D'Spain Sales and Service Blog : Archive for the ‘Electrical’ Category

Should I Get a Surge Protector?

Monday, May 11th, 2015

When most people think of surge protectors, they think of the big strip of outlets you can find at a retail store. While these kinds of surge protecting strips can offset some damage caused by electrical surges, they can’t handle a major surge. You’ve likely invested a lot of money over the years in your home’s electronics, including computers, phones and televisions; the problem is, a single large surge can destroy these items in a matter of seconds – but not when you have whole-house surge protection installed by the electrical experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc.

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The Benefits of Attic Fans

Monday, April 6th, 2015

It gets hot in our area, and one part of your home that you can always count on being warm during the summer months is your attic space. It isn’t unusual for attic spaces to be poorly insulated and/or poorly ventilated, but not many homeowners realize just how much this excess heat can affect your home’s structure and indoor temperature. But there’s a simple way to add great ventilation to your attic space without breaking your wallet: hire a trained electrician from D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., to install an attic fan in your Boerne, TX, home.

What Does an Attic Fan Do?

Attic fans can be installed into your roof or a gable, and are equipped with a thermostat that cues the fan to turn on when the heat inside your attic reaches a certain temperature. The fan expels the excess heat, creating circulation in the attic that allows fresh air to be drawn in from soffits and other ventilation points.

Why Is Ventilation Important?

It only takes an outside temperature in the 80s to push the temperature of your attic as high as 150 degrees. An attic fan can cool your attic as much as 50 degrees while also improving the ventilation.

What Are the Benefits of Attic Fans?

  • Helps reduce the workload on your AC – heat doesn’t stand still, it moves, and one of the natural laws of heat is that it will always seek cool air. This means that the hot air that accumulates in your attic space will seek the cooler air in your home’s living spaces. Your AC will have to combat this excess heat by working harder. However, with an attic fan helping to push the heat along, you can reduce the workload on your AC and save some energy.
  • Extends the life of your roof – excess heat in your attic will heat the roofing materials from underneath, causing them to dry and become brittle. Removing the excess heat with an attic fan helps to significantly reduce and/or eliminate this problem.

Attic fans are typically connected directly to your home’s electrical system, which is one of the reasons why it’s important to hire an expert for installation.

Does your home need an attic fan, or does an older one need replacement? Call us today!

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What Is an AFCI Outlet?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Electrical outlets in homes and businesses have advanced a long way from the old style of two-prong outlets without grounding. Some homes still have these outdated types of outlet, and if your home is one of them, you should contact a professional electrician to put in updated outlets, such as GFCI and AFCI outlets. Both these outlets help provide safety in a home, but from two different types of electrical dangers. A GFCI outlet prevents sending high voltage electrical shocks into a person. We’ll explain below what the AFCI outlet does.

If you need to have upgrades for the outlets in your home, call the excellent electrical team at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. We offer comprehensive residential electrical services in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX, from installing new outlets and circuit breaker panels to full safety inspections.

AFCI outlets: arc fault protection

When an appliance is plugged into an outlet, it can cause the heat to rise inside the outlet, a phenomenon known as arcing, when electricity is conducted through the air and converted into heat. An AFCI (“arc fault circuit interrupter”) outlet is designed to detect when arcing occurs and then immediately cut off the circuit inside the outlet and stop the flow of electricity and the arcing. Arc fault protection is not limited to outlets; it is often part of the electrical panel, so your home may already have arc fault protection even if it does not have specific AFCI outlets for it.

Currently, the National Electric Code (NEC) requires AFCI protection for wiring that serves bedrooms and other sleeping areas in a house, since these are locations where a fire could start in the outlet and catch someone by surprise. However, the NEC is not a federal law, only a set of guidelines, and all local jurisdictions select their own version of the code to enforce. A professional electrician will know what the local code requirements are for your area.

If you have doubts about the electrical safety of your home, or if you’re unsure if you have arc protection or not, please call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. We can provide an electrical inspection to determine what safety measures you may need. Afterwards, we can install GFCI and AFCI outlets, or place arc fault protection into your electrical panel. We will help see that your home has the best level of electrical safety to protect your family. Rely on us for any job you need that’s electrical in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX.

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Some Benefits of Improving Your Outdoor Lighting

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

Does the outside of your home seem drab, gloomy, dim? Perhaps you should call for professional electricians to improve the outdoor lighting around your home. There are a number of excellent reasons to call the electricians at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. to work on your outdoor lighting in Bandera, TX. Here are a few of them:

Increased use of recreational areas

In a place with warm weather like Texas, you should be able to enjoy outdoor patios, verandas, balconies, and pools during most of the year. But unless you have excellent outdoor lighting, you will get significantly less enjoyment out of these areas, especially during periods of with short days. The fun shouldn’t stop when the sun goes down.

Safety

The walkways and stairs around the outside of your property can present potential hazards for residents and guests, who can suffer from injuries. If you have children and elderly people who require assistance living in your home, it is ever more important to see that your house’s exterior has quality lighting for its walkways.

Security

Studies have shown that criminals are far less likely to target a well-lit home than one with dim lighting. A well-designed lighting scheme from professionals that avoids harsh areas of darkness between lighted areas will also remove places where unwanted intruders can hide, helping to keep your home and family protected.

Increase Property Value

If you think that you may sell your home at some point in the future (possibly the far off future), improved outdoor lighting will do a tremendous amount to increase the home’s “curb appeal” and raise its market value. Better outdoor lighting is a less expensive way of giving your home a fresh outdoor appeal than a large scale remodeling.

Your home will simply look better

Finally, with an excellent outdoor lighting scheme, you will have a home that you will enjoy looking at and feel proud of. It’s a more subjective benefit, but it may be the most important one of all.

If you would like better outdoor lighting in Bandera, TX, you only have to let us know. D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. has the electrical services that you need for the best home lighting possible, and we can help you save energy as well with LED light installation. Call today to set up an appointment.

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Why You Should Have Carbon Monoxide Detectors Installed

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that kills thousands of people a year worldwide. It is invisible, tasteless, and odorless, making it virtually undetectable to human senses. This is part of what makes it so dangerous. Unfortunately, it also happens to be far more common than you would think. The largest producers of carbon monoxide are natural gas burning furnaces, which also happen to be among the most common types of heating systems. Let’s take a look at how furnaces actually produce carbon monoxide, and why installing carbon monoxide detectors is the best way to keep you and your family safe.

Incomplete Combustion

Carbon monoxide is one of several kinds of toxic gases that are all produced as byproducts of what is called “incomplete combustion.” Incomplete combustion simply means that not all of the fuel burned is converted into heat. Regardless of the kind of fuel you’re burning, if you’re using a combustion system there will always be byproducts left over. Obviously, furnaces would not be viable heating systems if they vented deadly gas into the home every time they were turned on. Therefore, it became necessary to construct a part that could heat the air while venting combustion byproducts out of the house. This part is called the “heat exchanger.”

The Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger is a tube that connects the furnace burner assembly to the exhaust flue. As the burner assembly creates heat, it also creates combustion byproducts like carbon monoxide, which rise up the heat exchanger. The heat radiates through the heat exchanger and into the air being circulated throughout the home. The combustion byproducts continue to the exhaust flue to be safely disposed of.

The problem is that, over time, the heat exchanger can develop cracks from the stress of being exposed to high temperatures. In some cases, the combustion gases can then travel through these cracks and enter the air in your home. There is no reliable way to test whether or not you have been exposed unless you begin to feel the symptoms, which include headaches, nausea, blurred vision, seizures, and unconsciousness. You don’t want to wait until you experience these symptoms before acting, which is why carbon monoxide detectors are your best bet.

If you’d like to know more or schedule a service, call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. today. Our professional electricians in Helotes, TX are standing by to help you answer all of your questions.

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Ways to Tell You Need Electrical Wiring Repair

Tuesday, January 13th, 2015

We count on electricity for just about everything, which is one of the reasons why it’s so important to make sure that the wiring in your home is safe and effective. Because wiring is hidden in your walls, there isn’t any way to see the actual wiring and if there are any existing problems with it. To be able to tell, you need to look for some telltale signs of electrical problems in your Bandera home. The electrical experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., have put together a list of signs that can indicate you may need electrical wiring repair:

  • Burned-out light bulbs – are you changing light bulbs in certain fixtures too frequently? The average light bulb should last about 6 months, so if you are changing bulbs far more frequently, you should call an electrician.
  • Dimming – do your lights dim when another appliance is turned on? This can indicate that your electrical system becomes imbalanced from a power surge each time that appliance is turned on. These kinds of overloads can cause damage to other appliances so it’s important to have an electrician review the problem right away.
  • Shocks from appliances – shocks from appliances are dangerous and usually indicate that an appliance is not properly grounded. All electrical appliances need to be grounded safely and correctly, so if you are getting a zap each time you use your coffee maker, call for assistance.
  • Burning smell – burning smells are serious and should be treated as such. Burning smells indicate that an electrical outlet or wire has become too hot and has actually started to burn. If you smell burning from any kind of outlet or your electrical panel, call for help immediately.
  • Charring/discoloration – if you see charring or discoloration around any kind of electrical outlet, do not use it and call for help. The charring indicates that a small fire has actually erupted and has left a mark.
  • Constantly tripping breakers or fuses – fuses or breakers that won’t stay on can indicate several things, but they all add up to one thing: an electrical problem. Faulty fuses or breakers can be replaced, but if an appliance or system is drawing too much power, or there is something wrong with your electrical panel, it’s much better to allow an expert to detect and repair the problem.

Electrical problems do not improve with time and typically become worse. If you are in need of quality electrical services in Bandera, call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. today to schedule an appointment.

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Qualities of an Excellent Professional Electrician

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

There are certain vendors your home simply can’t be without: excellent heating and cooling service providers, excellent plumbers and excellent electricians.

Finding reliable service providers for your home can be challenging, and when it comes to finding good electricians, there are some specific things you need to be able to count on. Here are some tips to help you find a reliable, professional electrician in fair Oaks Ranch, TX:

  • Training and certification – working with electricity is complex and requires a number of hours of education and training. Check to make sure that any electrician you want to work with has the training and certification required for your area.
  • Licensed and insured – any tradesperson who does work on your property should be licensed and insured. If they aren’t, you will be liable for any injuries or damages that happen while he/she works on your property.
  • Be fully updated on the National Electric Code (NEC) – the National Electric Code, also known as the NEC or NFPA70, outlines the standards for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States. Codes can be updated at any time, so it’s important to know that your electrician is fully up-to-date on all standards.
  • Make sure there’s a physical address – whether you are hiring an individual or a company, make sure the person or company has a traceable, physical address.
  • Experience – ask your electrician what his/her experience has been working in the field. Classroom and apprenticeship learning are important, but hands-on experience is just as important.
  • Provides written estimates of work – electrical work can be complicated and can sometimes be costly. Any good electrician should be willing to give you a written estimate of the proposed scope of work.
  • Guarantees/refund policy – any tradesperson should be willing to stand behind his or her work; the best way to do that is to offer guarantees on work and/or have a refund policy.

Taking the time to find an excellent professional electrician can help you avoid problems that can occur when you hire the first person you see online or in the phonebook. Experiencing electrical problems right now?

D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., has been offering comprehensive electrical services since 1974, so if you are in need of excellent electrical service, call us today!

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Benefits of Hiring an Electrician to Install Attic Fans

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014

Heat naturally rises. This is a concept you’ve probably heard of before, but have you thought about what this means for your heating and air conditioning system? As heat moves into your home in the summer, it gathers in your attic, building up and having nowhere to vent so that it makes your home feel quite uncomfortable. And while running your air conditioner can help ease the discomfort, it won’t do much for all the heat trapped in your attic, which will make your home feel warmer soon after the AC shuts off.

Homeowners in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX often tend to choose attic fan installation in the summer months when looking for ways to cut cooling costs. An attic fan sits in the attic and vents warm air to the outside. This means your home will feel cooler and you won’t have to run your air conditioner for as long (or at all, in some cases), reducing the risk of repairs and cutting your energy bills.

But did you know that an attic fan can be just as useful in the winter? In the winter, the heat that collects in your attic can actually pose a health threat. As you run your heater, the warm air collects moisture from everyday activities like showering and cooking. This warm, humid air moves upwards, and can collect in the attic until mold or mildew form in the most hidden spaces of your home. This can cause allergies to act up as well as asthma, and may even lead to illness. However, an attic fan can move the trapped moist air back to the outdoors.

Why You Need Professional Service

The most important thing about attic fan installation is that you trust the job to a professional. Attic fan installation is not so simple as plugging in a fan and pressing a power button. You need your attic fan to be wired into your home’s electrical system so that it receives the right amount of power (and so that you can switch it on without climbing into the attic every day). In order to ensure safety, proper operation, and the greatest possible efficiency, be sure to schedule installation with a certified electrician in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX, like the friendly expert at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. Give us a call today!

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What Is a GFCI Outlet and Why Are They a Good Idea?

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

We all know that water and electricity don’t mix, and the risk of electrical shock is not worth taking a chance with your electrical appliances. However, water can come into contact with your electrical appliances even when you don’t expect it, and other electrical accidents may also occur. That’s why many bathrooms and kitchens contain GFCI outlets, which you may recognize from the “test” and “reset” buttons on the fixture.

GFCI outlets help protect you and your family members from the very real risk of electrical shock. In fact, some municipalities mandate the installation of GFCI outlets in certain areas of home, while most experts strongly recommend them. And some homeowners choose to install these outlets throughout the house for increased safety or to increase the property value.

When you need GFCI outlet installation, D’Spain Sales & Services, Inc. is an exceptional choice for a professional electrician in Bandera.

How It Works

There are three slots in any modern outlet. The larger left slot is known as “neutral” while the right slot is called “hot.” The hole at the bottom, which is non-existent in older outlets designed to accommodate two-pronged plugs, is called “ground.” The ground is meant to protect you from electrical shock from metal-encased appliances. But a ground-fault circuit interrupter provides even greater protection.

Normally, an electrical current flows from hot to neutral. Electricity flows from hot through the electrical appliance and back to the neutral slot. If something interrupts the circuit, such as water, the risk is that the current will flow to you instead, leading to electrical shock. A GFCI outlet senses any change in the current quickly, shutting off the power immediately.

Why Choose Professionals for Installation

Installing a GFCI outlet is only a job for a trained professional. This is mostly for safety reasons as a technician has the right tools for the job. A trained electrician can also let you know if additional areas of the home need protection as well, such as a laundry room or an outside outlet.

D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. is an outstanding choice when you need an electrician in Bandera. Call us today!

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Is It Time to Upgrade Your Service Panel?

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

The service panel, also known as the breaker box or electrical panel, is the steel box inside or outside of your house that controls how electricity is routed throughout your home. You need a breaker box to break up the power that reaches your home in order to distribute it to different areas and specific fixtures as needed. This panel contains various circuit breakers that allow you to quickly shut off power to the entire structure or to individual areas only. The breaker panel also trips as a safety measure when it senses an overcurrent or an electrical short in order to protect your home. For this reason, it’s important to make sure your service panel is only installed and serviced by skilled and certified technicians.

For quality electrical services in Helotes, trust the experts at D’Spain Sales & Services, Inc. whenever you need an electrician.

Reasons to Consider Upgrading Your Service Panel

Eventually, you may decide to upgrade the service panel for any of the following reasons.

  • You want to upgrade from fuses to circuit breakers. Breaker boxes are sometimes called “fuse boxes” because they once contained fuses instead of breakers. When the electrical current coming into the home was unsafe, the fuses would blow in order to protect your home from fire. Today’s service panels instead use circuit breakers that switch on and off, so you won’t need to replace a fuse every time. Many homeowners choose to upgrade to this modern feature.
  • You want to add new circuits but your panel has maxed out. Many service panels max out when the panel is installed and construction of the home is completed. If you want to add circuits for any reason, generally due to home renovations, you will need to upgrade your panel or add a sub panel along with your older one.
  • Your older service panel is of inferior quality. Finally, you may simply decide to upgrade because your older system is out of date or simply does not work as it should.

No matter what the reason for your upgrade, call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. for a reliable electrician in Helotes today!

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