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Sunset Air installs new solar panels and they are up and running.  Featured in this year's Green Tour April 21-22, 60 solar panels were installed on the shop building at Sunset Air's Lacey location.  It provides 14.4KW of power, enough to power Sunset Air's Service department in case of a power emergency.  Randy Norris, of Sunset Air wrote a grant proposal and Sunset Air received a $20,000 grant from the USDA REAP program.  The electric meter is bi-directional returning excess power generated back to the grid.  Sunset Air receives 18 cents/KW for excess power generated.  

National Lawn Care Month – Tip of the Day: Dense, healthy grass slows water runoff, removing contaminants and trapping soil. Fresh, filtered water returns to the underground water supply.

New appliances can make for exciting and valuable addition to your home; however, they use a lot of electricity and can ultimately take a toll on your electrical system. As an electrician, I have seen it time and again—homeowners buy new appliances that use a significant amount of electricity, even when they have an “Energy Star” label. These homeowners are unaware that the new appliances can use more power than their old one, possibly causing damage to the existing wiring.

A lot of people seem to have the old “set it and forget it” mentality that when it comes to their new appliances. Many times the importance of installation safety is ignored (shock hazard – improper wiring – improper connections) and other potential dangers are overlooked.

Ideally, with the help of a licensed electrician, you should have no problems installing your new electrical equipment. Here are some tips that might help you prevent problems with the installation of your new appliances:

1) Check the electrical requirements of any new appliances, especially if they will be replacing older equipment. It’s important to ensure that the installation was done properly and that the transition from the old appliance to the new one is smooth. If the appliance needs to be relocated or altered a permit may be required.
2) Call your licensed electrician to help you remove old, hardwired appliances. This is extremely important! In many older homes, appliances were hardwired to the electrical system. Removing them incorrectly can result in serious damage to the wiring.
3) Turn the power off before installing new appliances. Some think that this goes without saying, but you’d be surprised how many people forget about this very simple rule. Not turning off the power can result in damage to the appliance, as well as shock and possible injury to you.
4) Hire an electrician to check that the new appliance installation was done safely and correctly, especially if it was done in an older home.
5) Chances are you may not need to call a licensed electrician to help you with every new appliance installation. However, if you have any doubts or questions about how to install your appliance safely, don’t hesitate to call us so we can make sure that your installation goes off without a hitch.

Give Mr. Electric a call today at 360-705-4225 (Thurston County), 360-426-7600 (Mason Co.), 253-203-1014 (Pierce Co.), or 360-458-4002 (Yelm area) and be safe out there!