Home Electrical Safety Tips

By Jermar Electric Service

JERMAR Electric Service is always looking to help people find the best solution possible for their electrical problems. If you should have a serious electrical issue, for safety reasons, we always recommend you contact a professional instead of trying to fix it yourself.

Here are some safety tips to prevent shocks and fires in your home.

1. Plugs/Outlets - If they seem loose or wiggle/wobble it is best to have them replaced by a licensed electrician to prevent fire. Another dangerous action is to try and force a plug into a socket or to  adjust a plugs metal prongs to make it fit.This can lead to causing a shock. Never remove a ground pin from a 3 prong plug so it will fit into a outlet. This too can lead to causing a shock. You can purchase adapters for this at most stores. 

2. GFCI -means Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. They should be installed anywhere there is water such as kitchens, bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms and outside your home. They prevent shocks that could occur. Older homes may not have these and you should have them installed by a licensed electrician as it could save a life.

3. Round Fuses VS Circuit Breakers - this is a safety issue especially if the fuse panel is damaged or deteriorating. Circuit breakers are more sensitive than fuses they are made to detect shorts and overloads, therefore tripping before a serious situation occurs. Most homes that have fuse panels are older and when the panels were installed they did not have all the appliances and electronic devices we have today, fuse panels were not made to hold these loads. Another issue is that the majority of insurance companies now require that fuse panels be replaced with circuit breakers.

4. Surge Protection -  A surge protector protects against surges, spikes, lightning, etc. Surges may come down the utility line, thru the phone line, thru your cable, from within the home or nearby. A surge protector on your panel is the first line of defense in protecting your expensive electronics and appliances. The surge protector may sacrifice it’s self to protect your electrical system and electronic equipment from surges. Secondary protection comes from the simple plug in type you can get at most stores. We live in the lightning capital of the world. It is advised that you have surge protection on your panel installed by a licensed electrician.

5. Generators -You should never install a portable generator directly into your electrical panel. It can back feed into the utility lines when your power is restored. This can electrocute or critically injure you or others. Hire a licensed electrician to connect the generator to your house wiring using a transfer switch.

When it comes to safety it is always best to hire a licensed electrician for any electrical work you plan to do in your home.

Jermar Electric Service is family owned & operated state certified electrical contractor that has been serving Lee County since 1986. They specialize in both residential & commercial repairing, remodeling, troubleshooting in addition to any & all new electrical needs.

7 Car and Auto Maintenance Tips

By Larry's Auto and Truck Service Center

All vehicle manufacturers produce a maintenance schedule for each vehicle that they build. These maintenance schedules are designed to optimize the safety and dependability of your vehicle. In most cases, if the schedule is adhered to along with periodic inspections it will decrease operating costs and minimize repair bills.

Here are a few tips on maintenance for our car and auto.

1. Oil Change - Check your motor oil monthly by removing the dipstick, wipe it clean. Insert it fully and remove again. If it is low, add oil. To maintain peak performance, change oil every 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. Replace oil filter with every oil change.

2. Tires - Check the air pressure monthly.  Under-inflated tires will decrease your fuel efficiency and increase the wear on your tires as well as they will wear unevenly. Worn tires are dangerous. Proper inflation, alignment and balance will extend tire life.

3.  Alignment -  Most vehicles should have their alignment checked every year. The springs and suspension sag from the weight of the vehicle which changes the alignment angles. This can cause tire wear and handling problems.

4. Automatic Transmission -  Your automatic transmission fluid should be changed every 25,000 miles of normal driving. In most vehicles, transmission fluid gets contaminated much like your engines, oil and seal additives wear out. Check your vehicles maintenance manual for specifics on your vehicle.

5. Brakes - If your brakes squeak, grind, pulsate, or if the pedal is too low, get them checked right away. Have your brakes inspected every 10,000 to 15,000 miles for wear. Abnormal wear can be caused by poorly adjusted rear brakes. Most rear brakes are adjusted when you apply your parking brake regularly on today's vehicles.

6. Windshield Wiper Blades -  Don't wait for a rainy day to replace worn blades. Road film, poorly adjusted wiper arms, and rubber deterioration are the biggest causes for wiper blade failure. Clean your windshield with a good quality glass cleaner and make sure that the wipers contact the windshield at a 90 degree angle. Test the clearing capabilities of the blade. If streaking still occurs, replacement of the blade is necessary.

7.  Belts and Hoses - Belts and hoses are one of the main causes of major engine failures due to overheating. Check your belts and hoses every oil change and replace them at 50,000 to 60,000 miles depending on condition. Replace worn, glazed or frayed belts. Tighten them when more than ½" of slack can be depressed between the pulleys. Vehicles with spring loaded belt tensioners require no adjustment. Replace bulging, rotten or brittle hoses and tighten clamps. If a hose looks bad, or feels too soft or too hard, it should be replaced.

Larry's has a special coupon just for you.....Now that we are heading into summer weather, it would be a great time to get your auto a/c blowing super cold!!!! Take advantage of this coupon and get cool today!!!!







 Larry's Auto and Truck Service Repair Center is located in Cape Coral Florida and offers complete maintenance and repair services for all makes and models, both import and domestic cars and trucks. Their expert technicians are ASE Certified and have provided Cape Coral and Fort Myers residents trusted professional automotive advice and service since 1983. Services includes Air Conditioning, Brakes and drivability issues.

Dr Holman on Holistic Approaches to Healing

Dr Holman is our monthly guest on Blogtalk Radio.

On this episode she discussed with us low grade chronic infections such a yeast, candida, fungus's. She discussed the symptoms when one has these infections in different organs. She also discussed children who have chronic ear infections, adults wth chronic sinus infections. She also discusses holistic options for each
 

Physical ailments usually begin from an internal source such as belief systems and emotions which are stored in the body. 98% of all physical complaints can be tracked back to an energetic imbalance that stems back from an emotional trauma or belief systems, from a gall bladder attack to a broken ankle.

So her job is to track back to where the illness began and not to simply treat the physical ailment itself, but allow the healing to occur at the source of the issue. Treating the physical ailment alone is like putting air into a flat tire and never finding out why the tire is going flat.

Dr. Holman believes that understanding yourself at a deeper level, such as your belief systems and how you got to where you are is crucial to optimal health and healing.
Today Dr. Melinea Holman will be speaking on Chronic Infections and how it relates to emotional trauma and your belief system.

For more information on Dr. Holman visit Center For Health & Healing or call 239-278-5355

Check Out Spirituality Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Whats Up SWFL on BlogTalkRadio

6 Tax Mistakes You Do Not Know You Are Making

By Traci Barker A&J Accounting & Associates 

 This time of year you can't help but hear ads for tax services. some of them talk about how much money a taxpayer could be giving to the government because they do their own taxes. According to the IRS, individual taxpayers do 75% of the cheating,mostly middle-income earners. Corporations do most of the rest. Cash-intensive businesses and service industry workers from handy man people to doctors are the worst offenders. The IRS claims the waiters and waitresses under-report their cash tips by an average of 84% (NOLO,2013)

Here are some mistakes you just maybe making.

1. Failing to negotiate for exemptions in a divorce decree - tax exemptions can be shared between parents but in the case of divorce, if the decree does not address this issue, the exemptions for children automatically fall to the parent with whom the children live most often.

2. Keeping poor records - Keeping records is a shoe box does not constitute good record keeping. People who are contractors or are self-employed if you do not track your income you may not realize that you are missing a W-2 or a 1099. This would cause you to not report all your income. Unfortunately the IRS usually does not miss those little details which could result in serious penalties and fines later. Not keeping accurate records of your expenses could also cost you in taxes and self-employment taxes.

3. Forgetting to deduct unamortized points when refinancing - for example let's say you pay $1,000 in points when you refinance a mortgage. Typically, you must amortize the points over the life of the loan and can only deduct a portion of the points each year. However, if you refinance and still have $900 in unamortized points left on the original mortgage, you can deduct that entire amount in the year of the refinancing. The points are fully deductible in the year of the home purchase or refinance when the loan proceed are used to entirely to acquire or improve the home.

4. Overlooking important tax credits - many lower income families might miss out on lucrative tax credits simply by not filing. Just because you don;t owe taxes does not mean you do not want to file a return as you might miss out on refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Credit.

5. Improperly calculating the basis for investments - they are either reporting too much capital gains or too little in capital loss. Either way you may be paying too much tax.

6. Skipping itemized deductions - taxpayers who automatically take the standard deduction may be doing themselves a disservice. Expenses that can be itemized include: Medical expenses min excess of 10% of your adjusted gross income, charitable contributions, property taxes, car registration fees based upon a vehicles value, tax preparation fees and mortgage interest. Unemployed individuals need to be aware that expenses related to their job hunt could be deductible.

  A&J Accounting & Associates - Our staff is well known for their accessibility, with a strict 24-hour response policy to telephone messages. We provide total financial services to individuals, large and small businesses and other agencies.

Knowledge is Limitless Power

By Jennifer "Golden Note" Gilmore

So we are out of school and working our regular jobs.  Yeah! No more homework, No more tests, No more boring books……yippee right?

Well you’re right……..IF you want to stop growing and achieving success!

Now I will admit I am a bookworm.  I love to learn and always have.  I’ve always told my children if you can read you can do anything, because there is a book for EVERYTHING!!!  How awesome is that.  And now with the nooks and kindles out there, you have no limits.  

Sometimes we either, get in a rut and accept life and our job as is, or we get too confident and think we don’t need any training.  But there is always limitless potential for growth in this world.

I recently discovered this first hand with my career.  I have been focusing on the songs and details and fun facts about the songs, which is fine if I’m happy singing the amount I am now for the fee I’m getting now.  However….I want to be a STAR!!    And that means I have a lot to learn.  And when playing on my Nook I found all kinds of wonderful books and articles.  It was so exciting to soak up all the knowledge I could and begin applying those principles.  

Now you may feel this wouldn’t apply to your career or field, but I would have to differ.  There are so many ways we can grow, whether it be job skills, interpersonal skills or anything concerning personal growth.   Just think what a difference a little reading could make.

I guess the main point I’m making is that life is Limitless when you open your heart and mind to ALL the possibilities available to us. So don’t limit yourself by feeling you don’t need to learn anything new.  Even if it’s simply learning a new hobby to make yourself happier in your daily life.

So find a “happy place” and dive into the amazing possibilities of your life today!

I’d love to hear from you about the books you love that have changed your life or inspired you.

Thanks for Reading!

Jennifer Glimore  is a professional singer in Fort Myers, Florida who serves audiences throughout Florida including Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Sebring, and beyond. 

Jennifer is currently booking now for corporate events, country clubs, networking events, dinner dances, weddings, receptions, galas, fundraisers, convention entertainment, private parties, holiday parties, and themed events. Jennifer is committed to making your event sparkle by creating a memorable event that will be talked of for years to come. 

Clues to Tax-Related Identity Theft

From Linda Loraine - Ind Distributor Legal Shield

 As with most types of identity theft, a victim of tax-related identity theft will not know someone else used their Social Security number (SSN) on a fraudulent tax return as soon as it happens. There is a delay between the criminal using the stolen SSN and the taxpayer finding out they are a victim.

The following are signs that may indicate your Social Security number was stolen and used for the purpose of getting a fraudulent tax refund:

• You are told that you cannot file your tax return electronically because a return associated with your SSN was already received by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

• You received correspondence (by postal mail) from the IRS stating any of the following:

More than one tax return was filed for you

Additional tax is owed by you

A refund offset was taken

Collection actions were taken against you for a year, you did not file a tax return

IRS records show you received wages from an employer unknown to you

What Should I Do First?

If you are filing electronically and are told that you cannot submit your return via the internet, print your complete form, attach the necessary documents and mail it to the appropriate office. See http://www.irs.gov/uac/Where-To-File-Addresses-for-Tax-Professionals to determine where your return needs to be sent. In this case or in other situations where you believe you are a victim of tax-related identity theft, submit the IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit with your return. Watch for other correspondence from the IRS and follow instructions within.

Important Notes!

The IRS will NOT contact a taxpayer by email, text, or social media. Their first contact with you and usually all subsequent contacts are done by postal mail. The IRS does NOT call taxpayers to make threats and demand immediate payment. Scammers like to call people and pretend to be IRS agents to try to scare people into paying money.

Linda Loraine -  Independent Associate Legal Shield - Unexpected legal questions arise every day and with LegalShield on your side, you’ll have access to a high-quality law firm for as little as $20 a month. From real estate to document review, speeding tickets to will preparation, and more, our attorneys are here to advise you with any legal matter - no matter how traumatic or how trivial it may seem. Our law firms are paid in advance so their sole focus is on serving you, rather than billing you. With our legal plan you will be protected and empowered to worry less and live more.