Kansas gets tornado coverage and thunderstorm coverage, and Sedgwick County residents hear plenty of both. Ice storms get less attention and they do a specific kind of damage to residential electrical equipment that arrives gradually and lasts longer. Before: what ice actually does Freezing rain accumulates on every exposed surface. On a service drop spanning… Continue reading Ice Storms: The Slow-Motion Version of Storm Damage
Category: Improvement
Improvement
Troubleshooting an Outlet That Has Stopped Working
An outlet that has gone dead is one of the more common household electrical complaints, and a surprising proportion of them resolve without any repair at all. Start with the breaker panel. A tripped breaker is not always obvious, because some sit in a middle position rather than fully off. Push the handle all the… Continue reading Troubleshooting an Outlet That Has Stopped Working
How Interconnected Smoke Alarms Are Wired
Requirements for smoke alarms in dwellings have changed considerably over the decades, and the differences between a house wired in different eras are substantial. The oldest homes have no wired alarms at all, only battery units added later by occupants. Somewhat newer construction has hardwired alarms with no interconnection, so an alarm in the basement… Continue reading How Interconnected Smoke Alarms Are Wired
