Electricity is often a dependence with most modern societies. With advanced technology and how the different ways electricity contributes to everyday living, it is truly mind boggling and awe-inspiring. However, being that electricity is a powerful force, it should never be taken for granted. When it comes time for repairs, upgrades, and installations, having a skilled electrician take care of them is essential to avoid serious harm or damage. No matter how big or small your electrical projects are, the certified experts of Sentry Electric are readily available to provide high-quality services for our valuable clients.

Fun Facts About Electricity

For a moment, we would like to take an opportunity to share some fun and interesting facts concerning electricity.
1) Moving at incredible 186,00 miles per hour, electricity travels at the speed of light.
2) Up to 3,00 volts can be measured in a single spark of static electricity.
3) Reaching temperatures up to 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit, lightning bolts move at approximately 130,00 miles an hour, and the lightening is actually a discharge of electricity in the atmosphere.
4) As a self-defense tactic and to help with their hunting, electric eels can deliver 500 volts to their victims and threats.
5) Many people may have noticed that when a bird perches on one power line, it does not get electrocuted. The only way they do get electrocuted is when they create an open a circuit by flapping a wing, or something similar, into another power line.
6) When a negative charge and a positive charge combine, the attract each other, however, when 2 positive charges meet or 2 negative charges, they will repel off of each other.
7) For producing electricity, coal is the leading source. The coal is burned in furnaces that boil water, where the created steam spins turbines that are attached to generators. This is how the coal produces electricity.
8) Muscle cells in your heart will contract with electricity. Measuring the electricity going through your heart is the ECG (electrocardiogram) machines, where it is a valuable tool in the medical field. The ECG machine displays a line moving across the screen with regular spikes as your heart beats.
9) In the 18th century Benjamin Franklin conducted extensive research in many ways. The lightning rod, among many other electrical discoveries was accomplished through his work. Protecting the building from lightning strikes, the lightning rod conducts a lightning strike through a grounded wire.
10) Amperes or amps is how an electric current is measured and the volts measure the electrical potential.

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We hope this a fun look at some electrical aspects found across the globe. Where harnessing the electricity for your home is essential, it is vital for you and your family that you always contact a professional to perform the electrical needs. Sentry Electric has qualified electricians that have the skills and expertise to deliver high-quality services and ensure your electrical projects are done safely and efficiently. Call us today to get started on your electrical installations, upgrades, replacements, repairs, and maintenance needs such as inspection services.

Your entire home’s electrical safety depends on whether or not it is properly grounded. The electrical grounding is used in every home and building that has electricity to ensure the building’s overall electrical safety. Electrical design and installation of the electrical grounding is a priority, and in most cases, is done with preciseness. However, there are those occasional flaws or issues that can occur over time. Sentry Electric will explain what electrical grounding is, why it is essential, and how to know if your home is properly grounded.

What is Electrical Grounding?

Electrical grounding is the point in the circuit that has zero voltage, which basically connects to the earth. Electrical connections that connect to the earth allow for safe pathways for electricity to travel and also disperse. Power surges happen all the time and that excessive energy needs somewhere to go and disperse. If the energy doesn’t have anywhere to go, it will discharge in an appliance, light fixture and in outlets when used. Without the grounding system there will be more damage, electrical shocks, and fires.

Common Wiring & Grounding Problems

Improper grounding seems to occur in large dense cities where houses are tightly built together. High rise apartments are some of the worst buildings with grounding designs. Design flaws can be revealed when the electrical wiring comes in contact with the plumbing systems. Older homes also are known not to have proper grounding. Detecting improper grounding in older homes is easy to detect. If you have a home with a two pronged outlet, those outlets are not grounded. All homes, by code, must use three pronged outlets. The center prong is the ground line.

Dangers of Improper Electrical Earthing & Grounding

There are many risks when there isn’t proper electrical grounding present. Two pronged outlets will lead to electrical damage to any device that is plugged into them. Since the electrical grounding isn’t present, the power surge will discharge in the plugged-in device. Other dangers are electrical shocks that can be deadly. When plugging in a blow dryer or a charger you can risk being electrocuted. Another terrifying scenario is a fire. Sometimes the power surge will discharge in the circuit leading to overheating or a spark that is powerful enough to start a fire. These fires can strike without warning and spread very quickly.

How to Tell if Your House is Grounded Properly

Grounding designs are usually standard as they are the electrical safety system. However, in older homes or homes that may have had rodent activity, often it is recommended to have the home electrical system inspected. There are a few red flags such as two pronged outlets to let you know that there isn’t proper electrical grounding. Another sign is frequent tripping from the same circuit lines. As power surges occur and overloads the system, the circuit will trip to shut off power to that line. Another clue that there may be a problem with the grounding system is when appliances and other electrical items keep breaking or become damaged due to power surges.

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If you are concerned about your home’s electrical system and its grounding design, contact Sentry Electric for an electrical inspection, repair and more. Contact Sentry Electric today.

The circuit breaker tripping is something many homeowners have experienced. The circuit breaker is a fail-safe that cuts off power to certain areas or the whole house once it trips. Though most of the time all it takes to restore power is to push the breaker switch off than back on, there are some things that you should know about a tripping circuit breaker. We at Sentry Electric would like to take the opportunity to discuss the circuit breaker tripping.

How to Reset a Tripped Circuit Breaker

The breaker switch will shut off when a surge of energy overloads a circuit, such as when a heavily stressed outlet drawing too much current or from a lightning strike for instance. Take account the following steps to restore the power from the circuit breaker if such an event occurs.
1) For safety concerns, switch or unplugged the power devices that was shut off when the circuit breaker tripped. If your TV, or other appliance or equipment, does not have manual switch, simply unplug until you deal with the circuit breaker. When the breaker is reset, it can potentially damage to these devices if the left powered on and plugged in.
2) The breaker switch will be in the middle when it trips. Be sure to push the switch fully in the off position and then back on. The circuit breaker may also be color-coded to help identify if the power is off if you see a red or orange color. The breaker switch, back on, will restore the power to the lights, appliances, and outlets once you have plugged them back in. Usually isolated instances are not a concern, but if they persist, hire an electrician as quickly as possible.

Why Does Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping

A replacement may be highly likely, but when a circuit breaker that continues to trip, it either stems from age and the wear and tear that happens over the years, or from something more serious. Though the reasons are quite a few, the most common causes of a tripped circuit breaker are listed below.
1) Ground Fault: Within the metal box housing, a hot wire and bare ground wire are both touching producing an effect known as a ground fault. The circuit breaker will continue to trip because of a chain reaction is set off that pushes more electricity through the circuit than it’s supposed to hold that will burn the outlet out.
2) Short Circuit: Though common, short circuits can be potentially dangerous. An overload of current flows through the circuit from an electrical outlet with a hot wire” that is contacting a neutral wire, creating heat. The circuit breaker automatically shuts off to prevent electrical fires in these situations as a safety measure.
3) Overloaded Circuit: Overloaded circuits are fairly common, but they can lead to damaged electronics or electrical fires. An overloaded circuit is when amps coming through the circuit from an electrical system or certain circuits can’t handle it.

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If you are dealing with a circuit breaker that continues to trip, call in the certified electricians of Sentry Electric for an inspection and our experts can determine the issues and safest and most efficient solution. Contact us today!

The light bulbs in your house are something that has to be replaced occasionally. They are not meant to last forever. Although they will burn out they have made major strides in how long they last and how much energy they consume. That does not mean you cannot end up with problems. You should not have to constantly change out light bulbs and if you do it could be a sign of other issues. If you start to notice that your bulbs are going out even when you have purchased the better and longer lasting bulbs you want to talk to an electrician. Knowing what the problem could be is a good start. Sentry Electric outlines what could be causing your bulbs to burn out quickly.

Lights Overheating

The light bulbs that you purchase at the store are intended for a particular fixture and should match the wattage. The fixture has a specific watt of bulb that it is able to use and if you use the wrong size it can start to overheat the filament that is in the bulb. This will then burn it out and the filament will burst. When the filament bursts the bulb will go out. You want to make sure you are getting the correct bulb for your particular fixture. Another problem you might have is that the insulation in the fixture is not sufficient. This will create heat that is coming from the fixture but is too hot for the bulb to handle. Overheating a bulb is a sign there is a problem and you want to adjust the type of bulb of call an electrician.

Are Ceiling Fans Supposed to Rock?

Another problem that you might have is with a ceiling fan and the light fixture that is attached to it. The ceiling fan should be installed so that it is balanced and that it is not vibrating and moving. The problem is that many times the fan has become out of balance and that can mean that it is vibrating. When the light fixture is moving and vibrating it can cause the bulb to burn out. That means that you will be stuck replacing them too often. The best thing you can do is to have the fan repaired by a licensed electrician.

Loose Electrical Connections

When you have a fixture installed in your home it is wired in place and often times attached to a light switch. If you notice that a wired in fixture is not able to last a normal amount of time it can be due to bad wiring. The wiring that is in the fixture needs to be done properly and securely. If it is not done or has become loose it can cause the bulb to burn out. You want to make sure that you stop using the fixture until it has been inspected by an electrician.

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Sentry Electric can come out and inspect your electrical fixtures to ensure that they are in good shape. Call us today to meet with our expert electrician.

The most basic level of a power surge is when the voltage in an electrical circuit spikes to a higher level than the circuit was designed to handle. These surges are a hazard. For mains power, the United States uses 120v AC (alternating current). The AC indicates the electricity moves in a sine wave pattern. The waves crest at 169 volts as the 120 volt label is actually an average with the assumption that the voltage in the lines will never exceed 169 volts for electrical systems designed. Many older appliances are designed to safely operate within the assumption that the power from a wall outlet won’t exceed 170 volts. The miniature wires and contacts in computers and televisions overheat when a surge of power exceeding the design goes through the system. Since the surge of electricity will exceed what the wires can carry, the large-scale components like wall outlets can’t handle the surge either. The surge can cause arcs to nearby metal surfaces, where it can short-circuit appliances or even start a fire. Bearing all this in mind, we at Sentry Electric would like to list the common causes of power surges.

Lightning Strikes Cause Power Surges

A common and destructive cause of power surges is from electrical storms. The power grid is designed to move electricity as efficiently as possible and when lightening strikes it can surge through easily. An errant lightning bolt can be withstood from a glass insulators and inch-thick wires of an electrical substation. Home appliances are usually affected. Millions of volts will temporarily surge through lines designed to carry 120 in the event lightning bolt strikes the power lines near your house. Unprotected circuits are instantly severely damaged.

Power Outages Can Cause Voltage Surges

Power going out with no warning can be dangerous, however, more damage is done when the power is restored. Power comes back as a jolt before the sine wave evens out again, whether it’s a backup substation or an emergency generator kicking in. Sensitive electronics are a risk especially.

Can an Air Conditioner or Shop Tool Cause a Power Surge?

When you notice the lights dim for a second when the A/C blower kicks in, a power surge is occurring. The sudden demand for power causes a voltage drop and while the system normalizes by a surge after. Like air conditioners, the shop tools like table saws and heavy lathes can cause surges. They can cause a temporary power outage should they trip a circuit breaker.

Whole House Surge Protector

Unplug seldom used devices. Power surges cannot affect a device that is not plugged into the main power. For the easiest solution, avoid plugging in the sensitive electronic equipment and devices that are infrequently used. This prevents them from being exposed to power surges. Invest in surge protectors. Power strips or outlet covers with built-in surge protection functions and circuit breakers. Adding these to every outlet can prove to be a bit expensive and a bit of an eyesore but at the very least, make sure they are used where TVs, computers and other heavy-duty electronics. Whole house surge protection is a great idea!

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

Another option is to upgrade old appliances. If you need installation of whole house surge protection, emergency repairs or any other electrical services, call Sentry Electric and let our certified electricians take care of your electrical needs with quality and efficiency.