by Dan Namerow | Jul 27, 2019 | Electrical Safety, Generators
As the abnormal rains continued into 2019, so have the problems that this epidemic of storms and excessive rain have caused. Flooding, trees down, and power surges and outages. If you live here you know, and may have been an unfortunate victim of circumstance.
As many of our neighbor’s scramble about putting food in another person’s freezer, collecting the branches that damaged their home and tore off the power lines to their house and load up on batteries and board games to survive several nights without power, we at Farryn Electric feel for those folks.
I help where I can, currently I have my neighbor’s kids here enjoying movies and hot meals, while their dad places an abundance of food in our freezer before it spoils. They all say the same thing, well here we go again… another unexpected camping trip!
So what can you as a home owner do to protect yourself from power outages:
- Ensure your grounding system meets the current code requirements.
- Install whole house and localized surge protection.
- Find a generator that is right for you!
The most important thing is to have a plan. List all of the things you would have to do if you were to lose power. Do you have flashlights ready? Do you have food that won’t spoil? Do you have a place to bring your perishables? Do you have a place to sleep?
by Dan Namerow | Jun 25, 2019 | Residential Electrician, Residential Lighting
When you work from home… Typically, you fawn over your workspace in the beginning, and “want” it neat and organized. You are excited to setup your desk, your printer and computer. The artwork, pictures and your chair is all thoughtfully considered. Then you get to work! The lighting isn’t great, but you ignore it… Next thing you know you are complaining about neck pain, and headaches, and you don’t feel as productive as you were in the office… so what’s wrong? Existing ambient lighting is not intended for functional lighting in the home office, and it’s necessary to add additional sources.
Did you know that the character and quality of lighting in your workspace can help determine your productivity? Poor lighting can reduce your energy, dampen morale, produce eyestrain and headaches, and ultimately impair your ability to work effectively.
So how can you fix it? Consider where your light is coming from. Assess your natural lighting. Sunlight can produce a warm lighting most effective in improving your productivity, but in turn direct sunlight can create an overwhelming glare during particular times during the day.
If you have little to no natural lighting, then artificial lighting plays a key role. For instance, having a light source set behind you as you work on your computer could create an annoying glare on your screen decreasing your productivity, causing eye strain which then leads to that nagging pain in your neck (the one you are probably rubbing as you read this blog). It’s best to have natural light in front of or next to your work space to avoid glare and take full advantage of your outside views. You can also position your workstation facing north or south so that the sunlight doesn’t throw a shadow at any point in the day.
Consider the shadows cast by lamps setup for task lighting. You will want to avoid lamps that cause casting of shadows and floor lamps that bounce light on walls and ceiling. You will want to avoid working under the direct glare of overhead lights as well. Instead, you want to find creative ways to diffuse ambient lighting that will illuminate your whole office space with a warm texture, not a florescent nightmare.
If you are at your desk writing the next best seller or you sit up late hours entering in invoices, and writing estimates you need task lighting. A well-defined light source would suit your needs and feed your productivity. An adjustable or articulated desk lamp can put light exactly where you need it.
Beyond having the appropriate ambient lighting and task lighting, accent lighting can come into play. Do you have a beautiful piece of art? Lighting it up brings attention to it in the room and really updates your space to a new level that you can appreciate and feel like the executive you are.
Contact Farryn Electric today at 484-316-0449 for more information about professionally designed home office lighting.
by Dan Namerow | Apr 23, 2019 | Backyard Lighting, Exterior Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, Residential Electrician
You may think landscaping should take precedence when planning out the exterior of your home. However, you can’t forget about the lighting that can help to highlight all of the amazing features of your home and its landscaping. When you fully understand the advantages of outdoor lighting, you will be able to choose the perfect lights to fit your home’s needs! To help you understand the pros of installing landscape lighting, the experts at Farryn Electric have come up with four ways your home, and landscaping, will benefit from them.
Aesthetics
The most obvious advantage to adding exterior lighting to your home is the enhancement of appearance it brings. The right lighting can accentuate your home’s beauty even after the sun goes down. You can even angle lights to show off all of the hard work you put into your landscaping! Your home instantly becomes more inviting and gains major curb appeal just with the installation of outdoor lights.
Added Safety
Family, friends and any other visitors will be able to see (and stay on) the walkways of your home thanks to landscape lighting. The added visibility can decrease the risk of injury on your property! From cracked sidewalks to uneven paths, the strategic illumination can further highlight the areas to avoid when making their way into your home, so all visitors will make it safely inside.
Security
A dark home can easily become the target of vandalism and burglary. In contrast, a well-lit home draws attention, making it easier to catch a thief in the act than if the house was dark. With less darkness surrounding your home, it becomes difficult for a potential intruder to remain hidden around your home. Just be sure to place lights close to entryways, so when you are arriving home in the dark, or looking outside your windows, you can see if there is anyone lurking around your property.
Functionality
By adding lights to the exterior of your home, you can expand the capabilities of your living space—the fun doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down! The addition of lighting on your porch or deck can allow more time outside to enjoy the springtime breeze or relax with family after a long day. With outdoor lighting you can really take advantage of all of your outdoor living spaces!
The addition of landscape lighting can completely alter the appeal of your home. In fact, exterior lighting ranks among one of the top characteristics for home buyers in NAHB’s annual survey of what home buyers are really interested in! Here at Farryn Electric, our reputation for high-quality work and amazing service sets us apart. Contact us today at 484-316-0449 for more information.
by Dan Namerow | Mar 28, 2019 | Electrician, Residential Electrician, Residential Lighting
Track lighting was most popular in the 80s, though it is making its comeback with more modern and contemporary looks. It offers a usefulness that is enticing to designers and savvy homeowners. Traditionally used in living rooms, it’s now being installed in kitchens, dining rooms and bedrooms where it’s used indirectly by pointing the light source at shelving units, artwork or display cabinets. While it can also be used for general purpose lighting, there are so many other ways to utilize track lighting. Here are three modern ways to incorporate track lighting into your home!
Give Your Home “Curve” Appeal
Although track lighting can be used in straight lines, it can also be fun to take a new twist on it! These days, track lighting can easily be shaped into curvy lines. Not only does this feature make it easy for lighting to be incorporated into irregularly proportioned rooms, but it can also add interest to a space. Additionally, if your home has a one-off room that is difficult to evenly light, there’s sure to be a track lighting system that will do the trick.
Accentuate Accent Walls
Track lighting is a great way to shed light on an accent wall that you have put time and money into creating. For instance, if you have a wall in your living room that features unique decor, track lighting is the perfect way to enhance it; if you have a brick wall in your kitchen, use it to highlight this special asset; if you have a wall covered in chic plants, a track lighting system will bring it to life. While most people don’t think of this type of lighting system as an obvious choice for bedrooms, if your bedroom has an accent wall—either painted a different color, covered in wallpaper or in a different texture—track lighting will make it look that much more special. When it comes to installing this type of system in a bedroom, just be sure to opt for one that can be dimmed so you can control the brightness of the light.
Highlight Hallways
When long, thin hallways are only lit with ceiling mounted light fittings, they can appear to be dark and gloomy. Even if the ceiling mounted light is accompanied by wall mounted lights or a lamp, it still doesn’t make enough of a difference in brightness. Luckily, installing track lighting can transform your dark hallways into the brightly lit hallways of your dreams!
Ready to install track lighting into your home? Let the professionals at Farryn Electric install this comeback lighting system into your home to create a modern and unique space. Contact us today!
by Dan Namerow | Mar 1, 2019 | Uncategorized
If you’ve never heard of the term “flying splices”, you’re not alone; and if you think it sounds like a sci-fi reference or an exotic insect, we don’t blame you. However, flying splices are a very real, 
very dangerous and very common electrical issue—particularly in older homes—and are one of the top causes of house fires. Not sure whether your home’s electrical wiring has flying splices? Not to worry! The electrical experts at Farryn Electric have three facts about flying splices to help you understand what they are, the dangers they impose, steps you can take detect them, and ultimately, protect your home from an electrical-related fire.
What They Are
The term “flying splices” is an electrical term for wiring that has been spliced together, meaning that the wires have been connected, left open and not enclosed in a junction box. Unfortunately these connections become loose, and because they are not in a box (they are hidden in walls and ceilings) They are very hard to detect. Not to be “captain obvious” but those things that have a potential for causing fires should be in a box and their location should be known. Unfortunately, this technique is found in the oldest forms of wiring like knob and tube wiring, in residential homes, and other generations of wiring as well. Not only is this technique now illegal, but it also is creating a dangerous situation for you and your home.
Why They’re Dangerous
Although flying splices are more typical in older residences, it is still possible that your newer home is suffering from them as well. Like many situations in life, some people are not qualified to do the job they are hired to do, and your flying splice situation could be the result of poor workmanship and an uneducated electrician. What makes flying splices so dangerous to you, your loved ones and your home? Many times, the wiring in a home is located within the walls and ceilings, making it so you will never be able to see it and therefore, you will never know if this dangerous wiring is there. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Not quite. Due to the increased susceptibility of sparking, flying splices are one of the top causes of house fires, but since you cannot see them, how can you protect your home from them? Read on to learn how you can discover if your home has flying splices and how to combat this dangerous issue.
How to Keep Your Home Safe
Luckily, flying splices are not a permanent issue, and with the help of a knowledgeable and experienced electrical expert, the issue can be fixed. First thing’s first: You must hire an electrician to find any weak and dangerous wiring in your home. At Farryn Electric, we have the tools and knowledge to not only detect flying splices, but we will do so without making any holes—a skill both you and your home will thank us for. If it is determined that your home has flying splices, the wiring connection will be corrected and your home will instantly be safer.
When it comes to your home’s electrical wiring, stop living by the “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” mentality, especially if you live in an older home. Flying splices are highly dangerous, and as previously mentioned, highly prevalent in older homes. Don’t rely on luck—contact the team at Farryn Electric today!
