Blackouts are unpleasant, unpredictable events that can break the comfort of your daily routine, but knowing how to cope with such situations will keep you and your family safe. Here are some things to do during a blackout to make it easier.

Batteries

Make sure you have a supply of batteries around the house for unexpected power outages. If the blackout is a short one, you’ll hardly notice it has happened with batteries at hand. However, you need to be prepared in case the power outage is longer, and your batteries run out.

Think about the basic necessities like food and heating. Refrain from using your computer and other devices, to extend battery life. If you can use your car, getting food and new batteries won’t be a problem.

Go Out

One of the most pleasant things to do during a blackout is to go out. If the blackout takes place during daytime, you can go for a walk or find some other outdoor activities that will keep you busy until the power returns.

Get Some Rest

Don’t panic. Just enjoy the chance to get a little more rest. You can snuggle on the couch with your loved ones or take a nap. If you are at your office, relax and use the time to organize your schedule mentally. Sometimes it’s good to get some detachment from the technology you use regularly, the computer or smart phone, and exercise your gray matter.

Play Games or Read a Book

Other enjoyable things to do during a blackout include playing some card or board games, or reading a book or magazine. This will take your mind off the blackout, focusing it instead on the pleasure of the game or reading material, and just being around family or friends.

There are probably many things you’ve been planning to do but haven’t found the time for. A blackout is a chance to engage in relaxing activities. You can enjoy the things that you usually postpone in favor of those more important demands on your time. Above all, keep calm and seek qualified help if necessary.

We Can Assist You

Being prepared in case of a power outage will help you to keep things under control. If the blackout is caused by your electrical system, you need to find an electrician you can count on. TalkLocal can find a qualified professional for you, quickly, and at no cost to you.

When you build a home theater, it’s important to pay attention to the sound system to complete the whole audio and visual experience. There are a lot of different components to think about and set up when you build a home theater. Sound systems, wiring, and projectors are also covered here because they make up some of the most crucial parts of your system.

Wiring and Projectors

Aside from dimmer switches, lighting, and other conveniences, wiring and projectors should be a main concern when you build a home theater. Wherever you have long wires, you should keep them in check with cable tidies. You should also label all cables clearly so you know which goes where.

With regard to the projector, choose a good brand and select the right model to suit your wall or screen size. If the projector is too small, you won’t enjoy the viewing experience. If it’s too large, it will overwhelm. So calculate the size of your wall and choose your projector carefully.

Sound Systems and In-Wall Wiring

If there’s one thing you should invest in aside from your TV or projector, it’s your sound system. A good sound system won’t be too loud or too quiet. It should surround your room with good quality sound to make the audience feel as if they are in a theater.

In-wall wiring is something to be handled with caution. It’s best to call an electrician to fit your in-wall wiring. To be safe in the home, in-wall wiring should be well-insulated and kept out of reach of children and drafts.

Need an Electrician?

Contact TalkLocal today and let us help you locate an electrician in your area who will help you with your needs! We will connect you with up to three professionals in your area in just minutes.

Everybody loves a home theater. It’s a great way to enjoy watching TV and movies with the family in great sound and on a wonderful screen. However, you should also think about how the lighting and ventilation in your home theater can be set up to complete the mood. To build a home theater that’s fully functional and enjoyable, you have to pay attention to the smallest details.

Lighting

When setting up lighting for your home theater, don’t just use regular light bulbs or bulbs that are too bright. Ideally, the lights should be mellow. Moreover, they shouldn’t be white, but yellow to create an ambient mood for viewing.  Lighting that is too bright will destroy your viewing experience because it contrasts harshly with your TV. Lights that are soft and mellow set a relaxed mood for the best viewing experience.

Dimmer Switches

Something else you can install when you build a home theater is a dimmer switch. This will allow you to adjust the lighting and get the mood just right. Install proper dimmer switches for your lighting system and you won’t be disappointed. You can either install a single dimmer to control all your lights, or a bank of them so you can create zones of lighting.

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans move the air around to provide good ventilation for your home theater. Install a ceiling fan in the center of the room where it will circulate air most effectively. You should install the right sized fan for the room. If it’s too small, it won’t do the job. If too big, it will end up making your home theater drafty.

Need Help with Your Home Theater System?

Contact Seva Call today and let us help locate a professional near you to help with the mood of your home theater system. We will connect you with up to three professionals in just minutes.

These days, redesigning your bathroom to meet your aesthetic requirements is easier than ever before. Now you have the chance to identify and purchase modern, energy-efficient, accessible appliances to consult numerous eye-catching design ideas available online or in printed catalogs. You can also hire skilled electricians and plumbers who could guide you every single step of the way and help you take pride in a sophisticated, practical, fully functional bathroom.

Here are a few ideas that could inspire you when it comes to investing in small bathroom makeovers.

Saving Energy Every Single Step of the Way

Insulate Your Bathroom Walls, Floor, and Hot Pipes

Just think about it; why do you need small bathroom makeovers in the first place? You feel the need to perform one because you want to beautify your indoor space, but you’d also love to implement beneficial changes triggering significant financial savings in the long term.

In this case, start by insulating your bathroom walls properly, and don’t forget to insulate the floor also, to save up to $100 annually on energy bills. Why waste a significant amount of heat that you’re actually paying for? Remember to insulate your hot pipes to considerably reduce heat loss.

Invest in Energy-Efficient Light Fittings

LED luminaires are trendy, energy-efficient, accessible, and much more convenient than those old-fashioned light bulbs. Inefficient light bulbs are now considered a thing of the past. Did you know they actually turn only 5% of the overall amount of energy that they consume into bright, visible light? If you really want to pay smaller utility bills while adopting an eco-conscious attitude, invest in modern CFL light bulbs, which are up to 10 times more effective than standard incandescent lamps.

Pay the Right Price for Energy-Efficient LED Luminaires and Lamps

Are you ready to invest in small bathroom makeovers? If so, note that modern technology takes energy-efficiency to the next level, due to a new generation of LED luminaires and lamps, designed to provide bright light for up to 50,000 hours while consuming a reduced amount of energy.

Consult an Expert

It might be hard to make a smart decision when it comes to performing small bathroom makeovers. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to consult an experienced electrician, who could easily address all of your lighting needs and concerns. Choose the best one by relying on TalkLocal, a free service introduced to help you meet respectable professionals who are just a few clicks away.

Wiring

Adding wiring when remodeling to add space is not an easy task and requires some experience with electrical know-how. It is best left to the experts because it requires a lot of tools that are probably not available in your house. In summary, these tools are drills, saws, wire cutters, tape measures, pliers, voltage detectors, and flashlights. All of the others you may have, but the voltage detectors are probably doubtable. The steps required are also not simple.

1. You will need to locate circuit breakers and ascertain the amps of these circuit breakers using the voltage detectors.

2. Next, you have to determine which kind of cord you will use to connect the circuit breaker to your cord, whether it will be a 3-prong cord or a 2-prong cord. It gets even more complicated than this, so it is best to leave it to the hands of an expert.

Lighting

Adding extra lighting when remodeling to add space is easier than adding extra wiring.

1. You will want to choose the location of the light on the ceiling and drill a hole where you want the light to be.

2. Next, run a cable from an electrical source to the ceiling and paint over it with the same color as the ceiling. Then connect it with the hole in the ceiling.

3. Next, buy a fixture that connects the light bulb, affix it to the ceiling, and connect your light bulb.

This is the easiest way. Of course, there are more complicated ways to do it that require building permits and may require the help of professional electricians.

Need Expert Help?

It is certainly not impossible to run the wiring in your new addition, nor is it difficult to add more lighting. However, a professional electrician can ensure that the job gets done right the first time. Contact TalkLocal today to be connected directly with up to three electricians in your area in just minutes.

Lighting accounts for 6 percent of an average household’s energy consumption. Using energy-efficient lighting is one way to lower energy use as well as household emissions. Look at some energy saving light bulbs facts that compare its performance to standard light bulbs:

– An energy-efficient light bulb uses up to 80 percent less power than a traditional bulb.

– Despite using less electricity, it can produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb.

– Fluorescent and LED lights outlive conventional bulbs by over a dozen times.

– If you leave a 100-watt light bulb on for just half an hour, it will emit enough carbon dioxide to fill up one party balloon.

– Using energy-saving light bulbs can reduce energy waste by more than 75 percent.

– If every house throughout the country uses a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) instead of an incandescent bulb, the amount of energy saved can provide lighting to 300 million households in a year.

– Enjoy up to $40 savings in your energy bill over the lifespan of every CFL bulb used in your home.

– A CFL bulb produces heat much less significantly than an incandescent bulb, reducing the cost of cooling a home.

Buying Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs

Now that you know some energy saving light bulbs facts that show how effective they are, you may be thinking about replacing your traditional light bulbs. Consider your options:

– Halogens: Emit light that closely resembles the output and quality of an incandescent bulb; use up to 30 percent less energy than standard bulbs; life span of 2,000 hours.

– Compact Fluorescents: Use up to 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs; life span of 6,000 hours; may take several minutes before getting fully bright; contains a tiny amount of mercury, so proper disposal is required.

– Light-Emitting Diodes or LEDs: Use up to 90 percent less energy than conventional bulbs; life span of 25,000 hours; no delay in reaching full brightness; most expensive.

After choosing the type of energy-saving light bulb to use, determine the bulb’s fitting type and shape. Is it a screw-in or bayonet-type bulb? Does it have the classic bulb shape or is it spiral or globe-shaped? If you’re uncertain, just bring the old bulb with you to the store. Also, consider the color temperature of the bulb. Measured in Kelvin (K), lower temperature values give off a warmer color while higher values give off bluish light that appears cooler.

Lastly, check the bulb’s brightness (measured in lumens) and wattage. Note that the wattage of energy-saving bulbs is different from their incandescent counterparts. So, for example, you will need an 18W CFL to replace a 60W incandescent bulb and a 26W CFL to replace a 100W incandescent bulb.

Need an Electrician?

If you need professional help installing lighting in your home, use TalkLocal. Contact us and we’ll connect you with a qualified local electrician within minutes.

In the event of a power outage, you need to safely move around your house in the darkness. You also need to keep your family comfortable without the heating and cooling systems of your home. There are other concerns with food and general safety, too. So you really don’t want to be figuring out what to do during a blackout right at that moment. Here’s how to cope when the power goes out:

– Use a flashlight and not candles as an emergency light source.

– Turn off electrical appliances and devices that were in use when the power outage occurred to prevent damage should the power return abruptly and cause a power surge.

– Leave a light on so you can tell right away if the power is back.

– Listen to the radio for information regarding the blackout.

– Survey any damage outside, such as fallen power lines.

– During hot weather, drink lots of fluids and wear breathable, lightweight clothing to keep cool.

– During cold weather, layer on clothes and quickly make arrangements to stay somewhere else, like in a relative’s home or in a hotel where there is heating available.

Food Safety

Prolonged power outages may affect refrigerated and frozen foods. Here’s what to do during a blackout to keep food fresh and safe for as long as possible:

– Keep from opening the door of the refrigerator and freezer as much as possible. If unopened, the fridge will be able to keep food cold for up to 4 hours.

– If you can make your meals solely from the perishable food items from your refrigerator, then consume those first before cooking food from the freezer.

– Always check refrigerated and frozen food for any sign of spoilage before eating.

– Use a quick response thermometer to get the internal temperature of food, which must not be higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit to control bacterial growth.

– Save your non-perishable foods for later, when you’ve consumed all of the perishables, in case the power outage lasts for several days.

– If the power is still out after a day, place freezer items inside a cooler surrounded with ice.

Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

One of the main hazards during a blackout when alternative fuel or power sources are used is carbon monoxide poisoning. It is important to remember never to use any appliances or devices that use gas, propane, and charcoal – such as a generator or grill – inside your home, garage, or any partially enclosed space.

Call an Electrician

Knowing what to do during a blackout will help you and your family best deal with sudden power loss. If only your home or some areas of your home have lost power, the problem could very well be your own electrical system. Use TalkLocal to find a qualified electrician in your area to restore your power quickly.

Rolling blackouts usually happen during summer, when demand greatly outstrips supply. Prolonged power outages can also occur when electrical lines are knocked out during bad weather. Whether planned or not, don’t be caught off-guard when the electricity goes out for hours. Here are some tips on how to prepare for a blackout:

– Have a flashlight on hand in every room in your house. Make sure there are fresh batteries available, too. Better yet, consider getting a shake flashlight that works without batteries.

– Invest in emergency lights. There are many options for emergency lighting, including battery-operated lamps, rechargeable LED lamps, and solar lamps.

– Keep candles and matches on hand. However, always use them with caution. Never use candles if there’s a risk of a gas leak inside your home.

– If you rely on electricity for your water supply, make sure you have in stock at least a gallon of water safe for drinking for every person in your household.

– If you’re on any medication that needs cold storage, you must have an ice chest handy and a frozen ice pack ready in your freezer.

– Always keep your vehicle’s gas tank full or at least half full, because gas station pumps are powered by electricity.

– Post the emergency phone number for your electric utility provider where it can easily be seen in case you need to report the power outage.

Other Supplies to Prepare:

– Non-perishable food

– Can opener

– Portable battery-operated radio

– First-aid kit and a 7-day supply of medication

– Personal care and sanitation supplies

– Extra cash

– Copies of important documents

– Emergency contact information

Preserving Food

A big concern during a power outage is food spoilage. Here’s how to prepare for a blackout, specifically to preserve perishable food:

– Keep several coolers handy in your home. Styrofoam coolers are cheap and work well to protect perishables.

– Prepare a supply of extra ice in your freezer so you can quickly place them in one of the coolers to chill food.

– Know where to buy ice in your area. Food will keep longer if you surround it with ice inside the cooler or the freezer.

– Purchase a fast-response food thermometer. This thermometer can quickly and precisely check the internal temperature of perishable food like meat, which should be at 40 degrees or below in order to be safe for eating.

Find an Electrician Fast!

By knowing how to prepare for a blackout, you can stay safe in your home and be as comfortable as you can until the power comes back. If the power outage is due to a failure in your electrical system, use TalkLocal to find a local, professional electrician to fix the problem. Send us your request through our website, and we’ll send you qualified professionals that match your needs.