Blunt's - Serving the Greater Melbourne Area

Important Questions to Ask BEFORE you Hire an Electrician

Blunt's — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:26:13 +0000

Good Advice for Home Owners in Kew, Hawthorn & Malvern

Here’s a hypothetical situation that isn’t all that far-fetched.

An “individual” is walking through your neighbourhood and suddenly appears on your doorstep and rings the doorbell. You’re not expecting anyone but you decide to answer the door anyway. The caller identifies himself as a licensed electrician who happens to be working in a nearby home and wonders if you need any electrical work done, as well.

Lo and behold, you DO need some wiring done. So the question is, do you let the person in? The correct and safe answer is “no.” Unless you already know this person to be a licensed electrician of sound reputation.

The fact is, most if not all of us simply don’t respond to such “cold calls,” let alone allow the caller to set foot in our homes. Instead, we want to know as much as possible about the people we consider hiring in advance.

Are you looking for a home electrical contractor? Then these are the primary questions you should ask to ensure the ultimate in safety, integrity, and quality workmanship.

1. Are you licensed?

If the answer is “no,” move on to the next electrical contractor on your list.

2. Are you insured?

Even licensed electricians can make mistakes. That’s why you should hire only those
who are insured. That way, if something goes wrong with the wiring and a fire ensues,
the damaged will covered by the contractor’s insurance policy.

3. Do you have references for similar type of work?

If the job you want done is of a highly specialised nature, you want to make sure the
electrician has the experience and training to do the job correctly.

4. Can I have an estimate and what does it include?

A guaranteed estimate ensures you of no surprises later on…unless the estimate does not
pinpoint all aspects of the job.

5. Will I need a permit?

Some electrical service jobs require a permit, and others don’t. Always ask; otherwise,
how else will you know?

At Blunt’s, we don’t wait for our customers to ask questions like these as we address this and more before we start a job. At the same time, we welcome all your questions…whatever it takes to help you feel more confident in choosing Blunt’s, and happier with the end result.

Now and always, we look forward to your call.

A Home Security System is an Effective Deterrent Against Burglars in Kew, Hawthorn, and other Melbourne Suburbs

Blunt's — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:03:46 +0000

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, household burglary is one of the most widespread crimes in Australia – with around 335,700 break-ins recorded in 2009-10. Money is most commonly stolen (19 per cent) followed by jewellery (18 per cent). Australians are wary of this crime with around 36 per cent believing their house is likely to be burgled in the forthcoming year. Steps can be taken to prevent homes from being burgled using a range of practical burglary prevention guides available on this webpage.

One of the most effective deterrents against burglary is a home security system.

Protection starts with outdoor and window signage that you have a security. Often that’s enough to send a burglar running for cover. But should they miss the signage or choose to ignore it, here’s what you can expect:

The system’s sensors are triggered in some way, such as a door opening.
The system waits 30 to 45 seconds to give the homeowner a chance to deactivate the system to prevent false alarms.
If the alarm is not deactivated, the security system sends a message to the monitoring company over telephone lines or by a wireless device.
The monitoring company receives the message and verifies the alarm, generally by placing a call to the home or homeowner’s mobile phone. If they do not receive the proper passcode or do not receive an answer, the company calls the police.
The police respond.

That is a Home Security System made up of?

There are various elements to home security systems and they will vary depending on the setup you choose and what extra features you add; however, the basics are:

The control panel. Essentially this is where the system is controlled from. If yours is a monitored system then this is where it’s connected to the phone line.
Your key pad. This is your control for turning the security system on or off. Usually it would be found at the front or back door and you would need to enter a code for it to activate.
The siren. The noisy alarm that goes off, letting you, your neighbourhood and the intruder know that the security system has been breached.
Window and door contacts. These are sensors that will alert your security system if a window or door is opened. In the case of doors you are given a time limit to deactivate the security system before the alarm will go off.
Internal motion detectors. As the name states, these detect motion inside your home. You can have special systems installed to prevent any pets you might have from setting off the system.

At Blunt’s, we take your family’s security quite seriously. More important, we have the technology and skill to do something about it. Contact us today to see how we can add valuable protection with a custom designed home security system…for your 24-hour a day peace of mind.

9428 6770
Click here to ask questions or schedule service now

The Top 10 Electricity Users in Your Melbourne Area Home

Blunt's — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:27:25 +0000

We all depend on electricity in our homes for the normal functions of everyday living. But when you look at a higher-than-normal electrical company bill, do you ever wonder where the increased usage came from?

Well, by knowing which appliances and devices are the biggest electricity consumers can you help conserve, especially with something like a coffee maker that can and should be unplugged – just like your PC – when not in use.

The following are the ten biggest consumers of electricity in most homes, based on their output of power and electrical usage demands.

Dryers. Electric dryers can vary in their size and need for electricity, but when in use they will take more power than any other device you have other than your central air conditioning system. Trying to dry clothes out of doors in the summer, rather than using a dryer, can help cut costs, as can drying a full load of clothes vs. several smaller loads at a time.
Washing machines. These have an insatiable appetite for electricity, especially in the hot water cycle.
Water heater. An electric water heater will definitely take a lot of power to run on a regular basis. It has to run every day to keep the water hot for when you need it.
Lighting. Most estimates put lighting at about 11% of home electrical use. So use them when and where you need them, and shut them off when you don’t.
Computers and related electronics. Here’s another big chunk of your bill…abaout 9%. Even if your computer or TV are off, they still draw power while they’re plugged in. A word to the wise is to unplug and not just shut off.
Electric range/oven. This appliance can suck up a lot of energy through all its heating elements, especially the oven.
Dishwashers. The drying cycle uses more electricity than the wash or rinse cycles.
Central air conditioner. This is the number electricity “consumer” of them all as it takes a lot of energy to change the temperature of a whole house.
Heating system. Once winter comes along, you’ll definitely notice a spike once you start using your home heating system. Using a programmable thermostat is a good way to control both your heating and air conditioning costs.
Refrigerators. This is another appliance that can be a big cost, since it will run and be used every day. You can do things to control their energy usage, such as adjusting their cold settings. Still, because it does have to keep things cold constantly, the demand of electricity is always going to be high.

These may or may not be the top 10 electricity users in your home, but it’s still a great place to start for reducing energy consumption AND your electricity bill.

For more energy saving solutions, or for any electrical need at all, contact Blunt’s today. No matter how small the job, we’re ready to help.

9428 6770
Click here to ask questions or schedule service now

Food: What to Do When the Power Goes Out in Your Melbourne Home

Blunt's — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:32:14 +0000

Given that the power can go out in your home at any time and for a wide variety of reasons, it’s always best to have a contingency plan in place. That will help you to think more clearly and act more decisively should conditions warrant.

Well, one question we often get asked is exactly how to do with refrigerated and frozen food following a power outage.

Refrigerated Food

When the power goes out, check the time. Food in the refrigerator will stay safe for a few hours. Opening the refrigerator door lets cold air out and warm air in so keep it closed as much as you can.

Even if the food looks and smells fine, it may not be safe to eat. If the food has been warm (above 4 degrees) for more than two hours, throw it away, and don’t taste it to see if it’s still good.

To help extend the “life” of your refrigerated food, put in a block of ice on a tray. That should keep things fresh for about a day.

Frozen Food

Food in the freezer will stay frozen for about a day, and even longer in a freestanding freezer. A full freezer will keep food frozen for about two days. A half-full freezer for about one day.

If your freezer is not full, follow these simple steps:

Group all the frozen packages together.
Separate meat from fruits and vegetables.
The packages will stay frozen longer if there is no air space between them, so use crumpled newspaper to fill in the spaces.
Cover the entire freezer with blankets.

Thawed fruits and vegetables can be refrozen. Raw meat that still has some ice crystals can be refrozen. Meat that is still cold can be refrozen, too. It may suffer some loss in quality, but it’s still safe to eat.

In the meantime, and if the power outage is not affecting your whole neighborhood, contact Blunt’s Electric and we’ll get the power back up and running before any serious damage occurs.

Click here to ask questions or schedule service now

Things to Consider Before Install Indoor and Outdoor Security Lighting in Armadale, Hawthorn, and other Melbourne Suburbs

Blunt's — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:30:41 +0000

What’s more important than your home’s structure? The people and special belongings in it. With that in mind, one of the most important things you can do to protect your loved ones and belongings is to install the right kind of outdoor security lighting for your home.

When a would-be intruder is scoping out a potential target, they look for any home that provides an advantage to their escape. Shadows and darkness enable burglars to sneak up to a home . Another reason to install home security lighting in your yard is to prevent accidents that can occur in the evening or early morning when the light is low or at night when virtually all natural lighting is non-existent, especially when the moon is absent from the sky. Home security lighting can make your yard safe for visitors who are unfamiliar with your yard’s layout as well as for children and adults who live at home.

Hiring a skilled electrician to help you plan your security lighting is the first step to making the best lighting plan and to being sure that the lights and timers you choose will be properly installed.

Security lighting design fundamentals

Security lighting is often the target of vandalism, possibly to prepare for a future break-in attempt. For this reason, security lights should either be mounted very high, or protected by wire mesh or tough shields. It’s critical that security lighting is arranged carefully too – poorly arranged security lights may actually prevent you from seeing what is happening. Consider where lights are placed, and where you are likely to be when they switch on.

Security lights aren’t perfect

Beyond all other considerations, you need to remember that proper security lighting on its own doesn’t constitute a complete security system. Likewise, security lighting is only useful at night. Statistically speaking, most household burglaries take place during the day, when residents are at work or out shopping. Lights can be an effective deterrent, but you shouldn’t rely on them to provide complete protection for your home.

Security lighting should be ‘bright enough to see clearly’, but not ‘as bright as possible’.
Avoid facing security lights directly into the neighbours’ windows.
Use several medium-powered lamps rather than fewer, more powerful lamps. This will help to reduce glare and large, dark shadows.
Make sure the lights are accessible for simple maintenance, and at the same time protected from tampering.
Bury the control and power lines well underground, or mount them at a height of at least 8 metres to prevent tampering.

Professional Help is a Click or a Phone Call Away

For help with outdoor security lighting design and installation, contact Blunt’s Electrical today…and sleep better tonight.

9428 6770

Click here to ask questions or schedule service now

How to Conserve Energy Using Your Computer in Your Balwyn or Canterbury, VIC Home

Blunt's — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:36:52 +0000

Home computing is a growing area of household energy use. With the number of computers used in Australia expected to more than double to around 53.5 million by 2020, energy usage also is rapidly rising.

The good news is that there are ways to increase your computing efficiency while simultaneously lowering your power bill.

Use your computer efficiently

If you’d like to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, try these suggestions to help you get the most out of your power saving options.

Take a moment to set your monitor to switch off after 20 minutes of inactivity and reduce screen brightness to the lowest setting you’re comfortable with.
Use black screens instead of active screensavers. Active screensavers use full power and can interfere with power-down features.
Adjust the power management options. Opt for ‘hibernate’ instead of ‘sleep’. Hibernation shuts the computer down and saves everything in its present state. Modern computers are designed to withstand frequent on-off cycles.
Switch off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you’re not using them as they draw a substantial amount of power.
Unplug any external USB devices (like mice, keyboards, and portable music and flash drives) when not in use.
Defragment your hard drive regularly to increase its speed and reduce time wasted locating files are logging onto the internet. Computers have a defragment tool that you can schedule or operate manually.
Close any programs you’re not using. The more programs and applications you have open at once, the more power you’re drawing.
Don’t let anything get in the way of the cooling vents, making your PC or laptop work harder than it needs to. Excess heat from PCs and appliances can also add to your cooling bill.
Put the laptop AC adapter on a power board that can be switched off (or turn off automatically). The AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter.
Look online for instructions on how to shut off any unwanted programs running in the background or on start-up. This will save energy and improve system performance.

Need help in networking your home computers or assistance with any other of your power needs?

Blunt’s Electric is ready to help you make the most of your home electronics while demonstrating even more ways to reduce your energy consumption. Contact us today, or anytime, for service.

9428 6770

Click here to ask questions or schedule service no

Where It All Began……Alister’s First Security Installation in Canterbury

Blunt's — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:34:28 +0000

Alister Blunt. the founder of Blunts ‘Your Home Electrician’, has been installing security systems in the greater Melbourne area for nearly 20 years. This was Alister’s first company car, a very suave looking 1981 Ford Falcon XD, to deliver him to security system installs and repairs. This smart looking vehicle was used to serve the areas of Canterbury and Kew, and although it has since retired gracefully, it still holds a special place in Alister’s heart.

Learn How Whole-House Surge Protectors Can Protect Your Melbourne Home Electronics.

Blunt's — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:28:13 +0000

When we buy electronic equipment, most of us don’t really think about the kind of damage that lightning or other electrical power surges can bring about. But there’s more and more evidence to suggest that you should.

Power surges are spikes in voltage. They are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. Power surges can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Like it or not, your home experiences power surges virtually every day, and usually without your knowledge.

How Does a Power Surge Cause Damage?

A spike in voltage can be harmful to appliances and electrical devices in your home. An increase in voltage above an appliance’s normal operating voltage can cause an arc of electrical current within the appliance. The heat generated in the arc causes damage to the electronic circuit boards and other electrical components.

Smaller, repeated power surges may slowly damage your electronic equipment. Your computer or stereo may continue to function after small surges occur until the integrity of the electronic components finally erode and your satellite system, cordless phone, or answering machine mysteriously stops working. Repeated, small power surges shorten the life of appliances and electronics.

Where Do Power Surges Come From?

There are several sources of power surges, including:

Power utilities during power grid switching.
Lightning, the most powerful form of power surge.
Large appliances motors turning on and off.

Power surges can enter a home through several paths. Lightning can take the path of the cable TV, satellite dish cable, incoming telephone lines, or through the incoming electrical service line.

Sarath Perera, associate professor of electrical engineering at the University of Wollongong says that continuous disturbances in the power supply tend to happen without our knowledge, but can substantially compromise sensitive equipment over time.

“There is a range of things that can happen resulting in too much or too little voltage and equipment can be affected by either of those things,” he says.

An NRMA insurance spokesman warns that power surges tend to happen more in the summer months, around storms and blackouts, and in regional and holiday locations. Some standard home insurance policies can be upgraded to include cover for power surges.

There are a number of surge protection products on the market that will offer warranty protection and an insurance-type payout should they fail to do their job in the face of a lightning bolt or other catastrophic failure.

How to Protect your Home Electronics.

E piece of electronic equipment in your home should be plugged into a power strip with built-in surge protection. These can comfortably handle the “everyday” type of surges we all encounter.

But power strips can’t do the job alone. For ultimate peace of mind, they need to be supported by one or more whole-house surge protectors. Some models combine electrical, phone and cable protection in a single unit, while others are designed for each of these three individual services.

To learn more to schedule service, contact the licensed and experienced electricians at Blunt’s today. We welcome this and every opportunity to serve you.

Phone: 9428 6770

Click here to ask questions or schedule service now

5 Electrical Safety Tips for Your Melbourne Home

Blunt's — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:59:01 +0000

Electricity is dangerous – everyone knows that. However, it’s to underestimate just how dangerous it can be, especially when electrical goods are housed neatly in little boxes and coated with plastic, completely out of harm’s way.

So, in the spirit of the holiday season, Blunt’s Electric is pleased to pass on these five key home electrical safety tips.

1. Rely on Professionals

Electrical work needs to be done by licensed electricians. It’s illegal to do your own electrical work, and you can be fined for working on your electrics yourself. Also, your insurance company can refuse your claim if any damage originated from work done by anyone without a license.

2. Electrical Safety Test

Prevention is better than a cure, so if you’ve bought a new home or it’s been a long time since you’ve had an electrician in, book an electrical safety test. A licensed electrician will test your electrical board, power points, appliances and wiring, and then take any steps to make the electrics safer.

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3. Install Safety Switches

Safety switches are cost effective and protect people from electrical shocks by automatically turning off the power supply if a misconnection occurs. Many homes already have them (it’s compulsory for all new homes) but check that you have safety switches and install them if you don’t. If you do have them, they should also have a ‘test’ button so test this regularly (the test result should be that the power turns off).

4. Get a UPS (Uninterruptible power supply)

If you are running a home office or just use your PC a lot, a UPS is a good idea. When power cuts your PC turns off immediately as it has no battery power, and this can damage your hard drive and/or you can lose what you’re working on. A UPS is inexpensive and easy to install.

5. Be Aware

No one really needs to be reminded of these things, but there are a couple of common sense items that will help you keep electrical accidents to a minimum. Taking precautions and not using appliances near water, not overloading your power points, putting safety plugs in power points you don’t use, etc. will ensure you and your family is safe.

If you have any questions or need an electrician to perform an electrical safety test, contact Blunt’s today. We can help you with all of your electric needs.

9428 6770

Click here to ask questions or schedule service now

How to Enjoy More Comfortable Surroundings with a Split Air System for Your Melbourne Area Home

Blunt's — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:36:47 +0000

Split Air Systems are growing in popularity every year here in the Melbourne area. And for good reason.

What is a Split Air System?

Split air systems come in two main varieties: air conditioning only, or heating and air combined. Like central air conditioning, split air systems have one or more outside condensing units. Each such unit can support up to five indoor blowers that radiate the air throughout your indoor living space.

For added flexibility, the blowers can be mounted on walls, ceilings, floors…even inside a closet. They are designed to complement rather than detract from the aesthetic appeal of your home.

When choosing a split system air conditioner, make sure you choose one that is easy to maintain and inexpensive to install. Most air conditioners with three-phase connections are expensive and entail high maintenance. More so, you should know that EER or energy efficiency rating gauges the air conditioner’s efficiency. The EER is the ratio of the air conditioner’s cooling capacity to the power consumption. Consequently, when the EER is higher, the air conditioner produces better cooling.

You should also ensure that the room or area in which you plan to install the split system air conditioner has proper insulation. In addition, you should choose a split type that has high moisture removal rate and one that has faster rate of airflow.

Split air systems also have such built-in features as:

Remote control operation
Auto timers
Auto sleep mode
Humidity control

More Split Air System Advantages

Here are some additional system advantages:

• Anti-allergy enzyme filter keeps allergens out of the air.
• Ability to cool your home more efficiently and in a shorter period of time than conventional air conditioning units.
• Because it is a more efficient system, split systems save you money on your energy bills.
• You have total control over the cooling or heating of each room in your home.
• Because there are no ducts the split system is very quiet.

Learn More from Blunt’s Today.

Contact Blunt’s Electric for a free quote and evaluation of your home’s heating and cooling needs. Or, if you already have a split air system, we also provide expert system maintenance and repairs.

We look forward to hearing from you.

9428 6770 Click here to ask questions or schedule service now