Is Your Air-Con Working? Tips for Summer!

If you struggle to cope with the heat during summer, spare a thought for your air-conditioner. We tend to crank our cooling systems as soon as the weather starts warming up – but did you know there are steps you can take to prepare your air-conditioner for this seasonal onslaught of overuse?
The last thing you want is for your air-conditioner to stop working during the middle of a heatwave. These tips will ensure it’s well-prepared for summer.

CLEAN OR REPLACE FILTERS

If your air-conditioner seems to have lost some of its efficiency, its filters may be clogged with dust. This can restrict air-flow and drastically reduce your system’s cooling abilities. Cleaning or replacing the filters can get your air-conditioner up and running like new again.


The filters are usually located beneath the cover grill, next to the blower motor, although this can vary depending on the unit’s make and model. They’re fairly easy to clean and replace, (just make sure you’ve switch the unit off first).

CHECK COOLANT LINES

Coolant lines are the refrigerated tubes that run from your air-conditioner’s interior to the outdoor section of the unit. They’re usually covered in a layer of foam insulation to prevent them from losing energy, but this can wear away with time.


Before summer arrives, double check that your coolant lines still have plenty of insulation. If this protective layer is starting to fray or fall apart, your air-conditioner will need to work extra hard to stay cool.

UNBLOCK AIR VENTS

If you have a ducted air-conditioning system, be sure to unblock any vents around your home. It’s easy to overlook your air-conditioning system during winter, but come summertime a blocked air vent is bound to cause problems.


From furniture to piles of laundry, all kinds of household items can lead to an obstruction of airflow. Be sure to move any obstructions out of the way before you turn on your air-conditioner.

TAKE A TEST RUN

Air-conditioning testing is an essential step in the preparation process. Let your air-conditioner run for around 10 minutes to check it’s still in good working order. If anything looks or sounds out of the ordinary, give Envious Electrical a call. We’ll give your air-conditioner a tune up and make sure it’s ready to roll for summer.

Prime Choice Electrical Services is one of Sydney’s top electrical company, offering licensed professional electricians at a competitive rate. We specialise in commercial and residential work, so we have the expertise to handle any job. Prime Choice Electrical is proudly a family-owned and operated business that has been providing electrical services to Sydney’s commercial market for over 10 years.

When it comes to electrical wiring for commercial buildings, you don’t want to risk any hiccups with your installations. Leave it to the professionals. We will get the job done correctly and quickly and leave you knowing everything is working as it should be. Book a consultation with us today for a price quote on your commercial electrical installation. Connect with us online or by calling 0468 304 222.


Read more

Top Electricity Tips

Considering that humans lived for thousands of years without electricity and survived just fine, it is incredible to see how addicted to electricity people have become. Most of us feel lost in a blackout.

But electricity isn’t magic, and it requires a lot of natural resources to make it work. So conserving energy is not only good for your power bills, it will help reduce the carbon emissions that we are releasing into the atmosphere.

There are plenty of easy ways to be responsible with your power usage and conserve energy in your home.
Here are a few of the things you can do to reduce your home’s power usage:

  • Wash your clothes in cold water
  • Set computers to automatically switch to ‘sleep’ mode when not in use
  • Make better use of natural light
  • Watch less television
  • Take shorter showers
  • Re-insulate your home
  • Minimise your air-conditioning use
  • Switch appliances off at the wall when they aren’t in use
  • Use a lamp instead of a main light when you only need a small amount of light
  • Use energy-saving bulbs, like compact fluorescent globes
  • Always turn off lights in rooms you aren’t using
  • Use an electric kettle to boil water rather than the stove
  • Only run the dishwasher when it’s full, and use the economy cycle where possible
  • Dry clothes naturally rather than in the dryer where possible
  • Dress appropriately for the seasons, rather than immediately turning to air conditioners or heaters
  • Insulate your roof
  • Set your fridge to 4 or 5 degrees and between your freezer to between -15 and -18 degrees

If you need an Electrician in Sydney call 0468 304 222 today or email info@primechoiceelectrical.com.au

Hear what our customers have to say! Read our Google Reviews here.

Read more

5 Key Signs Your Office Needs Electrical Maintenance

Regular electrical maintenance isn’t only important for safety and preventing potential accidents; it could also improve the energy efficiency of your office and help you to save on your power bills. While having a regular maintenance schedule is probably the best approach, it’s also useful to be aware of the signs that your office needs professional electrical maintenance. Here, we’ve listed the five key indicators that suggest your office should contact an electrician for maintenance work.

CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPS REGULARLY

A tripped circuit breaker is a common occurrence, but if it’s happening fairly frequently in your office, you’ll probably want to find out the underlying cause(s). While you might decide to simply reset your circuit breaker each time it trips, this means you won’t be addressing the underlying cause.

In most cases, circuit breakers trip due to either a circuit shorted to ground or a circuit overload. Shorted circuits might be due to electrical conductors like wires or winding inside the motor touching ground. Alternatively, the issue could have its roots in a specific component. A licensed, experienced electrician can carefully review the relevant wiring and connections to identify the source of the issue and repair the problem so your office experiences minimal interruptions.

Overloaded circuits can be more complex, and an experienced electrician will have the appropriate equipment to test for overloading and identify the source of the overload. Your electrician can also attach grounding wires to outlets and devices. This helps to minimise the risk of serious injury in the event of a short circuit, protect against electrical overload, and stabilise voltage levels.

FLICKERING OFFICE LIGHTS

Flickering office lights might seem like a minor problem, but when it’s a regular occurence, it becomes a major nuisance and source of distraction for your office staff. Persistent flickering lights could be associated with headaches, vision issues, and reduced morale and energy levels. It could also increase your electricity costs.

A licensed electrician can diagnose the cause of the issue. For example, is it an issue with the light bulb itself or something more serious like an overloaded circuit? With the latter, too many devices and appliances plugged into the same line can lead to a power shortage. Alternatively, your circuit wires could be outdated and no longer in line with the latest standards.

If your flickering lights involve more than one room or circuit, your office likely has a more serious issue. This could be a problem with your cable connections or some other power source. In this case, it’s even more critical to consult a licensed electrician for maintenance work right away.

WARM ELECTRICAL OUTLETS

Are your office’s electrical outlets warm to the touch? If so, you’re probably overdue for a maintenance visit from your electrician. Outlets that are warm or hot after you unplug a device, or even when you have nothing plugged in, are a sign that you might have an issue. Worn, broken, cracked, and chipped outlets should also be checked by your electrician and replaced if necessary.

Electrical outlets can warm up during the process of converting AC to DC power, which is the process of changing the voltage input (AC) to a usable, storable output (DC). Unplug the appliance and check back after one hour. The outlet should be at room temperature.

Generally speaking, avoid plugging in too many devices into the same circuit. However, it’s not easy to tell which outlets are linked to the same circuit-wire series without asking your electrician. Similarly, in older properties, you might have an older breaker that was replaced with a high ampacity breaker, which could lead to higher levels of current than the circuit was designed for. In this case, a warm outlet could be a symptom of this mismatched wiring, and your electrician can rectify this for you.

SPARKS WHEN PLUGGING/UNPLUGGING APPLIANCES

Sparks when you plug and unplug your appliances are another potential sign you should have an experienced electrician in to check on your office outlets. Sometimes this is a normal occurrence – a brief spark due to a rapid draw on the available power – with no serious underlying issues.

However, at other times the sparks can be a sign of a dangerous problem. The sparks, for example, could be due to excessive heat building up in your outlets. This could lead to other issues like melting insulation covering your wires, which in turn could set off an electrical fire.

Alternatively, the sparks could be due to water exposure, which could short out the circuit. The age of the outlet could be another issue, where an older, worn-out outlet with loosened connections heightens the risk of short circuits and electrical fire. Older appliance cords and poor repair jobs could be other potential causes.

YOU’RE BASED IN AN OLDER BUILDING

Older buildings may require regular and more frequent maintenance, checks, and assessments. If your office is located in an older building, your electrical wiring could be decades older than that in a new, modern office building. The insulation around the wiring, too, could be far older and therefore at a higher risk of being worn out.

As such, it’s a good idea to have more frequent, regularly scheduled maintenance checks by a trusted, experienced electrician. Your electrician can examine your older wiring and insulation, replace it as needed, and take measures like installing a safety switch for extra security. They can conduct the right tests to check the wiring in your older build can safely support the load you’re plugging in.

Without a regular electrical maintenance program, your business could incur unnecessary time and costs in the form of interruptions, repairs, and wasted energy charges, especially if you’re in an older building. You could be at a higher risk of worker injury or even death.

ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE ENHANCES SAFETY AND REDUCES COSTS

A thorough electrical maintenance plan can empower your business to reduce risks, enhance safety, and lower costs. By working with an experienced, licensed electrician, you could eliminate energy and overhead wasters and potential causes of business interruption, and in the process provide your employees with a safe, efficient work environment.

Are you looking for an experienced electrician for your office electrical maintenance? Get in touch with our team of experts today to find out how we can help.

If you need an Electrician in Sydney call 0468 304 222 today or email info@primechoiceelectrical.com.au

Hear what our customers have to say! Read our Google Reviews here.

Read more

8 Most Dangerous Home Electrical Hazards

With our modern reliance on electricity, there are potential electrical safety hazards in any home, office, or factory. Fortunately, these hazards can be eliminated or reduced by staying aware and taking steps to eliminate their dangers, ideally with the assistance of an electrician. These are eight of the most dangerous electrical hazards that could arise in any home.

POOR WIRING AND DEFECTIVE ELECTRIC WIRES

Damaged, worn, cracked or corroded electrical wires can increase the chance of electrical accidents. Have a qualified electrician check your wiring on a regular basis to ensure wiring is safe. If you need to, upgrade and replace old and faulty wires.

Some hazards include:

  • Loose or improper connections, such as electrical outlets or switches
  • Frayed appliance or extension cords
  • Pinched or pierced wire insulation, which could occur from, for example, a chair leg sitting on an extension cord
  • Cracked wire insulation caused by heat, age, corrosion or bending
  • Overheated wires or cords
  • Damaged electrical appliances
  • Electrical wire that has been chewed by rodents

OUTLETS CLOSE TO WATER

Outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, and other living areas with water should be installed a fair distance away from the water source. As water conducts electricity, keeping outlets away from water reduces the chance of electric shock.

Never use a radio, hair dryer, phone, or other device in the bath, near the pool, or anywhere with a wet floor.

Good quality wiring that conforms to safety standards is vital for safety. Poor wiring can increase chance of fire, power surges, arc faults, and other serious consequences. For this reason, it’s always best to avoid do-it-yourself electrical work and get professional electricians to perform electrical wiring around the house.

WET HANDS

Similarly, electrical appliances should never be handled with wet hands as this heightens the chance of getting an electric shock. Yet too many of us tend to reach for the hair dryer with wet hands out of the shower. Keep appliances far away from sinks, bathtubs, showers, and taps.

POURING WATER ON ELECTRICAL FIRES

A common error is pouring water on electrical fires. If an electrical fire does occur, avoid pouring water on the flames as water will further fuel the fire and could cause electrocution. Keep a fire extinguisher on site if you’re worried about electrical fires and use that instead of water in times of emergency. If you don’t have one nearby, turn off your electrical power, evacuate your home and call the fire brigade.

INQUISITIVE YOUNG CHILDREN

Young babies and toddlers tend to be extremely inquisitive and keen to explore their world. While it’s always best to supervise children of this age all the time, parents and adults expecting children at their house can take extra measures to protect young children.

Any electrical outlet at their height and within their reach can be replaced with EXTRA-SAFE powerpoints. These can be interchanged with normal powerpoint and prevent sharp objects and fingers from going into the socket. Unprotected sockets can lead to serious injury.

EXTENSION CORDS

Extension cords should be carefully fixed in place where possible to reduce the chance of tripping or accident. Use plastic socket closures on unused sockets. Don’t use extension cords as a permanent substitute for additional power sockets, and avoid using them for too many appliances at once.

LIGHTBULBS

We don’t often think of lightbulbs as being electrical hazards, but the potential for an electrical fire arises when lightbulbs are kept near flammable materials. These can include beds, drapes, plastics, or other items such as upholstery.

Lights, like all sources of electricity, can also cause electric shock, so ensure you always turn the light switch off before replacing a light bulb, and never replace a light bulb or touch a light switch with wet hands. Always ensure you use a light bulb with the correct wattage to prevent overheating.

COVERED ELECTRICAL CORDS AND WIRES

Heavy covering of wires can cause the cords to overheat, which could lead to an electrical fire. Keep cords and wires away from other items and keep them uncovered.

Similarly, make sure that items like computers and televisions have enough space around them for ventilation, to prevent them from overheating.

One of the best ways to reduce risk of death from electric shock in your home is to install a safety switch, also called a residual current device (RCD). However, never try to do any electrical work on your own. If you think there are hazards present in your home, contact a licensed electrician to help you resolve them.

If you need an Electrician in Sydney call 0468 304 222 today or email info@primechoiceelectrical.com.au

Hear what our customers have to say! Read our Google Reviews here.

Read more