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Ask Your Electrician For These Additions To Help Keep You Safe

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Whether you're building a house or adding on a room, a good electrical contractor will sit down with you before the job begins and plan out exactly what's going to take place. He'll map out where the outlets will be positioned for the most convenience, and ask about your task lighting needs and electric usage habits. Before you shut down the plans and let him begin the work, take a few minutes to look at safety considerations for your home. Additions for security and physical safety don't add much labor, but they can save you a lot if an emergency happens.

Lightning Protection

Gone are the days of the old fashioned lightning rod, but buildings still have need of protection from lightning storms causing fire damage. Today's systems are call air terminals, and look like simple, foot-tall thin spikes on a roof. With careful placement, you won't even be able to notice them once they're installed. In the event of a lightning strike, these terminals attract the electricity and direct it down wires to a grounding plate buried in the soil, bypassing the house and avoiding fire and physical damage to your home.

Surge Protection

Lightning strikes and power surges can cause huge fluctuations in the power running through your home. While this won't damage much of your property, a strong enough surge can wipe out all your computers and take out expensive televisions and stereo systems. A household surge suppressor can shut down a system in less than a second, preventing damage to your system and a loss of data.

Theft Protection

Whether you live in an upscale neighborhood, an isolated countryside, or in the middle of a city, you'll always be in some type of danger from break-ins, theft, and persons who might want to do you bodily harm. The best way to avoid this is to take a realistic view at the possibility of crime and ask your electrical contractors to install a safety system while they're remodeling or building your home.

This system usually consists of two parts. First is the passive defense, usually consisting of a set of floodlights that completely illuminate the property. Thieves rarely operate in full light, and will often move on to another property if yours isn't under the cover of darkness. The second, active part of a security system is an alarm system that will sound if anyone opens an armed door or window. Have it installed on the second floor as well as the first, and look for one that automatically calls a monitoring company when the alarm is set off.

To add these features and more to your home, contact an electrical contractor like AWH Electric Ltd today.


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