It seems as though everyone is talking about LED lighting these days. If you don’t know much about how these new light bulbs work, you may be wondering if they are worth all the hype. Before you make the big change over to these new and improved light bulbs, you may want to know a bit more about how they actually work. Sentry Electric is here to talk about how LED bulbs work and why they really are worth everything people are saying about them.

LED & Incandescent Light Bulbs Quality

The way that LED bulbs and incandescent bulbs work are quite different. When incandescent bulbs are producing light, electrical current is heating a tungsten filament wire that glows and creates light. These bulbs are going to get quite hot when they are operating. Rather than a filament, LED or light emitting diodes, produce light when voltage is applied to negatively charged semiconductors, causing electrons to combine and create light. LED lightbulbs are not wasting energy on heat as they produce light. All of the energy they use is going to be put into action lighting the space.

Benefits of LED Lighting

Following are some of the benefits and facts about LED which are important to be aware of before you make the switch:
– Range of Color Temperature: Not all LED lightbulbs are the same color. You can choose some that emit a much cooler light than others. They all have a CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) that corresponds to a K (Kelvin) on the temperature scale. The higher the kelvins, the cooler the light. The lower the kelvins, the warmer the light.
– LED Light Bulbs are Eco-Friendly: Because they use much less energy to produce light, they are much better for the environment. 95 percent of the energy they use is to light the room.
– LED Longevity: You can count on LED bulbs far outlasting their competition. They may cost you more upfront, but they will last much longer as they gradually start to lose their lighting ability rather than a sudden burnout like other lightbulbs.
– LED Light Bulbs are Not Always Dimmable: If you have dimmer switches in your home, you need to know that not all LED bulbs will be compatible. It depends on the switches in your home and may take some trial and error before getting it right. Remember that many LED bulbs are able to be dimmed.

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To make the switch to LED lighting, you don’t have to replace all the fixtures in your home. You can simply change out the light bulbs. You should make sure that the LED bulbs you choose have the same performance capabilities as the light bulbs you are replacing. You don’t want to effect the quality of the light you get in your room. If you are experiencing any electrical issues in your home, you can count on the experts at Sentry Electric for all your electrical needs. Call us today!

Most people walk up to an electrical outlet in a home and plug what they want into it. You can go through the house and on just about any wall there seems to be an outlet. This is because the way that the houses are built is to allow the best chance to function. The progress of what is used in homes means that more and more outlets are needed. You likely have a television, gaming equipment, computer, smart phones, appliances and so much more. This is why the need for good functioning outlets are important. Just like any other fixture in your home the outlets need to be maintained and properly cared for. If they are not you may not realize that you have an electrical issue that is slowly getting worse over time. If you do notice there is a problem you can call out a professional electrician.

Sentry Electric Offers Tips for Maintenance Electrical Outlets

Be Careful When Using Electrical Outlets: You want to make sure you do what you can to not be the one that is causing the damage. The best way to do that is to make sure that you teach your family the best way to use the outlet. This may seem silly but it may surprise you how many people mistreat the outlets. When you go to use the outlet you want to make sure that you insert the plug straight in. You also want to make sure that when you remove the plug you have a firm grip on the plug as close to the outlet as possible. This will make sure that you are not pulling at a wrong angle that could cause damage to the interior of the outlet.
Test Electrical Outlets: You want to make sure that you take some time to go through and test out the outlets that are in the home. This can be using a lamp or other fixture that you can carry around with you. Check each outlet and when you notice that one or more are not working it is a good idea to leave a note showing that it is not in working condition. You want o make sure that the outlet is not attached to a switch that needs to be engaged. You also want to make sure that none of the breakers are tripped when you start the process. Be sure that if you find outlets that are out of order you call an electrician.
Damaged Electrical Plates: Another area that you want to watch out for are the plates that cover the outlet. These are there as a layer of protection between your family and the wires that are behind the wall. You want to make sure that if the plates are damaged, cracked or broken you have them replaced as soon as possible.

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It is a good idea to call out an electrician who can use the best materials and do an inspection on the outlet during the installation. Sentry Electric has the ability to come out and inspect your outlets and make any necessary replacement. Call us today to set up your appointment.

One of the issues you have as a homeowner is you have to make all the decisions that are necessary to keep the house in good condition. That means you have to be ready to take on a plumbing, electrical or other situations at any given moment. Most people that do work on your home have been trained and have experience within those specific industries to make the necessary repairs. That is why as a homeowner you need to have some kind of knowledge in many industries that can help you make decisions about who to call and when to call someone for needed repairs. The repairs that can be difficult and dangerous to do if you don’t have any training happens to be electrical work. This is an area that if you are not careful when you make upgrades or changes you can cause injury or even death. This can also lead to a house fire or electrical shock. One of the hardest things that you have to do is to determine when something can wait to have an expert out and when it constitutes an emergency. It is a good idea to know what an actual emergency is so that you can make the call.

Sentry Electric Outlines Emergency Electrical Procedure of when to Call an Electrician

Power Outage or Loss: One of the reasons a homeowner may call out an electrician as an emergency is when they have a loss of power. We all depend on the power in our home so when it is out you want to get to the bottom of it right away. The reason that this can be considered an emergency is because without power you won’t have the ability to control the temperature in your home which can be dangerous if you have extreme weather. The other reason is that you can lose all the refrigerated and frozen products that you have paid for. This can be several hundred dollars if you have filled the fridge and freezer recently. You want to make sure that you are the only one that is without power by checking with your neighbors. If they have power and you do not it is best to call out an electrician right away.
Smell Of Burning Plastic: When you are sitting in your home and you start to smell something that is burning it is an emergency for sure. The smell can be coming from your latest dinner attempt but if it is not there could be a problem. If the burnt smell that you get is more like burning plastic it can be from an electrical issue. It has a unique smell since all the wiring is usually covered in plastic. You want to call out a professional electrician right away. If you do not you can end up frying your wires and worse yet having an electrical fire.
Blown Circuit Breaker: Another problem that you may have is when you notice that portion of your home is without power. This in itself is not an emergency because it can be from a tripped breaker. Most people know how to access the panel but if you reset the breaker and it trips again you could have a much larger problem. You want to make sure that if you have a specific breaker that is tripping or it will not reset you call out an electrician right away.

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Sentry Electric can come out to your home on an emergency call. Call us today to talk to one of our knowledgeable staff.

Each and every day we reap the benefits of modern electricity. We are so used to having electricity that when the power goes out many people will panic. Electricity is something that all of us are genuinely thankful for. Sometimes we fail to realize that there are some hazards that can be caused by electricity. Today Sentry Electric wants to go over some common electrical hazards and what to do about them so that you can keep your home safe and sound while enjoying electricity each day.

Bad Electrical Wiring

One of the most common causes of electrical hazards in the home is poor wiring and defective electrical wires. It is important to have good quality wiring that is in line with safety standards. Poor or defective wiring can increase the chance of an electrical fire, power surges, arc faults, and more. One potential hazard is loose or improper connections. Frayed appliances or extensions cords; pinched wire insulation; cracked wire insulation; overheated wires and cords; damaged electrical appliances; and electrical wires that have been chewed by rodents all can put your home at risk. If you notice any problems with your wiring you will want to address them right away so you do not end up with an electrical fire. Sentry Electric can come out and inspect your wiring to see if any of it needs to be replaced.

Moisture in Electrical Outlet

Another common electrical hazard is having your outlets get wet or be too close to the water. If you are building a home you will want to make sure that your outlets are not too close to a water source. You will want to check your building codes for proper placement. If you do end up with an appliance that is plugged in and it gets wet do not unplug it! Unplugging it while it is still plugged in could cause an injury. You will want to turn the power source to that outlet off at your electrical panel and then unplug. You can also get electric shock if you handle electrical appliances when your hands are wet. You will want to dry your hands thoroughly before touching appliances.

How Many Things Can You Plug into a Power Strip

Many homeowners feel like they do not have enough power outlets. A nice solution to needing more outlets is a power strip. Power strips allow you to plug multiple electronics in while just using one of the plugs from your wall. You do need to be careful if you do this in your home that you do not overload the power strip or the outlet. You do not want to plug in several high voltage devices into one power stripe. You also do not want to plug two power strips together. All of these things could overload your power strip or outlet and trip a breaker. When breakers are tripped sometimes they will start an electrical fire. If you need more electrical outlets in your house one of our electricians here at Sentry Electric can help you do that.

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Sentry Electric wants all of our customers to keep their house free from electrical hazards. If you are ever uncertain about something with your electrical wires please give us a call. We are always happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Electrical issues can happen any day, any time and they usually happen when you least expect it. Electrical issues can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing and should be taken care of by professional electricians. Sometimes you can see what the problems are, sometimes you can’t. But there are usually signs that will let you know there’s a problem.

Warning Signs of Electrical Fires & Other Problems

1. Tripped circuit breaker or blown fuses. When the unit of amps a circuit breaker is designed for is exceeded, the circuit breaker will trip. This happens to prevent wires from catching fire. This of course keeps your house from burning down! Fuses will also blow out to avoid a fire hazard.
2. Flickering and dimming lights. When a circuit becomes overloaded, you will notice a dimming of lights. This usually happens when your electrical systems wiring gets old. The lights in your home may also blink if the circuit is experiencing too much pressure. Occasional flickering is normal but constant blinking and dimming means there’s an issue with the wiring or circuit and can get dangerous quickly.
3. House smells like burning plastic or has other strange smell. Houses can smell odd for many reasons. When the smell is caused by damaged wires, it means your electrical system has been overworked. The wires can burn out and spread a foul odor throughout your home.
4. Wet electrical wires. Wires become wet after flooding or heavy rains. Electrical systems that have become wet need the help of professionals because anytime water and electricity mixes there’s the chance of electrocution. Professional electricians have the tools and experience to fix the problem in a safe manner.
5. Electrical sparks. This issue is very common in homes. These sparks can’t be corrected until the source has been discovered. Homeowners would be hard-pressed to figure out the cause on their own. If the cause of the sparks in your home are due to the fuse box, breaker panel or electrical outlets you will need the help of an electrician.
6. Electrical noise. When your electrical system is working properly you shouldn’t hear a thing. If you hear a buzzing or popping noise coming from the electrical system, there may be loose prongs or faulty wiring. When electrical noises are not addressed and fixed, it can seriously damage the appliances in your home and force them to quit all together. These sounds can be heard from circuit breakers, main hums or electrical switches.
7. Loss of electricity. There are many reasons that your home will experience a loss of electricity. Some happen after a storm or your system is just old. Check with your neighbors to see if their power is also out before calling an electrician. You may just need to put a call into the utility company.

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

Electrical systems should not be tinkered with if you don’t know what you’re doing, even if it seems like a simple task. You can make an electrical problem worse or disastrous with one wrong move. Do you need electrical services? Contact Sentry Electric for prompt emergency services.