New products help reduce electricity wasted by equipment left on standby

electrical, energy efficiency, save money No Responses »
Apr 092011

New products help reduce electricity wasted by equipment left on standby How often do you leave appliances and electronic equipment on standby? Or you switch off the item, but don’t turn off at the wall socket.  It can be difficult to reach that socket behind the TV! But are you aware that even if a product is not in use, it could still be drawing electricity?

Entertainment systems are typically the biggest energy drains in the house, consuming electricity 24/7. It is estimated that, left on standby, one system could be costing approximately £60 per year.

Belkin’s recently introduced a range of “Conserve” products could help this issue of wasted energy and increased electricity bills. Take a look at the Conserve Smart AV™ Auto-Off Surge Protector as a solution for your entertainment equipment.

We also particularly like the “Conserve Socket”, a portable socket that includes a timer which automatically switches the power off after a selected time interval – 30 minutes, 3 hours, or 6 hours. This prevents items such as electric toothbrushes or chargers for mobile phones, power tools or digital cameras to be left on charge unnecessarily.

This new collection of energy efficient products is available from high street retailers.

Chez-Vous Property Services provides plumbing, bathroom, heating and electrical services in and around Wokingham, Bracknell, Ascot, Reading, Maidenhead and other locations in  East Berkshire. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Posted by ChezVousPropertyServices at 10:18 Tagged with: , , , ,

Electrical safety for children - a fun learning experience for your kids!

electrical, energy efficiency, safety in the home No Responses »
Mar 242011

What if there was a fun website to teach your children about electricity and electrical safety? Well, here’s the good news – there is!

The Electrical Safety Council (ESC) has created an interactive child friendly site to help young ones learn about electricity in a fun and exciting way.

The ESC is a UK charity dedicated to keeping people safe by reducing the risk of electrical accidents around the home and in the work place.

So make sure your kids know all about the dangers of electricity and how to stay safe by clicking on the image below (turn up the sound on your computer too).

Visit Switched on Kids

Chez-Vous Property Services provides plumbing, bathroom, heating and electrical services in and around Wokingham, Bracknell, Ascot, Reading, Maidenhead and other locations in East Berkshire. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Posted by ChezVousPropertyServices at 18:19 Tagged with: , ,

Protect downlights from fire hazards and loft insulation

electrical, energy efficiency, safety in the home, tips & techniques 2 Responses »
Jul 162009
At Chez-Vous Property Services, we often come across the situation in lofts where downlights are either not protected properly against fire hazards or are left with no insulation around them.

Downlights can produce significant heat. So when downlights are installed in the void between the ground floor ceiling and the upstairs floor, adequate space should surround them. Building debris and other flammable material must be removed from the void. Cables must be secured so that they do not come into contact with the hot surfaces of the downlights.Downlight guards and fire hoods are available at DIY stores, electrical or lighting specialists.

 

Pictures below: fire hood and insulation guard

If you are based in Berkshire and need help to install downlight protection guards in your loft, please contact Chez-Vous Property Services now.

Similarly, when downlights are fitted in a ceiling with a loft space above, precautions must be taken to ensure that the loft insulation or other material does not come into contact with the downlights.
The solution many people employ is to permanently move the insulation away from the area containing downlights (see picture above). This of course, defeats the object of having insulation and allows condensation to form in the loft. It also results in a lot of energy being wasted in winter and complaints of drafts from the attic.

A solution to this problem is to fit insulation guards or fire hoods above downlights. They cost around £10 per unit and protect the lights from the insulation covering above and prevent them from overheating. A simple solution to improve safety, as well as keeping the loft fully insulated and energy bills down.
Posted by ChezVousPropertyServices at 21:29 Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Safety issue: electrical sockets under water pipes!

electrical, pipes and fittings, safety in the home, water 1 Response »
Jun 102009

At Chez-Vous Property Services, we have been coming across an increasing number of cases where electrical sockets and boxes have been installed on the base of kitchen under sink cupboards or on the floor of airing cupboards, directly beneath pipe work.

Safety hazard: electrical box installed below water pipes

This clearly constitutes a safety hazard as any water leaking from the pipes above will drip straight onto the electrical box. And, as we all know, water and electricity do not mix!

All sockets and other electrical boxes should be ideally installed vertically on a wall or cupboard side, but most importantly away from pipes.

Safe: electrical boxes located out of the way of potential leaks from water pipes

For all your Berkshire electrical needs, visit www.ServicesForProperty.co.uk

Posted by ChezVousPropertyServices at 18:36 Tagged with: , , ,
© 2009 - 2011 Chez-Vous Property Services. All rights reserved. Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha