Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Charge up Your Electrician’s List

You’ve seen those ‘Warnings’ shouting ‘Danger’ when you buy new electrical appliances with tags that warn us not to remove them. The warnings are everywhere where electricity is used. Electricity is so common in our homes today that we don’t even consider the danger when using a product. We flip a switch and rarely if ever does it not perform as we expected. Homes that are not yet ten years old may not be suited to all the needs of the modern family.

In the past there may have been two outlets in each room. Today you need an outlet on every wall in every room. From computers to toasters, and refrigerators to irons and they all need electricity to function. So what do we do when we find that we blow a fuse every time we turn on too many appliances at one time? Actually there are no more fuse boxes, but we have a panel located outside our residences that again all we have to do is flip that switch.

Have we become lazy? Is it too much trouble to upgrade our home so the circuits will be able to handle all our needs? If we could really understand electricity, we would get in touch with an electrician as soon as we realize that our home’s electricity needs upgraded. Those old wires and panels need to be replaced before they become over heated and cause a fire. Our very life may be at stake.

Instead of trying to do the job yourself hire a professional electrician. Have those outlets upgraded. See that all the existing outlets are changed; make sure they have a ground element attached. Have the pro install new phone jacks, and replace all the outdated toggle switch with new dimmer switches so you can even adjust the level of light as your needs change for each room. Have him install an outside outlet for use for those electrical tools. Then have the pro install a new thermostat that is programmable and will be able to lower your utility bills.

There are things that you can do to protect your home and your family to lower your utility bills. Get rid of extension cords. Train yourself and your family to turn off lights and appliances when they are not in use.

Then remember those danger warnings. Electricity is a wonderful part of our lives however when you don’t take the proper care when using it remember those warnings are there for a purpose. Now sleep well!

My Home Improvement Club specializes in pre-approved and pre-screened Orange County home improvement specialists, Orange County contractors, Orange County home remodeling pros, general contractors in Orange County, and Orange County Directories.

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Monday, October 10, 2011

Orange County Flooring, Orange County CA Flooring

Orange County Flooring, Orange County CA Flooring

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Orange County General Contractors, Orange County CA General Contractors

Orange County General Contractors, Orange County CA General Contractors

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We are the only website that focuses on providing trusted home improvement service providers only for Orange County. We have a team whose only job is to search the county for the finest Home Improvement companies and connect them with home owners who are looking for a trusted, reliable professional service provider.

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Orange County Contractors: Steps for Hiring Service Professionals

A few words of caution, when you find the need to hire a contractor or service professional and if they claim to be bonded, licensed, and insured insist that they show you proof of the licenses, and keep copies of them to protect yourself. Then check the licenses out to make sure they are still in effect.

Several states do not require a person be licensed if the job they are doing is below a certain amount.
Also if the company you are hiring uses sub-contractors, make sure they have been paid before you give them the final payment. This is very important because if the contractor does not pay the sub, the sub can come back and sue the homeowner for the money even though you paid the contractor that part of the job. After the job is completed you should insist on a signed release from all sub-contractors. This is not necessary when a person is on the payroll of the business.

As for the insurance part, if the professional does not have insurance, you will be obligated to pay for all expenses if the person is hurt on the job. Insurance companies provide service professionals with the proper information naming you as the homeowner and that they guarantee that the contractor is in good standing.

Before they step one foot on your property to begin the job, have a contract with the firm’s name clearly printed at the top with the name, address, phone numbers, license numbers, and workers compensation number.

The contract needs to include the work that will done, and dollar amounts, a start date and approximate date for completion. Payment schedule should include the start, at least one mid payment like when material is delivered to your home, and the final payment when the job is completed to your satisfaction. Never pay a person or company in full before the job begins, however they usually ask for $1000.00 or 10% which ever is less. Workers Compensation insists on this amount.

Never write a check or pay cash to the person doing the job. The check should be made out to the company, never an individual. In today’s world a small contractor may not have the funds to pay for materials, but has met all the above requirements. If this is the case, you should ask for a receipt of the materials purchased and pay for that amount after the material has been delivered to your home.

Last but certainly not least, insist on references, and check them out. Do your homework, and expect all the contract promises.

My Home Improvement Club specializes in pre-approved and pre-screened Orange County home improvement specialists, Orange County contractors, Orange County home remodeling pros, general contractors in Orange County, and Orange County Directories.

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Thursday, October 6, 2011

Orange County Electrician, Orange County Electrical Contractors

Orange County Electrician, Orange County Electrical Contractors

Search Through Pre-Screened & Pre-Approved Specialists!!
We are the only website that focuses on providing trusted home improvement service providers only for Orange County. We have a team whose only job is to search the county for the finest Home Improvement companies and connect them with home owners who are looking for a trusted, reliable professional service provider.

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Orange County Remodeling, Remodeling Contractors in Orange County

Orange County Remodeling, Remodeling Contractors in Orange County

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We are the only website that focuses on providing trusted home improvement service providers only for Orange County. We have a team whose only job is to search the county for the finest Home Improvement companies and connect them with home owners who are looking for a trusted, reliable professional service provider.

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Orange County Solar Power: Let the Sun Be in Control of Your Power

Solar Panels almost sound futuristic, but solar power are here to stay. They convert the power of the sun into electricity for us to use and control in our own homes or business. They are expensive, and that is their biggest problem, but in some instances the government offers rebates when we convert to power generated by the sun.

No matter the cost some prefer to be self-sufficient and free from government control over their daily lives. One of the advantages of having solar panels will be you will not only have all the power you want, but in some instances you may be able to sell your power back to the electric company. Don’t ask how they do that, it takes smarter people than me to know the ins and outs of solar power. Does it mean that the utility companies will be sending me a check instead of a bill? Doubtful, they will only give you a credit to your account, but that is still better than a bill.

Solar Panels sound great, and many companies now produce the panels for sale to the general public. Evidently they haven’t figured out how to use those same panels to make ours and when they do that, they will be more efficient. But for now it will take years for our solar panels to pay for themselves when you consider the cost from beginning to end.

Nevertheless, we would still be in control of our power. Think of that, no more black outs, no power outages when our neighborhood goes dark. When the utility company turns off the power to save energy we can laugh at them because that is when they will be buying power from our unit.
How long should the panels last and work to produce our electricity? Some are under warranty for twenty-five years. In other words, they will last a long time heating the water in your swimming pool, keeping our house lower than seventy degrees in the summer, and heating it so we never have to worry about our bill going up.

With the new energy efficient electric cars, will our solar panels charge those so we will no longer need to charge them on the same utility bill as our home? That would be a good question for the sellers to answer, but if we can charge the cars in our garage at night, then it only stands to reason that our panels would charge them as well. If that is the case, the Solar Panels will pay for themselves much sooner than promised before.


My Home Improvement Club specializes in pre-approved and pre-screened Orange County home improvement specialists, Orange County contractors, Orange County home remodeling pros, general contractors in Orange County, Orange County Directories, and Orange County Solar Specialists.

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