What should I do if my lights suddenly go out?
First, stay calm. Check around your neighborhood to see if anyone else’s lights are out as well. If it seems to be a problem in your entire neighborhood, your utility company should be aware of it and working on solving it. If you appear to be the only home in the neighborhood with the problem, call Mister Sparky’s electricians in Las Vegas immediately.

Don’t use candles to illuminate your home – they can be dropped and cause fires. Only use flashlights. Make sure you turn off all electric equipment and devices, except for one light. This minimizes the load on your lines, which also reduces the effects of power surges. At the same time, you’ll know when power is restored. If you have a generator, make sure you only operate it outside your home or garage.

How can I save money on my electric bill? 
By far, your HVAC systems and water heater consume most of the energy in your home. Taking short showers and using as little water as possible when washing the dishes are some easy ways to reduce your bill. Run your furnace a couple degrees cooler or your AC a couple degrees warmer than usual. If your equipment doesn’t have the highest energy efficiency ratings, make sure you purchase equipment that does.

Do round fuses, working in place of circuit breakers, cause any safety issues?
No, they don’t, but they do cause some annoyances. For example, fuses break and have to be replaced when overloaded. If you have a fuse box, your insurance company may ask you to replace it with a circuit breaker. They’re actually safer than circuit breakers because they’re more sensitive to overload.

How do I reset my circuit breaker? 
First, you’ll have to locate it. If you reside in an apartment, it’s most commonly found in a closet or storage room. If you’re a homeowner, you can find yours usually in your garage or on the opposite side of the wall from your electric meter. Open the panel up. Each switch you see can be in one of three positions: off, tripped, and on. On some circuit breakers, you’ll see red showing, which indicates the breaker has been tripped. To reset the breaker, simply move the switch into the “off” position and then back into the “on” position. You might hear what sounds like a snapping sound and experience some resistance in flipping the switch, but both of these are normal.

If the circuit trips again later, there may be too much load present on that circuit. Remove some of the electric devices on that circuit. If your breaker continues tripping, then there’s a more complex problem present. Call your local Mister Sparky electrical contractor in Las Vegas for help diagnosing the problem.

What is a GFI? 
GFI stands for “Ground Fault Interrupter.”GFIs are used in rooms of your home or apartment where moisture accumulates – the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room, for example. What your GFI does is measure how much resistance is present on both the positive and negative loads. If the resistance is too high, the GFI trips, breaking the circuit to these rooms and shutting off your electricity. You should notice a reset button present on the GFI that allows you to restore power.

How can I keep my home and family safe during the holidays?
Many fires happen during the holidays, and they’re primarily caused by frayed electrical cords.If you’re ambitious about your electrical decorations, inspect all cords you use for fraying, insulation gaps, bare spots, broken and cracked sockets, and excessive wear or kinking. To give yourself an additional level of protection, only use lights tested by an approved laboratory, avoid overloading any single outlet, only link 3 strands together if the directions indicate it’s safe, and always monitor your lights, turning them off if you have to leave your home.