Nichols Electrical Contracting

We can outfit your home for automated lighting and other appliances. With home automation you can easily control the atmosphere in your house and match it to any occasion. We can wire it to keep the automated systems separate from the non-automated ones so that no system gets overloaded. Along with this we can outfit your home with a whole house surge protecter to make sure that any electrical surges do not damage your electrical system or fry any appliances in the home. This is an important safety precaution for home automation.

Proper lighting enhances any experience in your home. Nichols Electrical takes great care in how we wire indoor and outdoor lighting. Whether it's installing motion detecting lights on the exterior of your home, or ceiling lights inside, or rewiring outlets and switches, we do the job right the first time. Recessed LED lighting is the best choice for an energy efficient, durable, and subtle lighting solution. Besides being 80-90% more effective than traditional incandescent bulbs, LED lights are cost effective with their longer life span, low resulting electrical bill, and reduced load on cooling systems.

One of the first things to check when an electrical device does not work, is the device itself. Check to ensure that the device is not turned off. If the device is still not working and is on, try to pinpoint the problem to the outlet itself. Plug a second device into the outlet in question. If the second device works, it is most likely an issue with the first device. If the second device also does not work, it may be the outlet. If you suspect that the problem is the outlet, check the electrical panel and corresponding breaker.

Water has a unique property in which it expands when it freezes. As you can imagine if water freezes in your pipes within your home, the pipes will expand with the water putting them in danger of bursting. Pipes freeze when they are exposed to extreme cold for an extended amount of time, for example hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines and water sprinkler lines. Also, supply lines in unheated areas run risk of freezing, for example pipes in the attic, basement or garage. With that, pipes that live in the exterior of walls run risk of freezing as there is little to no insulation in those areas.

Tank water heaters have a lower initial cost because there are no extra installation needs making the tank water heaters a lot simpler than tankless water heaters. Their simplistic nature makes for lower repair costs as well; however, tank water heaters come with high utility costs. Further, it is important to consider how big your household is and how many appliances are within the household as tank water heaters do run out of hot water, and the heater takes about 1-2 hours to recharge. Lastly, tank water heaters have a life expectancy of about 15 years.

Worn out seal on the unit will begin to allow waste and odor out, which in turn causes health concerns as well as wet work areas. Jams prevent the blades from moving and need to be taken care of in order for you to continue to use your garbage disposal. Although sometimes repairs are smart and most cost effective the problem may be too big, and it might be smart to replace the unit entirely. A good rule of thumb is if the cost to repair is more than 50% of the cost of a new unit, a new unit is probably your best bet.

Tankless hot water heaters supply an endless amount of hot water, meaning you never have a cold shower! Tankless water heaters have a high initial cost because this tank requires the installation of energy sources as more electrical power is needed. Tankless water heaters work on demand, meaning they heat water when it is needed rather than trying to keep the water hot even when it is not needed, hence the need for more electrical sources. Since this tank is on demand, it uses about 30-50% less energy saving households money on utility bills.

As electrical panels age and technology demands expand, your electrical systems struggle to be the veins of your family's home. You may want to consider upgrading your electrical service from 100amp to 200amp. This is something Nichols Electric can take care of for you. Old electrical panels often experience circuit overloads and malfunctions can lead to frequently tripped breakers, smoke, melted wires, and even fire. Better to update these panels or upgrade your system before trouble comes. If you already have issues, no worries.

Adding an addition to your home is very exciting because you get to expand your living space without the hassle of purchasing a larger home. However, there are many things to consider before tackling the electrical aspects of your new addition. One of the first things to keep in mind is whether or not your electrical system from your home will be equipped to handle the appliances that will be in your addition. This is important because having a heavy load on an electrical system that is older, can cause major damage and will become unfit to support any appliances within your new addition.

Sump pumps are pumps placed at the lowest level of your house's basement or crawl space. The pump keeps your home's basement dry by draining the ground water away from your house without damaging the foundation. Sump pumps are extremely beneficial as they prevent flooding in your basement by controlling the underground water. When the water reaches a certain level in the pump the float is activated, and the pump turns on and removes water. Moisture can enter the basement causing mold or mildew. The mold and mildew build up can bring about health complications such as, nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, eye irritation, skin irritation and lung infections.

This interlock generator switch makes it easy for you if the power goes out. Eliminate the hassle of trying to fumble around with your electrical panel in the dark during a power outage. Nichols Electric can install this interlock switch when we wire your electrical panel or upgrade your existing panel. When the lights go out, just flip the main switch over to the generator and turn on the circuits you need. Portable generators plug into your power inlet box and are ready to go when the power goes out.

Radiators do not require any fuels that need replacing and ventilation does not compromise warmth. An important note here is to buy radiators with built-in adjustable thermostats. This will help to lower overall energy usage and well as decrease wasted energy. Lastly, if you install a cast iron radiator it is likely it will last for years and in some cases even decades.

Make sure your basement is properly wired, including your lights, washer and dryer, and your electrical panel. If your basement is being remodeled or refinished, call us to make sure it is wired correctly.

We charge a reasonable one time installation and low-cost, no commitment monitoring. At first glance, the competitor's price seems like a good deal, but they will lock you in at a required, long-term, high monthly monitoring rate. We can give you peace of mind about your home security with strategically placed surveillance cameras inside and outside your home. You can watch video from any room in the house on any tv or dedicated monitor. When you're on the go, keep an eye on your home with remote video security using any web-enabled computer, smart phone, or iPad.