California’s Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has been cutting power to hundreds of thousands of residents in an attempt to lower wildfire danger from downed power lines. Some people have been without electrical service for several days, creating concerns about food safety, water, and medical needs along with…

Circuit breakers, fuses, and GFCIs are safety devices designed to protect you from shocks, overloads, and electrical fires. But millions of breaker boxes installed in the 1960s through the 80s may defeat these life-saving protections.

A Federal Problem
Federal Pacific Electric was a manufacturer of circuit breakers…

Let it snow.

It’s mid-summer, and yet it’s time to seriously consider a Snow Melt System…that is if you want it installed before the first snow of the season.
Snow Melt Systems come in a variety of options: from radiant in-floor heating to mats that are stretched across a…

When people think about thermostat settings it’s usually in the context of saving heating costs in winter. But air conditioning demands in summer can add considerably to your electrical bill, sometimes more than heating does. That’s because in some places electricity costs more per BTU than natural gas.…

Whether it’s a remodel or new construction, scheduling a work-in-progress walkthrough with your architect/designer and subcontractors can avoid annoying and costly re-dos. A careful assessment of electrical and plumbing installations after the framing is up but before drywall is hung lets you confirm that walls, doors, and windows…

As homeowners add more “smart” devices are they inviting a nest of spies into their private spaces? Recent revelations of hidden microphones, cameras, and digital assistants that constantly eavesdrop make it seem like we’re all living in a Cold War spy movie.

A Nest of Spies

Google acknowledged…