Licensed electrician Mike Hoffman contacted me recently asking if he could write a guest post for ElectricSense. I gave him some pointers on what I thought people would like to hear about from an electrician. Here's what he sent me:
Are you concerned about the effect that electrical pollution and dirty electricity may be having on your health and that of your family? Chronic headaches, digestive issues, heart palpitations, fatigue and insomnia can all be symptoms of illness caused by exposure to EMFs, which seems to be part and parcel of modern life. Thankfully, there are ways working with an electrician that can help you to take back your health and reduce exposure to dirty electricity.
Working With an Electrician
Using an EMF detector is a relatively simple task which can have definite benefits for your family. An EMF detector will allow you to pinpoint problem areas and find things which your electrician should address. While it is wise to check your home for high EMF activity on a fairly regular basis, it's not advised to take matters into your own hands. Improper wiring can and does create problem areas with EMFs, but attempting to rectify the situation without proper training can also create a wide array of dangers as well. The most pressing concern for do-it-yourself projects relates to fire hazards and the risk of electrical shock during an attempted repair.
After you've determined which areas of your home are sources of high EMF activity, it's important to work with a licensed electrician to address the problem. There are many methods I employ to reduce your exposure to EMFs and dirty electricity, but it helps if you know the right talking points to address the issue properly.
Smart Meters
Electric companies are in the business of providing you with power, but they're also in the business of making money. One of the ways they're starting to lower spending is through the installation of smart meters, which do not require a technician to read them each month. Instead, the data is reported back to the utility company via wireless signal. While these devices are more efficient, they may also be putting your health at risk by exposing you to electromagnetic radiation. My advice would be to have your electrician reduce exposure risk by creating a grounded shield.
Professional Upgrades
Older, low-quality switches, fixtures and outlets can be a significant source of electrical pollution in your home. Working with an electrician to replace and upgrade them is wise, as it's not advised for the average homeowner to tackle wiring issues on their own. Be sure you're working with an electrician who understands EMF sensitivity, and will ensure all of your outlets and switches are side-wired, rather than back-wired. In the case of clients who are EMF sensitive with clients consent I remove all the halogen lights and dimmer switches throughout the home, replacing dimmers with three-way lights, which are a healthier alternative.
It also pays to discuss the installation of demand switches with your electrician, which will shut off the electricity on certain circuits in your house until it's needed. Not only do they help to prevent exposure to electrical pollution, but can also lower your energy use overall. Working with an electrician to address your concerns may also help you to uncover new areas where improvements can be made, thus safeguarding your health and well-being.
Mike Hoffman is the owner of Hoffman Electrical with locations in Tampa, Largo and St. Petersburg, Florida. With over 20 years experience in the electrical industry, Mike Hoffman is a trusted master electrician.
Comments
tom dorsey said,
When I clicked on the link to your quest electrician’s website, my anti-virus software gave me a message that a known bad file (trojan) was blocked from opening.
Regards
Tom Dorsey
hector a. quevedo said,
Nowadays, we are constantly exposed to all types of antinatural lifestyles, as electromagnetic radiation from cell phones, tablets, and so on. Besides all these sources of disease, we also have to withstand the effects of environmental pollution of air, water, soils, etc., by mobile and stationary sources. Also UV radiation is another important source of cancer, cataracts, DNA distortions, etc. If we sum up the effects from these sources of disease derived from the so called “technological advances” is not surprising that the population health system is completely trapped in the chronic state of disease, situations that most people do not understand.
kay wood said,
hi
Can a 60Hz AC current have a sound bases carrier wave that could be delivered to a human brain? THX
M Schultz said,
Will running wiring in grounded metal conduit reduce EMF exposure? (verses romex)
Paul Vonharnish said,
All “master electricians” and employees should be trained in using EM mitigation devices like old fashioned grounded conduit installations and all metal electrical boxes. This was the required standard for many years in both industrial and residential installations, and there were good reasons for doing it this way. All modern installations should also use whole-house line conditioners or be fully isolated from the grid. Most modern electricians are a joke, and couldn’t form a conduit bend if their life depended on it. The cheap junk “Romex” wiring in modern installations should never have seen the light of day, but people want “cheap” instead of anything resembling quality or correct purpose of application.
Let’s face it: The AC grid is an engineering disaster and needs to be scrapped. It’s inefficient in terms of material cost. It’s grossly inefficient in terms of energy distribution. Is labor intensive (and retarded) in terms of line upkeep. Is a MAJOR cause of environmental heating due to direct irradiation of the environment. It’s a known carcinogen, and a major cause of permanent neurological damage to those exposed to excessive EM fields.
Other than that: It’s a wonderful and stupid toy…
Gustavo said,
Paul, what is an alternative to the AC Gri then?
SSmigel said,
I always hear the term “the grid”, but I don’t really know what that means. Can you explain what “the grid” is and how we can live without it? If “the gird” goes down, how many people are effected? Is there more than 1 grid? And would alternate sources require survival skills (such as building your own fire to cook, etc.)
Ray Pealer said,
Yes, running grounded metal conduit significantly reduces EMF exposure. It pretty much eliminates electric fields from those wires. This in turn will reduce you exposure to the dirty electricity that may be in those fields.
Paul Vonharnish said,
Hello M Schultz: Yes. Properly installed and grounded conduit reduces EM radiation substantially. Unshielded Romex produces 50 or 60 cycle ELF radiation extremely well, and radio frequencies can be modulated into the exposed lines and widely broadcast as well. Let’s face it: Romex is a cheap junk product, and it needs to be banned from use. There are some sites offering shielded Romex-like products, but as usual, they’re gouging people on the pricing.
EM radiation and industrial illness in general, is a direct result of some misguided notion that we are gods and scientific wizards. We haven’t even learned how to feed one another…
Marianne McMillan said,
A few good pointers here!
I have become aware of harmonics and wonder what of the metal components in our homes are causing us a bit of grief. My next mattress will be a rubber one, no more innersprings for me! Have also always avoided those underwire bras, advice from my medico boss who specialised in breast cancer, that was forty years ago! Now face the prospect of a small metal tooth bridge to fix a botched dental job, not happy about that. Am maybe a bit overly cautious, but … so far, so good!
Can you let us know more about harmonics, what should we look out for and avoid. Apparently this was also the reason that garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed a couple of years ago, after an electrical fault the sewing machines were all turned on at the same time and set up a swinging motion … fascinating stuff!
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