Scherer Electric Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Amherst’

Whole-House Generator vs. Portable Generator: What You Need to Know

Monday, April 8th, 2024
emergency-home-generator

In today’s world, where power outages seem to be more frequent and unpredictable, having a reliable backup power source is not just a luxury but a necessity. As an electrical contractor company dedicated to ensuring the safety and comfort of our customers, we at Scherer Electric understand the importance of choosing the right whole-house generator in Amherst, NY for your home. In this blog post, we’ll compare two popular options: whole-house generators and portable generators, and explain why investing in a whole-house generator is the superior choice for your home’s power needs.

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What Power Strips Do—And What an Whole-House Surge Protector Does

Monday, March 25th, 2024
surge-protector-power-strip

In the realm of electrical safety, understanding the capabilities and limitations of different surge protection options is crucial. As an expert electrical contractor, Scherer Electric is committed to ensuring the safety and functionality of your home’s electrical systems. In this guide, we’ll explore the roles of power strips and whole-house surge protectors, shedding light on why investing in the latter is a wise decision for safeguarding your household appliances. You can depend on our electricians for installation of a whole-house surge protector in Amherst, NY.

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Adding Surge Protection to Your Electrical Panel

Monday, December 18th, 2023
surge-protector-power-strip

In our ever-connected world, the reliance on electronic devices is more significant than ever. From smart appliances to sensitive electronics, our homes are filled with devices that can be vulnerable to power surges. While plug-in surge protectors are a common solution, there’s a superior option that provides comprehensive defense: whole-house surge protection. This protection goes past electronic devices—it also protects your entire electrical system from an expensive disaster.

You’ll need experts who understand electrical panel service in Amherst, NY to install this type of surge protection, and we’re the people to turn to. We can answer any questions you may have. Below we’ll get into the basics.

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What Does It Mean for Your Electrical System to be “Up to Code”?

Monday, December 4th, 2023
electrical-schematic

When it comes to the electrical systems in our homes, the phrase “up to code” is often thrown around. But what exactly does it mean for your electrical system to be “up to code,” and why is it so crucial? In this blog post, we’ll explain the basics of the National Electrical Code (NEC), explore how it works on a local level, and help you understand why having a licensed electrician in Amherst, NY is essential for keeping your home compliant.

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What Types of Wiring and Electrical Panels Are Outdated?

Monday, December 19th, 2022
electrical-panel-inspection-by-technician

Residential electrical technology continues to march forward, and that means out of date older systems. In many cases, you won’t need to worry about technology in your house that’s a couple of years old. But you may need to worry about technology that’s several decades old!

We’re going to look at four outdated types of wiring and electrical panels we find in many homes. We recommend our customers have these replaced or updated.  

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Tips to Reduce Energy Use to Avoid Power Outages This Summer

Monday, June 20th, 2022
checkmark-green

Western New York can suffer from long-term power outages and blackouts during the summer. This is a period when the strain on the electrical grid soars as people use air conditioning systems more. Unless a home has an electric water heater, the air conditioner is the appliance that consumes the most electricity. 

As electricians in Amherst, NY with a long history in the area, we know plenty about electrical use in summer. We want to help you reduce your summer electrical consumption so you can help the grid stay healthy for everyone and avoid outages and blackouts. 

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How Long Can a Whole-House Generator Last?

Monday, December 6th, 2021
generator-residential

A whole-house generator is a great investment for a home in Western New York. Extended power outages have become a more common problem in the last two decades, and a whole-house generator is your best defense against future ones. The right generator can help your family stay comfortable and safe in a well-lit house until the power comes back on. 

Whole-house generators aren’t magical devices, of course, so they can’t run forever. There are two ways of looking at the question in the title of this blog: “How long will a generator run when there’s a power outage?” and “How long will a generator installation last before it needs to be replaced?” We’ll look at both versions of the question so you know what to expect from a whole-house generator—whether you already own one or are considering getting one.

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It’s Not Too Late to Schedule Generator Maintenance!

Monday, October 25th, 2021
emergency-home-generator

A backup generator has a way of minding its own business on your property. It’s there for when an emergency strikes, but otherwise isn’t operating. This makes it easy to forget about the importance of maintaining the generator. Maintenance is critical for a backup generator because you need to trust that the generator can do its job when the time comes. A generator you can’t trust isn’t much good!

You might think that it’s too late in the year for you to schedule generator maintenance. Here’s the important thing to know: generator maintenance doesn’t have an expiration date, and you can have it done at any time of the year. Fall is a great time to do it, so it’s definitely not too late to call our team for the job.

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Trouble With a Recessed Light? Let’s See What We Can Do!

Monday, March 29th, 2021
lightbulb-standing-up

When a lightbulb in a fixture like a standard lamp burns out, the solution is simple: you put in a new bulb. As long as you make sure you match the wattage of the next bulb with the fixture, everything should be fine. (If bulbs are burning out frequently, however, you may have other problems that will require professional electrical assistance.)

When a recessed lightbulb burns out, you can also put in a new bulb—but you might discover that the light still isn’t working. A recessed fixture can present a different challenge, because it’s set into the ceiling and it isn’t something you can just swap out with a new lamp. You may need to have an expert at indoor lighting in Amherst, NY fix the problem. Below we’ll look at what might be wrong (aside from a standard burnt-out bulb). 

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The Penny in the Fuse Box and Other DIY Electrical Panel Nightmares

Monday, February 1st, 2021
panel-replacement

Many home service contractors discourage customers from attempting “do-it-yourself” work on their home, and often with good reason. Many of these jobs are time-consuming and easy to get wrong without the proper tools and training. 

But the situation is different when it comes to electrical services. We don’t just discourage DIY work—we are adamantly against it because of the immense danger that amateur electrical work can cause. Rudimentary mistakes can mean a house is no longer up-to-code and increase the chance of electrical fires. Only licensed electricians can provide electrical repair in Amherst, NY and throughout Western New York, and you wouldn’t want anybody else to provide service for your home.

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