November 2006

The first rains have arrived as you can see by all the cars that have skidded off the road into a pole or ditch. Be careful, the first rains make the roads more slippery than usual.

For some people, the first rains cause a lot of other unpleasant surprises too. At home, they discover leaks in the roof and water seeping through walls. Many times these leaks find their way into the electrical system causing all sorts of problems. There is usually very little an electrician can do during a rain storm if your electrical system gets soaked and you are left in the dark. The time to take care of these leaks is NOW.

Other common problems the winter brings are power spikes and surges. The 2 main sources are lightning and the electric company (from switching events). Spikes can also come from switching large appliances on and off in your home, such as air conditioning units.

I think that most of us are well aware of the importance of using surge protection in our homes. If you are still in the dark about surge protection, you can pop over to the Surge Protection Guide to learn more.

Computers, on the other hand, need more than just surge protection. Hard drives and other peripherals are very sensitive to even small "flickers" in the electrical service. A UPS is recommended to give continuous power to your computer and to keep things working smoothly. You can check out " Do You Need A UPS?" to learn more.

Before I sign off, I'd like to remind everyone that I am open to suggestions as to what you would like to see on the site. Is there something missing that you think should be included? Is there a question that you could not find an answer to? Is there an answer that you don't quite understand? Feel free to contact me through the site and I will try and help in any way that I can.

In the meantime, have a good and safe month.

JZK

NEW ATMegavolt

There have been many olim (both new and not so new) who have been having a hard time understanding their electric bill. They basically pay the bill without going over it or checking for errors. Some actually came up to me thinking that they were getting "ripped off", when in actuality they didn't understand what they were looking at. " Understanding Your Electrical Bill", helps those with difficulty understanding the Hebrew and technical jargon, as well as how the IEC (Israel Electric Company) calculates the bill.

http://www.megavolt.co.il/Tips_and_info/ElecBill.html

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This next item is more for the electricians and the technical minded folks among us. Mike Green, a specialist in lightning and over-voltage protection, was so kind as to let me publish a paper he wrote called " Application of Surge Protection Devices for Very Low Voltage Devices" . This paper (in PDF format) explains what exactly we are protecting our appliances from, as well as how much over-voltage we must clamp in order to protect our device, and much more.

http://www.megavolt.co.il/articles/surgeprotect.pdf

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A company called AlbEO Technologies Inc. has come out with new advancements in LED lighting. The new RP1060, makes a good replacement for florescent fixtures in utility rooms and factories. They are low in energy consumption, dimmable, low in maintenance and last a long time. As technology advances and prices drop, LED lighting is quickly becoming the lighting of choice.

http://www.megavolt.co.il/articles/white_led.html

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According to the Illuminating Engineering Association of Thailand (TIEA), bad lighting in the office poses a sight risk. Read about their findings in "Poor Office Lighting Poses Sight Risk".

http://www.megavolt.co.il/articles/poor_lighting.html

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Whether you are renovating your whole bathroom or simply thinking of improving the lighting "Multitude of Bathroom Lighting Options will Dazzle You" will surely give you some helpful tips on choosing the right type of lighting.

http://www.megavolt.co.il/articles/bathroom_lighting.html

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OK - here's another one for the electricians among us. "Carpenter Patent Reveals New LED Control Technology" . The title says it all.

http://www.megavolt.co.il/articles/led_control.html

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In our Electrical Halacha section we have a new article, "Electrical Appliances and Heating Systems". Nissan Dovid Dubov talks about the use of electricity in cooking and heating.

http://www.megavolt.co.il/articles_H/ElecSha.html

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HOT OFF THE PRESS

Electric Cinderella - a new self-defense solution for women

Violence towards women is an age-old problem that, unfortunately, is not likely to disappear so soon. A concept developed by a fashion researcher, Simona Brusa Pasque, the "Electric Cinderella" can deliver 100,000 volts, which the wearer can use in order to stun their aggressors.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Electric-Anti-Rape-Shoes-23419.shtml

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Smith 2k All-Purpose Vehicle

Hey guys listen up. This car is unbelievable - a car that James Bond would be jealous of. You may have heard of multi-purpose vehicles, but this one takes the idea to a whole new dimension.The Smith 2k is an electric powered car that generates it's own electricity. It can travel by land, by sea and by air. Hard to believe? Go to the site and see for yourself.

http://www.smithengine.com/smith2k2.html

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TIP OF THE MONTH

Never use extension cords or 3 way adapters (called a “mishulash” in Israel) with any appliance that uses a lot of power (i.e. ovens and heaters). With time, this will cause the outlet, adapter and plug to burn up. Many times when this happens, and the problem is not caught early enough, the wires in the wall burn up as well, requiring much more work replacing.