Home Fixated

Electrical

Get a Grip on Your Wires with The Volt Claw

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We periodically receive tools from different brands and not all of them make it to the front of the line for a potential review on HomeFixated. A couple years back, The Nonconductive Tool Company (NTC LLC) sent us a couple of their products to check out. For a while, these sat on the back-burner. I simply didn’t see the use for them. “I have fingers, so if I need to bend or push wires, I’ll use those” was my mindset. I also had some concern people might decide using these tools eliminates the need to shut off the power first (it DOES NOT). So, let me preface this review by saying, no matter what tool you may or may not be using, ALWAYS shut off the power, and then verify the power is indeed off with a voltage detector before working on said wiring. This dynamic duo of the Volt Claw 12 and the Volt Claw Multi-Gauge are setting out to bend electrical wires to your will. Read on to find out how the Voltage Claw made it from a neglected shelf into my Veto tool bag geared up for electrical work. Read More

And You Thought Halloween Was Over – New Laws on Vampire Electricity

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Photo – Verizon Wireless
The howls of ghosts and goblins may be fading memories now but another danger still lurks in your home. It usually strikes in the middle of the night sucking the energy from your home and slowly draining the money from your wallet while you sleep. No, it’s not your freeloading younger brother who needs a place to crash and who apparently hasn’t eaten in weeks. No, I’m talking vampire plugs. The term refers to appliances such as DVD players, computers, tv’s and their power plugs, and specifically battery chargers for things like phones, computers, and even your beloved cordless tools, which draw power when left plugged in. They may look innocuous but by some estimates these little imps can waste as much as 60% of the electricity they consume, the parallels with younger brothers grows stronger and stronger. Read More