MAY IS ELECTRICAL SAFETY MONTH

Posted on May 1, 2012 by gil.hyland
MAY IS ELECTRICAL SAFETY MONTH

According to ESFi (Electrical Safety Foundation International). The Month of may is electrical safety month. Cooper Electric wants to remind you not to take electrical safety for granted. Every year fifty-three thousand electrical fires occur in U.S. homes, most of which are entirely preventable! May is a great time to review important electrical and fire safety practices in your home.

Cooper Electric's Safety Tip is to test your GFCI receptacle outlets, by pressing the test and reset buttons. This will show whether your GFCI's are functioning properly. GFCI's prevent deadly shock, in wet are locations, and should be tested once a year.

If you are concerned about your wiring. We offer a state-of-the-art electrical testing service called CurrentSAFE. CurrentSAFE is a comprehensive test of your entire electrical system. Contact us today at 513-271-5000, and have our specialist out to your home to see if CurrentSAFE is right for you.

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CurrentSAFE Testing - Thermography

Posted on February 29, 2012 by gil.hyland

CurrentSAFE - What To Expect During The Thermography Portion

Picture 1 300x216 CurrentSAFE Testing Thermography A thermographic inspection is used to detect thermal defects. The inspector uses an infrared camera to conduct scans of your electrical system in all other aspects of your home. If this is your first time hiring a thermographic inspector, you may not know what to expect. The following should give you some ideas as to what is involved with process, as well as how to prepare your home or office for the inspector's arrival.

How to Prepare Your Home

Before your thermographic inspector arrives. You should also move any large furniture away from the walls and electrical outlets so that the inspector can get to them.

The Thermographic Inspection

The inspector will arrive and will most likely educate you about your home or office and the scan itself. Some inspectors take the home owner or office manager along with them during the scans so that they can educate along the way, and some prefer to work slowly and in private so that all anomalies can be identified. During the process, the thermographic inspector will scan every inch of your home. The infrared camera or video will reveal heat as bright white for the warmest temperatures. Likewise, ambient or room temperatures, will show up as darker colors on the spectrum. This thermographic inspection will find problems with your wiring, malfunctioning appliances and equipment. These issues may not be seen by the naked eye, but the infrared equipment finds it and identifies it with ease.
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Infrared Inspecting New Equipment

Posted on January 6, 2012 by gil.hyland

WHY BRAND NEW INSTALLATIONS NEED TO BE THERMALLY INSPECTED

    • New Installation Thermo PDF
    • Thermography Inspection Performed on December 14th 2011
    • The Image is of a “Factory Installed” Bus Connection from the 3,000 amp vertical bus to the primary side of an 800 amp distribution circuit breaker.
BusConnection BlueField 225x300 Infrared Inspecting New Equipment
    • This temperature abnormality was found during the Thermography inspection on phase c of the newly installed GE switchgear. The temperature difference between phase C and phase B is 20 degrees ferenheight (Image #2). The breaker was aproximatley 30% loaded at the time of inspection (phase C-278amps phase B- 284amps). After removing the factory installed GE circuit breaker we found that the insulation tape had overlapped and restricted the current flow from the main bussway in the gear to the circuit breaker lug (Image #1).
BusConnection Abnormal 300x224 Infrared Inspecting New Equipment
    • The repair was made and the tape was properly removed from the switch gear (Image #3). A re-scan was perfomed on the circuit breaker (Image #4) and phase c was actually running 2 degrees cooler than phase b.
BusConnection Fixed 224x300 Infrared Inspecting New Equipment BusConnection Normal 300x225 Infrared Inspecting New Equipment
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CurrentSAFE - Safety Tips

Posted on January 6, 2012 by gil.hyland

Safety Tips:

  • Always have a qualified, licensed professional install water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer instructions. (They will ensure that electrically the circuit is sized at 80% of the calculated load allowed on the circuit.)
  • Install Carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area.
  • Have your furnace cleaned and inspected annually by a licensed, qualified professional. (Consider that your furnace houses and starts a controlled fire every hour in your home, and properly maintaining the equipment should be a priority.)
  • Be sure circuit breakers and fuses are correctly labeled with their amperage and the rooms, circuits, or outlets they serve. (Consider having an electrician inspect that the circuits are not overloaded.)
  • Consider having a qualified, licensed electrician replace your standard circuit breakers with combination-type arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI's).
  • Make sure ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI's) are installed in your kitchen, bathrooms, workshops, basement, garage, outdoors, and any other areas where water and electricity are likely to come in contact.
  • Examine electrical outlets and missing or broken wall plates to ensure that wiring and components are not exposed.
  • Check extension cords for good condition, inspect for frayed wires and cracked insulation. (Replace cords that are badly damaged or consider shortening the cord with a replacement male/female plug. Always follow instructions.)
    Cooper Electric provides CurrentSAFE, an electrical hazard detection service your your home. Contact us TODAY, for a free in home assessment.
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Electrician Services Questions

Posted on January 4, 2012 by gil.hyland
Has your home had a major addition or renovation? Do your lights flicker or dim momentarily? Do you hear crackling, sizzling, or buzzing from your outlets? Do you have GFCI'S?  
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Schedule A Thermographic Electrical Inspection

Posted on November 24, 2011 by gil.hyland

Schedule A Thermographic Electrical Inspection 


Top 5 Reasons:

For any industrial business or operation, it is important to catch equipment and electrical problems before any operating failures can occur. Any problem that does go undetected can inflict extensive damage on your equipment and your business as a whole. Thermographic electrical inspections use High-Definition Thermographic (Infrared) cameras in order to determine temperature changes in electrical components. To help illustrate the importance of thermographic inspections, here are five factors to consider.

1. Catch Defective or Failing Components Early:

You can't always tell when a piece of equipment is about to fail. They don't all smoke and make noise. Instead, thermographic imaging is used to detect temperature abnormalities. This also works well with concealed equipment. By finding potential problems early, they can be fixed so that there is no down time.

2. Prevent Loss of Production Time:

An operating failure can shut your operation down for days, weeks or even longer. Keep your operation up and running and productive at all times by scheduling regular thermographic electrical inspections.

3. Save On Maintenance and Replacement Costs:

Regular thermographic inspections can help you save on maintenance costs and the costs associated with replacing failed equipment. By catching issues early on, your equipment will last longer with fewer and less-frequent replacements overall.

4. Prevent Fires and Personal Injury:

If left to get worse, loose wiring, faulty breakers and other problems can easily cause a fire. Furthermore, failed equipment can create safety hazards that have the potential to harm you or one of your employees. Don’t take chances. Predictive thermal inspections will help you protect your business and your staff from any dangerous conditions.

5. You Can Schedule During Regular Business Operations:

There is no need to shut down production simply because you have scheduled a thermographic electrical inspection. The best time to conduct a thermographic scan is when business is running as usual, as that is when most problems occur. Your inspector will work around your equipment and personnel. You might even forget the inspector is there.

The Inspection Results

When you schedule a thermographic electrical inspection, you will receive a complete report from your inspector that includes any abnormalities found, along with recommended courses of action. If there are any issues that demand your immediate attention, those will be focused on first. The report includes high-definition images and comparisons of scans over time. If there are any issues with your electrical systems or components, your inspector will find them.

By now you should be convinced that a thermographic electrical inspection is a wise decision and investment. With state-of-the-art equipment, training and certification, your inspector will attempt to catch potential problems before they are realized. If conducted regularly, you can extend the life of your equipment, save on maintenance and replacement costs and you can protect your business from down time and other disasters. By checking your electrical switch gear, panels, buss bar feeders and all other components and equipment, your thermographic inspector will help you find even the smallest of problems before they get out of hand.

We provide Thermography Cincinnati Inspections and Nationwide.

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Thermography

Posted on November 4, 2011 by gil.hyland
IR Electrical Thermographic



Cincinnati -
Inspect your electrical system through this condition monitoring technique that uses infrared technology to find electrical problems before they become an emergency.

Unexpected electrical service costs can be devastating, our service allows the time to prepare, schedule and budget for any critical repairs.

Recently, we received a call from a facility that had lost a buss bar in a fire because of poor electrical connections and overheating. They realized this problem was costly and wanted to prevent future losses on the other buss bars throughout their location. We provided them with Thermographic Scans and Reports to document where critical problems existed, which prevented further damage and no unexpected loss of production.

Infrared thermography is used to perform P/PM inspections on electrical equipment because excess resistance on electrical apparatus indicates electrical faults such as loose connections, overloaded or imbalanced circuits, faulty breakers, damaged switches, faulty fuses and a wide range of other unwanted electrical conditions. Before an electrical component burns up, it heats up. Thermography is used to see the excess heat (resistance) so that problems can be found and maintenance personnel can act to correct the problem before the component fails, causing damage to the component, safety hazards and/or production downtime.

What Electrical Distribution Equipment Should Be Checked?

  • Utility substations, transformers and feed poles
  • Main incoming services, plant main knives, capacitor banks, etc
  • Main switchboards and disconnects
  • Main distribution panels and main disconnects
  • Uninterruptible power supplies
  • Generator controls and transfer switches
  • Main I-Line panels
  • Lighting and receptacle panels
  • Disconnects and combination starters
  • Service disconnects for motors
  • Machine control panels
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Reputation the Best Tool

Posted on October 5, 2011 by gil.hyland
Cooper Electric photo from Enquirer 150x150 Reputation the Best Tool
Reputation the Best Tool
Cincinnati, OH - Jeff Wallner - Enquirer 
Electrical Contractors are among those hit hardest by the recession, with nearly 40 percent unemployment industrywide. And yet Cooper Electric has not laid off a single employee due to lack of work.

To the contrary, the 65-year-old South Cumminsville firm plans to hire additional staff next year in advance of a projected 20 percent increase in the $4 million in revenues estimated for 2011.

So how did they do it?

Company president Greg Hyland says it's the result of a commitment to customer satisfaction and retention, and a successful strategy built around a process called thermography.

"We've been able to keep the recession at bay," Hyland says. "Seventy percent of our business is repeats and referrals. That's a reflection of the people here. You're only as good as your last job. You can flush a 30 year relationship down the drain if you botch it."

That's why Cooper Electric created its Thermography Division more than a decade ago. Thermography is the use of infrared thermal imaging cameras to see inside electric equipment to uncover hot spots or other potential service issues before they result in a costly mechanical failure.

Cooper Electric's high-definition imaging provides a highly accurate measurement of heat that can reveal bad connections, overcurrent and poor insulation or ventilation.

Thermography is relatively old technology, and it's widely used throughout the industry. But Cooper Electric has parlayed the process into a preventive maintenance toll that has helped increase value for its customers and build-long term relationships.
 
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Improve Bathroom Lighting

Posted on September 26, 2011 by gil.hyland
bathroom lighting trends Improve Bathroom Lighting
Improve Bathroom Lighting. Wanting to remodel your bathroom and update the lighting?  Not sure what lighting is the best or most efficient? Let us help.
If the lighting in your bathroom(s) is like most older homes, it consists of an overhead light, perhaps built into a vent fan if there’s no window.  Few builders went to the expense of installing a vent fan.
Planning efficient and effective lighting for your master bathroom and dressing area is much more complicated.  Use the basic lighting design technique called layering to provide proper lighting for various activities and needs.
The three basic lighting layers are task, ambient and accent.  Since a bathroom is relatively task oriented (showering, shaving, applying makeup, general grooming, etc.), adequate task lighting is most important.  other than showering or bathing, the task lighting at the mirror and the vanity is most used.
The deal lighting is directed from both sides of the mirror and perhaps also from the top for three-direction lighting.  This eliminates shadows when shaving or applying makeup,  If the mirror is not too wide, mount vertical fluorescent tub lighting on the wall on each side of the mirror.
For the bath/shower area, recessed overhead task lighting work well.  Broan/Nutone offers recessed light fixtures with built-in exhaust fans.  These are efficient because excess moisture is drawn from the shower stall before it enters the room.
For accent lighting, low-wattage incandescent fixtures, eithe roverhead or sconces, are effective.  These can be controlled by dimmer switches to save energy.  It is wise to install separate dimmer switches for the various layers of lighting.
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Dishwashers

Posted on August 9, 2011 by gil.hyland

Dishwashers

ATAG Dishwasher VA6511TT Lifestyle rs 300x268 Dishwashers Dishwasher Power Out? At Cooper Electric we do our best to walk our customers through basic troubleshooting steps. We recommend having a qualified electrical contractor perform work. Be safe. Here are some common electrical problems and possible situations/solutions:
 

Electrical Problem: Dishwasher power is out.

Situations/Solution: 1. You go to start your dishwasher and nothing happens. Double check the switch that controls the power to your dishwasher. Many homeowners are unaware that their is a switch that controls the power to your dishwasher. It may be as simple as turning the switch back "on". The switch should be located on the backsplash but some installations might be under the kitchen sink or in a near by cabinet. 2. Power is out and you have turned the switch off and on. The switch itself might be defective or a loose connection. There also might be water that has gotten into the switch from the sink and this might have tripped the breaker. The switch should be located in the backsplash of your counter, not under the sink and the switch may need to be rerouted.
 
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Invest in Surge Suppressors

Posted on April 13, 2011 by gil.hyland

Invest in Surge Suppressor

surge suppressor 300x183 Invest in Surge Suppressors

When a storm is forecast and you begin to hear the thunder off in the distance, unplugging as many of your electronic devices as possible could be a daunting task.

At Cooper Electric we offer a Whole-House Surge Supressor.

Surges happen all the time. When one goes through your home, expensive electrical equipment can be damaged.

Placing surge protective devices at your service entrance, in your breaker panel and at point of use is your best and safest way to prevent damage from surges.

This below excerpt article from Cincinnati Enquirer touches a little bit on this…

Invest in Surge Suppressor for entire house

 

By James Dulley Enquirer contributor (Cincinnati.com)

Question: We have many electronic gadgets in our house and I am concerned about a voltage surge ruining them. Are there whole-house surge suppressors which will protect everything electric in our house?

Answer: People often think of only electronic gadgets such as computers, game consoles and audio/visual items, as being at risk from electrical surges.

Actually, nearly every electric item in a house today has some sort of sensitive electronics which can be damaged by a surge. These include ranges, dishwashers, air conditioners, fans, etc.

A very common source of an electrical surge is a thunder storm. The voltage and current spikes from a lightning strike are enormous.

…

Some of these smaller surges can even be generated by your own vacuum cleaner, refrigerator compressor, or clothes washer motors in your house wiring.

There are several types of whole-house surge suppressors available. Some mount on the circuit breaker panel indoors or are built into a circuit breaker.

whole house surge Invest in Surge Suppressors
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Duke Compact Fluorescent Light Give-A-Way

Posted on April 7, 2011 by gil.hyland
Duke Energy Giving Away FREE CFLs sylvania cfl bulb 243x300 Duke Compact Fluorescent Light Give A Way Cincinnati - Duke Energy Corp said Tuesday March 22, 2011 they will give away 10 million energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to customers this year. Last year, the utility holding company, distribution more than 10 million free bulbs to 1 million residential customers, saving enough energy to power nearly 45,000 homes. Some retailers such as Ikea, which has a store in West Chester Township, have begun phasing out traditional incandescent bulbs in the wake of new federal energy-efficient standards taking effect this year. CFLs use 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard light bulbs. Replacing a home's six most frequently used incandescent bulbs with CFLs can save more than $180 over the lifetime of the bulbs, they said. Duke customers can request FREE CFL's by going to www.duke-energy.com/freecflsnow or by calling (800)-943-7585. - Mike Boyer (Cincinnati Enquirer)
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Electrical Problem - Lights are out

Posted on January 14, 2011 by gil.hyland

Electrical Problem Lights are out

At Cooper Electric we do our best to walk our customers through basic troubleshooting steps.

We recommend having a qualified electrical contractor perform work. Be safe.

Here are some common electrical problems and possible situations/solutions:




Electrical Problem: Lights out.

Situations/Solution:

1. Flourescent light fixture does not work after new lamp(bulb) is installed.

Double check the installation of the lamp. Did you get both pins on each end of the lamp seated? Caution: Change flourescent lamps with the switch in the OFF position.

Old style flourescent fixtures require starters and pre-heat lamps. New fixtures do not have starters and use rapid start lamps. These lamp types are not interchangeable. (We recommend that you replace the fixture with a new one which is more energy efficient and saves money.)

2. Incandescent lamps burn out quickly.

Are you using name brand lamps? Is the wattage of the lamp correct for the fixture? Using too high a wattage lamp creates more heat which can shorten lamp life and be a fire hazard!

3. Lights flicker, 1/2 power seems to be out.

These symptoms generally occur during or after high winds. If your electrical service comes to your home overhead, the power company connection at the eave of your house may be the problem. If you have eliminated other possible causes, call your power company.

4. One light flickers.

If only one light flickers, it indicates a bad connection, a defective switch, or a loose lamp. If you have aluminum branch-circuit wiring and the connection at the fixture is a the problem, only an electrical contractor certified by AMP, INC., can properly reterminate the connection. (Note: Amp Cop/Alum Correction is for aluminum branch-circuit wiring)

CAUTION: Remember that each year in the United States, over 53,333 fires and 400 deaths will result from unsafely modified electrical installations.

We recommend having a qualified electrician perform work. Be safe.


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Should you "DIY" Electrical Problems?

Posted on January 13, 2011 by gil.hyland

imgres 1 150x150 Should you DIY Electrical Problems?

At Cooper Electric we do our best to walk our customers through basic troubleshooting steps.

We recommend having a qualified electrical contractor perform work. Be safe.

Here are some common electrical problems and possible situations/solutions:




Electrical Problem: A switch or outlet is warm to the touch, or sparks.

Situations/Solution:
1. If sparks are seen when the switch is operated, what happens is, a small spark is generated anytime an electrical connection is made or broken while current is flowing. If the switch is not warm to the touch and is not loose, the small spark is probably normal.

2. Any device being plugged into an outlet, should always be in the OFF mode, before plugging in or unplugging the device.

CAUTION: Remember that each year in the United States, over 53,333 fires and 400 deaths will result from unsafely modified electrical installations.

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New website - Welcome

Posted on November 18, 2010 by admin

blog1pic New website WelcomeWe at Cooper Electric are proud to present to your, our customer, the company's new website. Please browse around as we have added quite a bit of new content. Enjoy!

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