Dallas heat is unbearable and when we get home from a long, sunny drive, we want our house to feel like a freezer! Out of habit, many people run to their thermostats to turn down the temperature, and they may intentionally decrease it from 80 to 65. This extreme decrease will not cool your home faster. Instead, this method makes your air conditioning unit overwork itself and ultimately reduces any efficiency. Consider turning the head down by only a few...

Yes. It is pretty common for technicians to deny customers of an over-the-phone electrical repair quote. The reasons are frustratingly simple and once you see (or have personally experienced) both sides of similar situations, you have a better understanding of why project estimates are not always acceptable. "But you told me it would only cost $100!" How many times have you heard this story; a person is extremely upset because a repairman came to their home to fix a problem...

Yes. Carbon monoxide poisoning is just as common during the summer as it is in the winter because appliances such as lawn mowers, propane grills, camp stoves, and boats are heavily used during warmer seasons. Decrease your family's risk of exposure Carbon monoxide is a deadly, poisonous gas whose dangers hide in everyday appliances used by families all over the world Some ways to avoid exposure include: Ensuring appliances are placed in a well vented area Avoiding breathing around appliances that...

Light bulbs obviously aren't meant to last forever, but they should definitely have a decent lifespan, not a disappointing one. The electricians at Mister Sparky Dallas are here to give you a few tips to get the most out of your incandescent and LED light bulbs. Dimmers Light dimmers have become a popular solution for expanding the lives of incandescent bulbs. When you switch your lights "ON" and "OFF", unbeknownst to many of us, the lights rapidly become hot which over...

If you're living in Dallas or surrounding Texas cities, you're familiar with how stuffy a home can get during these hot, humid summers. But is there anything you can do to keep them a little cooler that does not involve cranking up the air conditioning? Little tweaks, big difference Believe it or not, there are cool opportunities all around the house to keep you and your family from melting this hot season. Some quick fixes that'll conserve the cooler air...

So the short answer this time is once again, yes. Power outages are actually more common during warmer seasons because energy demand and outdoor temperatures are so high. Because Texas is currently in a drought and experiencing hot, humid weather, this may be a great time to practice ways to try and avoid a power outage at your home. What to do during a power outage Turn off all appliances such as TV's and computers that don't need to be...

I have gotten a lot of questions about what to do if a doorbell doesn't work, and how to troubleshoot the issue. One question I get a lot is, "Can an electrician fix my doorbell?" Of course, calling an electrician will fix your doorbell. But, there is an easy, fast and safe way to troubleshoot the problem yourself. Most of the time, your doorbell does not work due to issues with with doorbell button on the outside. This can be...

Light bulbs burn out quickly mostly because of there is too high of a voltage in the light socket. If you are having to switch out light bulbs every few days, this can be a sign of a dangerous situation. You may have too high of a voltage because the light was wired wrong or your house's voltage may be too high. A good indicator of if your voltage is too high it that the light bulb will burn unusually...

Does your kitchen lights get brighter when you turn on the garbage disposal? When this happens, it may indicate the neutral wire in the panel is loose. This means that one hot wire is worth more volts than the other, creating an imbalance according to the ground. If your lights get brighter when you turn something else on, it can be an extremely hazardous situation. It can lead to damage to your electronic equipment, cause a fire or even electrocution....

Most times when there are several outdoor lights that do not work, you can blame your GFCI outlet. The GFCI outlet has the black and red buttons that say “test” and “reset”.  The outdoor lights and outlets are normally connected on an electrical circuit that relies on the GFCI outlet to work. If you press the buttons on the GFCI outlet and they do not turn on, then you will need to replace the GFCI. You will need the following:...