You want to be able to go in your house and use the outlets, fixtures and switches and expect that they always work. That is because the electricity that we use in our house is a huge and important part of our comfort and convenience. Without it you wouldn’t have a washer, a way to charge your phone or television to watch to name a small few. The wiring that is used to bring the electricity to your home is brought in from the outside of the house and ran through the walls. Then they are attached to areas that have switches, fixtures and outlets. The other area that is a huge part of the electrical system is the circuit panel or circuit box. The lines that are brought into the house are first routed through this box so that they can be organized and categorized. This is the main hub of electricity in the house and is where you go if you find a problem. One of the problems that you may come across is an area of the house that has no power running to it. This is usually caused by a tripped breaker and needs to be addressed.

Sentry Electric Outlines How to Fix a Tripped Circuit Breaker

Circuit Breaker; Which Way is On?: If you are not sure what happens when you have a tripped breaker then it is important to understand it. The way that most people find out that there is a problem is when they try to flip on a light and it does not come on. You want to check other switches in the same area of the house as well as other areas. You can check out the fixtures that are in the wall as well as the outlets to see if they are working as well. If you find an area of the house that is not getting the power that it usually does then it is a sign that the breaker has been tripped. If you notice that the house is not getting power throughout it can be a problem with the main breaker or with the power company. You can call to see if there are any outages in your area then go out and check the breaker.
How to Check the Circuit Breaker Box: If you have determines that there are no power outages and that it is likely a breaker then you need to check the circuit box. This is usually placed in the garage or on the outside of the house. You need to open the box and start to look at the switches that are inside. They each should have a label that will tell you which part of the house the breaker is set for. This can help you eliminate some of them as the problem. You can also just look at the placement of the breaker and if any are not pushed all the way over then they need to be reset. You can simply switch them back over and go test out the area. If this does not fix the problem you may need to call out a professional to correct the problem.
What if the Circuit Breaker is Not Tripped?: If you don’t find a breaker that is tripped and that area is not working in the house it could still be the circuit. The circuit can have a problem and it could need to be replaced. This should be done by a professional because we need to determine if there are more problems with the circuit.

Circuit Replacement & More in Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Southbury, Stamford, CT & Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Sentry Electric can come out and inspect your circuit panel for any problems and make the necessary repairs. Call us today!

When you are setting up a business of updating your office space you want to make sure you do things that are economical and also that will make a better environment for your employees and patrons. There are a lot of aspects of a building that make up the look and the feel of the space. Most people know that if they want their employees to work well they need to have an enjoyable space. That partially means they need to have a clean environment and the details that make up the space are important. One aspect of the commercial building are the lights and the lighting that is used in the space. You want to make sure you understand the different types of lights and what might be best for your office.

Sentry Electric Presents Best Lighting For Office Productivity

Natural Lighting: The first and really the best type of light for a building is to use natural light. If you can get offices and other areas of the business around the windows the better the light will be in that space. You want to make sure that the windows are not being obstructed by anything so that the light is able to spill into the space. Although this is a great option there is not always the option available to you. There are other options that you can take when giving light to your commercial space.
Overhead Lighting: When you want to give a space some brightness then overhead lighting is the way to go. The overhead lights are a great option for room or area that is overall dark. You want to make sure that you layout out lights so that there is enough to brighten the room. The problem is that these types of lights will add shadows to the room and that can be hard on a person that is trying to work in that area. You also want to avoid using fluorescent lights in areas that you know employees will need to work on computer. These types of lights are hard on the eyes and can cause headaches and eye strain. Adding more light in addition to the overhead light can correct the problem.
Task Lights: The way to add a focused amount of light to a space that someone is working on is using a task light. These are usually desk lamps that can be set on the desk area. The person that is working on that area can use the lamp when they need it and turn it off when they are not. You can be sure that there is enough outlets in the room so that the extra light can be plugged in. The lamps are a great way to also save some money on energy costs.

Commercial Lighting Consultations, Fixture Installations & More in Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Southbury, Stamford, CT & Fairfield County, Connecticut

If you want to figure out the best layout for lighting in your office it is important to contact a professional electrician. We can ensure that the lights are installed properly and that you get what you want. Sentry Electric has expert electricians that can install and upgrade the lighting in your office and commercial building. Call us today.

Our world is becoming more and more bombarded by technology. Everyone has several electronics that are needed to help them stay connected to the world around them. This technology is changing so rapidly that we are constantly upgrading our current electronics for the next latest and greatest gadget. When you do upgrade, are you getting rid of your electronics responsibly? Have you even put much thought into it at all? Sentry Electric is here to share some information on the right ways to get rid of your old electronics.

E Waste Management Problems

It shouldn’t come as a shock that the U.S. produces more electronics than any other country in the world. Because of this, we also discard more electronics than any other country in the world. In fact, each year 50,000 dump trucks worth of e-waste is sent to recycle centers and is creating a rather large problem. When these electronics are discarded irresponsibly, they can leak toxic products and chemicals into our environment. Some of the toxic waste that comes from electronics includes:
– Mercury
– Lead
– Cadmium
– Arsenic
– Beryllium
– & More
This is playing a big part in the pollution of our water sources, the earth we live in and the air that we breathe. Many of these pollutants are known to cause cancers, endocrine disorders, nerve damage, reproductive issues, respiratory illnesses and many more serious health problems.

Electronics Recycling & Disposal

There are a few options that are available to you in order to get rid of those old electronics wisely and responsibly:
Resell & Repurpose Electronics– If there is any chance that your electronic can be salvaged, you should attempt to sell it or have it refurbished before sending it off to a recycle center. Many of the electronics that end up discarded each year still work just fine, they are just older than the newest of electronic gadgets. You can take them to Goodwill, Salvation Army as well as charities that are looking for electronics for soldiers, senior citizens and those with disabilities.
Recycle Electronics– Many precious metals are used in the creating of cellphones and other electronics. When you recycle them, these metals can be used elsewhere. Learn how to recycle in your state as each state does things a bit differently to avoid getting rid of theses expensive metals that should be reused.
Trade In Electronics– Many electronics can be traded in when you upgrade them. When you do this the phones and other electronics are then refurbished and sold to other customers at a lower price. Many retailers like Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples and more.
Dispose of Electronics– Most cities will have a designated time when there is a cleanup drive that will take on your old electronics and dispose of them appropriately. Check with your local city government to get the details for your area.

Electrical Services & More in Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Southbury, Stamford, CT & Fairfield County, Connecticut

Electricity runs our world; there is no doubt about that. You can count on Sentry Electric for all your home and commercial electrical needs. Call us today!

Have you wanted to spend more time outdoors? Have you wanted to give your yard a facelift? Have you wanted to make your yard more romantic? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may want to consider redoing your landscaping and adding some lighting. There are many different things that you will want to think about as you consider changing up your yard. Do you want your yard to have a sitting area, lots of room to play, a pond, water fountains, a sports court, or something else? Sit in your yard and think carefully about what you want your yard to look like when you are done. Drawing a sketch of your yard and thinking about the design that you want can help you clarify what you are truly wanting. Once you know what kind of design you want you will want to consider what design elements you will want to light up in your yard. Once you know what you want to light up you can begin thinking about your options for lighting those areas up.

Landscape Lighting Design Guide

There are all sorts of different types of lighting that you can use for your landscaping. Here are a few for you to consider:
• Path Lights: One of the most common types of landscape lights are path lights. Path lights are beautiful when they are placed down a path, around a pond, or along the outline of your driveway. You will want to carefully consider how many lights you put on your path. Too many lights feels cramped and not enough lights does not produce the desired effect.
• Spotlights: Spotlights can be used for all sorts of different things in your yard. They can be used for up lighting, silhouetting, shadowing, and moonlighting. What are all of those you might ask?
o Up lighting is one of the most basic forms of landscape lighting. You choose an area that you want to highlight and you place a spotlight at the bottom of it so that it leads your eye up to an area of beauty. Canopy trees can be especially pretty with up lighting.
o By placing a light behind a tree or feature that you want to highlight produces a fantastic effect by creating a silhouette of the object.
o Shadowing is the opposite of silhouetting. You place the light between the place where you see the object and the item itself to create a shadow of the item on the wall behind the object. The shadow can create a soft and beautiful lighting effect.
o Moon lighting is achieved when a light is placed above the tree and is aimed down at the tree. It gives the effect of the moon shining down on your tree even if the moon is not out.
• Well Lights: While spotlights are an above ground lighting option, well lights are a fantastic in-ground lighting option. Spotlights and well lights can be used for many of the same lighting effects. Up lighting, silhouetting, and shadowing can all be accomplished with well lights.

Electrical Wiring & More in Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Southbury, Stamford, CT & Fairfield County, Connecticut

There are tons more options available for your outdoor lighting. We just wanted to highlight some of the most popular options for you today. If you are ready to add some lighting to your landscape give Sentry Electric a call. We can come out and install the lighting you have been dreaming of!