Knowledge is the Best Form of Prevention.

Smoke Detectors:

Smoke detectors are one of the most important safety features in your home. Properly installed, they serve as a built-in early warning system to allow you and your family to escape fire-inflicted bodily harm.

With that assurance comes a major responsibility. And that, simply stated, is to make sure your fire detectors are prepared to do the job they were built for…without fail.

Other than routine battery checks and replacement, the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) suggests that you replace all smoke detectors after 10 years.

Smoke detectors save lives. Make sure that you have functioning and correctly placed smoke detectors. Remember all smoke detectors should be replaced after 10 years, batteries every year. We recommend hard wire interconnected detectors, either hard wired together or as part of your alarm system. It is suggested that a smoke detector be installed in each bedroom, and a combination smoke/carbon monoxide in the hall outside the bedroom, first floor, and basement. Properly installed they serve as a built-in early warning system to allow you and your family to escape fire inflicted bodily harm. We can review your system with you.

Here’s why:

• On average, 3% of all smoke detectors fail each year.

• After 10 years, a smoke detector is 30% likely to fail.

• After 15 years, the likelihood of failure is 50%.

• After 30 years, studies show, it’s a virtual guarantee that a smoke detector will fail.

• Each year, more than 3,200 Americans lose their lives in residential fires.

Here are some additional home safety tips:

• Smoke detectors should be placed in all hallways leading to sleeping quarters. If your home has more than one level, install a smoke detector on each level near the stairs.

• To test if there’s a fire in progress, feel the bedroom door with the back of your hand before you attempt to exit. Then, crawl out so you stay below the smoke.

• In-home safety can be enhanced by as much as 80% when you install an automatic fire sprinkler system along with smoke detectors. That’s a job for your professional Harborview electrical service team.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Every year, hundreds of people die from carbon monoxide poisoning, and thousands more become seriously ill. So here’s a quick primer on CO causes and how to minimize their effects.

Carbon monoxide is a natural byproduct of appliances and power tools that burn fuels like gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal. Breathing low levels of CO can cause shortness of breath, mild nausea, and headaches. At higher levels of inhalation, CO can cause drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. At the extreme? Loss of consciousness and death.

Will any ol’ CO detector do? Absolutely not. In fact, and without exception, we recommend installing professional grade, low-level carbon monoxide detectors – with audible alarms – in your home and garage.

Our detectors sense CO levels as low as 5ppm (parts per million).

Standard home center varieties don’t alert you until CO levels hit 70 ppm or higher…the problem is, infants, children, elderly persons or those with respiratory or heart ailments can suffer illness and permanent disabilities from a steady does of CO levels as low as 15 ppm.

By the time a home center detector alarm goes off, dangerous levels of CO may have been present for an up to 3.5 hours.

Selling Your House?

All potential buyers will have a home inspector go through your home prior to the sales. Nothing turns a buyer off like a large list of violations. Even if this doesn’t discourage the buyer, they will use this to negotiate a much better price on your home. In most cases, the estimates they bring to the negotiations are much higher than if you were to do the work prior to putting the house on the market. Call us, we will inspect your home for free and quote you for code upgrades and violations.

Once again, Harborview has the skill and the resources to do the job thoroughly and promptly. Please contact us at your convenience.

Selling A Commercial Building?

Most buyers do not have the vision that you may have of your building. Many times commercial buildings are sold or rented once the previous owner or tenant has left. In most cases they are not concerned with how they leave the space and if there were machines partitions that had to be removed; there are usually wires left hanging all over. These are not only dangerous but also discourage potential buyers and renters. A little tidying up will increase the value of the building and make it market friendly. If these were former manufacturing facilities, there may be a potential wealth in surplus electrical equipment. We have buyers for surplus electrical equipment that are ready to buy. Make some cash and dress up your building. Call us, we can meet and go over our suggestions.

Are you putting your family at risk?

Ground fault circuit breakers and outlets are meant to protect our families from potential shock hazard and electrocution, but did you know that they should be checked monthly? Most manufactures include a test chart for each device which should be installed on all pool pumps, pool lights, outside outlets, spans, hot tubs, garage outlets, unfinished basement outlets, bathroom outlets, whirlpool tubs, kitchen counter outlets and other locations per code. Please check to make sure you have them in these locations and check to make sure they are functioning correctly. (GFCI breakers have a test button – pushing button trips breaker – reset breaker to reinstate power. GFCI outlets have a test button and a reset button on the face of the outlet) If they are not functioning or if they are not installed, please have them installed right away. Your life, or that of a family member, may be at risk.

Call 203-878-1872 to ask questions or Contact Us today!