Tag: gath electric

3 Ways Dimmers Can Benefit Your Home

Feb 05, 2021

3 Ways Dimmers Can Benefit Your Home

  • Electrical
3 Ways Dimmers Can Benefit Your Home

3 Ways Dimmers Can Benefit Your Home

Home maintenance can add up in costs, and it can be difficult to cut down on your utility bills. Emergencies can happen at any time, and appliances simply aren’t built to last forever. The good news is that there are a few tricks every homeowner can use to save money and keep your home in tip-top shape. Most probably don’t think of their home’s lighting as a way to cut down on costs, but dimmers can save you money. Your home’s lighting can not only be energy efficient, but customizable and cozy. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Ryan Gath Electric shows you these 3 ways dimmers can benefit your home:

How Dimmers Can Help Your Home

You might not think it, but the quality of lighting can increase your home’s value and comfort tremendously. Installing dimmers adds a variety of different lighting settings to your home to save money and add ambiance. Like any electrical appliance, however, your lighting is complicated and it can be difficult to get just the right amount of lighting. Dimmers give you that trial and error without having to have a licensed electrician replace and install multiple light fixtures. If you’re considering adding some dimmers to your home, here’s how a few dimmers can help you.

  • They Save Money – Dimmers are economic in that they consume considerably less energy when you dim the lights. Traditional light switches only give you the option of shutting off a light or turning it on, which means either you use 0% energy or 100%. A dimmer switch gives you full control of how much energy you want to use in a light switch, which can decrease your utility bills, saving $30 a year. Stop wasting money on gaudy bright indoor lighting and put your savings towards a nice Valentine’s Day dinner.
  • Light Bulbs Last Longer – On top of consuming less energy, a home with dimmers means fewer trips to the hardware store to replace your light bulbs. Generally the less light is used, the longer the bulb lasts. 
  • Customizable, Ambient Lighting – Besides saving money, the best perk of a dimmer is the flexibility. Installing dimmers to your lighting enables you to adjust different light fixtures in your rooms for different effects. Dimmers are also easy to use because they can be programmed to change at certain times or controlled with an app or touch screen. Whether you want to accentuate some art, add ambiance, or sleep a little better at night, dimmers help to make that happen.

What You Need to Know About Dimmers

Dimmers not only improve your home’s quality of lighting, they also come in a variety of switches and can add different effects to each room. While it might be tempting to try and install a dimmer switch on your own, your lighting is complicated, and best left to a licensed electrician to install. If you’re ready to upgrade your home’s lighting, there are a few important factors to consider first.

  • Type Of Switch – A dimmer is not only flexible for your home’s lighting; it’s also flexible in what type of switch you can use to adjust the lighting. An integrated switch, for example, allows you to create multiple lighting presets for one room which is controlled either by a button in the wall or a wireless controller. There are touch dimmer switches which are controlled with a simple tap of your finger and some can even switch back to a prior light setting. For something less sophisticated, there are manual switches like a slider or a rotary switch, which allow you to manually adjust the lighting.
  • Type Of Dimmer – You can also decide how complex you want your lighting control setup to be. A single pole dimmer controls the dimming and lighting for all your home’s light fixtures. Three-way or four-way dimmers are used for light fixtures to be controlled by one dimmer switch with additional on and off switches. Multi-location dimmers enable you to use multiple dimmer switches to control multiple dimmers. 
  • Lighting Needs Of Each Room – It’s important to remember that dimmers not only save you money but offer a variety of uses for each room. Having dimmers in the bathroom, for example, allows you to turn down the lights first thing in the morning for your light sensitive eyes. Dimmers are especially best for bedrooms as the dimmed light helps prepare your body to wind down for sleep. Kitchens which can be a popular room to hang out can benefit from dimmer lights, as good lighting makes for a good looking kitchen, which saves you money and adds curb appeal. Even outdoor lighting benefit from a dimmer switch, especially when you need a little extra light in the evenings.

Your Home Deserves Better Lighting

Saving money is tough, especially when it’s time to pay the utility bill, but installing dimmers is one helpful trick that benefits homeowners. Dimmers add a nice variety of lighting for decoration and ambiance for comfort and help cut down on utility costs. Upgrading your home’s lighting, however, is best left to a licensed electrician, who not only can help you pick a dimmer that will work best for your home, but ensure your new lighting is installed safely. Call Ryan Gath Electric today and get the best lighting your home deserves.

Contact Ryan Gath Electric For Dimmer Installation

Take control of your home’s lighting with dimmer switch installation. Dimmers can not only save you money by giving you the flexibility to customize your lighting levels, but can help improve your home’s ambience with soft and cozy lighting. The licensed electricians at Ryan Gath Electric are available for same day service. So don’t continue wasting money on inefficient, overly-bright indoor lighting that makes your home feel like a department store. Call Ryan Gath Electric for a free estimate today.

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By Ryan Gath Electric

Why a Standby Generator Will Be Your Saving Grace This Winter

Sep 27, 2020

Why a Standby Generator Will Be Your Saving Grace This Winter

  • Electrical
  • Generators
Generator Maintenance by Ryan Gath Electric in Chelmsford, MA

It’s always a good idea to have a backup, especially when you’re not sure when the power will come back. A standby generator works by detecting when your home has a power outage and starts generating power. If well maintained, a standby will be able to operate consistently throughout a power outage and even the most severe winter weather until the power comes back. If you’re unsure about investing in a standby generator, here’s how installing one can benefit you.

How a Standby Generator Can Help You

  • It ensures you stay warm and comfortable. Installing a standby generator ensures that your furnace stays on and continues heating your home. If it’s below freezing outside, it won’t take long for your home to drop to frigid temperatures. Fireplaces provide ambiance and some warmth, but it can’t keep your entire house heated. A standby not only keeps your furnace running, but it also keeps you and your household warm and comfortable.
  • It keeps the essential appliances running. Some appliances should always be running, like your refrigerator and sump pump. The food inside your refrigerator is sensitive to temperatures, and when the power goes out, the clock starts ticking until you have an entire fridge full of spoiled food. Your sump pump also requires constant power to prevent a flooded basement. A standby generator can potentially save a life if you live with someone who has a medical condition and relies on medical equipment.
  • It protects your plumbing. Your plumbing is already susceptible to the frigid temperatures, but when the power goes out; your pipes are at risk of bursting. When the inside of your home isn’t properly heated, your pipes can freeze, and the ice inside the pipes expands until the pipe bursts. Not only will you deal with malfunctioning plumbing, but a pipe flooding thousands of gallons of water inside your home. A standby ensures your plumbing is protected and functioning.
  • It turns on automatically. Unlike some power backup power systems that need to be manually started, a standby backup generator will automatically turn on when the power goes out. This is particularly helpful if you’re away from home or out of town when the power goes out.

How to Maintain Your Standby Generator

A standby generator can protect your home, plumbing, and comfort this winter, but like any other appliance, it requires routine maintenance. Generally, a standby generator can last up to 10,000 – 30,000 hours, depending on how well maintained the generator is and the number of power outages. If you don’t anticipate too many power outages a year, your standby generator can last up to 20-30 years. Whether your standby generator lasts a few years or 30 years, it needs routine maintenance to function effectively and live out its lifespan. To make sure you stay warm this winter, here are a few ways you can maintain your standby generator.

  • Routinely inspect your standby generator. Your backup power system is complicated, and ideally should be inspected annually. Throughout most of the year, your standby generator will sit unused and is prone to damages. An annual inspection ensures it functions properly when there’s a power outage.
  • Keep your generator clean and clear of debris. A standby system needs proper ventilation in order to function. Keeping your standby generator clear of grass clipping, leaves, and other debris ensures it won’t overheat and work effectively.
  • Give your generator a test run. It’s a good idea to give your standby generator a test run before the winter season to ensure its working. A good test run also determines fuel quantity and quality.
  • Invest in a cold-weather kit. Depending on where you live, you might need a cold-weather kit before you can even rely on your standby generator. Cold weather kits work to keep the battery and other essential parts warm so that the engine can start.
  • Replace old batteries. On top of keeping your standby battery warm, it’s also important to replace an old battery in need of replacement. Even when your system is not in use, it’s a good idea to periodically check the battery.
  • Change the oil. Dirty or clogged oil can be detrimental to your standby generator as it doesn’t lubricate properly. Colder temperatures usually require a lower viscosity while hotter temperatures require a higher viscosity, or depending on the model, you might be able to use dual viscosity oil.

Don’t let your home get stuck without power this year. For all of your backup power needs, call Ryan Gath Electric today! 

By Ryan Gath Electric