Ways to tidy up a broken CFL light bulb without a hazmat team!

CFL bulb can be a real issue!

Ways to tidy up a broken CFL light bulb without a hazmat team!

Prior to tidying up the busted/broken bulb

1. Remove all people and family pets from the space where the bulb broke.

2. Open up doors and windows to air out the area for at least 10 minutes before coming back for cleanup.

3. See to it to switch off your Air Conditioner or forced space heater for the house.

4. Prepare the following materials:

a. Cardboard or stiff paper.

b. Sticky tape.

c. Wet wipes (for hard surfaces) or damp paper towels.

Ways to correctly cleanup the CFL damaged light bulb

1. DO NOT USE YOUR VACUUM CLEANER first! Vacuuming can spread the poisonous mercury powder and/or the argon powder, which comes from the damaged CFL light bulb.

2. Use the cardboard to tidy up the busted glass CFL bulb and the poisonous mercury powder. You must place this cleanup materials right into a jar which can be sealed or placed into a plastic bag with an excellent seal.

3. Make use of the very sticky tape (packing tape will work well) to tidy up any kind of the remaining poisonous powder that you couldn’t sweep/cleaned up.

4. Once again, one of the most important things is to place all the cleaning products and clean up materials right into a sealable container.

What to do after the cleanup.

1. Promptly, make sure all your clean up materials to include any vacuum bags that you had to use to collect any poisonous mercury powder that you might have had to use a vacuum for the final clean up2. Place the cleanup products outdoors in a secured location till you could take care of them appropriately.

3. Contact your state government, or city etc. for disposal rules and guidelines. If there is no government or state constraints on disposal then check with your garbage removal service provider.

4. If there is any way to continue to vent the affected room, at least for 2 hours at a minimum; you should do this. At least allow it to air out for a number of hours whatever is possible. The longer the better.

5. If you have any type of questions, concerns, or other questions regarding a broken CFL clean up you could always contact your regional poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

If you have other inquiries or questions you could contact via call or email to Todd Hill at Hill Electric in Palm Desert for additional insight or instructions.

Todd Hillside

Hillside Electric

760-772-1770.

todd@electricianpalmdesert.com

http://electricianpalmdesert.com

Weather is the biggest cause of black outs so which generator is best for you?

By far weather is the leading cause of loss of power or black outs. Now a few hours of black out are usually very survivable and therefore not that big a thing. There are a couple of exceptions and that is as we live in the desert and if you lose your AC that can be life threatening to the very young and elderly. If you fall into those categories a back up generator is a good thing to have ready to go when you need it.  The following is important to keep in mind when considering what type of standby generator you might want to purchase.

Portable Generators

Portable generators are very slick and easy to move around as they have a generator contained on a metal frame with wheels. Thus they are easy to move to where you might need them. They are powered either by gasoline or diesel fuel. That requires you to have fuel on hand to use in your generator when you need it. Also remember that gasoline has a shelf life of about 3 months before it becomes stale. However the experts say that you should have about 70 gallons on hand which will last you about 5 days!

They must also be kept outside and a minimum of 10 feet from your house due to the gas exhaust. Also you must use the appropriate rated extension cord to run from the generator into your house. These generators are designed to run many house hold appliances like microwaves, refrigerators, stoves, lamps and TV’s just to name a few. You can also have an electrician hardware the generator into the house so you can run other equipment like a finance or AC. 

One word of caution is not to run electronics that are sensitive to voltage variations that might come from the generator. These type of generators range from 1,000 watts all the way up to 17,000 watts; the latter being able to run a small house!

Standby Generators

These are in a class of their own as they are designed to run the whole house by themselves and they are permanently installed by a qualified electrician. 

They can provide 100% of your power needs for you house so as you can see this is a big step up from a portable generator. One great thing about this type is they are set to automatically come on or off depending on the power condition. This is good because they can protect your house when you are not even home! No loss of food or frozen goods. 

They are also, typically, powered by propane or natural gas which is better than having 70 gallons of gas on hand! They also require NOTHING to turn on as they are automatic! They also provide cleaner power so they are OK to use with your sensitive electronics. These range from 8,000 watts to 125,000 watts. Again the small units are good for household appliances where the latter can run a whole house without any issues.

In closing, if you are looking into either of these options it’s always good to find a qualified electrician to help you with your choices and installation. A qualified electrician can see what you want to run in a black out, determine the wattage you need, then work with you on the installation ideas.

Todd Hill
Hill Electric
(760) 772-1770
todd@electricianpalmdesert.com
http://electricianpalmdesert.com

When do you need a qualified electrician? It isn't always obvious!

Flicking lights can be a sign of trouble!

So it would seem that you should know when you need an electrician but that isn’t always true! Right here are 8 signs or reasons that you need a qualified electrician.

1. You have lights that flicker. The most basic part of this is that if a light bulb is flickering you might simply need to replace the defective light bulb. If after changing the light bulb you find that the light bulb still flickers (annoying at best), you may have an electrical wiring issue. Time to switch off that light; as well as, pick up the phone and make that call to a qualified electrician!

2. A tripping electrical circuit breaker. Breakers are there for a very good reason and if they are tripping then you most certainly have a serious issue! This could be very dangerous scenario which could lead to a house fire. Time to make that call!

3. At any time or place that you experience a shock from an appliance or when using an electrical appliance you need a qualified electrician! Electrical socks can seriously injure you or even kill you! They can also result in a home fire. Truly NOW THIS is the moment to call that qualified electrical expert!!!!

4. If you hear “buzzing” and you know you don’t have bees in the walls then most likely you have an electrical wiring issue. That buzzing is most likely caused by electrical wiring too close to each other or the insulation is breaking down. At any rate it’s time to make that phone call to qualified electrical expert!!!! Don’t waste anytime but go make that call!

5. If you have any discolored or burned electrical outlets… Don't use them! And you know what time it is.. Make that PHONE CALL! This type of issue could bring about a home fire and or perhaps a fatal shock!

6. If you smell something burning and you know you're are not cooking! A burning odor isn't great and you need to make that PHONE CALL TODAY!

7. If you notice any type of heat around plug outlets or light fixtures. This means you have issues for example… with a plugin appliances like a blender or food processor. When you utilize the mixer does it get really warm or over heat? Make that TELEPHONE CALL NOW. Your qualified electrician won’t fix your appliance but can check to see if the outlets and wiring are working properly. Regardless, MAKE THAT CALL!

8. If you ever see sparks or flames coming from an electrical wall socket, light fixtures or the like… guess what. It’s time to pick up the phone and make that CALL NOW.

In closing, if you see or experience any of these issues then you know what to do… make that call! It’s important to understand when you need a qualified electrician or when not. So, if you should have any questions with this please give us a call or email.

Todd Hillside

Hill Electric in Palm Desert CA.

760-772-1770.

todd@electricianpalmdesert.com

http://electricianpalmdesert.com