Electrical Resource Center

North Suburban Electric, Inc. strives to be a resource for the North Chicago homeowners. We like to offer valuable tips to those who want to know more about their home. Please come back on a regular basis, as articles will be added monthly.

Should You Get An Electrical Inspection? According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, a separate and comprehensive electrical inspection is necessary in many home purchases. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes electrical safety. (more)

Updating Your Electrical Service - If you are upgrading your home electrical service, you should consider the addition of a “whole house” surge protector. The power grid is overloaded and power surges accompanied with brown outs are happening more frequently across North America. (more)

Electrical Safety Tips - Important information about electrical safety in your home including information on what to do during a storm. (more)

Prevent Electrical Fires - Inadequate electrical capacity is mainly due to increasing the number of devices that consume electricity in your home like new heating and cooling equipment, frost free refrigerators, clothes dryers, water heaters, electric ranges and ovens, dishwashers, and other powerful electric motor driven tools and appliances. (more)

Why Can't Home Repair Firms Quote Standard Prices? - It seems that every time I need an Electrical, air conditioning or plumbing contractor they give me the run-around in quoting a price. It's always so much per hour "plus materials," but they hem and haw when I ask for an estimate on how many hours it will take and how much the materials might cost. (more)

Lightning Safety - Lightning can travel from outside your home to inside your home-and to you-through materials that conduct electricity, including electrical wiring, phone lines, water, and plumbing. These safety guidelines will help minimize your risk. (more)

Landscape Lighting - The Advantages of Low Voltage Lighting Systems - Landscape lighting systems can be divided into two main categories: Regular and Low Voltage. The regular voltage systems run on your homes 120v power and need to be hooked into your system like the other electrical fixtures. (more)

Some Do's and Don'ts When Hiring An Electrician / Electrical Contractor - Selecting the right electrical contractor isn't as easy as picking someone out of the Yellow Pages. The ramifications of hiring the wrong contractor can be financially disastrous and even dangerous. (more)

Pre-Wire your Home – Save Money and Prepare for the Future - The world as we know it is changing rapidly. Every day, innovative new electronic devices are being introduced that are changing the way we work, communicate and interface with the society around us. (more)

Surge Protectors- Why You Should Invest in a Surge Protector for your Computer & Appliances - Protect your appliances and devices from voltage spikes by using high-quality surge protectors. Voltage spikes usually occur when lightning strikes or when there is faulty wiring. (more)

Home Improvement - Are Energy Efficient Light Bulbs Worth It? - It's a fact: the average American home is responsible for as much (or more than), twice the greenhouse gas emissions as the average car. If every American house replaced just five of their most used light fixtures or bulbs with more energy efficient ones, the nation would save... (more)

Stylish Outdoor Lighting - Stylish outdoor lighting makes your home much more beautiful. It also provides a safer and more secure living area. It increases the number of pleasurable hours you spend outdoors and is an investment that pays off handsomely in the value it adds to your home. (more)

The Biggest Energy Hogs?: Your Electronics - Trying to save energy? Have you paid attention to your electronic devices? The number of televisions, DVD players, stereos, computers, and other electronic appliances in a home has increased steadily over the past few years. more)

5 Energy Saving Cooling and Heating Tips - Looking to save on your electricity bill, or just concerned about power use in light of environmental issues? Heating and cooling our homes is one of our biggest energy sinks, along with inefficient vehicles. (more)

A New Approach To Electricity Can Save Money And The Environment - Electricity used to be as simple as flicking a switch. Not any more. The markets have been liberated and the pie has been shared between 6 major suppliers - the ball is now in the customers' court. Not only that, global warming is making us think differently about the way we use energy. (more)