Chapple Electric Blog


Severe Weather:What you Need to Know

 

Nov 11, 2024

IT'S NOT IF....IT'S WHEN.  Winter is here and winter storms are inevitable -when they meet our outdated electric power infrastructure, the result is often widespread power outages.  The time to prepare is before severe weather hits. It’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ the next storm hits-will you and your loved ones be ready? And what do you need to do to better prepare at home, work, school, and on the road? Winter weather preparedness consists of THREE SIMPLE STEPS: 1.PREPARE YOUR HOME AND FAMILY FOR SEVERE WEATHER Make... Read more...

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention

Nov 11, 2024

As temperature continue to drop and winter is in full effect, remember to check the batteries in your carbon monoxide (CO) detector. If you don’t have a battery-powered or battery back-up CO alarm, now is a great time to buy one. More than 400 people die each year in the United States from unintentional, non-fire related CO poisoning. CO is found in fumes produced by furnaces, vehicles, generators, stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, or burning charcoal or wood. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poiso... Read more...

ELECTRICAL SAFETY TIPS FOR THIS WINTER SEASON

 

Nov 11, 2024

When the weather turns cold, many homeowners lean on electrical devices to keep their home cozy and warm. Unfortunately, many portable heating units pose fire hazards if safety standards are not adhered to. In fact, the National Fire Protection Agency claims that over 40% of home fires involve space heaters. as the temperature drops, Chapple electric's expert electrical team wants you and your family to stay safe this winter by following these tips: Keep Flammable Items Away From Heat Sources Seek to remove any flammable items from around your heat source... Read more...

Not Your Granny's Smoke Detector

Nov 11, 2024

Round. UFO-like. Able to eat through a 9-volt battery in a single month. Annoyingly difficult to disengage when you burn the bacon. A smoke detector is still a smoke detector, right? Not so much. Smoke alarms have come a long way in recent years, so if you’re still using the same kind of smoke detector your Granny had in her house when you were growing up, you’re missing out on a lot - both in safety and technology. First of all, smoke detectors can expire Check for a date on the inside of the alarm, next to the battery, or stamped on the back. Expired smoke detectors aren&rsqu... Read more...

Upgrade Your Electrical Panel Before You Plug in Decorations

 

Nov 07, 2024

Ready to decorate your yard Griswold style? Before any Lampoon-like disasters, you may want to reconsider upgrading your breaker box. A most wonderful time of the year for house fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), each holiday season an average of 150 homes are burned, 8 people killed, and 14 injured due to incorrect use of holiday lights. Before you deck the halls – deck your wall with a new electrical panel All those lights covering your roof, windows, trees and bushes might not seem as powerful as your jumbo-size snow blower, but multiplied by ea... Read more...

Tricks, Treats & Safety Make Halloween a Scream!

Oct 22, 2024

As Halloween approaches, you should take the time to evaluate the safety of your indoor decorations and elaborate outdoor displays in order to help prevent fires and accidents from happening. The following collection of Halloween safety tips is offered by our electricians in the hopes of helping you keep your family safe this year. Choose Costumes and Decorations Wisely Look for decorations, costumes, and accessories that are labeled flame-retardant and/or flame-resistant. Non-combustible materials will keep your family and visitors safe and secure because they are designed to minimize the r... Read more...

Shocking Electrical Tips

 

Oct 22, 2024

Electrical Fire Prevention: Be prepared. Stay safe.  Electrical fires were one of the leading causes of fire-related deaths in the past five years.  However, simple safety tips and regular home maintenance can reduce the risk of electrical fires, keeping you and your family safe.   Prevent Electrical Fires at Home: The Basics You can help prevent electrical fires at home simply by using your home’s electrical system properly. Look around for electrical hazards in your home and correct them. Certain items can expose you and your family to the risk of fire, ... Read more...

Parking Lot Lighting: What You Need to Know

 

Sep 27, 2024

Although a well-lit parking lot is essential for a good business, many companies neglect to think about their parking lot lighting. But just like a clean, organized interior, the exterior of your building reflects the company and its values. You want customers, employees, and associates to view your building as a warm, inviting place. When the parking lot is barely lit, it lowers the customers’ confidence in the business and lowers the number of customers visiting at night, which will impact your weekly sales. You also need to consider that just one incident of theft, harassment, o... Read more...

Fire Safety Checklist

 

Sep 27, 2024

Everyone in your family has a role to play in your home’s fire safety. Most importantly, kids should be familiar with how smoke detectors sound and what your home fire escape plan is. The checklists below can help prepare you and your family. PARENTS' CHECKLIST Are the batteries working in all your smoke alarms? Does your home have interconnected smoke alarms (when one sounds, they all sound)? Do you test the batteries in the smoke alarms at least once a month? Does your family have a home fire escape plan that includes two ways out of each room? Does your entire fami... Read more...

How To Test A Smoke Detector

Sep 27, 2024

Installing a smoke detector is an inexpensive way to protect you and your loved ones from getting caught in a dangerous situation. It is important to remember, though, that smoke detectors can only help you if they are functioning properly. If not maintained properly, your smoke detector could fail you when you need it most.     Performing a Safety Test   Step 1 Warn family members. Unless you are trying to conduct a fire drill, you should let everyone in the home know that you will be testing the smoke detector so that they will not feel frightened when t... Read more...

Electrical Panel Upgrades

Sep 26, 2024

 A faulty electrical service panel in a home or buisness places it in danger. The service panel is where the main power line from outside a home enters and is routed throughout the electrical system. The panel also disconnects circuits if excess electricity flows through them by tripping circuit breakers. If the panel starts to malfunction to the point that it can no longer function correctly, not only will it risk shutting down all electricity to the home or business, it will put it at risk of electrical fires.  You may be surprised by how many new appliances and gadgets ... Read more...

Tips for Preventing Circuit Overload

 

Sep 18, 2024

Summer is winding down and fall is upon us and this means an extra long winter with alot of overload on our house. Overloading your electrical circuits can damage your appliances, cause power outages or even a fire. Here are a few things to consider to prevent overloading your circuits. What Is an Overload? An overload is when you have too many things running on one circuit. More specifically, it is when the electrical demand on the circuit is more than it is designed to provide. In your kitchen, this may only occur when you have guests over. You might be plugging in multiple applian... Read more...

What is Directional Boring and When Do I Need it?

 

Jul 25, 2024

Not long ago, the only way to install new piping underground — or even make simple repairs — was to tear apart the ground and ruin the landscape in a time-consuming trench digging process. With the advent of horizontal directional boring, the entire process has been revolutionized. No longer do you have to deal with large crews digging up the ground for weeks or even months to get a single job done. The most common uses of directional drilling is to install pipes, conduits, or cables in areas where traditional open cut construction is difficult to achieve. Directional drill... Read more...