SAFE Electrical Service provides repair, installation and inspection services for all Chicagoland homes and  businesses, whether it has just been built of has been around for many years. We emphasize prompt, courteous customer service because our reputation is not just built on what we’ve done in the past but how we serve you today.

When you need help installing a new electrical socket or are expanding your home, we will design, install and clean up at a cost to fit your budget. We are also on call for emergency repairs in case you need the lights or power restored in the middle of the night. Emergency call 708-361-1555

Having an inspection of your home’s electrical system can catch corroded or compromised electrical connections that put your home at risk of electrical failure. Inspections are a part of every call at SAFE Electrical.  We are a customer driven company who believes you come first every time, find out what your neighbors already know about our quality service.

Call a Chicago Electrician your neighbors have used for years. When it comes to installing, repairing and inspecting their electrical system, SAFE Electrical Service is their first and last call.

We are in this together!

Contact Us or call at 708-361-1555

Let’s face it, Recycling is very inconvenient and it takes time and effort. Recycling CFL bulbs can be very difficult but not impossible. Recycling is the future of a lot of  jobs and products we use in this country. Over the next 10 years it is estimated that 40% of the products we use will come from recycled materials and almost 1 million jobs will be created. That’s a lot of Americans working. What’s good for our environment is good for all of us.

Recycling CFL bulbs prevents the release of unnecessary mercury into the environment, it also creates jobs. The next time you change your light bulb think about the good you can do for our Country and our environment. Recycling CFL and other flourescent bulbs allow the reuse of glass, metals and plastics in other products.

The next CFL bulb you recycle may be creating a job for someone you know, hmm.

Where to recycle CFLs.

Home Depot has a deposit box at the front door. Fast and easy.

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Can lights are a great way to brighten any room or hallway. They are so versatile you can install them almost anywhere, but when improperly installed they can lead to many heath and home problems. There are two types of can lights we are going to talk about, air tight and unsealed. Depending on were you want your can lights to go it is important to make sure you have the right ones. If you are installing can lights into a drop ceiling or drywall in your basement having unsealed cans will be fine and even beneficial due to the holes for heat to escape. But when installing them into an area that has an attic above you should make sure they are air tight for a few reasons. The air quality in your attic is very dirty with insulation particles that can cause many problems in children and adults.

Every time your furnace turns on it pulls air from any opening through its return duct, so that means it pulls air through can lights, whole house fans, bathroom fans and attic doors that are not sealed tight. Another problem with unsealed can lights is the heat that is lost into the attic in winter can create an ice dam on the roof .

How to tell if there is air exchange from my attic to my living area:

1. At your attic door see if there is dark soot around the opening.
2. Bath fan may have an extra layer off dust around it.
3. Your whole house fan shutters always have a layer of soot. Biggest opening in your home, if you have one.
4. Carefully, on a step stool put your hand close to a can light while it’s off and see if the air temperature is different from room temperature. If its cold outside then you’ll feel cold air at the can and if it’s hot out you’ll feel heat at the can.
5. Excessive dust in your home is a tell-tale sign of air exchange with your attic. Fewer air leaks equals less dust.

Contact us with any questions about sealing openings to your attic or Call Charles at 708-361-1555

Ice dams are as bad as you think. When snow melts from heat in your attic or the sun and freezes further down the roof creating a dam off ice that collects on the roof. When it finely melts it melts under your shingles leaking into your attic.

Cold feet no more, it’s time to warm your floors instead of your ceiling. Electric floor heating systems by SAFE Electrical Service can keep you warm and leave your furnace off longer. Who doesn’t like warm feet in the cold months? We lose most of our heat from our heads and feet so why not keep one of those warm all the time.You deserve the luxury of warm floors in your life.  SAFE Electrical will help you turn your home into a vacation spot this winter and every winter after.

How does radiant heat help me save on heating bills? Because you will feel warmer with radiant heat, the thermostat can be set at a  lower temperature. Electric radiant floor heating is by far more efficient way to warm your floors than traditional heating systems.  It is a common misconception that electric heated floors will increase your energy bill. Unlike forced air systems, radiant floor heating systems do not waste heat in ducts or at ceilings.

The next thing you plan should be to have electric radiant heat installed, so the next time you come home from work you’ll feel like you went on vacation.

Contact Us or Call Charles at 708-361-1555

Home inspectors and building codes have made new homes safer in regards to this devastating problem of outlet fires. But what if you live in a home 10 years old or older, you may not have this life and home saving system. Do you need it? An estimated 28 Thousand residential fires with 360 civilian deaths and almost a thousand injuries each year, say’s you should think about it! Reports by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Electrical fires run rampant throughout the United States, causing injury, claiming lives, and resulting in large losses of property. Most electrical fires result from problems with faulty electrical outlets and outdated wiring. Problems with extension/appliance cords and plugs also cause many home electrical fires. To help prevent an electrical fire in your home, routinely check electrical appliances and wiring. Replace all worn, old, or damaged cords immediately.

ARC Fault breaker systems stop fires before they can start, it stops them at the first sign of a problem. When you have an ARC Fault breaker installed it’s like having a Fireman On Duty and that’s nice for a lot of reasons.

 Don’t let this be in your home.
            

Contact Us or Call Charles Otstott @ 708-361-1555

Proper attic ventilation allows a continued flow of outside air through the attic, lowering the temperature in the living space and protecting the efficiency of your insulation. For example, improper ventilation can cause attic heat to build in excess of 150 degrees. This super heated air eventually penetrates the ceiling insulation and moves into your living area below causing the temperature of your home to raise. In the winter with snow and ice freezing then melting the moisture level also becomes alarming.  It is estimated that 9 out of 10 homes in North America do not have proper attic ventilation. Why? Because most people are unaware that attic ventilation can impact the longevity of their home. Installing an attic fan to help with your attics ventilation saves home owners up to 30% on their cooling bills, decrease temperatures in upstairs rooms by 10 degrees, lengthens shingle and insulation life with proper humidifier control and adds resale value to your home. So why take risks with your home? If you care about your investment make sure you have proper attic ventilation in the summer and winter.

Contact Us or Charles Otstott at 708-361-1555

Year after year we dig out our Christmas lighting  and plug them into the same outside outlets never thinking that we are creating a dangerous situation for our families. Standard outlets just wont protect you the way a GFCI outlet can. When Christmas lights are plugged into a standard outlet you run the risk of electrocution because most Christmas lighting systems use multiple plugs, which allows water to drip inside. Think of it this way, would you go near an extension cord after the end was sprayed with water? Well that’s what happens every time it rains or snows. If someone touches or sometimes even goes near a water soaked cord they run the risk  of electrical shock.

GFCI outlets will stop electricity almost instantly when uneven resistance is measured thus stopping it from harming you. There are many dangers out there, so don’t ignore this dangerous situation at your home anymore.

This is the correct way to use an outside outlet.

 Contact Us or call Charles Otstott at 708-361-1555

I think you know the answer to this but just in case, electricity will run through them and into the ground, giving them an electric shock that could be fatal. We all have seen movies were the hair dryer falls in the tub while someone is bathing, special effects may over exaggerate this in the movies but the results are still the same. 

Remember that water and electricity do not mix. Tap Water accelerates the rate of electricity moving through the body,  the faster it moves the more deadly it becomes. Water is an excellent conductor for electricity and people can die if they come into contact with it while they’re wet or standing on something wet.

When I was still an apprentice (about 20 years ago) I remember working next to a small 12volt transformer for a furnace unit that was just installed. I had bumped the transformer a few times in the morning and I didn’t even think about it. After the furnace started getting warmer I started to sweat and bumped it again, it knocked me off my feet and made my arm numb for an hour. What a difference a little water makes with a small amount of electricity.

Standard homes are run with 120volt  circuits and have at least 2 sinks with voltage terminals right next to them, they also have at least 1 outside and 1 garage voltage terminal that run the same risk of electrical shock due to the fact that concrete can be conductive.

To keep kids safe they need to be taught the dangers of touching electrical equipment and water at the same time. Updating your home to the latest safety voltage terminals (GFCI) will help keep you and your family safe from electrical injury.

Home buyer inspection reports include these safety hazards as a standard item; it helps the buyer to reduce the value of your home. If this update has to happen eventually you might as well keep your family safe while you live there.

Contact me with any question:

Charles Otstott at 708-361-1555 or Contact Us