Pacific Sheet Metal Blog

Whether you live in an older home or one that was just built, you need to be careful when it comes to electricity. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), home electrical fires account for approximately 51,000 fires and nearly 500 deaths each year. Take precautions by following these tips, and ensure your home and family are kept safe.

A short circuit occurs when electricity strays from its intended path and completes its journey via a shorter route—one of less resistance. This occurs when the flow of electricity is interrupted by a flaw in the established wiring. If a short circuit in your electrical system is not found and promptly fixed, it could produce sparks, smoke, or fire or cause electric shock. 

Before we get into common causes of short circuits in a home, a brief science lesson is in order to help you better understand how circuits work. 

Lighting can make all the difference in the appearance of your home. Fortunately, there are plenty of upgrades you can make to take your lighting design to the next level. Check out these easy lighting upgrades to give your home a makeover. 

With all the talk about energy efficiency, you've likely heard the term "lighting retrofit" a time or two. The benefits of a lighting retrofit can make a significant difference in your day-to-day life as a homeowner or business owner. We've tackled some of the frequently asked questions surrounding lighting retrofits and their impact, from the basic definition to benefits. Check out the information below, and then schedule your own lighting consultation with an electrician near you! 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! With all of the holly and jolly going on, it’s hard to focus on mundane safety precautions. Don’t let a preventable emergency put a damper on your holiday spirit. Check out these quick home safety tips to keep you and your family safe during the holiday season. 

Electricity is nothing to mess around with, but not every electrical issue is a major problem. Because it’s such an integral part of our daily routine, we often take electricity for granted until something goes wrong.

An electrical short, or short circuit, is a low-resistance connection between two conductors (objects that allow electricity to flow through them) that are supplying electricity to a circuit. A short occurs when a current follows an unintended path, bypassing the route it’s supposed to take.

In 2016, fire departments in the U.S. reported more than 1.3 million fires and 3,390 civilian deaths. An estimated 457,500 were structure fires, 78.1% of which were residential. Needless to say, keeping your electrical system in check and having it inspected regularly is imperative.

The electricity used to provide power for your electronics, appliances, lighting, etc. travels from a power plant that may be located dozens or even hundreds of miles away from your home. As you may already know, electricity is a secondary energy source, which must be derived from a primary source. Let’s dig a little deeper and find out where our electricity truly comes from and how it so conveniently arrives at our homes for us to use whenever we need it.

We hope you never experience a tree falling on your home, but if you do, it’s important to know what to do immediately so everyone remains safe. Here are the steps you should take after a tree or large branch falls onto or through your roof during a storm.