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Preparing Your Home For EV Charging With gas prices remaining near record highs, electric vehicles are becoming a cost-effective option for many Lynchburg area commuters. So besides choosing the right vehicle for your needs, what do you need to do to ensure your home is ready for charging an EV? Installing an EV charger is generally a straightforward process, similar to hooking up a new appliance like an electric range or washer and dryer. The key to a successful home EV charger installation is to ensure the home's electrical system is up to the task of providing safe, reliable power where it is needed. Home Electrical Evaluation Before purchasing an electric vehicle we recommend scheduling an evaluation of your home's electrical system. Because many homes in the Lynchburg area are more than 75 years old, it's not uncommon to find outdated electrical boxes that should be upgraded to safely power the charger, as well as the rest of the home. First, your electrician will inspect your home's electrical service, including the utility lines and the electric meter operated by the electrical utility company. Next, your electrical panel, the box that distributes the power throughout your home, will be checked to ensure it is in good working condition with functioning breakers. Finally, the home's wiring, which distributes power to outlets around the home is checked for safety issues such as arc faults, shorts and other problems. Once the home's electrical system is inspected and any safety issues are repaired or upgraded, the EV charger installation can go forward. EV Charger Installation EV charger installation should be performed by a licensed, qualified electrician in accordance with all applicable local and national codes. Your electrician will take care of any permits that may be required by the city or county. Your electrician will work with you to determine the best location to install your new charger. Depending on the design of the EV vehicle and the location of its charging port, a convenient location on the garage wall will be prepared for mounting the charger. Most EV charger installed in residential garages are 240 volt "level 2" chargers. These will require a dedicated circuit to be installed at the electrical panel to safely provide power to the charger. Even if you're charging your EV using a 120 volt "level 1" charger, it's a good idea to power the outlet from a dedicated circuit and use it only for charging one vehicle per circuit (outlet box). The EV charger plug should be installed away from walkways and protected from direct exposure to rain. It should be close enough to the vehicle that the factory charger can reach with extra slack available. An extension cord should never be used with a level 1 EV charger. After your new EV charger is installed, take the time to read the owner's manual to ensure you know how to use it safely. Have questions about EV charging at home? Call Hickey Plumbing, Air & Electrical. Our expert electricians will help answer all your home electrical questions.

Top 5 Electrical Upgrades For Summer Summer is a great time to make electrical upgrades around your home to improve safety, comfort and convenience. Here are a few of the more popular electrical upgrades to consider. 1. Landscape and Security Lighting Landscape lighting can be as simple as a new entryway fixture to more elaborate path lighting and motion detecting security lighting. Filling in the dark areas around your home will provide a welcoming environment for guests and increase your home's curb appeal. 2. Standby Generator Extended power outages have become more common, leading many homeowners to install backup power generators. Today's backup generators are reliable, safe and efficient. When the power goes out the generator automatically turns on and uses your home's natural gas line to power all of your lighting and appliances. 3. Ceiling Fans Ceiling fans are a great way to increase comfort by improving the airflow in your home. While they don't actually cool the air they help your cooling system work more efficiently by distributing the cooled air down to the living space. 4. Whole House Surge Protection By installing surge protection at the service panel you can protect your entire home from damage caused by power spikes and lightening. 5. LED Lighting LED lighting offers many advantages over conventional lighting, including low power consumption, long life, and lower heat output. Need electrical upgrades for your home? Call Hickey Plumbing, Air & Electrical. Our experienced electricians can handle any upgrade, big or small.

Electric Bill Savings According to the US Department of Energy almost one half of your electric bill is due to heating and cooling your home. One third of your bill is due to your appliances, cooking and lighting. One quarter of your bill is usage of your water heater and your refrigerator. With a simple telephone call to your electric company they will send a representative to your home and do an energy audit of your home. An energy audit can help you know what appliances and or heating and cooling equipment you may need to update. Because of advances in technology, even a heating and cooling unit that was purchased as recently as eight to ten years ago can be the reason that your electric bill is higher by as much as $100 a month. Although a new heating and cooling unit is a major and expensive purchase it can save money in the long run by running more efficiently. Plus it adds value to your home if you are planning on selling that home in the next few years. Also big culprits in wasting energy in your home are the appliances that are used daily, such as your washing machine, refrigerator, dryer and dishwasher. Replacing them can save you dollars every month. However, make sure that the new appliances you are replacing are U.S. EPA and Department of Energy approved. The appliances will have the Energy Star label attached to them.

Electrical Safety Checks Where would we be if scientists had not learned to harness electrical and give us all of the , appliances, gadgets and electronics that we have all come to depend on. Electricity may be the best invention ever, but it is also dangerous. Thus you must either check out your home’s electrical system or have a professional such as Hickey Plumbing, Air & Electrical come to your home and run an inspection. This should be done especially if your home is more that 30 years old. Listed below are a few tips of things that you may be able to check out yourself. First check out your panel box. Above all your panel box should never be hot or even warm. Also in your box make sure that all of the breakers are labeled as to what they control. Those breakers can be a real bother when they may be constantly tripping. If that is happening to certain breakers in your panel it is telling you that this circuit is overloaded with too many gadgets or appliances. A professional should come in and reconfigure your breakers. Go around to each of your outlets in every room and feel them also. Your outlets, like your breaker box, should not be warm. This could become a serious problem. Notice also if you have any of the two-pronged outlets. Change them out to the three-pronged, grounded outlets. This is a good time to also check cords of your electric devices to see if they have three-prong plugs. Make a mental note if you have lights blinking. This could also be a potential problem. It could be a light fixture problem or maybe a breaker panel problem. If you have any cords that are running under rugs move them and reroute them to the plug. The easiest tip is to always have a fire extinguisher handy. Learn how it works in case you have an electrical fire. Expert electricians are available with your call to Hickey Plumbing, Air & Electrical.