Electrical safety for students in Leeds

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Whilst the start of the next academic year might seem like a very long way off indeed, we know that many students are currently in the process of arranging their university accommodation for September.

If you are a student or if you have a son or daughter who’ll be starting out on student life this coming autumn, the chances are that electrical safety will be pretty low down on your agenda!  However, when looking around private rented accommodation, it’s very important to check the property is carefully maintained and meets the relevant electrical safety standards.

Students should ask their landlord for an Electrical Installation Condition Report and it is strongly recommended that a test of all electrical installations in a property should be carried out at least every five years, or each time a tenancy changes.  Certification should also be provided by a landlord to confirm that any recent electrical work meets the UK national standards: BS 7671.

This might sound complicated and one more thing to worry about, so to make things simpler, we recommend that you take a look at the Electrical Safety First website which is full of helpful information and advice.

Here at Dalec we are qualified, certified electricians in Leeds and our services are available to landlords – if you are a landlord in in Leeds and would like further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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The dangers of dodgy E-cigarette chargers

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The popularity of e-cigarettes is on the rise and if you use one, have you stopped to think about whether your e-cig charger is safe to use?

Sadly there have been numerous reports recently about the dangers of faulty e-cig chargers, including a number of worrying reports of chargers which have blown up whilst in use.  Avoiding the dangers of e-cig chargers is simple, providing you take the following steps:

  1. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully because the capacity of batteries and the charging voltage is will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer – this is why using the correct charger is so important.
  2. Read and pay attention to any warnings which are supplied with your specific product. For example, over-tightening the screw connection to the rechargeable battery could damage the mechanism which can, in turn, lead to overheating or the failure of the product.
  3. Never leave an e-cigarette unattended whilst charging for a long period of time or overnight.
  4. When choosing an e-cigarette, look out for the CE mark which indicates that the charger complies with European safety requirements.
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Security lighting for peace of mind around the clock

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Security lighting is known to be an effective deterrent to intruders.  Designed to make burglars more visible, security lighting will put off even the most determined of intruders.

A range of different types of security lighting are available; from simple exterior lights which can be left switched on during the hours of darkness, through to sophisticated lighting systems which can be linked to a comprehensive home security system.  Security lighting can also be used inside the home in the form of timers designed to switch internal lights on when it’s dark and to turn them off again at a pre-set time.

Here at Dalec we’re specialists in all aspects of home security and if you would like advice or information on how to protect your property with security lighting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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Easy ways to reduce your electricity bills

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Although we’re being told that the UK is coming out of a recession, times are still tough for many home and small business owners in Leeds.  With this in mind, we thought we’d give a couple of simple yet effective tips for saving money on your electricity bills.

As mentioned in one of our recent blog posts, turning appliances and devices off at the mains rather than leaving them on standby is one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy bills.  Switching off the washing machine, TV, games console or computer at the mains is a great way to save money in return for very little effort at all.

Installing energy saving light bulbs is another easy yet effective way to reduce your energy bills.  LED light bulbs are also well worth considering and the price of these highly efficient bulbs is steadily coming down: when used in the right place, LED bulbs can prove to be a worthwhile investment.

It can also be worth thinking about installing a smart meter as a simple way to keep tabs on the amount of energy you use. The Government is planning for all homes in the UK to have had a smart meter installed by 2019 and smart meters are known to be an effective way to save money on both electricity and gas bills.

If you would like advice or information on any aspect of using electricity in your home or business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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Switched on domestic lighting services from Dalec

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Kitchen and bathroom lighting has come a long way from the days of fluorescent strip lights!  Covering everything from recessed halogen spot lights through to kitchen work top lighting and lights built into skirting boards and flooring, a huge range of different options are available.

If you’re considering carrying out any alterations to your home such as the installation of a new kitchen or bathroom, here at Dalec we’re experts in all aspects of lighting.  Our expertise covers the layout of lighting designs, through to the installation of feature lighting and lighting for patios and outside areas..

We are happy to provide advice and further information on the most suitable types of lighting for different areas of your home – if you’d like a free, no-obligation quote, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

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Is your home or business protected from the risk of fire?

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Ensuring that your home or business is adequately protected from the risk of fire is a legal requirement for business owners, but although many business premises (and increasing numbers of residential properties) are fitted with a fire alarm system, many people fail to ensure that their system is correctly maintained and serviced.

Here at Dalec we offer a range of fire protection services, designed to help business and residential customers ensure that their home or business premises is protected from the risk of fire.  Our expertise covers everything from large-scale fire alarm installations, through to the fitting of domestic smoke alarms.

It’s important to remember that regardless of the size or age of your fire alarm system, regular maintenance is required to ensure that the system is reliable and will offer protection in the event of a fire.  Regular maintenance is also the best way to minimise system failures and false alarms.

By using one of our fire alarm maintenance packages, you’ll be able to relax in the knowledge that your home or business is safe, secure and protected at all times – if you would like further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

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Is your home adequately protected when you’re away?

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If you’re planning your summer holiday the chances are that home security is one of the last things on your mind.  However the number of burglaries rises year on year and with this in mind, ensuring your home is protected whilst you’re away is becoming increasingly important.

Here at Dalec we’re specialists in all aspects of home security and our expertise covers everything from security lighting through to state-of-the-art security and fire protection systems.  We can offer advice on choosing the best security system to suit your lifestyle and budget and whether you have an existing system that could do with updating or are looking to protect your home from scratch, we can help.

We are certified by the SSAIB (Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board) so by buying an alarm system from us you’ll be able to relax in the knowledge that we will provide a high-quality service at all times.

If you’re considering buying a home security system, it’s worth bearing in mind that home insurance policies now often require evidence that all reasonable steps have been taken to prevent the risk of a break in. By choosing an SSAIB registered installer such as ourselves, this will meet or exceed the requirements of your home insurance.

If you would like further advice on choosing an alarm system for your home, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.

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Kitchen appliance safety

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Here at Dalec we offer a range of electrical services designed to meet the needs of domestic customers and if you’re thinking of buying a new kitchen appliance for Christmas, you’ll find that our installation service is quick, efficient and reliable.

Before buying a new appliance it’s important to check that the electrics in your kitchen are up to the job.  According to official figures, over half of the accidental house fires in the UK start in the kitchen and with this in mind; you may need to take expert advice to stay safe.

A number of things should be taken into consideration when fitting kitchen appliances.  You must make sure that electrical sockets or switches are fitted a safe distance away from the sink and any appliances which are to be fitted under a worktop – fridge, washing machine or dishwasher – should ideally be controlled by a switched fuse connection unit which has been safely mounted above the worktop.

If you would like further advice or information on our electrical installation services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

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Buying a new TV for Christmas?

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Here at Dalec we offer a full range of electrical services for residential customers in Leeds and if you’re thinking of buying a new TV in time for Christmas, our team have the expertise to install the latest TVs and home cinema systems.

If you’re going to buy a TV that’s bigger and therefore heavier than the one you already have, there are a couple of things you’ll need to take into consideration.  The trend for wall-mounted TVs is still going strong and if you’re planning on fixing your new TV to a wall, you’ll need to make sure that you use a bracket that’s strong enough to take the weight.  Also, don’t forget to think about what you’re going to do with all those cables; it’s worth bearing in mind that by using a TV installation specialist such as Dalec, we can take the stress out of installing your new TV!

So rather than struggling to fit a new TV, why not let the team here at Dalec take the strain?

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Could an energy monitor help cut your electricity bill?

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Energy monitors can be very easily confused with smart meters however they are completely different devices.  We’ll start by clearing up any confusion: an energy monitor will help you to understand how much electricity you use, whilst a smart meter sends information about how much energy you use directly to your energy provider.

Energy monitors are relatively simple gadgets that are designed to give you an estimate of how much electricity you are using at any given time.  Energy monitors are sometimes also described as electricity monitors or electricity usage meters.  Relatively cheap to buy and widely available, an energy monitor is likely to cost around £40 (some energy providers supply them for free) and are very simple to install.

The majority of energy monitors will allow you to see what your real-time energy usage is in units of energy used and the cost or carbon emissions.  In addition, some monitors offer extra features such alarms designed to let you know when you reached a pre-set daily target for electricity usage.

Energy monitors can help you keep track of how much electricity you are using and to pinpoint which appliances use the most energy.  Once armed with this information you should, ideally be able to reduce your electricity usage and cut your energy bills accordingly.

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