Looking for a licensed electrician in your area whom you can trust to do the electrical work on your home? It’s hard to know if a local electrician is what you’re looking for without doing your research first. To know if someone is a good fit for the electrical work in your home, these are the 10 questions you should ask them:

#1: Are you licenced to do electrical work in my home?

This may seem obvious, but it’s a good idea to ask this question. It’s a legal requirement in nearly every state in Australia to have a license to do electrical work. It should also be their own license – not that of someone they operate under.

#2: Can you show me any references?

If you’re going to have this electrician do any major jobs, especially house construction or renovation, it’s essential to ask for references. An electrician who has nothing to hide should be able to provide you with a list of clients they have worked with in the past and might even have testimonials listed online.

#3: Do you have insurance?

Electrical work poses a lot of risks, and even those who know what they’re doing can have things go wrong sometimes. If your electrician doesn’t have an insurance policy they can show you, then you will be taking on a huge risk – which could destroy you personally and financially if an unfortunate incident were to happen on your property. The insurance should protect the electrician working, you, your family, and others who enter your property in the years to come.

#4: What experience do you have?

The longer your electrician has been in the business, the better they will understand the trade. You want to find an electrician who has a minimum of three years of experience – but the more the better!

#5: Do you have a specialty?

Many electricians specialise in something, and if their specialty matches the job you need done, then it makes sense to let them give it a try!

#6: Do you have a fixed rate?

The estimate is essential when deciding if you want to hire an electrician, and it’s best that they offer a variety of payment options. Most electricians will allow you to pay by the hour for small jobs and offer fixed rates on bigger jobs.

#7: Have you won any awards?

It’s always nice to be recognised for achievements, so if your electrician has won any awards, give them a chance to brag about themselves a little and show you how good they are at what they do!

#8: Who will be doing the work?

You can’t assume that the person you talk to on the phone will be the one to come out to your property. This is especially true on large jobs that might involve an entire team.

#9: Will you be on time?

Unless you want to spend your entire day waiting for your electrician to arrive, it’s a good idea to ask beforehand if they’ll be on time. Asking this will also show them that you are serious about timeliness and will make them more likely to show up when they agree to.

#10: Does your work come with a warranty?

Getting a warranty on your electrical work offers peace of mind if something goes wrong, so ask if your work will come with any guarantee or assurance!

by Michael Gray

Do you prepare for the winter by unpacking the electric blankets and curling up by the fire with your hot chocolate? These are some of the best things to many people about the winter months. As you are snuggling up, however, it’s important to keep safety in mind! With the increased use of heating appliances, winter can become more dangerous in terms of electrical faults.

The good news is that it’s easy to take measures and precautions to safeguard both yourself and your family from these electrical hazards. Here are some steps you can take to stay safe from electrical hazards in the winter months:

Inspect Electrical Equipment and Appliances

 In the beginning of winter, check your electrical equipment and appliances for any issues. Keep an eye out for loose connections, frayed cords and wires, pinched insulation on wires, and similar issues. If your wiring is damaged, overheated, or cracked, this could be a hazard. Check everything on your property, from smoke alarms, to lighting, to sockets. Replace any appliances that show signs of damage, or at least have the equipment checked and then repaired if needed. When doing this, it’s a good idea to work with a qualified electrician to make sure you don’t miss anything!

Heater and Light Placement

 Keep your safety knowledge up to date when it comes to lights and plug-in heaters. Clean heaters to remove any build-up of dust. Keep heaters in open spaces instead of enclosed areas, as enclosed spaces can lead to fire or overheating. In addition, never leave your heaters unattended when they are turned on.

You also need to keep light bulbs positioned a safe distance away from flammable materials, such as upholstery, plastics, drapes, and bedding. Prior to changing your light bulbs, switch the light off and unplug it from the socket. Make sure the bulb you use is the proper wattage to prevent overheating.

Electrical Beds and Blankets

 Are you the kind of person who loves cuddling up under electrical or heated beds and blankets? To make sure they are safe for use first, ensure that there is no distortion, damage, or wires poking out. Also make sure to remember to turn your electric blanket or bed off when you’re not using them and keep heavy items off them to prevent accidental damage.

Water and Electrical Safety

 It’s best if outlets in bathrooms and kitchens are installed a safe distance away from showers and sinks. If they’re not, consider using outlet plug covers to prevent accidental contact with the water and electric shock as a result. Make sure your hands are completely dry before handling electrical appliances like hair dryers and make sure to educate any children your home about doing the same.

Get Help from an Expert

 Of course, these are just the basics on keeping your home safe from electrical hazards in the winter months. To make sure that your home and your family is safe from electrical hazards during the colder months, call in an electrician to inspect your home for any potential signs of trouble!

by Michael Gray

You’ve heard of smart phones – but have you heard of smart homes?

Smart technology continues to rise in popularity for a lot of reasons, one of the biggest ones being that they keep your home’s heating costs down.

How does smart technology work to save you money on your electric bill? Read on to find out:

What Is Smart Technology?

 Smart technology is modern, advanced technology that has been designed to make our lives easier. In the home, most smart technology is designed to intuitively do things for you, so you don’t need to think about it! One example is Amazon’s Echo, which essentially performs a lot of the functions of a smart home. How can this smart technology help to lower your electric bill, though?

Let’s explore some of the technologies that might help your wallet to breathe a sigh of relief.

#1: Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats are a great way to conserve energy in the home. These work by learning about your needs and habits and creating custom cooling and heating schedules based on your lifestyle. By doing so, this eliminates unnecessary energy use and waste of heat.

How often do you remember to change the temperature before you leave the house? Many of us often forget, and there’s no reason to heat or cool an empty home for 8 hours. Smart thermostats can take care of this for you and even start cooling down to reach a comfortable temperature just in time for you to return home.

#2: Smart Vent

 With most of the heating systems we have in our homes, it’s all or nothing –one temperature throughout your entire home. This isn’t very efficient if you spend most of your time in a few select rooms, such as your bedroom and living room. With smart technology, you can get smart vents that aid in reducing wasted energy by allowing you to regulate temperature room by room.

#3: Smart Window Blinds

 Smart window blinds work to save money in your home when you’re not there. Give your heating and cooling system a break to save more energy. When you’re not home, your smart blinds will open if they detect sunlight – helping to heat up your home with natural, warm light. These blinds also do the opposite – when too much sunlight is overheating your home, they will automatically shut to prevent too much sun from coming in and making your cooling system overwork itself.

The Verdict

Do the hottest and coldest months really do a number on your wallet with higher energy costs for heating and cooling?

You’re not alone! If you want to try and save money when extreme temperatures come around, you could benefit from these smart technologies.

If you want to implement these into your home to save money, get in touch with a local electrician in Perth. At Richtek Electrical and Air Solutions, we can help you to upgrade your home into a smart home and keep your energy costs down at the same time!

by Michael Gray