Upgrading your Electrical Service

Posted on February 21, 2012 by feiadmin

We have been asked many times about upgrading electrical service in an older home from the standard service at that time, which was either 60 or 100 amps, to a more appropriate level for today’s modern home, which is 200 amps.   Here is some basic information about that type of project.

Older Style Fuse Box

 Just a few decades ago, people didn’t have as many electrical appliances as they commonly do today, so they didn’t need as much electrical capacity.  Today, a typical home may have 3 or 4 times as much electrical equipment as a home of 20 years ago, especially here in central Indiana, where utility rates for electricity are fairly low.   A good example that is becoming more common is the spa-bathroom, or family hot tub.  Other good examples are recreational or game equipment, such as a table saw in the garage and multiple gaming consoles and computers in the family room.  Each of these items has to be supplied with adequate electrical current, so upgrading the service allows the potential for more circuits and more equipment to be installed and used. 

 If you are considering a remodeling project, like renovating a kitchen or a bathroom, it is likely that additional outlets or additional amperage will be desired as part of the work.  However, there may not be room for them in the existing service panel, so an upgrade would be required.  When major items that need electrical power are added, or the size of the home is increased, very often the electrical capacity of the service needs to be increased as well.

 There is also the issue of electrical safety to consider.  Many electrical services have been hanging on the side of houses for years and the weather has affected them.  Wiring in damp basements has been corroded and is deteriorated.  Electrical overloads through the years may have led to overheating, causing joints and connections to become loose.  Finally, some older home services still contain old fuses, which may be corroded or overloaded.  These home electrical problems and conditions are dangerous. 

 If you live in an older home, we suggest you call at 317-271-1099 and invite us in for a look at your service, or contact us online for a free estimate and professional advice on your situation.  If your service needs to be upgraded, we can do that for you, and if it doesn’t need it, then you can rest easy and forget about it.   Frye Electric Inc. has been your trusted and qualified Central Indiana electrical contractor for over 35 years. Our team is committed to prompt, professional workmanship and a continued reputation for excellence.

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Planning an Evening Wedding? Try our Beautiful LED Outdoor Lighting

Posted on February 14, 2012 by feiadmin

We recently began offering custom outdoor LED lighting for your home.    If you are planning to have outdoor events in the spring or summer, like evening weddings, pool parties or garden receptions, this might be just what you need to set the mood.   These photos should  give you some ideas of how you could use the lights to improve your party area and make your guests feel comfortable.

We use beautiful LED lights that are bright, inexpensive, and easy on your electric bill.  It can be customized to wrap or highlight any feature you wish, and you get to choose the color from a palette of 7 available options.  Also, we can install up to 1,000 feet of these lights on a 15 amp circuit so a typical home doesn’t require any added circuits. 

 This service is a turnkey job to you: we sell the lights, install them, take them down, and store them in our warehouse.  You can leave them up or just have them up temporarily, but either way you have no worries and no hassles.  We will do it all for you.  We have more complete information at this page.

 If you are planning a wedding or other outside event in the coming months, give us a call at 317-271-1099 or contact us on-line for a free estimate.  We’d be happy to help make your special occasion even more special with beautiful LED lighting.   Our team is committed to prompt, professional workmanship and a continued reputation for excellence.

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What is a GFCI Outlet?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by feiadmin

The main thing you need to know about this type of outlet is that it can save your life, or that of a loved one!   If properly installed in household branch circuits, it is estimated that these could prevent over two-thirds of the approximately 300 electrocutions still occurring each year in and around the home. Installation of the device could also prevent thousands of burn and electric shock injuries each year.

The acronym GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt. These outlets are very sensitive to the slightest variation in current, and they switch off whenever they sense it.   A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. It is able to sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second.

Compare this to a breaker in the circuit box (fuse box) of your home.  These are designed to prevent electrical fires.  The breakers found there are normally 15 or 20 amps, and they will switch off when something happens to the current, like an overloaded circuit.  For instance, suppose you run over the cord with the vacuum cleaner and it cuts through the wire.   Another example would be if you are hanging a picture and accidentally drive a nail into the wire in the wall.   If the hot wire accidentally touches the neutral wire, the breaker would trip.

 However, if a hair dryer falls in the water in a bathroom sink, that might not be enough to make the breaker trip.   You (or your child) might reach into the water to get the hair dryer out while the current is still on, giving off a nasty shock.   If that circuit contained a GFCI outlet, it would trip as soon as the dryer hit the water, thereby shutting off the current and avoiding the shock.

 CFCI outlets should be located in bathrooms, kitchens, wet bars, and outdoors, especially around pools or spa areas.   Some older homes were not built with GFCI outlets, but should be upgraded for safety.  The images below show you what they look like.  If you don’t have this type of protection in all of those areas, contact us for assistance.  We can take a look and quickly upgrade the outlets wherever they are needed, protecting both you and those you love from a dangerous and shocking experience.

Indoor

   

Outdoor

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Storm Season is Coming Fast! Call Today for a Whole House Surge Protector!

Posted on January 31, 2012 by feiadmin

Many people today have power strips to plug in their electrical components such as computers, surround sound and televisions.  The more expensive ones come with various levels of surge protection, but the cheaper ones usually just have a simple fuse.  Many of these units are only designed to take a small surge coming through the electrical wiring in your home, so if a larger surge occurs it can still damage your expensive equipment. This type of large surge is almost always unexpected, and can come from indirect lightning strikes or just from the power company.

 A better and safer solution is to have a whole house suppression unit installed in your electrical panel where the current comes into the house coupled with individual surge units at the component level.  A whole house system greatly enhances the level of protection for expensive electronics; however, a direct lightning strike on a building is so powerful that it may overwhelm any protection available.

 For a limited time, until the end of April, we are offering to install a whole house suppression system for only $375.   This includes protection at the service panel plus 2 power strips for the component level.  If you are a typical homeowner with a $1,000 deductible on your policy, it makes sense to protect those components in advance at much less cost than the $1,000 you would have to pay if they are damaged. You may also be able to get a discount on your homeowners’ insurance premium after having a whole house system installed. 

 This offer is good as long as the existing service panel is of adequate size and there is space available to install the suppressor.  If that is not the case, we’ll be glad to provide a customized price for your situation.   

 Give us a call at 317-271-1099, or send us a note through our on-line service request.   Take us up on this offer before the storm season hits!

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Installing a New Light Fixture

Posted on January 24, 2012 by feiadmin

Two of the most common home improvement tasks are the upgrading of an older light fixture to something more current, and adding a new fixture where none previously existed.   This post is about both of those tasks. 

Replacing an existing fixture in the same location is not a difficult task for a homeowner, and many do it on their own, but remember that working with electricity is dangerous and can be harmful or fatal.   Improper connections could also lead to a fire in the future.   Some homeowners have the skills and choose to do this on their own, but if you are considering it, we suggest you do solid research and be sure of what you are going to do before you attempt it.  There are many good books and online resources that can show you exactly what skills are required. 

 On the other hand, installing a fixture where there is none is much more challenging.  There are several aspects of this type of job.

  •  Wiring will need to be added to the existing electrical system, and that might include adding another breaker in the service box.   This type of work should always be handled by a licensed electrician.
  • The wire has to be the correct size and type for the fixture, and it will have to be run through the wall with minimal disruption to your house.  This is called “snaking” the wire, and it often requires special tools and knowledge of construction framing to do it.
  • At the fixture location, the drywall or paneling will need to be cut to secure the appropriate type of mounting box for that fixture.   If the cut is made precisely, there will be little mess and no painting required; but if it is not, then you’ll have a new problem — patching and repainting the area.  

 Our experienced technicians have installed thousands of fixtures, and know exactly how to do it.   They can add a circuit, snake the wire and cut the openings precisely on the first try.  You won’t have to worry, we’ll do it right, and we’ll stand behind our work.

 Frye Electric Inc. has been your trusted and qualified Central Indiana electrical contractor for over 35 years. Our team is committed to prompt, professional workmanship and a continued reputation for excellence.   You can ask our experts online, or call us at 317-271-1099, and we’ll give you solid advice and a free quote on any project you are considering.  Call us today if you have any questions.

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Upgrading your Recessed Lighting to LED

Posted on January 17, 2012 by feiadmin

Did you realize that 80% of the buildings today have lighting systems that were designed 20 or more years ago?  If your home or office fits into that category, you might want to think about upgrade options to reduce energy usage or to get better results from your lighting fixtures.

 One of the current new options is the use of LED bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs in recessed lighting fixtures, such as can lights.    These bulbs can reduce power usage and cut down on the frequency of replacement.   LED bulbs can be used for both indoor and outdoor applications, so the reduced maintenance might make them an excellent upgrade choice for flood lights in warehouses, parking lots, car showrooms, or other large storage areas where bulb changes are difficult, time consuming or costly.

 Another application around the home is in the can lights that many people have in kitchens, bathrooms or family rooms.  Groups of incandescent bulbs generate a lot of heat quickly, and can become overwhelming.   One example is a kitchen with ten  of the one hundred watt bulbs burning for an hour.  They give off enough heat to make that kitchen uncomfortable, especially when added to the heat that comes off the range, cook top or oven.  Their light is wonderful, but the heat buildup can be too much.  Replacing those bulbs with LEDs can reduce the heat output significantly, and can cut back on your electric bill at the same time.  Instead of using 1,000 watts of electricity (ten bulbs times 100 watts), you might have only used a quarter of that amount.

 If you are considering an upgrade to your lighting, we are available to help.  Give us a call at 317-271-1099, or send us a note through our on-line contact form.   We would be glad to give you an estimate and explain the newest options available to you.

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Snow and Ice Melting Systems

Posted on January 10, 2012 by feiadmin

If there is one thing we can be sure of in Central Indiana, it is that we will have to deal with ice and snow every year from December to February, and sometimes longer than that.  Of course the snow is beautiful to look at, but it can lead to dangerous slips and falls or simply hurt backs from the shoveling.  There is also the potential cost of damages to roofing or gutters, or even one car sliding into another in your driveway.   Snow also costs money to remove, whether you buy the equipment to do it yourself, pay someone else to remove it, or simply buy chemicals to melt it. 

However, there is another way to deal with it, one that allows you to stay inside toasty warm by the fire while the snow and ice simply melts away before it builds up.   That method would be the installation of electrical mats or cables where you need them, to keep the area clear without any effort from you.  For example, they can be placed in a driveway, in your patio, on steps or stairways, sidewalks, on your roof, or even in the gutters.  Where ever snow or ice causes problems, a melting system can be installed to resolve those problems.

There are portable products that can be put on top of your existing porch or stairs, and simply plugged in.  There are also fixed products, such as cables or mats, which are designed to be installed and then covered with a new top layer of material.   There are also a number of control options to make the system operate, including a simple on-off switch, a thermostat, a timer, or a sensor.  The systems come in either 120 or 240 volts and in a variety of common sizes, and they can be customized to match any configuration needed.  

If you want to look into adding a snow and ice melting system to your home or commercial building, give us a call at 317-271-1099.   Our experts can explain the options to you and suggest a system that would meet your needs. 

Let us help you avoid injuries, accidents and save money in the process.  Think how nice it will be to stay inside and know that your ice and snow problems are melting away without you! 

We’d like to hear from you.  If you already have such a system, what information about it would you like to share with other readers?

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Heated Bathroom Floors – Nice!

Posted on January 3, 2012 by feiadmin

One of the most comforting projects you can do to a home is to add a heated floor in the bathroom.   The first time you step out of the shower or tub and feel the warmth on your bare feet, you’ll smile to yourself and say how glad you are that you decided to have it installed.

There are two basic methods for doing this project, down from the top or up from underneath: 

  1. You can add an electrical warming mat on top of the existing floor, and then put stone, tile, or wood flooring over it.
  2. You can add the heat source wiring under the floor, so that the heat comes up through the existing material and warms it. 

The method you choose will depend heavily on how your home is constructed.   Frye technicians do not actually lay the stone, tile or other material over the wires, but we will work with another trade contractor to ensure the electrical part is done properly.

You might be wondering how safe it is to put electricity in the floor where it would be easy for water to drip onto it, but it is completely safe.   The heating wires are specially engineered and designed to provide heat for the proper electrical resistance of the wires, and special insulation is used to provide protection and durability to them.   When Frye technicians hook up the wiring to the current, there will be no safety concerns.

Here’s how a heated flooring system works.   You have the option of using a thermostat to adjust it for continual operation, or a timer so that it only operates for a specific period of time.   When either the thermostat or timer is active, electricity is sent into the system, the wires heat up, and the heat they give off warms up the flooring material.  The heat then radiates up to warm all the objects and people in the room.   What you want from this type of system is a warm floor and a warm body, so that energy is not wasted heating  air that then rises up to the ceiling and is not as comforting where people are standing or sitting. 

So far this all sounds great, but what about the cost?  There are a variety of electrical mats, heating cables and kits from which to choose.   For a typical small bathroom, this part of the cost should be only a few hundred dollars, and it should come with a 20 year or longer warranty since there are no moving parts.  Also, the daily cost should be pretty low, but it will depend on whether you operate the system as an always-on or a timed- operation.   This type of heat is also very efficient, because none of the heat is lost as it travels through ducts from the furnace to the room.

If you want to pamper yourself or your loved ones with a heated flooring system, give us a call at 317-271-1099, or send us a note through our on-line contact form.   We would be glad to give you an estimate and explain the options available to you.

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Wiring and Installing a Flat Panel TV

Posted on December 27, 2011 by feiadmin

So, you finally got that huge high-def flat screen TV you’ve been wanting! How great is that! Now you just have to figure out how to hang it and wire it so that it looks good to all the new friends who will come over to watch it with you.

There are many different ways to mount a flat panel TV. A few of the most common are to have it rest on its own base sitting on a flat top entertainment center; another is to have it mounted inside a large entertainment center so that all wires are hidden behind it; and another is to mount it on the wall all by itself like a large picture. If you mount it on the wall, it can be fixed, with no movement possible, or articulating, with the ability to adjust it for optimal viewing from any seat in the room.

Regardless of how you mount it, you should consider a few things before you go any further. You will need to have (1) an appropriate power source near the TV, and (2) an appropriate signal source for the TV (cable outlet, satellite dish connection, telephone outlet.) Also, you should think about having surge protection on the circuit to guard that expensive equipment from voltage spikes. Finally, if the location is near a fireplace or other major feature in your home, it’s a good idea to have a professional take a look to ensure there will be no unexpected complications.

Fortunately for you, Frye technicians know all about this subject and can make sure the installation is done quickly and correctly so that you can get busy watching your games and programs. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• replace the outlet in an existing wall box with a surge protection outlet, or add whole house surge protection
• run a dedicated circuit to the entertainment center to make sure the TV, cable box, game box and/or surround sound system get enough power
• install a recessed TV box so the TV can be mounted flat to the wall on top of it

As for those unsightly cables, we can route them through the wall so that the connection is behind the TV, or we can attach wire mold or a cable raceway to the wall so that the wires are hidden inside. Most wire molds or raceways can be easily painted to match the wall so they blend in and almost disappear.

Give us a call at 317-271-1099 or contact us online with this form.  Our experts can explain the choices to you and suggest the best options to meet your needs. With Frye Electric, all you will have to do is enjoy that new TV!

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The Importance of a Good Exhaust Fan

Posted on December 20, 2011 by feiadmin

During the colder months, we all experience reduced air circulation in our homes. In bathrooms, the reduced air circulation can allow moisture to build up and result in the growth of mold. It can also affect wall surfaces and woodwork leading to peeling paint, decay and wood rot.  All of this can be avoided with a good exhaust fan which blows the moist air out of the home. If you are seeing this problem in your home, it is important to take steps to correct it before additional damage is done.

Many buildings have older fans that either don’t work well, or make a lot of noise, which causes people not use them. However, many of the newer fan models include great features like whisper quiet motors, integrated heat lamps, and low energy usage which make them easy to use and effective. Prices start at about $40 for a good quality basic fan, and go up as additional features are added.

If the replacement fan motor is from the same manufacturer and similar in size to the original fan, the change out may be quick, and it may not require any work on the housing unit in the ceiling or in the attic. Or, if it’s a new installation or a major change in size of the fan, work will be needed there but you want it to be done in an efficient manner that keeps the cost down.

The technicians at Frye Electric are experts in this area. We’d be glad to take a look at your particular situation and give you options for your situation and an estimate of the time and cost. You can give us a call at 317-271-1099 or you can click here for our free quote form. Let us help you solve this common problem and prevent any further damage to your home.

For more detailed information, the EPA has published a booklet entitled “The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality.”

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