The concept of making an impact has been a part of DITEK’s DNA since the start. You could say it’s in mine too. When my father, Robert McIntyre, founded DITEK over 30 years ago, he did so with a commitment to three guiding principles. First, treat each employee with respect. Second, only build the highest quality products. Third, never stop giving to your local community. As the now CEO of DITEK and a woman in small business, it is my privilege and mission to uphold these principals because I’ve witnessed first-hand the profound effects they can have.

Many small businesses wrongly believe that because they are small, they are unable to make an impact. Sometimes small businesses can be intimidated by the capabilities of large corporations with deeper pockets. But comparison is the thief of joy, and it is my personal belief that small businesses are actually in a better position to make a direct impact on their employees, industries, and communities.

Here is how other small businesses can use DITEK’s three guiding principals to make a BIG impact:

Every commercial, industrial and residential facility relies on electrical and electronic equipment to perform their everyday functions. Learning how to properly protect these systems is essential to equipment reliability and longevity.

A common misconception about power surges is that electrical and electronic devices are only at risk during extreme weather and lightning storms, but power surges happen all the time without warning – and usually without us even noticing! According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, lightning strikes account for just two percent of all surge damage. That means that 98 percent of the damage is done by the hundreds of power surges that are mostly unnoticed every day.

These surges can be the result of something as simple as your air conditioner cycling on or off, or someone using a welder in a neighboring building. They could also be caused by something much farther away - for example, when electrical power plants are connected and disconnected from the grid, which happens frequently as power needs change during the course of a day. They can be caused by equipment failures, and by human error during maintenance and repair activities.

As some cities record their hottest temperatures ever and the nation grapples with aging infrastructure, the frequency of brownouts is occurring at a rapid pace. The fallout from such brownouts can be as minimal as dimming lightbulbs or as extreme as loss of refrigeration for life-saving medication. But what can be done to prevent the worst? And why does it matter now? What even is a brownout? We’re here to answer these questions and more.

What is a Brownout?

An electrical brownout occurs when a facility’s power system experiences an intentional or unintentional drop in voltage. In an intentional brownout, the utility controlling the power output reduces the flow of electricity in order to prevent a wider blackout. Unintentional brownouts are less common, but can occur as a result of damage or malfunction within the power gird. During a brownout, electricity is still flowing, albeit at lower voltage levels than usual, unlike a blackout wherein there is a complete loss of electricity. You can typically spot a brownout - and the term’s namesake - when you see lights dim due to the drop in voltage.

When you are managing a facility, you know there are certain things that need to be done now to prevent problems later. You may test fire alarms to ensure they sound as necessary, clean gutters to protect your roof, or replace air filters to prevent HVAC system failure. This periodic, preventative maintenance not only extends the lifecycle of your systems, but also creates a safer, more productive environment. You also recognize that paying for these services with some time and a relatively modest amount of money can prevent much larger problems and costs from happening in the future.

Just as you don’t know when a fire will occur or your HVAC system will fail, you may not know when a damaging power surge will affect your electrical systems. Applying surge protection to such systems is a simple, cost-effective preventative maintenance step that can prevent costly unplanned downtime caused by an unexpected power surge. If you haven’t already included surge protection as a part of your preventative maintenance strategy, here is why you should:

Your customer calls you after they have awoken to a failed HVAC system. Upset and in a panic, they start to shift the blame to you, their installer, after their new heating and cooling system suddenly isn’t working anymore. They insist there were no overnight storms, so what gives?

You, an experienced professional, calmly explain that their home likely experienced an overnight power surge.

Power surges are one of the leading causes of HVAC system damage, but in-home damage from power surges can impact a host of other electronic devices. From computers and garage door openers to critical equipment such as security and burglar alarm systems, almost all in-home electronics are at risk of damage from power surges and spikes.

The benefits of a backup power generator cannot be overstated. When it comes to keeping your family comfortable at home or maintaining normal business operations, you can count on a backup generator to mitigate the negative effects of an unexpected power outage. While you may think that the purchase and installation of a standby power generator automatically ensures power restoration in the case of a blackout, you may be missing one key piece of equipment – an automatic transfer switch.

In this blog we will cover what an automatic transfer switch is, why it is important, why you should protect it, and how to effectively do so.

As an HVAC installer, you work hard to provide quality products and service to your customers. Part of providing superior service includes informing your customers of all known risks to their system, including harmful undervoltage and overvoltage events caused by power surges and natural voltage fluctuations. Such events can cause catastrophic damage to HVAC systems, leading to costly repairs and diminished customer confidence.

Voltage monitoring and surge protection solutions are a proven way to protect HVAC systems against electrical dangers. If you are not already offering these solutions to your HVAC customers, here are 3 reasons why you should:

Integrators and end users love Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices for their cost and time saving benefits as well as their ease of use. By delivering power and data over the same Ethernet cable, PoE devices can easily be connected, disconnected, and moved without the need for extensive cabling or electrical work. From IP cameras to access control systems and beyond, PoE is now the go-to solution for locations where power outlets or network connections are hard to come by.

The low-voltage install of PoE devices is further simplified by PoE switches, which provide power to peripheral devices via a number of ports. But these switches are limited in the power output available to each PoE port and the switch as a whole. For this reason, knowing how much of your PoE power budget you are using is essential before starting any new project.