Hey, Matt and Pat here!

Love the idea of home automation but live in an established home? There are some really cool automation systems that are easy and cost effective to retrofit into your home, holiday house, granny flat or short-term rental property. Our favourite is Powermesh and in this newsletter, we explain why we love it.

When visiting your home, we always follow the current COVID safety protocols and sanitise before we ring your doorbell. We also wear shoe booties over our boots to keep your floors clean and dispose of all rubbish before we leave your home.

For help with all your home and office wiring needs, call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.

Cheers,

Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs

 

Now you can retrofit your home to obtain the convenience of smart automation

As a team, we love gadgets and using technology to make our lives easier. That’s why we love the Powermesh range of devices. They give you the option of:

• Manual operation
• Using an app on your phone
• Or voice activation using Google Assistant or Alexa

Best of all, this smart automation system is easy to retrofit in your home and you can choose how much of your home is automated.

Here’s how it works

The Powermesh range of powerpoints and light switches use bluetooth to communicate with each other. This avoids the need for expensive rewiring.

It also means you can start with only a few devices or switches and grow your smart home as your needs change or you become familiar with the technology. Alternatively, you may wish to convert your whole home into an automated smart home all at once. Either way, the choice is yours.

Unlike traditional wireless networks, each bluetooth enabled device you add to the system will strengthen your automation network and there’s no limit to the number of devices you can have.

But best of all, the Powermesh system still allows you to manually operate a light, powerpoint or ceiling fan, if you wish.

What can it do?

Powermesh devices allow you to:

• Program connected appliances, lights or even ceiling fans to turn on or off automatically.
• Automatically turn off connected powerpoints if you forget to turn off appliances like the iron or your hair straightener.
• Monitor your energy costs (in dollars and cents) when using any connected appliance such as your fridge or clothes dryer. If you share your power bill with others (like a granny flat), you can also install Powermesh to equitably divide the electricity bill.
• Reduce your power bills by removing the need to use the standby function on appliances such as your home theatre equipment.
• Use the app to remotely turn on your electric hot water service at your holiday home or short-term rental investment.
• Connect your outside lights or water feature to automatically turn on and off every day.

“We love this system!”

From our perspective, Powermesh gives our clients the option of retrofitting highly functional home automation in a cost effective way.

It also offers the ability to start your home automation conversion at a modest size that can expand as your needs change. When you love gadgets as much as we do, we think this flexibility is really cool.

If you would like to know more about your home automation options, get in touch by calling 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au

 

Know a bright spark who values work-life balance?

As you may have noticed, we are a friendly, family-focus team. So if you know an electrician or 4^th year apprentice who wants a change of pace and values work-life balance, please send them to our Facebook page or ask them to get in touch.

Hey, Matt and Pat here!

Daylight savings ends on Sunday 3 April and that signals the beginning of cooler weather and shorter days. So we share some ideas on how to make your place feel cosier, smarter and safer.

When visiting your home, we always follow the current COVID safety protocols and sanitise before we ring your doorbell. We also wear shoe booties over our boots to keep your floors clean and dispose of all rubbish before we leave your home.

For help with all your home and office wiring needs, call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.

Cheers,

Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs

 

3 Stylish & ultra-modern ideas to light-up your home

With shorter days on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about your lighting. Here are 3 stylish and ultra-modern ideas to light-up your home.

Idea 1:  Recessed floor powerpoints – now that’s great thinking!

When it comes to decorating your home, there is a huge trend to move your furniture away from walls and into the centre of your living room. It’s great for creating cosy conversation or relaxation areas and defining walkways. The downside comes if you want powerpoints nearby to plug in lamps, surround sound speakers, recliner chairs and other devices.

The answer:  In-floor powerpoints.

They have come a long way since they first came on the market and now offer:

• Recessed options (with a lid to avoid trip hazards) in finishes such as black, white or stainless steel
• 2 or 4 gang options
• In-built power and data outlets so you can connect to the internet while charging your device

Recessed powerpoints aren’t suitable for all floors so get in touch to explore the possibilities for your home by calling 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au

 

Idea 2:  Get the right amount of light for every activity

With the days getting shorter, there is a time of day when you want a little more light. That’s when a dimmer switch can come in handy.

Not only are dimmers useful for creating great ambient lighting effects, they can be used to bridge daytime and evening when just a little more light would be handy. Dimmers also work well in areas that perform double duty and need a combination of task lighting and ambient lighting – like dining tables and island benches.

If you haven’t seen a dimmer light switch for a while, you might be surprised to find you now have the choice of a push button option or wi-fi that can be controlled by your phone. If you are a fan of the traditional knob, don’t worry. They are still available too.

If you find your home lighting isn’t providing the light you need, where you need it, ask us about our lighting design service. We can design better lighting options for inside your home, around your garden or for your outdoor entertainment area.

To arrange a new dimmer switch or to discuss our lighting design service call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au

 

Idea 3:  Light sensing lights – it’s a game changer for your home or strata

 

These days, the term sensor light means lights that automatically turn on when it starts to get dark and turn off again when it starts to get light. They don’t work on timers or motion detectors. Instead they sense how much light there is in the surrounding area. That means, your sensor lights will also operate during the day if it’s very overcast or stormy to ensure an area is always well lit.

 

Sensor lights are great for lighting entrances and garden paths. They are also fantastic for strata complexes who often need to engage an electrician to adjust the timer on their common area and safety lights.

 

We can help individual homes, businesses or strata complexes with the installation of sensor lights. We can also replace traditional timer lights with sensor light options. If you would like to know more, get in touch by calling 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au

 

Bluetooth & wi-fi smoke detectors are now available

The end of daylight savings means it’s time to talk about smoke detectors. If you haven’t done so already, we recommend photoelectric smoke detectors. That’s because they tend to be more sensitive to give you the maximum amount of warning that a fire is smouldering. They have a 10 year life span and also come with a built-in battery that doesn’t require changing.

Ideally, your smoke detectors should be interconnected so if one goes off, all the other detectors will too. This is particularly important in larger homes or strata buildings. However, it’s not always possible to retrofit interconnected smoke detectors in established homes or older apartment blocks. That’s what makes the new Bluetooth and wi-fi solutions so fantastic!

If your smoke detectors are 10+ years old, you don’t know their age or if they aren’t interconnected, get in touch so we can update them for you. After all, you don’t want to take risks when it comes to safety.

For all your home and office wiring needs, you can rely on Ku-ring-gai Electrical. Call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au

 

Know a bright spark who values work-life balance?

As you may have noticed, we are a friendly, family-focus team. So if you know an electrician or 4^th year apprentice who wants a change of pace and values work-life balance, please send them to our Facebook page or ask them to get in touch.

Hey Matt and Pat here!

This year has begun with one of our wettest summers and as you know, water and electricity don’t mix. So we have a couple of easy tips to maintain your household power supply and prevent any nasty power surges knocking out your appliances during a storm.

When visiting your home, we always follow the current COVID safety protocols and sanitise before we ring your doorbell. We also wear shoe booties over our boots to keep your floors clean and dispose of all rubbish before we leave your home.

Looking for inspiration? Check out our Facebook page. For help with all your home and office wiring needs, call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.

Cheers,

Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs

 

3 Top safety tips in rainy weather

With all the rain we’ve been having, we are doing a lot of emergency work for our customers. In particular, we have seen lots of homes with short circuit problems or light fittings filling with water.

If the long range weather forecasters are correct, we can expect a fair bit of rain throughout March and April which could cause further power problems for our customers. To keep you safe and maintain your power supply, here are our top 3 tips when it comes to heavy or persistent rain and storms.

Tip 1:  After heavy or persistent rain

Before you switch on any lights, walk around your home, garage and outdoor areas to check if any of your light fittings have filled with water. If you find one, DON’T turn it on. It’s dangerous! Instead, give us a call and we’ll make a time to come out to your home to investigate the problem and make it safe to use.

Tip 2:  If you lose power

In a power outage, check if the homes around you and the street lights immediately outside your home have power. If everyone is in darkness, it is probably an area-wide power outage which needs to be reported to Ausgrid by calling 13 13 88.

When the power goes out in your home only, go to your switchboard to check the safety switch. If it’s off, it means there has been a power surge or short circuit in your home which has tripped the safety switch. Try turning it on. In most cases, this is all you will need to do to restore power to your home.

If the safety switch trips again, give us a call. Sometimes, we can help you over the phone and we’d prefer to try that first so you can get your power back as quickly as possible.

Tip 3:  Power lines down

If you see fallen, broken or arching power lines keep at least 8 metres away (approx. 2 car lengths) and report the problem to Ausgrid immediately by calling 13 13 88.

 

Remember …

 

We are here to keep you and your family safe so don’t use light switches that appear to have water in them or call us if your safety switch keeps turning off. For all your home and office wiring needs, call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.

 

Protect your valuable appliances during storms

Power surges can be deadly to all your appliances. Just imagine losing your fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, TV and every light globe in an instant. Not to mention your home office equipment and the kid’s devices which can be highly sensitive to power surges.

A power surge is a rush of electrical charge. In Australia it most commonly happens as a result of a lightning strike which can occur at any point along the power grid.

One way of reducing your chances of a power surge knocking out your appliances is to unplug the non-essential ones during a storm. But a more practical alternative for busy households is to install a single phase surge protection device in your switchboard. This simple device can protect your whole house and we can install it for you.

So if you want to protect all your appliances and electronic devices, ask us about adding surge protection to your switchboard by calling 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.

Thanks to you, we need more team members

If you know an electrician who wants a change of pace and values work/life balance, please send them to our Facebook page or SEEK post. We are also very happy to hear from 4^th year apprentices.

As you may have noticed, we are a friendly, family-focus team. So if you know an electrician or 4^th year apprentice who may like working with us, please ask them to get in touch because we are hiring.

Hey Matt and Pat here!

February is usually hot and humid in Sydney so in this newsletter, we’ll give you some info on Ku-ring-gai Council’s pool pump rebates and the hottest (or maybe we should say the coolest) developments in ceiling fans for your home. We love aircon but we are huge fans of ceiling fans. Hope you enjoy.

For all your home and office wiring needs, call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.

Cheers,

Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs

Thanks to you, we need more team members

If you know an electrician who wants a change of pace and values work/life balance, please send them to our Facebook page or SEEK post. We are also very happy to hear from 4th year apprentices.

As you may have noticed, we are a friendly, family-focus team. So if you know an electrician or 4th year apprentice who may like working with us, please ask them to get in touch because we are hiring.

Have a swimming pool that uses an old pump? Read on

If you have a swimming pool with an old pump, Ku-ring-gai Council is offering a $250 Energy Smart Pool Pump Rebate. To qualify, you must be a resident of Ku-ring-gai Council’s local government area who is upgrading your existing pool pump to a more energy efficient option. There are some conditions so click here to learn more.

Once you have your new swimming pool pump, we will be happy to install it for you. To get in touch, call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.

Install ceiling fans to help your aircon work better!

Even if you have reverse cycle air conditioning, ceiling fans are great to incorporate into your heating and cooling options. But these days, choosing a ceiling fan means more than selecting the design and size. You now have the choice of selecting AC or DC ceiling fans. But what does this mean for you and your home?

What is a DC ceiling fan?

DC ceiling fans are relatively new to the Australian market so if you already have a ceiling fan, it is probably an AC fan. The DC and AC refers to the type of power they use. Like most household appliances, AC ceiling fans are connected to your household power source. Whereas DC fans use a transformer to convert your household power into DC (or Direct Current) power.

To make the blades rotate, DC fan motors use a system of magnets but you won’t see them on the fan. In case you are wondering, DC ceiling fans cannot be directly connected to DC power sources like solar panels or batteries.

Why consider installing a DC ceiling fan?

There are a few benefits to choosing a DC ceiling fan instead of an AC ceiling fan. They are:

1. DC ceiling fans are extremely quiet so they offer a great option for bedrooms or home cinema rooms.
2. DC ceiling fans offer more speed options which can be great for people who are sensitive to breezy airflow. Study or home office areas, where papers could go flying when the fan is on, could also benefit from the variable speed options DC fans offer.
3. The reverse function, which is great in winter to pull the warm air from the ceiling, can be controlled by the remote on a DC fan. That means there’s no more climbing the ladder to adjust your fan blade direction.
4. DC ceiling fans are faster to start, stop and change speed.
5. A DC ceiling fan motor is usually more compact and lighter than AC ceiling fans which could be great for modern houses, apartments or homes where ceilings are low.
6. In most cases, DC ceiling fans use up to 70% less energy than AC ceiling fans so they will cost less to run. However this difference is only slight because of the efficiency of most AC fans.

When should you choose AC ceiling fans?

There is nothing wrong with choosing AC ceiling fans. In fact, they are cheaper than DC fans and because they are very energy efficient, the additional cost of a DC fan won’t really be seen in your energy bills. However, the price difference could reduce as more DC fans come onto the market.

How do you know which style of ceiling fan to choose?

Ultimately, the best fan for your home is the one that suits your décor, the size of your room and any installation barriers you may have. We are happy to provide advice before you buy to ensure you purchase a ceiling fan that will work in your home. Once you have made your selection, we’ll come out to install it for you.

We always follow the current COVID safety protocols but our attention to cleanliness goes even further. When visiting your home, we’ll wear shoe booties to ensure we keep your home clean and we never leave any mess behind for you to deal with.

We can help you with all sorts of electrical needs. Check out our Facebook page for inspiration. For all your home and office wiring needs, call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.

Hey! Matt and Pat here.

Happy new year. We hope 2022 is a year filled with fun, family and friends.

We’re on the tools after our Christmas break but we know many of you will still be on holidays. So here is a little light reading about electricity. We’re sure you will impress your family and friends by sharing these fun facts with them.

Don’t forget, we’re looking for a new team member. If you know an electrician who wants a change of pace and values work/life balance, please send them to our Facebook page or SEEK post. We are also very happy to hear from 4th year apprentices.
For all your home and office wiring needs, call 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au.
Cheers,
Matt Cox & Pat Dobbs

7 Shockingly interesting facts about electricity

For some light summer reading, here are 7 shockingly interesting facts about electricity so you can astound your family and friends.

1.  Electric eels are a type of fish that produce electric shocks for hunting and self-defence. It’s reported these eels can generate up to 500 volts per shock. While this can harm humans, a single static electricity spark can average 3000 volts. No wonder they hurt!
2. Lightning is an electrical charge in the atmosphere. A single lightning bolt may only last a second but can measure as much as 3,000,000 volts. Lightning can travel 354,055,680 kph and can reach temperatures of approx. 29,982°C.
3. Here’s another amazing lightning fact. One bolt of lightning could power 100 lamps for 24 hours.
4. Have you ever wondered how geckos climb walls? They use electromagnetic force which is generated by hundreds of microscopic hairs that grow on their toes.
5. According to energyrating.gov.au, LED bulbs use 10Watts of power compared to old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs which use 60Watts of power. That’s a saving of approx. $16 per year for every bulb switched on for just 3 hours. That’s why we love and recommend installing LED light bulbs. They’re also really safe to use outside.
6. Before powering your home, electricity travels from the power plant to high voltage switch yards. From there it travels along transmission lines to substations. Then it travels through distribution lines to transformers and into your home. That’s a long way. No wonder it can take a while to restore power after a damaging storm.
7. Some of our organs are powered by electricity. In fact, on an ECG machine, the regular spikes you see are showing the electrical impulses that cause our heart muscles to contract.

While this article was fun to share with you, remember, electricity is serious. That’s why we only use quality electrical fittings and products that meet Australian Standards. Don’t ever try to do your own electrical work. Call us instead. We can provide an on-the-spot quote and will be available to do the work immediately if you would like to proceed straight away. We also follow all COVID safety regulations.

For all your home and office wiring needs, get in touch with us by calling 0418 442 578 or email info@kuring.com.au