experience the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, depending upon the levels of carbon monoxide in the air you can die within minutes or hours. A carbon monoxide detector will alert you and your family when there is a risk of being poisoned.

What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

The initial symptoms can feel like the flu without the fever. Look for warning signs like:

Dizziness
Headaches
Nausea
Light Headedness
Sleepiness Fatigue or Weakness
Irregular Breathing
Vomiting
Shortness of Breath
Confusion
Chest Pain
Food Poisoning

Monitor dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in your home with a carbon monoxide detector

Sources of carbon monoxide:

Carbon monoxide is found in many household appliances like gas ranges or stoves, gas clothes dryers, water heaters, furnaces and gas or wood fireplaces. Carbon monoxide can also be produced by fuel-burning space heaters, exhaust from cars, gas or charcoal grills, and clogged chimneys or flues. If items like these are in poorly ventilated areas, carbon monoxide can build up. Before you know it, you’re surrounded by toxic air that will poison you if you inhale.

How can I prevent carbon monoxide poisoning?

Have CO detectors installed in your home. At a minimum, have one installed on every level of your home and outside each bedroom.
Change the batteries in your CO detector every six to twelve months.
Look for Underwriters’ Laboratories or the American Gas Association seal of approval when purchasing gas equipment.
Have your gas appliances checked bi-annually
Do not use flameless chemical heaters indoors or in enclosed spaces. They burn gas and will allow CO to build up to toxic levels.
Have a service expert repair any gas appliance that is not functioning properly.
Be sure to open the flue when enjoying a fire in the fireplace or furnace.
Do not use a gas oven to heat your home.
Do not run a generator, vehicle, or other fueled motors inside. Even if the garage door is open to the exterior CO can still build up to toxic levels.
Only use grills outside in a well-ventilated area.
Use battery-powered heaters when camping.
Keep all gas appliances properly adjusted and use an exhaust fan where appropriate.
Know the difference between the sound of your smoke alarm and your CO alarm.
If you cannot afford a CO detector contact your local fire department. There are programs to help the elderly and the poor.
Putting you or your family at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is senseless.

ACTIVE ELECTRIC are TRUSTED REGINA ELECTRICIANS

Electrical Tip on Whole House Surge Protectors

If you are like most people, you probably have a few power strip surge protectors throughout your house to protect your home from power surges. Unfortunately, most provide little to no protection against power surges. What causes power surges? Lightning, problems with the utility company’s equipment, large appliances cycling power on and off, faulty wiring, and downed power lines are just a few things that cause power surges. What is at risk? All items that have a microprocessor are at risk during a power surge. This includes items like televisions, computers, refrigerators, washers, dryers, ovens, alarm systems, microwaves and telephones.

It is amazing how many items in your house actually need to be protected from an electrical surge. If an electrical surge were to occur today, how much money would you stand to lose? Wouldn’t it make sense to have ONE surge protector that would protect your entire house?

It’s a wise decision to be prepared before the next electrical surge hits your home. Get a whole-home surge protector that will protect not only your power lines but your cable and telephone lines. If you protect yourself from a power surge at the source you will experience benefits like:

Saving Time and Money – After an electrical surge, all your neighbours will be spending time calling electricians to come out and replace the microprocessors in all their electronic devices. Your neighbours will have to shell out countless dollars to replace electronic devices that no longer function. But, if you have a whole-home surge protector you will be able to sit back, relax and be secure in the fact that once the power returns, all your expensive electronics will return to normal.

Insurance for Your Electronics – Whole home surge protectors provides inexpensive insurance compared to the cost of replacing all your electronics. Sales Point Advantage - Differentiate your house from all the other houses on the market. It’s an inexpensive way to make your house stand out from the competition. This is a great feature for home builders as well. This could be the attention to detail the buyer is looking for.

Peace of Mind – You can relax the next time a lightning storm occurs or the next power surge takes place in your area. You can rest assured that your electrical devices are protected. It only takes seconds to destroy countless expensive electronic devices, so don’t wait until it is too late!

Note: To protect yourself from surges that originate within the house, it is a good idea to take extra precautions and continue to use power strip/surge protectors for extra sensitive or expensive devices.