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Residential Electricity

  • Fall Electrical Maintenance

    A fall electrical maintenance routine is important to prepare your electrical system for the coming winter months. The following is a checklist of some fall electrical maintenance tasks that every homeowner should be aware of. With leaves now falling from the trees, homeowners may be using leaf blowers to clear their yards. If an extension...... READ MORE

  • 5 Ways to Control Your Home’s Lighting

    With the days getting shorter and many of us leaving or returning from work in the dark, homeowners may be looking for the best option to control lighting and possibly save on energy costs. Here are 5 lighting options to consider, along with some pros and cons, to help you make the right decision for...... READ MORE

  • Electrical Permits are Important

    Electrical permits are important to everyone and not just your insurance company. A recent conversation with a local electrical inspector has reaffirmed what our electricians have been explaining to homeowners for years. If regulated electrical work is completed without an electrical permit in place, your homeowner’s insurance policy will be compromised. An insurance claim will...... READ MORE

  • A Rusty Panel Needs Attention

    This rusty panel certainly needs professional attention. It has been subjected to humidity for so long that a slug has moved in and taken up residence. To function safety, an electrical panel needs to be kept clean and dry, so this slug needs to be evicted today. Rust and corrosion inside the panel are very damaging and...... READ MORE

  • Surge Protection – A must for every panel

    Many Lower Mainland homeowners are still faced with a lot of clean up after an ice storm recently swept though our area. The sound of chainsaws can be heard in almost every neighbourhood as property cleanup continues. But some of the storm’s damage is not visible from the street. Some of the damage has occurred inside many homes. With...... READ MORE

  • Stormy Weather may trip GFCI Protection

    Our recent stormy weather seems to have tripped the GFCI protection in some Lower Mainland homes. This is usually an easy fix and a simple exercise that should be done periodically anyway. On the receptacle, press TEST, then RESET, and correct power should be restored. It’s always a good idea to test and reset GFCI’s...... READ MORE

  • Mobile Home – Silver Label Re-certification

    Re-certification for Mobile or Manufactured Homes Just like all homes built in Canada, a manufactured home must meet very specific safety standards before it can be sold to the public. An electrical design plan, specific to each manufacturer, series and model, must be registered and approved before production can begin. The manufacturer may not deviate...... READ MORE

  • Extension Cords

    Which Extension Cord Do I Buy? Occasionally our electricians are asked about the use and safety of extension cords in and around the home or business. Because of the extensive choice available on the hardware store shelf, it may be a confusing decision as to which one to buy. I am reminded of a customer whose...... READ MORE

  • Security And Landscape Lighting Solutions

    Hard Wired Lighting Although British Columbia is usually blessed with long beautiful summers, our province is also known for it’s lengthy periods of rainfall when the sun is nowhere in sight.  And since we are located on the 49th parallel, the number of daylight hours are also significantly reduced for much of the year. Taking this into consideration, it is wise to use hard wired lighting options...... READ MORE

  • How to Label Your Electrical Panel

    Are you sometimes baffled by which circuit breaker to shut off, because the legend on your electrical panel is not properly labeled? Or perhaps there have been so many changes made by previous owners, that nothing makes any sense. Not only is this an inconvenient and frustrating situation, it can be downright dangerous! If you...... READ MORE

  • Electrical Wiring for Home Renovations

    Home renovations seem to be on everyone minds. The licensed electricians at Blue Crest Electric know that electrical wiring for home renovations is equally as important to the renovations themselves. Remodelling a room to meet the needs of the household, as well as creating an aesthetically pleasing living space, is just what many current television shows are focusing...... READ MORE