Artisan Electric | Midwest Indiana Electrical Consultants

5 things to consider when shopping for a back-up / emergency generator:

1) Warranty on the product – who is standing behind that warranty when the snow is flying?

2) Who is supplying and installing it -  is it a reliable trade’s professional with training and education (AND TIME) to do the job right?

3) Fuel supply – there is way more to sizing gas lines and fuel delivery then some pipe fittings and tapping the closest fuel source.  Who is doing this work and are they qualified to do so?

4) Emergency Service – if your generator fails to start or function when you need it most who makes it right for you (and how long will it take)?

5) Maintenance – like anything else generators require routine maintenance by a factory qualified service tech, something you can’t usually get from the home store!

Artisan Electric is a authorized Kohler Generator Dealer.  We work with our partners at Buckeye Power Sales (who own the Indiana franchise for Kohler) to provide the very best level of quality and service!

The heat is on… which has us all looking for ways to stay cool.  For many people and many applications a portable window air conditioner is the only option for a good nights sleep.  While these appliances do provide some much needed cooling relief, they also present some significant electrical safety concerns.

Here are 5 things your should know when using or installing a portable window AC unit.

1) In an ideal install they should not be ran on extension cords – if you must use an extension cord make sure it is a larger gauge wire then the cord on the unit.

2) Many window AC units are designed to be ran on a general use 15 or 20 amp circuit – but some need dedicated lines just for the use of the AC.  Make sure you check the amp draw on the unit and the manufactures guidelines for safety before using.  Be careful plugging these things in to *just any old outlet* to avoid overloading a branch circuit.  It is never recommended to run more then one unit on the same circuit.

3) Check the cord and outlet – if they are getting warm then you are at risk of an overload, if they feel HOT to the touch then you are overloading some part of the circuit or the conductors. Also look for dimming lights and power outages related to the AC kicking off and on.

4) Old homes that still have ungrounded knob and tube wiring present a significant safety hazard. These old circuits were never designed to have high demand appliance loads on them. It is never a good idea to use a window AC on a knob and tube circuit.

‎5) Plug adapters… you know the little two prong “cheaters” that let you plug in a grounded cord into an ungrounded outlet. When it comes to window AC’s just don’t do this. There is a very good reason why these units have a ground prong on the cord.

Ask any well trained journeyman electrician who has done service work about “stab in the back” outlets and switches and you will be in for an ear full.  We jokingly call them back stabbers or service call generators, because that is exactly what they do. We get a least a call a week one these from someone, usually in one of the newer track homes built in the last 20 years, that has lights flickering or an outlet that seems to have quit working.  On the more dangerous end of the spectrum we get those frantic calls about how an outlet or switch just seemed to MELT in the wall.

Let me introduce you to  “stab in the back” switches and outlets – one of the most dangerous installs methods we find used in the electrical trades:

These devices rely on small metal pinchers recessed in holes in the back of the plastic case to hold the wire contentions in place.  They are very poor quality connections and make even worse junctions for feed thru wiring methods (daisy chaining from outlet to outlet to outlet).  Most reliable companies will not even allow the use of this method and require their employees to use the proven method of pig tail wiring:  Wire nuts for pig tailing multiple wires together, and the biding screws on the devices for the final mechanical connection of conductors to the devices.

Here is a picture of properly secured wire on an outlet by use of the binding screws to get an idea of what the difference looks like:

Next time you have a screw driver handy go take a cover plate off any device location in your home, might need a flash light to look in the box, but you will be able see  right away of the installer used the binding screws or not.  If they did not consider giving us a call to talk about some options on replacement or re-termination of the existing devices.

Remember – don’t get stabbed in the back!

What’s on your hard drive?

When was the last time you made a backup copy?

As a small business owner it’s important to keep my customer records, financials and projects that sit on my computer backed up. More and more we rely on our digital communications and trust our precious data to our computer hard drives every single day. What most people fail to realize is that computer hard drives are mechanical, eventually they will fail. That said; the majority of small business owners and consumers never realize how important it is to backup until it’s too late.

At Artisan Electric we trust our data on ioSafe hard drives. We backup vital business information, family photos and even videos as do many other local businesses here in town. The experts agree and everyone from PCWorld  to MacWorld has great things to say too. As such, we have compiled a list of some of the best reviews so you can be the judge and draw your own conclusions.

VideoMaker Magazine
We included the VideoMaker review because one of our close friends and Small Business of the Month winners is JP Video Productions in Downtown Lafayette, Indiana. Jay and his team help us with our web videos and tv commercials.

VideoMaker was founded in 1985 and according to their website has 50,000 subscribers to their newstand magazine every month. Known as the authority on all things digital video and HD video, thousands of people look to VideoMaker for the latest news, reviews and technology related to production and digital storage.  Recently the magazine and website did a review of the SoloPRO that takes a look at rugged protection and performance of the ioSafe fire proof hard drive.

Read the Full Review Here:

http://www.videomaker.com/article/15147/

EverythingUSB  Review
Since 2002, the folks at EverythingUSB has been reviewing technology products and gear.  Very well respected in their industry, this website is full of great information on most things digital.  If you are  a gear geek like we are you’ll appreciate all of the technical details and benchmark performance tests in this review of the SoloPRO fireproof hard drive It’s one of the most comprehensive we could find.

You can read the entire review here:
http://www.everythingusb.com/iosafe-solopro-external-usb-3.0-hard-drive-20023.html

TechRepublic
A renowned online community coupled with IT resources, reviews from enterprise management to home user tips and guides – the TechRepublic is a very comprehensive resource and research tool for anyone that craves quality content and expert knowledge. The TechRepublic writer does a nice job of conveying how important it is to keep active electronics cool in a fire safe as he compares traditional fireproof safes to the ioSafe fire proof hard drive

Read the full review here:
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/security/iosafe-solo-could-i-interest-you-in-a-fire-proof-hard-drive/1719

Video Reviews

Sometimes you need to see it to believe it and that’s why YouTube was created J

• Wall Street Journal Video Review of ioSafe Solo
• CrunchGear Video Review on YouTube
• Network World Video Review on YouTube
• ioSafe Rugged Portable Hard Drive

Days are short right now, it’s dark A LOT.  Its dark during the morning commute to work, and for most people dark on their way home.  Combine that with the crazy number of commercial business spaces that are closed up and sitting empty these days and you have a golden opportunity to make your place of business really stand out.

So what does your current lighting say about your business?  Does it say “take a look at us, we are in it to win it”?  or are you projecting another image, one that makes people ask “is that place even still open”?

So here are a few points to consider:

1. Signage – do you have lighted signs that are clearly visible at night and working properly.  Nothing says “we don’t care” quicker then a place of business that does not keep their own company singe in good repair (or working at all)
2. Parking lot lights – do you have pole mounted parking lot lights that are sufficient and functional?  Do they flicker or come off and on at random intervals?  Maybe they hum really bad…
3. Building Lights – does your building or space have wall pack lighting, soffit lighting, or specialty feature lighting – is it working?  Are there lamps out all over the place and a general state of disrepair, or are things squared away?
4. Lighting Controls - how do your lights come on?  Is the photo eye or automated controller working correctly and set to the correct time?  The seasonal time on / time off settings change by as much as 4 hours over the course of the year.
5. Store front lights - do you have adequate store front lighting that is showing off the features of your building as well as your products and / or services.  The need(s) and type(s) of store front lighting can be a petty wide range, you don’t light an industrial building the same way as an art gallery – but in either case you are sending a message.  What does your message say?
6. Display Window Lighting – this is typically that first impression you give at night… even more important if you have a destination business that is open late or located in an areas with high visibility and high foot traffic.  Are you making your potential clients take a glance or a long hard look?
7. Safety – are you providing adequate lighting for your clients and staff to safely get to and from your place of business on those dark winter days?  This can tell your team a lot about how you are dong business.  Are  you telling them you “really care” or “good luck in the dark”?
8. Fun and Unique – what does your lighting tell people.  Are you in a type of business that fun, unique, and interesting lighting might make a significant impact on your image and the overall “feeling”?   Do you need to project an industrial or “squared away” no frills image – is that what you are getting from your lightning plan?

Signs and lighting say a lot about you and your business.  If your not happy about that image let us help!

With the cost of HD TV’s coming down by the week, and a great many new services being offered by providers more and more people are making the switch or are upgrading to better units.  We are seeing a major influx of TV related cable and electrical issues.  Let’s take a look at a few things you should know, first a basic list of  symptoms:

• Pixelation or “fuzzy” picture
• Pictures and images that just don’t seem to look as good as it “did in the store”
• Audio drop outs (called digital drop) or loss of sync between audio and the picture
• Frame skip or jump
• TV’s and equipment that seem to “go bad” prematurely
• Internet and voice over Internet (VOIP) services that are unreliable and not stable
• Unidentified noise in the audio (Example – you can here the sound of the furnace kicking on or the refrigerate in your audio system)
• And of course install issues by providers (cable stapled or strapped around the exterior the home and drilled thru the walls)

Now, lets talk about some of these in detail and the related fixes

1)  OLD CABLE – There is “old’ cable and “new” cable.  In this case we are specifically talking about the cable wire.  Old cable (RG59) typically does not like to support the newer higher Meg-Hz cable signals.  If you have a large home and the cable is original or has not been upgraded in the last 15 years or so chances are you have the older RG59 type – which typically seems slightly smaller in diameter and slightly more flexible.  Probably need to look at getting some of the runs upgraded

2)  SPLITTERS AND TERMINATIONS – If you go down in your basement (or maybe your garage or crawl space) and there is an area that looks like a 3 year old went crazy with wire and splitters then some improvements are in order – this is typically one of the first places we start in a clean up project.  Every split and every fitting causes signal loss – and again if some of this work is older the splitters and cable end fittings used may not support HD signal well.  It is always best to make every run count, use the least amount of cable possible, only install the best HD rated splitters, and only split what is in use.

3)  GROUNDING – like most things of an electrical / electronic nature grounding is  huge in the audio and video world – sadly most homeowners and install techs pay it little attention to it.  Here is a quick run down on how to REALLY ground your cable.  First, at the point of entry the first cable fitting should have a ground connection that bounds by #10 gauge or better copper wire from the cable fighting to the main grounding bar in the electrical panel, it may also be grounded directly to the ground rod (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT).  Second, all the splitters in the systems should be grounded back to the same location or at least bounded to the homes ground wire system.  Why, well there are a lot of reasons, but the easiest explanation we like to call the “Ghost in the Machine”  effect – if cables are not grounded they have a no way to dissipate things that shouldn’t be there unless they do so at the connection points at your TV, computer, or audio system – the exact places we are trying to improve signal quality.

4)  Install methods – this is always a sticking point for me… do these service providers really feel like stapling cables on the outside of your home or business is doing a god job?  I once watched a SAT TV installer drill a hole thru a pocket door in a historic home, stick on a cable box, and proceed to install they equipment and leave… no really – THIS HAPPENED, they installed it in a door!  We just finished up a job this week were cable TV tech ran the cables to the different rooms of the home by laying them in the gutters, not kidding.   Fit and finish of any system effects the outcome and the install quality, as well as the ability to work on the system in the future  Cables should be ran INSIDE of the dwelling unit and concealed in wall spaces where ever possible.

So, if you have been frustrated or not satisfied with your HD TV we can help!  We can do full set up and installation of almost any gear, while provide a proper install and a warranty on the work.

From the City of Lafayette web site:  “Building permits must be issued before any permanent structure is built, modified, or remodeled within the city limits. Any proposed work within the street right-of-way requires a permit. Permits are also required for large sheds and both above and in-ground swimming pools. Site plans are reviewed for conformance to city standards for parking lots, utility connections, street access, and landscaping. The Engineering Department also reviews all subdivision plans and inspects all infrastructure”.

Its that time of year again and (gasp) bad weather will be upon us soon.  This weeks tip is a simple one… it will save you a bundle to deal with outdoor light fixture repairs before the snow flies and things freeze… in some case, like in ground landscape lighting, if a problem occurs after it has hard frozen for the winter we have little choice but to put the repair work off until spring thaw

In other areas, like commercial parking lot lights, wall packs, those pesky motion detector sensor lights – getting fresh lamps in and checking out the systems before winter is money well spent.  Things break when it gets cold, and planning for bucket truck / large ladder use during those bad winter months will always cost more then doing the same work during favorable weather.

And of course – PLANNED maintenance is always more cost effective then emergency or unplanned repair work!

So one of the big gray areas in the trades that no one really likes to to all about is costing and rates.  I never have understood this and feel like it causes more harm then good to “save the money talk” for later.  A great tool to get this out of the way on the front side of a job is a standardized rate sheet.   As a consumer you have every right to see a rate sheet prior to any work being done at your home our business.  Any reputable service contractor that is conducting an honest quality business will have a rate sheet for their company – if they can’t provide you with one then that may be your first sign to look for some other options.

Here is a scan of our Standardized Rate Sheet – for service work and unit hour billings:

As an electrical service contractor we see a lot of burnt up stuff.  Far and away the most common thing to find crispy and smoking are those trusty plug adapters and outlet strips.  You know the story… you only meant for it to be a temporary solution when you put the microwave on top of the fridge.  Or maybe its the one you installed behind your home theater with the ground pin broke off and a few too many things plugged in.  Or perhaps maybe (I know, not you right) its the 3 or 4 you have strung together in your man cave or garage.  Put in so you could run the beer fridge, the radio, charger for your cordless tools, run the space heater in the winter, and still crank up the tunes loud enough to hear when your washing your motorcycle, charging your boat battery, and working on the ATV.

Then… then THAT smell lingers in.  Dang it, well at least you were home to catch it, right?

So all joking aside all outlets strips, plug adapters, and surge protectors are not created equal. They all have two negative things in common the minute you put them in use:

FIRST – they increase the chance you can overload a circuit or outlet

SECOND – they are adding additional connection  points (many that are of poor quality and design) that can fail or cause heating at the point of use

Let me explain a little electric 101 and how this sets up to be the perfect storm.  So most 120 volt circuits in a newer home are protected on 20 amp breakers.  Strike one is that your standard 3 prong outlet is only rated at 15 amps to begin with (unless the larger blade terminal on the face is a “T”).  Strike two is that many of the outlet strips, adapters, plug makers, and such are rated at 10 or 15 amps, SOME ARE RATED MUCH LOWER THEN THAT.  Strike three comes next… add to that a couple of  light duty cords (like the smaller green and orange ones that only have 16 or 18 gauge conductors rated at 10 amps or less) and you have set the stage.  Each one of those additional “plug in” connections causes more resistance and more heat. What can happen is that all of those things, when stung together and loaded up, can melt and ignite before the 20 amp breaker protecting the circuit will shut down.  Depending on how poor the connections are, the age of the circuit, outlet, and breaker; combined with the type and ratings of the adapted being used it may only take a few amps of load to cause this to occur.

So what is the solution you ask.  It is three fold and simple:

1) BUY 20 AMP RATED CORDS AND ADAPTERS

2) BUY AND USE ONLY TOP QUALITY 20 AMP RATED OUTLET STRIPS and SURGE PROTECTORS

3) CORRECTLY WIRE IN MORE 20 AMP RATED OUTLES WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED (and consider adding some additional circuits).