Posts Tagged ‘Windsor electrician’

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How to Baby Proof Your Home

Baby proofing your home may seem like a simple process but there’s more to it than you may think. The reason being that with technology evolving at a pace never before seen, we purchase new things for our homes we may not think could cause harm to us or our children. We may not find out until much later that the new piece of tech we bought that automates all of our electricity could pose a serious danger to a crawling baby or toddler.

Most people may think baby proofing your home is as simple as adding safety plugs or outlet covers to electrical sockets. While this is a big part of it, there is way more to it than that. At Chadwick Electric, we like to educate our clients on lighting and anything else that has to do with electricity. With so many new families starting in Ft. Collins, baby proofing your home is a topic that comes up often when we install new lighting. Below, we have listed steps you need to take to start baby proofing your home right away!

How to Prevent Falls

Your new home will be full of areas where your child could potentially fall and hurt themselves. A good way to prevent falls is to never leave your baby unattended on your bed, sofa, a high chair, kitchen table, or any other area that’s too high up. Windows are a featured attraction for babies because they offer amazing views of the outside world. Over 5,000 children fall from windows each year so adding a window guard, window stop, or safety net is advised.

How to Protect from the Sun

Depending on where you live, the sun can be a much greater danger to your baby on a daily basis than usual. In Ft. Collins, where it could snow in the morning and melt by the afternoon, you’ll want to make sure you take necessary precautions to prevent skin damage and excess heat in your home.

Investing in Home Window Tinting can maintain a steady temperature and prevent the sun from overheating rooms in your home. We deal with families all the time who don’t let their children play in certain rooms because it gets too hot during the day. With home window tinting they don’t have to worry about that.

Electrical Outlets, Appliances, and Cords

Safety plugs, and outlet covers are a must in a new home with a new baby. It’s also best to hide electrical cords behind furniture or buy a hide-a-cord device. All electrical appliances should be kept out of sight and out of reach. If you have Christmas lighting in your home, you’ll need to take the same precautions as you would everything else. If you need help baby proofing your lighting fixtures, let us know and we can help!

Baby Proof your Furniture

Use edge guards to hide sharp areas on furniture. Make sure to replace shaky or wobbly furniture as kids grab and pull anything they can. Consider anchoring furniture to the wall to make sure it can’t topple over. Don’t leave anything breakable on living room furniture.

If you have any questions on lighting or need an electrician to consult with, give us a call! (970) 484-0544

Chadwick electrical code Fort Collins Windsor

What is the National Electrical Code?

Throughout many of our blog posts, we have mentioned how various aspects of electrical systems need to meet “electrical code”. But what exactly does that mean? As professional electricians serving Fort Collins and Windsor, we are up to date on the National Electrical Code and its updates. While the code may not always affect your home, it’s may be useful to know what it is.

The National Electrical Code Breakdown

Despite its name, the NEC is not federal law and needs to be regionally adopted in order to be enforced. However, the code presents standards for “electrical safety in residential, commercial, and industrial occupancies”. National Fire Protection Agency develops the NEC as part of their National Fire Codes. It was first published in 1987 to codify well-known best practices and help cities avoid civil liability lawsuits. Its main goal, however, is to protect residents from negligent practices that would result in loss of life or property.

Because of its overarching influence, electricians will spend years apprenticing and practicing the NEC standards before acquiring their license. Not every requirement of the code is adopted by states or municipalities, however. That is the reason electricians need local licenses in order to practice their craft. The NFPA also offers certification programs for contractors to demonstrate their competency with the code.

The code itself is publicly available as a 1000-page book. But because of its size, a few experts will release summaries of the major changes made every three years. Updates and amendments are released every three years, though it may take a couple of years for states to adopt the newest version. Each version of the NEC covers everything from the installation of connections to requirements for communications systems. They also include an index and annexes for implementation.

Even though the code is publicly available, there are still mistakes commonly made. That’s why electrical inspections are so important. That’s also why you should hire a professional with a strong understanding of local codes. Best practices keep you, your family and your home safe.

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