A fireplace is a huge asset that every homeowner can appreciate. Whether it’s utilized on cold nights to bring an unmatched warmth and cozy disposition or used as the focal point of an outdoor room used to entertain guests during gatherings, a fireplace is a versatile feature. The problem is that they are traditionally unsafe and require a lot of work to maintain them. The carrying of wood, cleaning of the chimney, carbon monoxide (for gas powered fireplaces) is time consuming and can provide a dangerous environment. To make your fireplace safer consider converting it into an electrically powered unit.

Why electric?

Well for starters, a gas unit has to be installed professional to ensure that it’s fitted properly. Not to mention the required upkeep to prevent or resolve any leakages due to lose fittings. Gas fireplaces also carry the added worry of carbon monoxide poisoning and for that reason they must be monitored constantly. Besides, they produce a real flame causing them to be highly combustible.

Wood burning fireplaces offer the very real danger of releasing embers that can catch fire to rugs, carpets or any flammable material within range. Also, if there is a blocked chimney involved you can be overcome by smoke which can cause irreparable respiratory damage caused by smoke inhalation.

Converting to an electric unit solves all of these problems without any added risk. Electric fireplaces do not host an actual flame which rids you of the risk of ignition while still offering up a realistic comparison to natural fire. They are much safer for your children and or family pets as the stay cool to the touch while providing heat through a built in fan powered heater.

The transformation of a masonry fireplace into an electric one should be handled by a professional electrician. However, once installation is complete you can use and maintain your new fireplace with little effort. As you may have seen in films, these units have a push-to-start feature and many have a remote control providing you with almost instantaneous heat and automatic fire resembling beauty.

You will want to seal your chimney so that your heat doesn’t have an escape route but other than that your chimney will no longer be an issue in hindering your fireplace experience. All in all, converting or installing an electric fireplace is safer, affordable, energy efficient and provides the beauty of a lit fire without any of the high maintenance risk.

In our most recent post we discussed the danger of power surges and how cautious and diligent you should be in protecting your electrical assets from their debilitating effects. Although surge protectors are a simplistic means of protection, a UPS or uninterruptible power supply, is a unit used to offer temporary power when the device’s input power source is interrupted or fails. These units are verily regarded because they are capable of protecting most any electrical device. Now, let’s compare this device to ones you may be more familiar with.
UPS vs. standby generator
UPS”S stand apart from generators in that they provide immediate or nearly instant protection. Standby generators are supposed to switch on at the first sign of an outage but can take some time before they become active and some need to be started manually resulting in the possible loss of imperative data. UPS’s protect against a power surge or outage for 5-30 minutes allowing you some time to save data and shut down systems before you lose anything or before someone gets hurt.
Types of UPS’s
A great component of the technology used by UPS”s is that it isn’t biased with regards to capability. There are offline or standby UPS’s that are very basic and offer easy to navigate features making them a qualified protector for items such as personal computers and for use in average homes. This form of UPS can come equipped to protect in ranges so that you can choose which option will best supply your needs with little to no evident reaction times. The standby UPS will run on a battery that has a limited power supply so be sure to “save” or “shutdown” as soon as you can.
Line Interactive UPS’s differ from standby ones in that they have an autotransformer along with a battery so it makes use of all of its components, in turn making it more versatile. The benefit of a line interactive UPS is that it can handle ongoing power surges and/or blowouts without consuming the battery’s power. By using its autotransformer and battery this UPS is more suitable for handling varying levels of outages and can be well suited for commercial and business environments.
For sensitive equipment an online/double-conversion UPS is ideal. They are beneficial because they provide a firewall of protection whereas line interactive and standby UPS’s can only filter. Although a more expensive alternative, its benefits can be the deciding factor.
There are a ton of online resources that can assist you in making a decision or try giving us a call to see how we can help.

Before we delve into the dangers of power (voltage) surges, let’s first define what they are. A power surge is a form of electrical power disturbance, also referred to as voltage surges or transient voltages, and are defined as spikes in voltage. They occur within a very swift pocket of time, vary in voltage and last only millionths of a second. Now, here in the U.S., residences run on a voltage that rises and falls between 0-169 volts at a programmed rhythm. Consequently, power surges occur when the voltage rises beyond 169 volts. Power surges are dangers to your appliances and electronics because they can cause slow but steady damages to your electronics varying components. Voltage dips (Brown outs) are another form of surges in that they are the deliberate cause of a sudden drop in voltage. And it’s at this occurrence when there is grave danger to your electronic devices because dips can result in lost data or system failures.

Where do they come from?
Power surges are the direct result of one of two causes; the first is the result of a high energy appliance, such a refrigerator or air conditioner, coming on inside your home or damaged/exposed wiring. The second is caused by blackouts or nature’s fury, lightening.

A simpler way of expressing this is to consider the way your computer or air condition operates. These devices require a vast amount of power to “wake up” and it’s that type of action that can be the direct impression of internal damage. Lightening has several entry ways into your home and is likely to cause wide spread overheating of appliances. Also, fire is a very real danger of power surges. This happens when a power surge moves through the damaged wires, and if the wire gets hot enough it will very likely emit a fire.

Protection is verily available in the form of surge protectors. While this is not the only method it is a proven one. You should begin the task of protecting your home by taking a detailed account of every room to decide which areas are in immediate need of surge protection. If you have a home office, this is a definite place that will benefit greatly from your diligence in this matter. Remember, power surges and voltage dips are incredibly dangerous and can occur at any time so you have to make sure your home is thoroughly protected. So, don’t just stop with your office. Protect your refrigerator, air system and other equipment as soon as you can.