Scherer Electric Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Buffalo’

Do You Have an Old Fuse Box? Here’s Why You Need to Upgrade!

Monday, March 28th, 2022

The fuse box or fuse panel was standard in homes for many decades. The fuses separated the different circuits for the house, and in case of a voltage overload, a fuse would burn out and cut off the electrical flow to its circuit. 

However, the fuse box is out of date—and has been for some time. Electrical panels that use circuit breakers have replaced them. Circuit breakers trip due to voltage spikes rather than burn out, and they can be reset afterward rather than having to put in a new fuse. 

If your home still has a fuse box, you might think that it isn’t that major of a problem and you can get by with the occasional inconvenience. We don’t recommend this course, for several reasons. We’ll explain why scheduling a professional fuse box replacement in Buffalo, NY is the best choice for your home—and one to have done as soon as you can.

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Why You Need Pros for Commercial Transformer Installation

Monday, February 14th, 2022
side-of-building

Transformers are important parts of most commercial electrical systems and a part that’s unfamiliar to many people because they’re rarely part of home electrical systems. The job of a transformer is to raise and lower voltage levels for a facility as necessary, and without a change in the electrical frequency (which is the job of an alternator) and only work with AC (alternating current). Essentially, transformers are electrical regulators and are have a variety of uses. 

If your business relies on one or more transformers, you can expect these devices to last for many years—provided they were accurately installed. Transformers do not contain any moving parts, which accounts for their longevity. However, we have to emphasize how important it is that you only allow licensed commercial/industrial electricians to handle installing a transformer when you need one. We’ll explain why below.

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Electric Panel Replacement for 2022? You May Need It!

Monday, January 17th, 2022
panel-replacement

Do you have plans on making important upgrades to your house for 2022? We’d like to suggest looking into the possibility of getting a new electrical panel (circuit breaker box) this year. You may not need it, but if you do, you’ll be glad to have this important job completed. Far too many homes have old and outdated panels in place, and the consequences can be large.

We are experts in all things electrical, and if you need to know if your electric panel in Buffalo, NY is ready for a replacement, you can trust us for honest answers and great service.

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Ways to Tell You Need Work on Your Business’ Wiring

Monday, December 20th, 2021
conference-table-under-lights

We don’t live in the coal or steam age—all businesses depend on electricity to run. Unfortunately, many businesses aren’t aware that they may have deficient or deteriorating wiring for their facilities until something serious occurs, such as a partial or total power outage or even an electrical fire. 

We know that you want your commercial electrical wiring to be up to code and reliable. Sometimes, this will require calling for service for commercial electrical wiring in Buffalo, NY from our expert electricians. We have more than 25 years of history helping handle the electrical needs of companies in Western New York, and we’re here to deliver the help your company needs. But first, you’ll have to know there’s a problem. In this post, we’ll look at how you can tell you may need professional wiring service for your business. Many of these are situations are emergencies or semi-emergencies, so don’t wait to make the call. We have 24/7 service available. 

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Tips for Better Indoor Lighting

Monday, November 22nd, 2021
recessed-LED-lights

It’s easy to take for granted the indoor lighting in your home and imagine that it’s “fine” the way it is and there’s not much room for improvement. But lighting styles and technology are constantly changing, and if your house is more than a decade old, there are probably several ways you can enjoy superior indoor lighting in Buffalo, NY

The best way to improve your home’s indoor lighting is with the assistance of our professional electricians. Below is a list of suggestions for indoor lighting to help you get started thinking about making upgrades and changes. 

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Whole-House Generator vs. Portable Generator

Monday, September 27th, 2021

New York State got a bit … wet … this month. And whenever a major storm strikes the East Coast, it’s an important reminder of how easily whole neighborhoods can lose electrical power for long stretches of time. Western New York is at high risk for extended power losses, and this is something we at Scherer Electric want to protect our customers from. We install whole-house generators to help homeowners make it through a power outage of any kind in safety and comfort.

But when it comes to generators, we often hear people say something like this: “What about just using a portable generator in Buffalo, NY? Do I really need to go with a full whole-house generator installation?” 

Portable generators have their uses—such as on camping trips, or to keep in the car in case of emergencies. But if you want peace of mind about getting through an extended blackout in your house, a portable unit can’t hold up to a permanent standby generator. We’ll explain why.

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Maintenance Is Essential for Your Backup Generator

Monday, September 13th, 2021
emergency-home-generator

The recent storm that hit New York State and much of the Northeast is a big reminder of how important residential generators are for modern living. A backup generator in Buffalo, NY is looking more and more like a necessity with each year. If you already have a backup generator for your home, you’ll know the sort of peace of mind it can bring during calamities like storms or heat waves.

But a generator cannot bring this peace of mind and relaxation if you cannot trust that it will work. An unreliable generator isn’t worth much—it undermines the purpose of having one in the first place. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to keep a backup generator reliable. All it takes is to schedule regular maintenance for it with our expert electricians.

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Why Your Outlets Are Sparking (And Why You Need Them Repaired)

Monday, August 16th, 2021
electrical-outlet-wall

You plug an appliance into a wall socket. An everyday occurrence, nothing important. But as the plug goes into the socket, a spark flashes. When you take the plug out later, you also see sparking. 

Occasional sparking outlets are normal and not a reason to panic. What you’re seeing is a fast draw on electrical power, and the effect isn’t much larger than a static electricity spark. 

When sparks at outlets become regular events, ones you can anticipate each time you plug in a device, you may have a serious electrical problem. Don’t attempt to tamper with the outlets yourself. Stop using the sparking outlets and call our licensed pros for electric repair in Buffalo, NY. We can determine which of these common causes is causing the sparking and then have it safely fixed.

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Don’t Try DIY Electrical Work: Here’s Why

Monday, July 19th, 2021
electrical-outlet

We understand as well as anyone why “do-it-yourself” work has appeal for so many people. After all, we’re technicians who enjoy our work, and many of us first got interested in home services because of doing tasks around the house on our own. 

However, handling electrical jobs as a DIY project is something we have to warn against trying. It’s not like changing the aerator on a faucet or fixing a loose table leg. For any electrical job more complicated than replacing a lightbulb or resetting tripped breaker switches, you must have a licensed professional electrician in Buffalo, NY. There are several good reasons why.

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Summer Electrical Problems You May Encounter

Monday, June 7th, 2021
sunshine

Summer is approaching, and we can almost guarantee it will be a more enjoyable one than last year! But summer brings with it some major electrical challenges for a home. Households use enormous amounts of electricity during summer. For some homes, such as those that rely on gas-powered heaters, summer may have higher electricity use than winter—and the hotter the summer, the more electricity consumption rises. 

We’re experienced with dealing with summer electrical problems. Below we’ve listed a few of the most common electrical troubles you may run into this summer. 

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