GENTEC Electrical Services Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need surge protection for my electronic equipment and appliances?
A: "California isn’t prone to large numbers of electrical storms, like Florida or the southern United States, but we do get an electrical storm once or twice a year. For those with valuable electronic equipment—and every major appliance, including refrigerators and dishwashers, has at least one circuit board—we generally recommend a whole-house surge suppressor. It’s installed in either the electrical panel or outside the building and provides superior protection to the surge strips found at electronics stores."
Q: I’m thinking about remodeling and adding a home theater. Can you install that? When should I contact you?
A: "We not only install home theaters, we design them and sell their components and cabinets. The best time to start talking with us is before the remodeling job starts. We can usually save you a lot of money if we integrate the home theater system into your remodel at the beginning."
Q: Do you do home automation?
A: "We do lighting automation. We’re Lutron-certified and install Lutron RadioRA lighting control systems."
Q: How do I know if I need a panel upgrade?
A: "There’s no easy answer. It largely depends on the age of the house, how many people live there, your lifestyle, and what your future power requirements are likely to be. If you’re looking to install a hot tub and your home was built in the 1950s or 60s, you probably need a panel upgrade. If you’re looking to sell the house in a few years, an upgrade probably isn’t a wise investment. We’re happy to help you determine if you need an upgrade. We’re not out to make sales, and we’ll give you the best advice for your particular situation."
Q: Do I really need an attic fan?
A: "Most people don’t think about it, but heat rises, and air in the attic gets superheated in the summer. This heat transfers into the sheet rock and heats the whole house, so it costs a lot more to cool the house with an air conditioner. Often, we can install a solar-powered attic fan that costs no money to run. But a whole-house fan is even better."
Q: What’s a whole-house fan? Does it really save money?
A: "Whole-building fans have been a staple of commercial architecture for a while, but have only recently been used in residences. Basically, when it’s cooler outside, usually in the morning or evening, the system goes into an economizer cycle and draws in air from the outside to cool the house. Aside from the $100 rebate you get from PG&E, it saves a lot of money on heating and air conditioning costs.The systems are centrally located and usually installed near bedrooms, because those are the rooms most people want to cool in the evening. The systems designed for retrofitting have models that fit between the existing studs, so there usually isn’t extensive carpentry involved in the installation. They’re computer controlled, quiet, and have dampers that close when the system isn’t in use, so you don’t lose heat in the winter."
Q: What are “energy vampires” and why do you promote awareness about them?
A: "That’s something we educate our customers about for their benefit, to help them be Greener and reduce their carbon footprint. Energy vampires are electronic components and appliances that draw power even when not in use. A cell phone charger, for example, consumes power even when you’re not charging your phone. Any appliance with a sleep mode, including TVs, stereos and almost anything with a remote control, is an energy vampire. For many people, as much as 20 percent of their monthly electric bill is due to energy vampires. The best thing to do is unplug these devices when you’re not using them. Of course, there are drawbacks. If a device has a preset or a memory, you may lose that when you unplug it. And you probably want your TV plugged in all the time when you’re home, so you can turn it on and off with the remote. But you can unplug the TV when you go away for the weekend."