Tag Archives: Electricity

Drive Green – Choose An Electric Car

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When I was a kid, electric cars were something only seen on the Jetsons! Never did I feel that I would see them in my lifetime, but now every single major automaker has a plan for an electric or plug-in model. Although we’ve talked about the best way to make your vehicle maintenance greener, let’s look at how your choice of a car can make an impact too.

Personally, we drive a Prius (and yes I do love obtaining 54 miles to the gallon!). Nonetheless, with Chevy about to ship its Volt, Nissan its leaf and Ford working on an electric version of the Focus, it seemed only fitting to talk about electric cars plus the impact they’ll have.

So, why electric cars now?

Up until now, it didn’t make sense. Battery technology had to catch up. Without that, electric cars were too high priced. But now, with the improved battery technology coupled with pollution concerns and soaring gas prices, it is the time for alternative fuel vehicles.

The new green cars available on the market have made the buying method much more challenging. You will discover new questions to ask yourselves: What’s less costly per mile: gas or electricity? How far can I go on a charge? How much more will it cost me to purchase a green vehicle? Is it worth having to figure out where charging stations are? Do the government credits offset the increased price enough for you?

To answer some of your questions:

Electrical contractors are partnering up with the local utilities to install home charging systems for these cars. Some consumers may even get subsidies from utilities to cover part of the costs if they agree to share their data or cheaper electricity rates if they charge at night (when demand is much less). These home charging systems are going to cost a few thousand dollars too depending on the provider. (There’s a federal tax credit for 50% of the charger and the installation price up to $2,000). On the other hand, in the event you have an older home, you may well have to upgrade your electrical system too. The majority of older homes have a 60-amp or 80-amp service and to run a house charging system, you will will need a minimum of 80 amps (if not extra). A trusted electrician ought to have the ability to let you know what you require.

If you want an electric automobile at the end of this year, your only choices might be the Nissan Leaf or the Chevrolet Volt. The Leaf’s range is limited to about 100 miles and will cost (beginning) $32,780. The Volt can go a lot farther because technically it is a hybrid. It goes about 40 miles on a charge and when that runs out, the engine kicks on and extends the car’s range by another 300 miles. The Volt’s beginning price is $41,000.

Besides the tax credit I mentioned above for the home charging station, the federal government is offering a $7,500 tax credit. Owners will also have some relief with lower maintenance and operating fees. According to Nissan, the very first three years will only cost $440 to maintain your vehicle (which is about a third of what you’d pay for a similar sized gas vehicle). The Volt savings are just a couple of hundred dollars.

According to Nissan, individuals who charge at home will pay an average of $2.75 each time they plugin. That amounts to around three cents a mile (depending on driving conditions and your driving habits). Volt drivers will pay about 8 cents a mile.

We are coming to the end of gasoline combustion engines. If you are in the market for a new automobile, be sure to check out these electric cars plus the other hybrids available on the market to get the vehicle that best fits your needs. It doesn’t hurt that you’ll be helping save the Earth with this purchase.

Why Are Household Electrical Wires Color Coded?

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Have you ever taken a close look at the variety of wires running through your home? If you’ve ever seen inside the walls, or opened up an electrical box to replace a switch, light fixture or other electrical component, then you will know exactly the colors that I’m talking about. These wires are color coded to make everybody’s job easier. By understanding the basic coloring of your home’s wiring, you can make your dealings with electricity much safer.

The basic question that most people have is: what do the different colors mean? Wiring is separated into different colors in order to easily differentiate between different circuits and the root purpose of each wire in your home. A circuit is the way that your electrical service divides up the electricity that it is sending into your home. Each circuit is made up of a particular bundle of wires that is connected to its own circuit breaker. This set of wires will provide power to a certain room or other area of your home. Whenever you trip a circuit breaker, this is the area that will lose power until the circuit breaker is flipped back to the on position.

The national electrical code sets forth three different wire colors that are to be used in our home electrical systems. While there are many other regional variances and accepted wiring practices, ground wires are typically green or bare, and neutral wires are white or gray. Although this is the national standard, the colors that are used in the end are decided on by each individual electrician.

When it comes to choosing wiring colors, many electricians follow the following rules. Hot wires are often black, dark blue, purple, light blue or red. Switch legs are frequently yellow or orange. Ground wires are typically green. Neutral wires are most commonly white, but grey is frequently found in special situations such as GFI outlets. Three way wires are often brown. That being said, it is not guaranteed that the wires are all the correct color in your home. Always be cautious when working with any electrical wires.

Whenever more wires are present in a system, stripes are commonly used. These stripes, often a white stripe or blue stripe, indicate a specific application for each wire. In order to further differentiate, some electricians will use color coded electrical tape or other labeling devices in order to make electrical systems easier to navigate for future electrical workers.

In a nutshell, electrical wiring is mult-colored in order to designate the particular use of each wire. Without properly separating and color coding the electrical wiring in our homes, businesses and other building, performing any upgrades or repairs would be extremely difficult to perform. Additional time and equipment would be required in order to make sure that every job was finished safely and according to all local codes. By labeling these wiring up front, we save significant time and headache in the future.

The Secret Of Electrical Maintenance That No One Is Talking About

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In today’s modern world, electricity is an essential blessing of the science. This is one of the greatest achievements of man that has made our life easier. No one can imagine, living without electricity in the modern day. It will make our life difficult and slow. Since the day it was invented, it has changed our lives by making it more comfortable.

Electricity can be termed as one of the greatest inventions of the world because it has contributed a lot to the advancement of technology. No matter, it’s a commercial or residential need, electricity is directly or indirectly connected with every major and minor tasks.

The entire business world is dependent upon electricity for their growth and survival. Almost all the appliances and fixtures used worldwide depend upon this important source of energy. The demand for electricity is increasing rapidly as a nation grows. To keep up with the growing needs, industrialization is bringing out new plants and factories to supply electricity to the entire nation. Despite its great significance, most of us keep on wasting electricity.

The real importance of electricity is realized when we suffer from an electrical shortage. This leads to electrical breakdown and our work hamper due to this. Suddenly our machines and appliances stop working and we get irritated. Well, this is not something, which cannot be repaired. Today, a wide array of latest techniques and tools are available that help you to fix your minor problems.

The situation takes a worse turn when we overlook the minor electrical short circuits and simply ignore them with an idea to get them fixed next time. It may lead to bad consequences in many ways. It is of utmost importance to keep a check on electrical systems for their smooth functioning. Avoiding the maintenance requirements can damage the electrical appliances or machines and moreover, will put an extra overhead of their repair. Therefore, it is imperative to have frequent electrical maintenance, and inspection services.

Though, it sounds quite easy to keep regular checks on our household systems, however, this is one of the most challenging tasks to detect the actual problem. It requires astute knowledge on your part before putting hands into it. It is recommended that all the activities related to the electrical maintenance should be carried out by well-trained and experienced technicians who are fully aware of all the measures that are required while carrying out such activities. It may involve various types of risks and therefore, should be performed with greater safety.

Therefore, it is always advisable to hire the services of professionals who have years of experience and knowledge. There is no one except these highly skilled professionals who know the secret of electrical maintenance that no one else can figure out. They keep an eye on the details and provide preventive measures on maintenance facilities on the regular basis.

Among the various companies, it is always challenging to choose the one best company with years of experience. There may be a number of points that you need to consider before hiring the one best company.

• First of all, you need to find out whether the company you are choosing is having the reputation in the market or not?

• Giving preference to the licensed companies can be very helpful in order to have highly reliable services.

• Referrals from friends and relatives and feedback about different service providers can help to select the best choice among different options.

• Time and cost are also one of the most important factors that should not be neglected. Choose the company that provides in time and affordable services.

On the basis of the above points, one can take a decision and can hire the services of the most reliable company with technical know-how.