Breakers

I sometimes get calls to upsize a breaker because it is tripping.If you have tripping breaker it is because you either have a short or to much of  a load on that circuit.A breaker is a safety device that trips on heat,so that your wire does not burn up.What ever the problem it will not help you to upsize the breaker and can be dangerous.Thanks for looking at my blog and check past post for more helpful tips.



Electrical Trouble

Today i would like to talk about an electrical problem i get all the time.Plugs that are not working in a certain room in the house.The first thing you want to do is find the plug that still has power.Next you want to kill the power to that circuit.Remove the plug that was working and look in the back of the plug for loose wires.If they are tight you could go to the plug next to it and check the wires there.Nine times out of ten your problem is a loose wire in a plug.I hope this helps you out and if you still can not find the problem give me a call at 361 433-6039.Thanks for looking at my blog and be sure and check past post for more helpful tips.(mention this blog and recieve 10% off on all service calls.

How to Add an Outlet to an Existing Wall

  
Service Electric 361 433-6039.Say you saw my blog and get a 10% discount on all electrical work.Check past post for more helpful hints.
Thanks for looking at my blog and have a great day.

Today i would like to talk about upgrading your electrical service.If yout home is 40 years old or older you may have to small of a service all your appliances.A house today has much more of a load on it than in years past.A new electric service not only provides safety but also adds value to your home.If you are ready to upgrade please give me a call(John) and i can give you a free estimate.Thanks for looking at my blog and check past post for more helpful tips.Happy New Year from Service Electric.

Chrstmas Lighting

Today i would like to talk about installing christmas lights.If you are installing lighting outside make sure you are using a gfi protected plug.Do not  plug in your lights until you are finished hanging them.Before you take out the box of lights and ladder,take a few minutes to decide what you want to do and where you are going to hang your lights.Next take a look around and check for low hanging wires that you or your ladder could come in contact with.Put your outside lights on a timer or a switch, so that they are not on when  you are not home(this goes for the christmas tree as well.I hope you have a safe and happy holiday and check past post for more helpful tips.Thanks for looking at my blog and give me a call with any questions you may have 361 433-6039.(john)

Recessed Lighting and Flush Light Installation

This is not a bad video on how to install recesss lighting.I am going to start making videoes of the jobs we do and post them as well.So check back for that.Thanks for looking at my blog and check past post for more helpful tips.

Happy Halloween

If You have an electrical question or would like a free estimate .Please give me a call at 361 433-6039. Now till the end of October if you mention my blog you will get a 10% discount.Check past post for helpful electrical tips.Have a great day and a happy Halloween.

How to replace and GFI outlet and how it works

Payments

Today i would like to talk about billing.I think construction is the only job where people expect you to give them credit right off the bat.I dont know how many times i have heard just bill us .Well that might of worked in 1930 when everyone knew everyone but now days no one will give you credit on just your word.When was the last time you went into the store and got a pair of shoes and said just bill me.You can do it but you better have a credit card not just your word.Another thing people ask is can you break down the material in the invoice.When was the last time you asked for a break down of how much the material cost to make a pair of shoes.In closing i would like to say unless you have a credit card dont ask for credit,second the price we give you is the price we need to buy the material while still making a profit , so if you do not like the price you are free to shop around.Thanks for looking at my blog and i hope you have a good day.

ac units

With the summer heat ac can run almost all the time.If you are getting power surges or the lights are dimming ,it could be one of two things.Your service for your house is to small(this happens in older homes)or you have to many things on one breaker.If you have window units it is best to put theme on there own breaker.Two units on one circuit can tripp a 110 20amp breaker.Keep your ac clean a dirty ac pulls more amps and will have more condesation.Thank you for looking at my blog and give us a call if you need an estimate or a service call.

Austin Car Show 2012

I went to the car show in Austin last week and thought i would post it on my blog.If you have an electrical question or need an estimate give me a call 361 433-6039.thanks for looking at my blog and check past post for helpful electrical tips.

G.F.I.

To day i would like to talk a little about gfi's (ground fault interupters).They are used in restrooms as well as outside.If you ever have outside plugs or restroom plugs that are not working ,you may go around and check to see that all of your gfi s are set.You can do this just by pushing the button in the middle.If you are replacing a gfi make sure that your line side is to the bottom screws the top side is for your load.Thank you for looking at my blog.Please check my past post for other helpful tips

trailer house hook up

I get a lot of calls to hook up trailer houses.So today i am going to tell you how to do it.First off i would not hook up smaller than a 200 anp service for a large trailer house.If you are putting in the pole it needs to 3 feet in the ground and your service needs to be 12 feet high so at least a 20 foot pole.The pole should be treated so that it will last in the weather. I am not going to go into a materal list because if you are do it yourselfer you already know what you need.When you mount your metercan put it a no more than 6 foot high and add you panel underneath.Drive your ground rod down inthe earth so that just 4 to 6 inches is above the ground .Make sure that your ground wire hits the meter can before it is hooked to the panel.your nuetral and your grounds need to be bonded,so do not remove your bonding bar.I hope this gives you an idea how to do it,if you have any questions or would like for us to install one for you,give us a call 361 433-6039.Thanks for looking at my blog and check past post for helpful tips on wiring.

Our Store

The Gaudalupe
I would like to invite you to take a look at our store,i have added new items.I am still only taking paypal but i have purchased an ssi certificate and may be taking credit cards in the future.A purchase with patpal is always a safe one.Here is a link Our Store .

Here is todays tip ,if you have ever purchased a new dryer or stove and had the wrong plug in on the wall?Here is the solution ,just buy a new cord for your appliance to match your wall outlet.These can be purchased at lowes or home depot.Thanks fo looking at my blog and check older post for helpful tips.Please give me a call if you would like an estimate or just some advice.

Summer is here

For those of us who have lived in south Texas all our lives we know almost every year it is going to be hot.We might get a warm winter but i cant remember a cool summer.Living close to the Guadalupe river and the ocean only adds to the problem with the humidity.I know you hear this every year but it is worth repeating, drink lots of water and take several breakes.A heat stroke is somthing that can be prevented by knowing the warning signs and what to watch out for .So take care and have a happy and safe summer.The tomatoes where grown by my dad and the picture was taken by me.If you have an electrical question give me a call or post it on my blog and i will try and help you out.

Ceiling Fans

i get several calls about how much it is to install a ceiling fan.The price is 79.00 per fan.This is a flat fee.You can go to our site and buy a fan from us and the price for install is 69.00 and we can bring it out to your house and install it. I am setting up the web site to take credit cards but if you got pay pal you can use that now.I should have credit card set up next by next Monday the 4th.I also hope to have some new products avaliable.Take look at my new page (cool web sites)on my web site.I have included sites that i think are worth looking at.Thanks for lookink at my blog and remember to look at some of my old post for some helpful info.As always if you have any questions give me a call at 361 433-6039.(john)

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Now that it is getting warm we will be turning on our ac units.If you have small 110v window units it would be good idea to put them on there own cicuit,the reason for this is that one window unit can draw between 10 and 15 amps.If you have annthing else plugged into that circuit it could tripp the breaker.Some people think you should just add a bigger breaker,but this is a bad idea becuse the wire is rated to the breaker size,Go over and there is a greater chnce of fire.The solution to the problem is putting each ac on its own circuit.If you have a 220 unit it is more than likely on its own circuit.If you are getting a slow tripp on a 220 it could be a weak breaker.It is best to let an ac tech or electrician look at it to determine your problem.THanks for looking at my blog and if you have any questions ,give me a call john 361 433-6039.Check out our web site www.serviceelectric.us for great deals on fans and lighting.

Hot Tubs

Now that it is starting to get warm some of us may be buying a new hot tub.They are great for relaxing with friends and family .I would like to go over a few safety tips before you jump in .First make sure you hire a qualified electrician to hook up your tub.A hot tub needs to be on a gfi breaker it is most often a 50 amp breker.GFI stands for ground fault interupt if there is a short where water is involed it should trip.All exposed wires should be in conduit .I recommend running the wires in pvc scheudle 80 and flex pvc.I try to hide the conduit under the slap so it does not become a tripping hazard.So remember to call your electrician before you set your pool,this will help him with his installation.Look for a good pool installation to run between 500 and 800 dollars depending on the size of the pool and where it is located.Have a great and safe day and remember if you have any questions give me a call John 361 433-6039.Thanks,Please look at my past post for other helpful tips.

Electrical Code Inspection Wiring and Devices, Show Me How V

Adding a circuit

Today i would like to explain how to add a circuit in an existing wall.Wether you have brought a circuit in from the panel or have scabbed off an existing circuit.It is best to add your wires down a inside wall so that you can have enough room to drill your hole through the header.You want to drill your hole so that it is between the studs.When you are ready to cut your box in ,hold it a the point where you want it and mark around the box with a pencile .Use your sheetrock knife to cut out your hole.Becareful to not cut out to much you want the boxto fit snugly.If you are using a romex cut in box they will have two wings which hold the box in place against the sheetrock.Before you mount your box drop your wires down from the attic(it is best to have two people for this job).Once you grab your wires through the hole,slide them through your box and mount your box.Tighten your screws so that the box is tight aginst the wall.As always if you have any questions give me call 361 433-6039