Generator Safety 101

It's that time of year again: Hurricane Season.  Are you prepared for the power outages and lightning damage?  Cocoa Electric would like to remind you of a few safety precautions to consider when running your portable or whole home stand alone generator.  Give us a call at 321.507.6642 to install, setup, and maintain your generator, and provide you with whole home lightning protection.






This is the time when most homeowners worry about the damage of high winds, lightning, and power outages.  We can save ourselves a few headaches by the use of a home generator.  Think of all the spoiled groceries, enduring the humidity of 90 degree weather without an air conditioner, the children, sick, or elderly who need emergency first aide or medications.  In the aftermath of Wilma in 2005, it was estimated that power was out for a significant population for 2-3 weeks!

After purchasing your generator, you will require a licensed electrical contractor to wire and install. Having anyone other than a licensed electrician install or service your generator will most likely void your warranty, not to mention the safety issues associated. Generators need a transfer switch that can only be installed by a licensed electrician.  You absolutely MAY NOT plug the generator into your home’s outlets!  Should you run out of fuel, UNPLUG all appliances from the generator and let it cool down before refueling.

To avoid Carbon Monoxide poisoning, it is essential that a location at least sixteen feet from the home, windows, and doors, be selected for installation.  It is also very wise to install and test existing CO monitors.  CO is an odorless, tasteless gas that will kill in minutes.  There have been scores of deaths associated with running a generator to close to an open window, or in the garage.

Summer on the Space Coast is a fun and enjoyable time.  Don't let a preventable power outage ruin your summer.  Call us today, we'll have your generator hooked up and running tomorrow! Cocoa Electric wants you to be safe!

'Electrical Fire Safety Checklist' From ESFi

Another great and useful tool from the Electrical Safety Foundation international.  Three pages of helpful images and detailed Q&A to help you decide when to DIY or hire a licensed contractor. 
There are many things one can do to troubleshoot and fix faulty switches and outlets.  For the more serious and involved repairs, you'll need an electrician.  Call or email Cocoa Electric today to keep you protected.

Stay Safe With ESFi's 'Home Wiring Safety'

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) put out some great information on electrical hazards in the home recently.  Their brochure, Home Wiring Safety, outlines some common electrical safety issues and offers DIY troubleshooting.  It also lets you know when you absolutely need to call a licensed electrical contractor. 
At Cocoa Electric, your safety is important to us.  We want you to be up to date on the current NEC codes, and aware of potential hazards.  If you ever have any questions, please call or email Cocoa Electric today. 

Messy Panel? Hire An Electrician to Re-Wire

WOW!  This is a perfect example of HOW NOT TO WIRE YOUR PANEL! You may be tempted to fix this yourself, but before you do have you considered the danger associated with jumping right in?  Every wire in this panel must be tested, diagrammed, labeled, and re-wired. This is not a DIY project you want to quit halfway through.  We recommend hiring a licensed Electrical Contractor to sort out a mess like this.  


A Licensed Electrician will need to rewire the panel, and label each breaker.  If your panel is not properly labeled, you face serious electrocution risks. Each breaker trips when the maximum amperage has been surpassed.  If you have no idea what is connected to the breaker or how many watts the circuit uses, you have no idea if the gauge of the wire is correct. Should a breaker fail to trip, the wiring and panel overheat and the structure may catch fire. 

According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFi) there are approximately 55,000 electrical fires annually, more than 500 deaths, 1,400 injuries and more than $1.4 billion in property damage.  Fixed wiring (panels, outlets, old wiring, etc.) accounts for the majority of electrical fires. Use the ESFI’s Electrical Fire Checklist to assess your home’s hazard level.

Then call Cocoa Electric to repair your panel and keep you protected!

Tamper Resitant electrical Receptacles Save Lives

Kids. Fun, loving, energetic, adorable, imaginative.  Between the ages of 6 months and 7 years (give or take) their entire world is a learning experience.  If you’ve ever babysat or have kids of your own, you know the messes they create and the dangers they escape on a daily basis.  Toys get shoved up noses, everything goes in the mouth, animals get squeezed, the list is endless.  We have three of our own, and from the minute they started crawling to the time they entered school, we did not rest!

You have to be mindful and keep a hawkeye on them at all times.  When it comes to electrical outlets, no matter how observant you are there is no substitute for Tamper-Resistant electrical Receptacles (TRR).  That is why back in 2008 the National Electric Code began requiring all new and renovated homes be fitted with TRRs. Outlet covers are no match for TRRs.  They can be easily pried off by young children.  In fact, my children thought they were so funny each time they removed the cover!

A Tamper-Resistant electrical Receptacle is a spring loaded shuttered outlet.  Instead of being able to insert something into one side of the outlet and receiving current, both holes of the outlet have to be touched to compress the spring that allows the shutter to open.  The circuit is not completed until the shutters of both holes have recessed.  The National Fire Protection Association reported (in September of 2007) that 2,400 children were seriously injured by inserting objects into electrical outlets every year, with as many as six to twelve dying.

So, if you have just moved check your receptacles.  Even if you don’t have children, these TRRs are great to have in case of family visits.  Not having these can result in injury or death, and even lawsuits. As a landlord, you want that added protection from liability.  A little money up front will save you thousands in the end. 

If you are planning a remodel, you are now required to replace all of your older receptacles with tamper resistant outlets.  Cocoa Electric will gladly switch out your receptacles for you, or install completely new wiring for your remodel. 

DIY Outdoor Barbecue

http://www.cocoaelectric.com

Outdoor BBQ/Bar: Power extended to 2 GFIC outlets with In-Use cover; flood light installation; concrete poured; bar framed, stuccoed and tiled. Total Labor: 20 hours

Outdoor Barbeque Bar Installed

We've had a busy summer so far! With the warm weather, we decided we needed an outdoor eating area.  Simple, light, yet able to withstand the Florida thunderstorms (and the kids!), was what we desired.

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First, we  cut through the block, ran, and buried the power.  An outdoor flood light was installed for nighttime cooking.  Two outdoor receptacles were put in: one on the bar for the mini-fridge, another on the exterior of the home.  We used outlets with in-use covers, meaning the covers on the receptacles close around the inserted wires for added protection. 
Next, the concrete was poured in sections for added design flair.  While that was drying, the bar was framed.  Once the bar was built, the stucco went on, followed by the leftover tile we had lying around.  We gave the top of the bar a short slope so the rainwater would run off and drain into the crushed coral (67 stone) that we used around the screened-in porch.  Now that the concrete was dry, and the bar installed, we put in the grill and mini-fridge, and began pouring and finishing the concrete under the bar front. 
Unfortunately, after giving our pot metal cafe table and chairs a fresh spray of blue paint, the table was dropped and the glass cracked! Otherwise, we're happy with our progress.  The total labor was about 20 hours, and the project took about 2 weeks due to weather, dry times, and schedules.  It was a pretty simple and straightforward project. And, because we used left over materials, it was relatively inexpensive. 
If you are planning a similar project, keep us in mind. Whether it's us or one our competitors we highly recommend hiring a licensed insured professional for your electrical needs! Contact Cocoa Electric today to see how we can help you with your outdoor project!  Sorry, we cannot provide electrical instruction by phone or email  purely for your safety. We will tell how to make sure you need a qualified professional.

A Guide To Generator Safety

Hurricane Season is upon us here in Central Florida.  On August 9, 2012 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency increased the number of forecasted storms this year, making it an “above normal season”.    Many people see this as time to purchase a new gasoline generator in preparation for power outages.  So far this year, we have been lucky when it comes to major storms.

If you are looking to purchase a brand new generator, Cocoa Electric would like to remind you of the hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning.  According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, seventy-five people on average will die this year by running a generator without proper ventilation.  Most of these deaths will occur in homes without a CO monitor.  Cocoa Electric would like you to purchase a (or test your existing) CO monitor along with your generator as a practical and safe measure. 

Running your gasoline generator in the garage is never a good idea even with the doors and windows open. Carbon Monoxide gas is tasteless, odorless, and can kill within minutes.  The best place for a generator is outside at least sixteen feet from your home, doors, and windows.  It may go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: do NOT run your generator in standing water!

You can always install the generator yourself, but is highly recommended you hire a licensed electrical contractor to do it.  You might know electricity, but are you up to date on all the new codes?  Failing one step could result in injury to you or your home, and death.  It is not a risk you want to take.

Generators need a transfer switch that can only be installed by an electrician.  You absolutely MAY NOT plug the generator into your home’s outlets!  Should you run out of fuel, UNPLUG all appliances from the generator and let it cool down before refueling.

If you have an older generator that is not working, call Cocoa Electric today.  We may have a simple fix for you.  We can troubleshoot and show you how to properly maintain your generator.  You may not need to purchase another generator.  Just another way Cocoa Electric is committed to saving you money while keeping your safety a priority!

Most of this is common knowledge.  However, Cocoa Electric values your safety and wants you to be protected this year.  We welcome all questions and comments you have.  Call us today; we want to make sure your generator is working properly: 321.639.1177. (Originally posted by Cocoa Electric in the Client Information section.)