Allstate Electric LLC of Pequannock NJ Named as a Tesla Preferred EV Installer

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Allstate Electric LLC

Phone: 973-689-2753

Email: socialmedia@allstateelectricllc.net

www.AllstateElectricLLC.net

ALLSTATE ELECTRIC LLC NAMED TESLA PERFERRED VENDOR

Mario Brattoli, head of Allstate Electric LLC of Pequannock, New Jersey announces that his firm has been named as a preferred installer of Tesla Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.

PEQUANNOCK, NJ MARCH 12, 2017 – As part of Allstate Electric LLc.’s commitment to bringing the latest technology to consumers, the company was recently named by Tesla as a “preferred vendor,” one of only a handful of firms so named in the New Jersey/greater NYC region. Tesla is arguably considered the premiere luxury electric vehicle producer in the world. This designation signifies that Allstate Electric llc. has completed a training program through Tesla and meets their stringent verification standards.

“The future is electric!” explains Brattoli. “Our customers want to utilize the latest in energy saving technology, that extends to their cars and trucks. Our response at Allstate Electric is to make certain that we continue to learn and innovate so that we can provide cutting edge services.”

The popularity of Tesla’s luxury cars and SUV’s has resulted in huge demand for electric vehicle charging stations. Allstate Electric provides charging station consultation, installation, maintenance, and repair for both the home user and for businesses that want to provide their customers and employees with the convenience of on-site charging stations. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS, 973-689-2753

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ALLSTATE ELECTRIC LLC, www.AllstateElectricLLc.net

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DIY Electrical Work - Not Worth the Risk

If you ask most home owners, which DIY (Do It Yourself) project that they would most avoid, electrical work is probably top on their list. 

Why? 

For most people, electricity is scary. 

And rightly so. Over 12% of all electrical fires in private residences are caused by faulty electrical systems or appliances. Some of these are caused by outdated or aging equipment, but many are caused by poor repairs, replacements, and installations carried out by the untrained.

On the rise....electrical fires caused by DIY electrical work.

Youtube videos and online instruction have given many would be DIYers a false sense of security, suggesting that adding landscape lighting, rewiring outlets, and installing ceiling fans are safe and easy procedures. Unfortunately, people attempting to handle electrical installations or repairs can electrocute themselves and/or cause damage to their appliances and property. 

Risking your life and property just isn't worth the potential savings of a few bucks. In fact a good chunk of a licensed electrician's business is fixing the damage caused by DIYers. 

Plus, most insurance policies are voided by DIY repairs or installations. So, if your project ends up causing you or others injury or damages or destroys your property, you will be on the hook for the related expenses. 

Call a licensed electrician. 

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The professionals at Allstate Electric llc would be pleased to meet with property owners in Northern New Jersey to discuss all of your electrical installation, renovation, maintenance, and emergency needs.  

Avoiding Common Electrical Problems

Last year, almost 60,000 homes in the US were damaged or destroyed by fire caused by an electrical problem. Faulty wiring, space heaters, appliance malfunctions, and over loaded circuits, outlets, and extension cords were the most common causes of these fires, which resulted in nearly $2 billion in property damage, thousands of injuries, and hundreds of deaths.

But common electrical problems can be avoided with basic knowledge and some common sense.


DON'T Overload Outlets

Not all household outlets are created equal. Understanding the difference between standard outlets, GFCI outlets, electric stove outlets, and major appliance or dryer outlets will help you to use the right outlet for the job. Not sure about the different types of outlets in your property? Check out my Understanding Outlets article.

Piggy-backing multiple appliances off of one outlet or adding extension cords off of surge protectors is a good way to overload your outlet and cause a fire.


DON'T Leave Space Heaters or Fans Unattended

Every year people are killed because they leave a space heater or fan unattended. Whether by overheating or causing items around the heater or fan to ignite, it really couldn't be simpler. If you aren't in the room, turn off the space heater or fan. 


DON'T Use the Wrong Type of Light Bulb

Appliances and lighting fixtures use specific types of light bulbs. Bulbs are rated by watts and lumens. Watts are the amount of energy used and lumens are the amount of light emitted. Never use a bulb that exceeds the maximum watts listed for that appliance or light fixture. It wastes money on your electric bill, requires bulb replacement much more frequently....and can cause a fire. 

Want to learn more about light bulbs, the future on incandescent bulbs, CFL vs LED and more...check out my article Understanding Light Bulbs.

DON'T Misuse Extension Cords

Did you know that there are different extension cords for different uses? Many don't and end up using an extension cord that doesn't meet the required gauge or length. Using the wrong thickness can cause the extension cord to overheat and cause fires. Worse...some people will make very long extension cords by piggy-backing extension cords off of each other. 

Read the amp requirements for your appliance and select the matching extension cord. There is a terrific guide to extension cord selection, written by Brett Martin of Gizmodo called How To Choose the Right Extension Cord for Anything. 

DO Prepare For Power Outages

Whether inclement weather, overloaded circuit, or blown fuse has left you in the dark, having a plan BEFORE you need it will help you avoid standing at the circuit breaker at 3am with a flashlight wondering what to do. 

Do you know where your circuit breaker or fuse box is located? 

Do you know what to do if your power goes out?

If the metal box with all of the little switches confuses you, you aren't alone. Read my article Understanding Circuit Breakers. 

DO Educate Yourself About Your Household Electrical System

Making smart choices for your property is much easier if you have a basic understanding of of your household electrical system. 

In the same way doctors recommend that you have an annual physical to make sure that everything is working properly and to catch any health problems while they are easily manageable, having an annual electrical system inspection is a terrific way to keep your electrical system running smoothly and safely. 

Sparking outlets, hissing light fixtures, and flickering lights are all signs that you need a systems check. It could be as minor as the wrong light bulb, but it can also be faulty wiring, surges, or melting wires...all that could easily lead to a fire. 


Contact a licensed electrician for a systems checkup today!

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The professionals at Allstate Electric llc would be pleased to meet with property owners in Northern New Jersey to discuss all of your electrical installation, renovation, maintenance, and emergency needs.  

Understanding Light Bulbs

Selecting a light bulb seems pretty straight forward until you are standing in the light bulb isle at the grocery store or Home Depot trying to choose from hundreds of bulbs that all look the same. Watts, lumens, LED, halogen, florescent, it's all pretty confusing. 

Selecting the wrong bulb might not seem like a big deal, but selecting the right bulb for the light fixture or appliance can actually save you money on your energy bills, extend the life of your appliances, and even help reduce the risk of electrical fires in your home.

What is a Watt?

A watt is a unit of measurement for the amount of energy that a light bulb uses. The higher the wattage, the more energy a bulb takes to produce light. Light fixtures and appliances list a recommended maximum wattage to help you select the most appropriate light bulb. As we learned in my article Understanding Circuit Breakers, selecting a light bulb that requires more energy then the light fixture or appliance is designed to handle can cause a circuit breaker to trip, overheat an appliance, or cause an electrical fire.

The manufacturers recommended wattage is printed on the appliance box and generally on the appliance as well. Light fixtures typically have the wattage requirements listed on the lamp cup or body.

Lower watt light bulbs use less energy and save money on your electric bill.

What are Lumens?

A lumen is a unit of measurement for the amount of light emitted by the bulb. The higher the lumen, the brighter the light emitted.


What Happened to the Old Incandescent Bulbs?

Incandescent or "standard" bulbs use a suspended filament that is heated until it glows, producing light. 

Incandescent or "standard" bulbs were phased out in 2014 as a part of the Energy Independence Act passed by Congress in 2007. The Act is designed to force consumers to use more energy efficient alternatives. So all of the standard (40, 60, 75, and 100 watt) bulbs are no longer produced and only available commercially until supplies are exhausted. 


With incandescent bulbs no longer an option, here are your choices:

Halogen Bulbs:

Halogen bulbs work in the same way that incandescent bulbs do, by heating a suspended filament until it glows. However, halogens use about a quarter of the wattage of incandescents to generate the same lumen.

Pros - Halogens produce flattering light that most closely approximates day light. They can also be used on a dimmer, giving the greatest degree of flexibility.

Cons- Halogens are very sensitive and require gloves to change a bulb. Oil from your finger tips can actually cause the bulb to over heat and explode. 

Florescent Bulbs:

Florescent bulbs work by creating a reaction between the mercury vapor trapped in the tube and electricity which results in a UV ray. The phosphor coating that lines the inside of the tube converts the UV ray into light. 

Pros - Florescents produce more light and can illuminate a larger space then incandescent bulbs.

Cons - The light produced by most florescent bulbs can be quite harsh. Mercury is a toxic substance and while the amount released by a broken bulb is minimal, liquid mercury which may also be present can pose serious health risks. Florescent bulbs can also hum or hiss over time which is not dangerous, but is distracting.

Compact Florescent Lights (CFL):

Perhaps the most popular replacement for incandescent bulbs, CFL's can last for years and require only a quarter of the wattage to produce the same lumen. These bulbs work in the same way as the florescent bulbs, but instead of the long tubes with which most people are familiar, CFLs coil the tube into a more familiar "light bulb" shape and fit standard sockets. 

Pros - Inexpensive and long lasting, these energy efficient bulbs are a common choice to replace incandescent bulbs.

Cons - Only specific CFLs are available for dimmer light fixtures. Using a regular CFL on a dimmer fixture can result in flickering, hissing, and burn out. Due to the mercury content, the EPA requires special disposal.

Light Emitting Diode (LED):

LED's work by passing energy through a semiconductor. These extremely long lasting (20 + years) bulbs are the perfect choice for recessed lighting or lighting in high or difficult to reach places. 

Pros - Very long lasting, with a light softness that is similar to incandescent bulbs. The light creation process is offset by a heat sink, so unlike other bulbs, LEDs don't get hot. 

Cons - The light produced doesn't defuse, it creates a beam of light. So clusters of LEDs are needed to light a room. Since LEDs are more expensive then CFLs, initial installation can be a financial issue. The longevity should make up for the initial expense. 

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The professionals at Allstate Electric llc would be pleased to meet with property owners in Northern New Jersey to discuss all of your electrical installation, renovation, maintenance, and emergency needs.  

4 Reasons Your Home Needs Landscape Lighting

Who needs landscape lighting? YOU DO!

Ask a realtor, an insurance agent, or a police officer and you will find that they all recommend landscape lighting for your home. But why? Unless your home is in Architectural Digest, how does landscape lighting benefit you?

1.   Landscape Lighting Improves Curb Appeal and the Value of Your Property

Well done, tasteful landscape lighting improves the "curb appeal" or beauty of your home. Carefully placed lights create a warm and inviting environment that increases the perceived value of your home. Lighting that plays up unique architectural features, entertainment areas, and entryways help to creating that feel good factor or that curb appeal so important to buyers. 

Of course, living in a home that looks beautiful and is appealing to residents is important too, we all want to be proud of our home and landscape lighting can really contribute.

2.   Landscape Lighting Encourages Neighbors 

Have you ever noticed that when one neighbor does something, its starts a trend? Whether its re-roofing our house, adding a pool, or even putting the house on the market, as soon as one neighbor does something, others will follow. 

Landscape lighting is no different. Your neighborhood can go from a dark, bland, uninspiring place to a stunning showplace....it just takes one person to get the ball rolling. Of course, a neighborhood of beautiful, warm, and inviting homes increases everyone's perceived property value.

3.   Landscape Lighting Extends the Usability of Your Property

Whether defining an entertainment space to sit and relax, creating a bbq or outdoor dinning area, or lighting up a yard, pool, or tennis court, landscape lighting can help extend the usability of your property. 

Think about it. You are more likely to use an area where you can actually see. So having more dinners outside, letting the kids run off some of that energy, and just sitting around bonding with friends can increase your usage and enjoyment of your home.

4.   Landscape Lighting Increases Your Safety and Security

Strategic landscape lighting can eliminate dark entryways, and make it difficult for burglars to sneak around your property undetected. If it is a choice between a dark home, with lots of dark hiding places and a well lighted home, I think most burglars will choose homes with landscaping that provides the most coverage.

Coupling a landscape lighting plan with a security system can increase your family's peace of mind even more. Not to mention, you may achieve a deduction in your home owners insurance by providing additional lighting and security.


Landscape lighting is not a job to undertake alone. In addition to understanding the overall aesthetics to insure that your home is lighted in a tasteful and complementary fashion, landscape lighting requires an electrical system that is protected from the elements, water and moisture proofed, and reduces the chance of accidental digging dangers. 

A professional electrician can work with you to determine landscape lighting and security needs that fit within your budget. 

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The professionals at Allstate Electric llc would be pleased to meet with property owners in Northern New Jersey to discuss all of your electrical installation, renovation, maintenance, and emergency needs.  

Understanding Circuit Breakers

Most home owners have been there....standing in front of a metal box in the basement, flashlight in one hand, either trying to flick switches back and forth until the lights come back on or scared to touch anything for fear of being electrocuted or setting the house on fire.....

But it doesn't have to be that way. A basic understanding of the electricity in your home, the service panel, and circuit breaker, and you can easily see what what circuits are tripped and if you can get the lights back on yourself or you need to call in the professionals.

What is Voltage? What is an AMP?

In the most simplistic of terms, voltage is the force of the electrical current. In the US, houses typically have circuits that accept 120 volts. Amperage or amp is the strength of the electrical current required to operate a given device.

How Stuff Works has a great primer on Volts, amps, watts, and ohms that I highly recommend.

How Does Electricity Get Into My House?

Electricity is created in generators at power plants. The current created is then processed through transformers which increases the voltage. This increase helps to propel the current long distances through the high-voltage transmission lines. 

Substations in your neighborhood accept the high-voltage current and lower it so that the current can safely travel down smaller, local power lines. Transformers on the power lines lower the voltage even more and ultimately deliver the safe voltage to the "service drop" on the outside of the house that includes the meter. 

The current passes through the meter and into the "service panel" which includes the circuit breaker or in older houses, the fuse box.

What Does the Service Panel Do?

The service panel is essentially the distribution hub for electricity in your home. Unless a particular appliance needs it's own circuit (dryers, electric stoves, water heaters, air conditioners, etc.), most circuits control multiple outlets. All of the outlets or appliances controlled by a particular circuit is called a circuit branch. 

The circuit branch distributes electricity to outlets and light fixtures on its branch. So, as an example, all of the outlets and lighting fixtures in your bedroom may be on the same branch. When you plug in too many appliances, all of the outlets and light fixtures in that room stop working. 

What Does the Circuit Breaker Do?

The circuit breaker is essentially a safety gatekeeper that prevents an electrical overload by breaking the current if too much electricity is being drawn through a particular circuit branch. Except in the instances where an appliance is on a designated circuit, outlets share the amount of amps that are safely able to travel through a circuit branch. So, too many appliances drawing too much current through a circuit branch will cause the circuit to "trip" or break and halt the flow of electricity to everything on that branch.  

The circuit breaker has rows of labeled switches that designate which room or appliance a particular switch controls. When working properly all of the switches are all in the "ON" position. This means that the power is "on" and flowing properly through those circuits and through the related circuit branch. 

When the circuit is tripped, the circuit for that particular branch flips to the "OFF" position.

So I have tripped a circuit. Now What?

Look outside. Are other houses also without electricity? Many people rush to assume that the power is off in their house and start fiddling with the circuit breaker or calling the electrician when the problem is outside of their control.

If it is a problem specific to your home, you want to get the power flowing to the area of the house that has been cut off. Unplug whatever appliance you added to the circuit branch that caused the trip. Then go to the circuit breaker (usually in the basement or utility room) and find the corresponding switch. It should be in the "OFF" position, switch it back to "ON" and the power should resume in that area of the house. If you have a fuse box, you will have to replace the fuse. Generally this is as simple as removing the blown fuse and inserting a new one.

Don't go and plug the offending appliance back in or you will trip the circuit again. Instead turn off some of the other appliances on that circuit branch or plus the appliance into an outlet on a branch with less load. 

I keep tripping the circuit but I can't find the source of the problem. 

This calls for a bit of detective work. Is the circuit tripping when you plug in a particular appliance or combination of appliances? If you try to use the microwave and the vacuum cleaner at the same time, it might be as simple as waiting until your "Hot Pocket" is done to start the cleaning. 

If you don't have an obvious culprit, its time to call a professional electrician. Frequent trips are usually caused by1.   Overheating or faulty appliances
2.   Short circuits within your home's electrical system

Both can cause an electrical fire. 

Safety Tips

1.   Keep a flashlight close to the service panel. 

2.   If the switches on your circuit breaker are not labeled, consider having an electrician map your system. It will save you a lot of time and money if you and or an electrician can quickly identify a future problem, without having to figure out which outlet or appliance corresponds with which circuit.

3. Keep an eye out for scorched or yellowing outlets. This often means a short circuit in the system or touching wires behind the outlet panel. If you see this or smell burning, call an electrician right away.

4. Your outlets, circuit breaker, or service panel should NOT be making a sound, if it is call an electrician right away.

5. NEVER try to remove the panel behind the circuit breakers or use a screwdriver on anything in the service panel. That is an excellent way to electrocute yourself.

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The professionals at Allstate Electric llc would be pleased to meet with property owners in Northern New Jersey to discuss all of your electrical installation, renovation, maintenance, and emergency needs.

  

Understanding Outlets

What's to understand? 

You push the plug into the hole in the wall, your appliance turns on....simple!

Right?

But as anyone who has ever plugged a window box air conditioner or a vacuum cleaner into an outlet, only to have the circuit breaker trip and the house go dark knows....all outlets are not created equal.

If you aren't familiar with the way that electricity comes into or moves around your home, read my article Understanding Circuits which will help you to understand the basics of your home's electric system. 

Most homes have several different types of outlets that are specifically designed to meet specific needs. 

Standard Outlet - Most outlets in your living rooms and bedrooms are "standard" outlets, also called "15 or 20 amp duplex recepticals. These outlets are designed to provide power to small appliances, TV, phone charger, lamps, etc. and are on a circuit branch that typically includes all of the similar outlets in a room or area of the house. 

Older standard outlets may have just two prong receptacles, but most homes are now equipped with outlets that have three "holes;" two vertical prog receptacles and one horseshoe shaped grounding receptacle. 

Ground Fault Service Interrupter or GFSI Outlet - Most states have building codes that require outlets in areas likely to get wet (bathrooms, around the kitchen sink, outdoors, etc) to have built in circuit breakers that will shut off power to that specific outlet without tripping the circuit for the entire circuit branch. 

You can easily identify a GFSI outlet by the buttons on the outlet itself. One is a testing button and the other is a reset button. 

Large Appliance or Dryer Outlet - This type of outlet is specifically designed for appliances that require greater power capacity. Dryers, electric stoves, power tools, and high BTU air conditioners often require 30 or 50 amp receptacles. 

After 2000, receptacles are required to be four pronged configurations, but in many older homes, the 3 prong configuration can still be found. Most large appliances are sold without an electrical cord so that home owners can purchase the appropriate electrical cord for their outlet.

Large appliance outlets generally are not a part of a circuit branch that includes other outlets. Instead, they have a dedicated circuit breaker in the service panel. 

Increasingly, window box air conditioners and vacuum cleaners are assigned their own circuit as well since these appliances often require a greater amount of energy to run. 

So What Causes an Outlet to Blow? Well....it's not really the outlet that has been overloaded. Unless an outlet has a dedicated circuit, such as in the case of large appliances, most outlets will share a circuit branch. It isn't uncommon for all of the outlets and light fixtures in one bedroom or even one part of a house to share the same branch.  

When a particular circuit branch is overloaded or required to provide more power then is safe to provide over the wiring system, the circuit breaker trips and shuts off power to the entire branch.

What is the solution? The solution depends on the frequency of the problem. If you are tripping the circuit when you add too many appliances, you can solve the problem by either turning off unnecessary appliances, connecting some of the appliances to other, less used circuit branches, or having an electrician re-route some of the outlets to new circuit branches.

In older homes, having an electrician update your outlets and map out the circuit branches can help you avoid blowouts and wire melts that can occur from frequent overloads.

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The professionals at Allstate Electric llc would be pleased to meet with property owners in Northern New Jersey to discuss all of your electrical installation, renovation, maintenance, and emergency needs.