It’s not fun having electrical problems,  but before you call an electrician, there may be some steps you can take to fix the problem and save you the unnecessary cost of an electrical repair.

When your breaker continuously is switching to the off or middle position (or tripping) while you are using electricity or even if you are not using any electrical current, it can be one of several things:

One, you may have too many electrical appliances plugged into the electric outlet which can cause overheating or a large power surge.   Your breaker is designed as an electrical safety feature to stop power from going to the overheating wall outlet.  This means that this safety feature will automatically shut off when you have too much power going to one specific breaker and it will shut your panel breaker off to that circuit.  You will have to manually reset the breaker to get power.   To reset the breaker, push your breaker to the off position first and then back to the on position.  If you are overloading circuits you want to consider having extra receptacles or GFCI protected receptacles added by a certified electrician.

Second, it could also be a loose wire which only a certified electrician should help you repair..  You should never attempt to do wiring on your own because it would cause injury to you.

Resetting the breaker is ok to do on an occasional basis.  For example if you have plugged too much into one circuit and over loaded the circuit.  However, if you find you are resetting your breaker several times.  You might want to give us a call to take a look. Resetting the breaker too often can cause the breaker to fail and not do its job of protecting you and your home from electrical hazards.

Remember: Safety First , We have Certified Electricians Available 24/7  to solve all of your electrical problems.  503.657-4958 or email us at info@parkinelectric.com

♦Work on Home electrical distribution or lighting equipment should only be conducted by a qualified electrician.  When you are buying, selling or remodeling a home, have it inspected by a professional electrician.

Call a qualified electrician or your landlord if you have:

♦recurring problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers,

♦a tingling feeling when you touch an electrical appliance,

♦discolored or warm outlets,

♦a burning smell or rubbery odor coming from an appliance,

♦flickering lights,

♦sparks from an outlet.

Arc Fault Breaker, Shuts off electricity when a dangerous situation occurs.

♦Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are a type of circuit breaker that shuts off electricity when a dangerous condition occurs.  Consider having them installed in your home.

http://parkinelectric.com/products/arc-fault-protection/

Parkin Electric has qualified electricians available 24/7 for electrical repairs and service.   503.657-4958

There are many CFL bulb options available.  Home Depot has a page on their website with good information about bulb options, applications, light output and power consumption.  The Energy Trust of Oregon can help you learn more about how to choose CFL’s, shopping tips and information on where to recycle them.   You can also check the U.S. Department of Energy’s Website.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb

“If every American replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL bulb (compact fluorescent), we would prevent nine billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to keeping two-thirds of Portland metro-area cars off the road for a year”

Don’t wait; Start Saving Energy Now!

Have questions?  Use the form below to contact us.

Starting July 14th 2012 the United States Department of Energy requires new efficiency standards for the manufacture of linear fluorescent lights.  Magnetic ballasts most commonly used in T12 fluorescent fixtures will no longer be produced.  Simply put, electrical suppliers will no longer be able to purchase replacement lamps or ballasts for your T-12 fixtures.

The simplest retrofit for T-12 lamps and magnetic ballasts is a T8 or T5 lamp and electronic ballast.  This new technology produces higher quality light and less heat resulting in lower air conditioning needs and can save 30 to 40 percent on energy costs.  Portland General Electric and The Energy Trust of Oregon have more information and incentive offers to help you with this change.

Parkin Electric provides Free Estimates Call 503-657-4958

Maureen Parkin with Parkin Electric, Inc., a member of IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors) Oregon, has agreed to represent IEC and small businesses on a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA) panel. The panel will include small business representatives from many trades organized by the Small Business Administration. The panel will provide comments to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the newly proposed OSHA regulation labeled Injury & Illness Prevention Program (I2P2). OSHA is required to have input from small businesses about the economic impact a regulation may have on small businesses.

The winter months bring an increase in home fires with more indoor activity and an increase in lighting, heating and appliance use.   Your best defense against these tragedies is a working smoke alarm.  Smoke alarms should be connected to your home’s wiring system, so you can be sure they are always working.  In the event of a power outage they are equipped with a battery for back-up.  It is also a good idea for smoke alarms to be inter-connected so when one goes off, they all go off.  RF (Radio Frequency), wireless, units are capable of this and are now available and do not require interconnecting wiring.  They require one detector to be hardwired and the rest work off of radio frequency and will all sound together no matter which ones senses smoke.  Interconnected smoke alarms increase your chances of escaping a house fire before it spreads out of control.  If you are unable to install smoke alarms using your house wiring, you should at the least install the battery operated type and install more than one.  No matter what type of smoke detector you choose, be sure to test it monthly and replace the battery at least yearly.  The smoke detectors themselves should be replaced every 8-10 years.   For more information contact us at 503-657-4958 or by email at info@parkinelectric.com.  Parkin Electric provides free estimates and free home safety inspections.

View attached links for more information:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/559.pdf

http://m.usfa.fema.gov/campaigns/smokealarms/alarms/index.shtm

At the beginning of the 20th century, Vancouver was the headquarters for the Department of the Columbia, a vast administrative unit in the Northwest.  The population of the post almost tripled in response to increased military activity both at home and abroad.  There were not enough barracks for the soldiers stationed here, and men were sleeping in tents.  An ambitious building scheme was begun that would enable the post to garrison a regiment of infantry, and two batteries of artillery.  The double artillery barracks was constructed during this period, erected on this site in 1904.  This Colonial Revival style building housed two separate companies, a total of 240 men.  The latrines, storage rooms, and other functional spaces were housed in the basement.  The kitchen, mess halls, and day rooms were on the first floor.  The second floor had large dormitory style sleeping quarters for the soldiers, with smaller semi-private rooms for the officers.

The 6,500 square foot of renovated space will house space for community events, and include a banquet room, a large meeting room, a smaller board room, kitchen, storage areas and rest rooms.

Our part of the renovation will include modifications and relocation of the power distribution system, new lighting, fire alarm up-grades, low voltage wiring and state of the art audio visual equipment.

* Historical information provided courtesy of Fort Vancouver National Site

Parkin Electric is proud to note that we have not had a recordable injury for three years, nor have we not had any days missed from work because of injury since 2001.   This stellar safety record (our safety Mod Rate is .79) is an indicator of the effort and commitment that our electricians and management maintain to working safely.  The consistent use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, and hardhats) by Parkin Electric Electricians, and the practice of reviewing each job for hazards and developing a plan (written) to work safely on the each job, contributes to Parkin Electric’s injury free workplace.

Our view is that safety is not a sometimes thing….  a good solid safety culture means working on improvement, everyday, all day, automatically!

Keep up the good work folks!

On January 29th,  Parkin Electric was very honored to receive the 2010 “New Member of the Year” award at the annual Oregon City Chamber of Commerce awards ceremony and dinner at the Abernethy Center.  Maureen Parkin has largely been the face of Parkin Electric at numerous chamber functions all year long, and deserves most of the credit for this award.  Unfortunately Maureen had a schedule conflict and was out of town during the awards ceremony, but was dutifully informed and congratulated by her stand-in, via photo texting shortly after the presentation!  Nice job Maureen!

Joining the Chamber has been a great experience for us.  It has provided us the opportunity to network with other businesses, and to become more involved in our community.  The Oregon City Chamber and its members are very active in local government affairs, and supporting the community through volunteering their efforts.

We feel very fortunate to be a part of this dynamic group, thank you for your support!

]]> http://parkinelectric.com/2011/02/04/parkin-honored-at-oc-chamber-banquet/feed/ 0 Wade chamber logo award2 best of oregon city chamber wire http://parkinelectric.com/2010/10/18/oregon-electrical-code-committe/ http://parkinelectric.com/2010/10/18/oregon-electrical-code-committe/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:56:15 +0000 parkinelectric http://parkinelectric.com/site/?p=1643 Continue reading →]]> Parkin Electric President David Parkin, has been selected as a committee member responsible for assisting the Oregon Building Codes Division in adoption of the 2011 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code.

The Oregon Electrical Specialty Code will be based on the coming 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC), with Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) Amendments.   Some examples of the previous amendments (2008 Code) are:

• Egress from working spaces around electrical equipment.
• Multi-wire branch circuit requirements for grouping and handle ties.
• Requirements for GFCI and AFCI protection techniques.
• Lighting and receptacle requirements in dwellings.
• Requirements for raceways in wet locations.
• Weather resistant and tamper resistant receptacles.
• Requirements for electrified truck parking spaces.

The work of this committee is very important in providing pertinent and specific amendments to the NEC, and Parkin Electric is proud to be a contributing part of this process.

Congrats Dave!