Month: June 2012

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No Job Too Small

Double Power Point

No Job Too Small We Do It All!!!

After hearing about the complaints of some of my customers I came up with this phrase and decided to focus on the little guys who have little problems that they wanted sorted.

I have been told that electricians are hard to get a hold of. Too many of them are too busy chasing after the big jobs. Not that I blame them, that’s where the money is.

I’ll do the small jobs. Little things like broken light bulbs, light switches, power points and faulty phone cabling.

So if you have a small job give me a call.

Blue Light Electrical Ltd  mobile: 027 572 7000

 

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International Plugs and Power

Internation Plugs

A little bit more about International Plugs and Power.

USA, Canada and Japan use 110 Volts AC power.

NZ, Australia, the UK and South Africa all use 230 Volts AC power.

Both Australia and NZ use the same power and plugs, however the UK and South Africa use different plugs.

SA and the UK also have different plugs from each other.

Why do different countries use different plugs and have different electrical voltages?

Because everybody wants to do their own thing!!!

It would be so much easier if everybody was to do the same thing. But NO!! Everybody wants to be different.

Such is life.

The USA was the first country to supply electricity on a large scale to the public. Called the national grid.

It was discovered later that 230 Volts AC power ran more efficiently than 110 Volts. Therefore smaller cables and electrical switchgear could be used making installation costs cheaper. One for NZ!

Most metals are good conductors of electric current. Copper is a better conductor than steel and gold is a better, yet more expensive, conductor than copper.

For this reason gold is used in microchips.

Putting it simply, the faster electric current will flow through a chip the faster it will work.

If you need an Auckland based Electrician call Blue Light Electrical on 027 572 7000.

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Sparking Appliances

Wall Fan Heater

If any sparks appear coming form your appliance switch it off immediately and call an Electrician.

Sparks = Fire!!!
The last thing you want is your house to burn down.

Winter is the time when fires from heaters are most likely to appear.

Things to watch out for:
1. Keep all heaters and candles away from curtains especially ones blowing in the wind.
2. Check to see if any leads have the wires exposed or are frayed.
3. Dark brown spots on electric blankets. These could indicate faulty wiring.
4. Close the fire curtain on fires that are sparking.
5. If you need to answer the phone turn the cooking off or check it regularly.

Things to NOT do:
1. Don’t place clothing over heaters to dry. They will burn.
2. Don’t use faulty appliances.
3. Don’t try to fix any faulty electrical appliance with the lead still plugged in.
4. Don’t let your children play with candles or matches.

Teach your children that they shouldn’t use matches. Only an adult should use them.
Be a good example to your children. If you do stupid things with fire they will do them.

Things to do:
1. Fit a smoke detector and replace the battery if it constantly beeps.
2. Call an Electrician if any appliance, light fitting or anything electrical is faulty.

If you have any further queries call Blue Light Electrical on Mob. 027 572 7000.

This article also appears at http://bluelightelectrical.blogspot.co.nz/

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International Plugs and Wiring

Internation Plugs

Just a thought. When you shift to a new country you may find that the plugs on your appliances are different to the ones in your new country.

Note: the thing on the end of your appliances cable is called a plug and the thing on the wall is called a socket.

Also, you may find that the electricity rating is different. For example, New Zealand supplies 230V to all households. In America, their electricity network runs at 110V.

Check out the electricity rating before you shift. Some appliances may not work in your new country and you maybe forced to leave them behind. Use Google.

To use your appliances in your new country you may have to do more than just change the plug. Some appliances have a switch on the back where you can select the voltage. Check this and your new country’s electricity rating BEFORE you plug in your appliances otherwise you may damage them beyond repair.

Often at airport terminals and tourist shops you can find plug adaptors which you can put on the end of your plug to use foreign power points. Ideally buy these before you shift.

I would recommend employing an electrician should you decide to change any plugs. I have seen so many DIY types get it wrong. Often they didn’t terminate the cables correctly, sometimes they switched the cables (green, brown and blue) around. Potentially very dangerous. All to save a few dollars.

One other thing….the colours of the internal cables of appliance leads can be colour coded differently from country to country.

In New Zealand the colour code for appliance leads is: Green and yellow=earth; Brown=phase/active and; Blue=neutral. Phase is sometimes called the live wire.

In New Zealand the colour code for household wiring (the wiring in the walls) is: Green=earth; Red=phase/active and Black=neutral.

One thing that I want to add here is….. some people think you can only get a shock off the red one. They think that the black is safe to touch. NO IT ISN’T!!!!! It is possible to get a shock off the black one. DON’T TOUCH ANY WIRES!! Consider all wires to be live (carrying electricity) and are potentially capable of killing you.

So you’ve had a shock before and it didn’t kill you. That doesn’t mean that it won’t. Consider yourself lucky. Try loading a gun with one bullet and play Russian roulette. One of these days…..

Blue Light Electrical 027 572 7000