6 Things You Should Know About Surge Protectors

/in /by

Whether you want to protect against damage from random power spikes, or you just want to add more outlets, surge protectors are necessary. But, how do you choose the best of the many types offered on the market?

No worries! The number one electrician offering the ultimate electric services in Brisbane and the surrounding area – Thomas Blake Electrical – is here to explain what makes a good surge protector.

So, read on and find out everything you should know about surge protectors:

1. Surge Protectors and Power Strips

Even though both of these are referred to as surge suppressors, they are different. In general, power strips are an expansion of a wall outlet and are usually quite cheap. They include a circuit breaker but cannot protect from electrical issues 100%. On the other hand, surge protectors are rather cheap but offer power spikes protection to some extent.

2. Portable Power Strip

You already know that they don’t offer a high level of protection, however, a portable power strip can help avoid marital friction or invoke bliss from travel companions. In general, hotels and motels don’t have enough outlets so a portable power strip can really come in handy, especially if it comes with a USB connection.

3. Protection in Joules

As we already mentioned, surge protectors offer some protection which is usually expressed in joules. The higher the surge protector joule rating, the better the protection against electrical hazards. Precisely speaking, this rating tells you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. Eventually, as time passes by, some surge protector parts wear down and the device becomes less effective.

4. The Need for a Power Conditioner

The truth is, various manufacturers try to sell different products on the market one of which is a power conditioner claiming to improve the performance in your gear by conditioning the power from the wall. But, your gear does that already. A professional electrician has a power supply that takes the wall current, filters it, and converts it based on the device needs. Hence, you don’t really need a power conditioner.

5. Outlets Number

Without a shadow of a doubt, you’ve certainly had a situation in which you have regretted not adding more outlets in your premises. Over time, we all purchase more electrical devices and gear without ditching the old ones. Hence, once your electrician starts with the electrical installments, make sure to ask for more outlets than you currently need.

6. One for Chunky Plugs

If this occurred to you, you definitely know how annoying it could be not being able to plug in a device. Namely, certain devices use wall warts and look like little boxes with prongs sticking out which is hard to accommodate in a normal surge protector. Therefore, consider getting one with enough space between sockets or one on which you can rotate or move the sockets.

To sum up, everyone should get at least one surge protector, based on their needs. They are efficient and beneficial in protecting from power surges. And, since they are relatively cheap you can really afford to replace them from time to time to ensure maximum protection.

For any further information, contact Thomas Blake Electrical! We’ll be glad to help you with any electrical services you require!

How to Test Your Smoke Alarms

/in /by

A smoke alarm is a crucial safety device that should be featured in every home. Plus, as of the 1st of January 2022 all domestic premises leased and sold; must have hard-wired interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms installed. And, as of the 1st of January 2027 all domestic promises; must have hard-wired interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms installed.

How do Smoke Alarms Work?

Smoke alarms are devices that detect smoke and sound an alarm when activated. Smoke alarms alert and wake people allowing valuable time to get out of a house during a fire.

Photoelectric smoke alarms are designed to detect changes in the intensity of light passing through the air as a result of the smoke. They can operate on two principles – light obstruction and light scattering. Plus, what makes photoelectric smoke alarms very effective is the fact that they respond fast to smoldering fires which have proven to be lethal in most cases of residential fires.

Hence, we may all conclude that installing smoke alarms at your home is of utmost importance. So, call Thomas Blake Electrical – the number one electrician in Brisbane offering expert electrical services including smoke alarm installation and replacement. Whatever your smoke alarm need is, Thomas Blake can assist you quickly and professionally.

How to Test Your Smoke Alarms?

In general, smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years to ensure that you have a reliable source of safety in your home. The reason for this is that over time, just like other electrical devices, smoke alarms develop mechanical issues and become less effective.

So, you have to test your smoke alarms from time to time to make sure they are in good condition. In this case, you’d better seek professional help from a qualified electrician, like Thomas Blake, to do the inspection.

Here’s a step by step guide on how to do a smoke alarm test:

Step 1 – Notify Your Family Members

First and foremost, you should tell everyone in your household that you are going to test your smoke alarms. Also, notify your security company if your smoke alarm is hardwired to a monitored security plan.

Step 2 – Check How Far the Alarm can be Heard

Evaluating the distance at which your alarm can be heard is also of crucial importance. To do so, ask a family member to go as far as possible when you do the test and tell you whether or not they can hear the smoke alarm.

Step 3 – Conduct the Test

To see whether or not your smoke alarms work you will need an aerosol spray that can be purchased at any home improvement store. Then, sprinkle some amount of the spray into the alarm and wait. If it produces a sound, then your alarm works well. Otherwise, you need to replace it.

Step 4 – Turn off the Alarm

Finally, once you have tested your smoke alarm, you have to turn it off. You can do so by vacuuming the aerosol spray from the alarm unit. Or, switch the silence button if there’s one on your smoke alarm.

To sum up, testing your smoke alarms is essential if you want to ensure that you and your family are safe. So, don’t hesitate – contact Thomas Blake today to test, fix, replace, or install smoke alarms in your home.