Duke Has Concerns About the Inflatables Next Door

Duke's going as a licensed electrician this year. The license is pending.

Fetch more of his on- and off-the-job antics on our social media channels.

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Spooky, not Sparky

Keep the scares on the lawn and out of the outlets.

Decorate Like You Mean It. Power It Like a Pro.

Somewhere in DFW right now, a 12-foot skeleton is plugged into an extension cord meant for a desk lamp.

Halloween decorating has gone big. Inflatables, fog machines, light-up tombstones. It all looks great from the street. The trouble hides behind the hedge.

Decorations start an average of 835 home fires a year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Nearly half begin because a decoration sat too close to heat, like a candle or a hot bulb.

Here's the good news. Nobody has to decorate less. Go as big as the yard allows — that's the decorate part. The power part takes three checks and ten minutes, and it's exactly what our electricians do at their own houses.

DIY Tips

The Haunt Check

Three quick checks before the first trick-or-treater rings the bell.

The Rain-Check Cover

Plug outdoor decorations into a GFCI-protected outlet with an in-use cover, the bubble-style kind that stays shut around a plugged-in cord. A flat flip cover leaves the plug open to rain and sprinklers. Use only extension cords marked for outdoor use.

The Daisy-Chain Breakup

Light strands and inflatables list how many sets can connect end to end. It's printed right on the tag or the box. Stay under that number, and spread big displays across more than one outlet. A warm cord or a flickering strand can mean the circuit is overloaded.

The Trick-or-Treat Runway

Walk your front path after dark, exactly like a costumed eight-year-old will. Fix the dark step. Replace the burned-out porch bulb now, not Halloween afternoon. Keep cords out of the walkway, and shut the display down at bedtime. The skeleton can clock out, too.

Glowing Jack-o'-Lantern Jars

No flame. No cord. No carving knife. NFPA even recommends glow sticks for jack-o'-lanterns. Adapted from Crafts by Amanda's Glowing Jack O Lantern Jars.

The build. Draw a jack-o'-lantern face on a clean glass jar with a black paint pen. At dusk, snap a few glow sticks and drop them in whole. Twist on the lid.

The jobs. Grown-ups handle the glass. Little ones do the snapping. The snapping is the best job. You know the drill by now.

Meet Herman, Our High-Stakes Troubleshooter

Herman Piedra brings Texas Hold 'em focus to electrical shorts. He's been in the trade since 2008 and with 4G since the very beginning. His favorite call is the one nobody else can crack. The flicker that comes and goes. The breaker that trips only when it feels like it.

Lately his eye is on display at The Henry in Plano. The restaurant was an empty box when our crew arrived. Today cove light washes the lounge, the back bar glows, and the patio stays lit long after sunset. 4G handled everything electrical, from the first wire to the last light. Herman took the photos to prove it. Opening a space of your own? From empty box to opening night is our kind of project. Ask for Julie about commercial work.

Off the clock, Herman travels, cheers on his three kids, and competes in family weight-loss contests. He admits he doesn't always win. We admire the honesty. If he turns up for your service call, ask about his poker face.

The Clocks Fall Back. Your Yard Stays Bright.

Nov. 1: You gain an hour of sleep and lose the ability to find your trash cans.

Time to shed a little light on the situation. Along the walkway. Under that big oak. In the corner where you’re pretty sure you left the garden hose.

Pick your lights. We’ll install them and handle the wiring. Want them on a timer? We can help with that, too. Your hands are full enough with groceries and a dog that apparently has never seen a squirrel before.

Call 972-440-9952 and ask Julie to schedule your time.

One Weekend, Three Ways to Play It

The last weekend before Halloween is stacked. Here's where we'd go.

Trick-or-Treating in the Park — Klyde Warren Park, Saturday, Oct. 24, 5–9 p.m., free Candy stations, costume contests, and a big-screen showing of Toy Story 5 after dark. Last year's crowd topped 20,000, so get there early and bring a bucket bigger than you think you need.

Denton's Day of the Dead Festival — Downtown Denton, Oct. 22–25 Coffin races take over the square Saturday afternoon. The costume contest kicks off at 5 p.m. Then the Twilight Lantern and Costume Parade rolls through downtown at 7 p.m. Pack a jacket and stay for the lanterns.

Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND Discovery Center — Grapevine, all October. Halloween fun indoors from start to finish, open during regular hours. Tickets start around $22 online, and the LEGO builds skew delightfully spooky. The rare Halloween event a Texas cold front can't crash. Costumes encouraged.

Scary on the Lawn. Safe Behind the Walls.

Let the decorations do the scaring this year. Call 972-440-9952 and ask Julie about what we can do to make your home brighter and safer!

Stay spooky out there,

— Justin and the whole 4G Electrician team

P.S. from Duke — The giant inflatable cat next door has been staring at me for three days. I filed a formal complaint with management. Management says it's "just air." I remain unconvinced. 🐾

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