Author: TFC Electric

Whether you’re just heading out for the weekend or you’re jetting off to another continent, going on a vacation is one of the most exciting times of the year. And while you may want to disconnect from the world and relax without electronics, there are some appliances you will likely want to pack and have handy when you’re on your trip.

An Outlet Adapter

Especially if you’re going to a different country, you don’t want to be stuck, unable to charge or power the other devices you’ve packed with you. Since each country’s outlets can vary, your best bet is to buy an adapter that has several different options so you don’t end up at your destination without the wrong kind of adapter.

A Portable Hair Dryer

While most hotels supply hair dryers, if you’re someone who styles your hair each day or there are going to be multiple people who are vying to use the appliance, it’s a good idea to bring along your own portable dryer.

A Mini Humidifier

You don’t want to be stuck breathing in dry, hotel air. There are plenty of mini humidifiers on the market that are small enough to fit in your luggage and require just a small amount of water to add extra moisture to the room. 

A Mini Steamer

No one wants to head out to dinner on vacation wearing ridiculously-wrinkled clothing. A mini steamer can help get rid of the crinkles your clothes get from being in your suitcase and work for more fabric than the hotel iron will.

Once you’re back from your trip, you won’t want your relaxed mindset to be ruined by home electrical issues. From inspections and repairs to rewiring and installations, the experts at TFC Electric are here to help. Contact us today to schedule a service.

In this day and age, there are very few appliances and home gadgets that don’t come in a “smart” version. By adding a few of these to your home, you can improve how well you can control things and give yourself a new level of ease.  If you are looking to upgrade some things in your home, here are just a few of the best smart gadgets to consider getting.

Smart Doorbells

These gadgets are definitely on the rise in homes across the country. Not only do these smart doorbells perform the basic function of alerting you when someone is at your front door, but they also show you a live video feed so you can see exactly who’s at the door. For this reason, they add an extra level of security to your home.

Smart Light Bulbs

Imagine you’re laying in bed, perfectly comfortable, but you realize you never turned off the lights. With smart light bulbs, you can control their brightness and whether they’re on or off right from your phone, so they’re no need to disturb your comfort.

Smart Locks

Have you ever left the house in a hurry and halfway through your drive, you find yourself second-guessing if you locked your front door? If you have a smart lock, you can easily check if you locked the door or, if you didn’t, you can do so from your smartphone.

Smart Thermostat

Gone are the days of traditional, limited thermostats. Smart thermostats can be controlled from anywhere via your smartphone or tablet, be programmed much more granularly, and can even learn your heating and cooling habits to improve efficiencies.

With all the benefits smarts gadgets offer, we can’t think of a reason you wouldn’t want to add them to your home. If you need help installing these electronics (since you shouldn’t do electrical work yourself) just give the team at TFC Electric a call! We’re your go-to electrician in Suffolk County!

The holiday season is notorious for a few things: decking the halls, eating your weight in gingerbread, and visiting holiday guests. If you’re expecting in-laws, cousins, or longtime friends coming in for the holidays, don’t you want to make them feel right at home? Of course, you do!

In order to give your holiday guests the best treatment, here are a few things you should take care of.

How to Prepare for Holiday Guests

The Linens

Whether they’re sleeping on the couch, an air mattress, or on a bed in the guest room, make sure you provide your guests with freshly cleaned sheets, pillowcases, and blankets. If the linens you plan on giving them have been sitting in the closet for a while, make sure to wash before your guests arrive.

The Bathroom Necessities

Even if you think you have enough toilet paper and toiletries to get through the holiday season with your guests, you’re better off stocking up anyway. Having extra toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, and other toiletries, your guests will never be stuck without the hygiene necessities they need.

The Surge Protectors

Between cameras, phones, laptops, and other electronics we all use daily, your guests are going to be in need of a place to charge all their devices. Skip the extension cords and opt for safe surge-protectors to ensure you don’t blow risk an overload and blow a fuse. Additionally, it’s best to unplug any charger or device you’re not using so you don’t fall victim to vampire electricity.

Don’t leave your guests without power this holiday season. Before you run into any electrical problems, contact the team at TFC Electric. We can perform inspections, make repairs, and install new equipment to ensure your electrical system is in perfect shape. Contact us today to learn more or schedule a service!

Picture this: You wake up on a chilly winter’s day, step out of bed and into your fuzzy robe and slippers, walk across your carpeted bedroom into the kitchen, and the moment you touch your metal coffee pot, you feel a quick jolt of electricity zoom through your fingers.

Static electricity is a common (and irritating) issue many homeowners find themselves struggling with, especially in the dryer winter months. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to ensure you’ll be able to travel around your home without getting shocked every 20 minutes,

How to Manage Static Electricity

Use Anti-Static Spray

Your carpets and rugs are some of the main materials that you can most commonly encounter an electrical shock on. Knowing this, your local home improvement store should have spray products that can reduce the buildup of static electricity. If you don’t want to buy a spray, you can mix water and fabric softener together for a DIY solution.

Moisturize

Dry skin can act as a conduit for static electricity, so keep your skin (especially your hands) well-moisturized. Doing so can help reduce the number of electrons that attach to your skin and cause you to experience a painful shock.

Increase Your Humidity

Cold winter weather can cause the air in your home to become very dry, increasing the amount of static electricity buildup. You can combat this by increasing the humidity levels in your home by: 

• Allowing steam from your shower to spread through your home
• Adding house plants 
• Installing humidifiers

Once you’ve taken care of the static electricity in your home, make sure your regular electrical work. TFC Electric Inc. is a full service commercial and residential electrician serving all of Suffolk County, from Huntington to Brookhaven. We provide safe, high-quality electrical installations and repairs by experienced electricians. Call us today at 631-589-2800 to schedule a service!

Boo! Did we scare you? Probably not — but there’s no need when you’re going to be “spookified” come Halloween night! For some, All Hallows Eve is the holiday you wait all year for —  you’ve had your costume and plans laid out since July. For others, Halloween is a night that causes a bit of anxiety, either due to being easily frightened by scary costumes or being nervous about trick-or-treat safety.

Whatever your reason for feeling a bit uneasy about the holiday is, we are here to offer some Halloween safety tips so you can have a boo-tifully phantom-tastic time!

Wear Reflective Clothing

Of course, your children will want to wear spooky colors when donning their costumes — but those dark colors can’t really be seen at night, putting your child at risk. To combat this, wear reflective clothing — vest, shoes, etc. — or attach reflective material to your child’s costume so they’ll be more visible once the sun goes down.

Light Up Your Walkways

The last thing you’ll want is for some poor trick-or-treater to not know where they’re stepping, take a tumble on the walkway and fall right before your eyes. To eliminate this from happening, use holiday lights, solar lights, or floodlights to brightly illuminate your yard and keep everyone safe.

Use Lights Instead of Candles

If you plan on decorating your home with candles to create a spooky vibe, you may want to consider using battery-operated lights instead. Candles are a big fire risk — especially if they get knocked over or are near anything flammable. Fake, electric candles do just as good a job as real ones and are a much safer alternative.

Bring Flashlights

While you can take measures to keep a bright path for trick-or-treaters, you can’t guarantee other homes will. Therefore, bring along a few flashlights (and extra batteries) so you can keep an eye out during your candy hunt.

The team at TFC Electric Inc. is here to help with all your electrical needs in Suffolk County, Long Island. From wiring and lighting to panel upgrades and restoration, we do it all. Contact us today for a free estimate or to schedule a service!

If there’s one thing that all homeowners know don’t come cheap, it’s appliances. Whether you’re investing in a new fridge or washing machine or you’ve had the same dishwasher and microwave for the past few years, you want to make sure that your appliances are in good condition so you can make them last.

In order to keep your appliances safe, here are a few tips you should follow. 

Never Pull from the Wire

If you find yourself needing to unplug an appliance, a large or small one, never pull the wire from the wall. Always grab the plug itself. Pulling on the wire can cause it to become frayed or a shock to come from the wall socket.  If the wire does become frayed, it can be dangerous to use in the future or cause your appliance to no longer be able to receive power.

Keep Moisture Away

Everyone knows that electricity and water don’t mix. It’s important to keep any potential moisture away from your appliances, less they damage the unit or produce a dangerous shock. This doesn’t just mean liquid water either; if your home is too humid, the moisture in the air can damage the appliances as well. In cases like these, it’s important to have a dehumidifier to regulate your home’s moisture levels.

Clean Your Appliances

For both safety and functioning purposes, you need to keep your appliances clean. This means getting the lint out of your dryer vents, cleaning the gaskets on your fridge and washing machine, and wiping down any messes in your oven or microwave.

You can’t use your appliances if your home’s electric isn’t up to snuff. For all your electrical needs in Suffolk County, give the experts at TFC Electric a call today!

Summer is here, and that means it’s time to invite your friends and family over for some fun in the sun! But before you start hosting gatherings, you should make sure that your home is ready to entertain and keep everyone safe this season. Here are just a few ways to prepare your home for summer and ensure everyone has a great time!

Light Up Your Yard

This task is both for entertainment and safety purposes. For one, you’ll want to have the social areas of your yard lit up so the summer fun can continue long after the sun goes down. You also need proper outdoor lighting around your pathways, entrances of your home, and farther areas of your yard so that you can keep an eye on everything happening.

Add Pool Lighting

In order to prevent any falls, injuries, or more dangerous accidents, it’s essential to have proper pool lighting. While it’s a good idea to have in-pool lights, at the very least, you should add lights to the areas surrounding your pool so people and animals can be aware of where they’re walking.

Add a Hot Tub

If you want to add a little flare to your yard, consider adding a hot tub. Whether you want to have a warm soak to start your day or want to relax after a long day of fun, a hot tub is the perfect addition to any backyard. Just make sure the hot tub’s electrical connections are done by a professional electrician so everything functions safely.

Install a Generator

While summer typically brings a lot of hot weather, it can also bring electrical problems. Between summer lightning storms and overheating electrical panels, you could experience a power outage or two during the warmer months. To combat  this, have a standby generator installed in your home to keep the power on no matter what’s going on outside.

When you’re in need of electrical repairs or upgrades in your Long Island home, call the experts at TFC Electric. With 24 years of experience and 24-hours emergency service, you can trust us to take care of all of your electric needs. Give us a call today at 631-589-2800.

Unless you’re a professional in a certain industry, there are always going to be “little secrets” of the trade that you have yet to learn. That applies to pretty much any industry, including electrical. Well, today’s your lucky day because we’re going to fill you in on a few secrets only your electrician knows!

You May Get Better Pricing in Winter

While you can’t completely control when you’ll need an electrical repair, if you’re looking to make some upgrades, you may want to wait until winter rolls around to get a better price. Spring and summer tend to be our busier season since people are spending their tax returns, so a slightly slower season in winter could mean we’ll offer you a better deal.

Your Problem Might Not Be Electrical

If you have a lighting fixture that keeps burning out your bulbs, sure, the problem could lie in the circuit the lamp is on, but it could also be the bulb’s fault. Check the max wattage for that fixture. If you’re using bulbs that require watts more than a certain maximum, you could be melting the wires in the fixture and risking a fire. Only use bulbs that your fixtures can handle!

It Could Be Simple as Resetting Your Outlet

Are you finding that your outlet sometimes stops working when you’re using a hair dryer or vacuum? If you’re plugging those devices into GFCI outlets, you may be able to fix the issue just by simply resetting the outlet. Look for the “test” and “reset” buttons, and push the reset. As long as the device works again, there isn’t a major problem with the outlet.

Spy on The Neighbors

If the power in your home suddenly goes out, look outside and check your neighbors’ homes. If you notice there are also no lights on in their homes, then there is probably a larger power grid issue in your area. If they do have power, then the issue lies within your home’s electrical system and may require professional attention.

When you’re in need of electrical repairs or upgrades in your Long Island home, call the experts at TFC Electric. With 24 years of experience and 24-hours emergency service, you can trust us to take care of all of your electric needs. Give us a call today at 631-589-2800.

Do you constantly find yourself wandering your home, looking for even a single spare outlet to plug your devices or chargers into? In this day and age, with all the appliances, electronics, and chargers we have, a home without enough electrical outlets simply won’t do!

If your home is lacking in outlets, you should seriously consider adding a few more around the house. With all the different options and safety features, you should know the types of outlets that are available for your home.

Three-Pronged Outlets

These are your everyday-use outlets and the type that is most commonly installed in residential homes. They typically carry 15 amps and 120 volts and have two long slots above a half-circled slot that grounds the outlet.

Since a lot of devices and chargers plug into these types of outlets, you should make sure your home has plenty of them, especially in living rooms and bedrooms.

GFCI Outlets

Electrical codes require Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets to be the type installed in any areas near water — your bathrooms, basement, laundry room, and outdoors, for example. These outlets are specifically designed to prevent electrical current leaks and cut off the power going to the outlet if there’s a current leak or if the outlet comes in contact with water. This prevents any dangerous shocks or fires from occurring.

Large, 20 Amp, 125 Volt Outlets

Certain appliances, such as refrigerators or ovens, need larger outlets that carry more amps in order to both handle the appliance’s power needs and prevent any electrical issues. These outlets look similar to regular three-prong outlets — they just have a small horizontal slot on one of the vertical prong slots.

USB Outlets

With all the phones, tablets, and other devices we have nowadays, adding a few USB outlets around your home can help give you more convenient charging stations. Plus, it can also help free up some more outlet space for other devices.

Tamper-Resistant Outlets

If you have small children running around your home, you may be concerned that they’ll accidentally stick something into the outlet and hurt themselves. Tamper-resistant outlets feature a shutter receptacle that does not open unless both slots are pushed in at the same time, preventing your children from sticking anything into one slot and shocking themselves.

When you’re looking to upgrades the outlets in your Long Island home, call the experts at TFC Electric. With 24 years of experience and 24-hours emergency service, you can trust us to take care of all of your electric needs. Give us a call today at 631-589-2800.

January 23, 2019 – TFC Electric Inc. is proud to announce that it has earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award (SSA). This award honors service professionals who have maintained exceptional service ratings and reviews on Angie’s List in 2018.

“Service pros that receive our Angie’s List Super Service Award represent the best  in our network, who are consistently making great customer service their mission,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “These pros have provided exceptional service to our members and absolutely deserve recognition for the exemplary customer service they exhibited in the past year.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2018 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include maintaining an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade and review period grade. The SSA winners must be in good standing with Angie’s List and undergo additional screening.

“Our pledge is to establish lasting relationships with our customers by exceeding their expectations and gaining their trust, as well as assuring them of exceptional work being performed by every member of the team”.

TFC Electric Inc. has been listed on Angie’s List since 2010 This is the 8th year TFC Electric Inc. has received this honor.

Service company ratings are updated continually on Angie’s List as new, verified consumer reviews are submitted. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in multiple fields ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality.

For over two decades Angie’s List has been a trusted name for connecting consumers to top-rated service professionals. Angie’s List provides unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals.