Electrical Contractor & Systems - Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Motor Controls, Automation, Lighting | Knights' Electric, Inc. (Newsletter

Without a doubt, the most intense workout that winery equipment gets every year, takes place during a 6-week period in late summer-early fall. The crush is less than 2 months away and preparations are underway. Checking the winery crush equipment is on the agenda for electricians in wineries throughout the wine region.

Crush areas like this one at
Ravenswood Winery
in Schellville will get a rigorous electronic workout during this year's crush.
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The presses, which sit idly for about 10 months each, are about to dominate the spotlight when the grapes are ripe and ready to be processed. The press contactors, or motor starters, need to be checked and tested along with the solenoids and relays before they're center stage in the harvest action.

Portable pumps and must pumps get extensive use during the crush and their contactors need to be checked. In fact, all motors starters in the crush area and winery should be checked for shorts, which could result in a burned up motor when frequent wash downs occur during crush. Overload settings should be checked and adjusted if necessary. Extension cords required to run portable motors should be in good condition, including good plugs and sockets to avoid overworking and burning up the motors. The cost for rewinding a 3 horsepower, 15-amp motor can be from $500 to $2,000.

Rodney Strong Vineyards will be counting on this control panel to run their bladder press this fall.
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Safety buttons, for emergency shut off, are situated at each corner of all hoppers and augers, an OSHA requirement, and must be checked periodically along with all safety pull lines used to stop machinery. Waste conveyors, which are typically ramped vertically, to fill hoppers with pumice, are inspected throughout the year to meet OSHA compliance, which require safety buttons for emergency shut downs.

With all of the waste removal that occurs during crush, another area that receives heavy usage is the wastewater holding tanks and ponds. Sump pump motors are more likely to get wet and their amp and voltage levels need to be tested. Floats and regulators need to be in proper working condition and the entire system needs to be monitored and periodically cleaned out to insure they don't cause a production slowdown or stoppage.

The crush is a crucial and sometimes frantic season with electrical systems and motors playing a key role in successful production. Preparation and maintenance of the wineries electrical systems and motors is an essential ingredient for that success -- before, during and after the crush.

Saint Dizier Design and Knights' Electric are finding they have a lot in common. Geary F. Rea & Associates contracted Knights' Electric when they built the Serifem Building on the southeast corner of Healdsburg Square. Now Saint Dizier Design is a new tenant in the Serifem Building. Their upscale retail home furnishing store and showroom, Saint Dizier Home, featuring the Ralph Lauren furniture collection, is on the first floor and the corporate offices for Saint Dizier Design, Inc. are on the second floor of the 3-story structure. Knights' Electric recently completed the tenant improvements for Saint Dizier Home on both floors and the new showroom is opened for business 7 days a week.

Knights' Electric installed the outdoor sconces at the corner entrance of Saint Dizier Home showroom, which is now open everyday in the Serifem Building in the Healdsburg Square.
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Saint Dizier Home showroom with Fortuny pendant chandelier lit from tract lighting. Vita Pehar Design created the lighting design for SDH.
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Knights' Electric installed 6 Lutron dimmers in the SDH showroom like this one around the corner from a Fortuny floor lamp.
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Art Knight worked with lighting designer Vita Pehar, of Vita Pehar Design to execute the ambient lighting effects for the Saint Dizier Home showroom. Pehar had previously worked with Knights' Electric on the lighting design of a Ross residence remodeling project. Vita Pehar Design has also worked with a frequent client of Knights' Electric, Jim Murphy & Associates (JMA), on an upscale residential project. Knights' Electric has worked with JMA on upscale custom homes including some in Shiloh Estates . Saint Dizier Home has residential retail customers in Shiloh Estates.

The three companies, Saint Dizier Design, Inc., Vita Pehar Design and Knights' Electric, are a formible team for architects to consider for upscale custom homes and businesses. The Saint Dizier Home showroom is a representative display of their combined work. Vita Pehar Design fashioned a flexible track lighting scheme with small low voltage lights that lends itself to the changing interior displays that the showroom will experience over time. Vita Pehar Design had Knights' Electric installed six Lutron dimmers to facilitate a variation of effects and changes throughout the Saint Dizier Home showroom.

Up on the second floor Knights' Electric installed all the electrical wiring, outlets and lighting for the offices of Saint Dizier Design, Inc. featuring suspended fluorescent lighting. There is recessed lighting in the office of Jacques Saint Dizier, ASID, a renowned residential and commercial designer for over 20 years, 12 of those years spent in New York, with clients that include Donald Trump, Meryl Streep, Resorts International and Four Seasons Resort. Jacques Saint Dizier is recognized for his unique style, a blending of classical elegance in contemporary attitudes.

When Jay True enters the just completed Redwood Covenant Church, it would seem that he'd feel as much pride and satisfaction as anyone in his congregation. Along with the other church members, he had a hand in building it, literally. Jim Murphy & Associates was the construction manager and Jay True was the project manager.

"We started looking for the property to build our church on 20 years ago," recalls True, Vice President of Jim Murphy & Associates, "and the development of the property and construction of the church took 5 years. Designing road improvements, resolving drainage issues and performing environmental studies added some time to the project." The church was started last September and finished at the end of June. The congregation held services at several "temporary" sites throughout those years.

Redwood Covenant Church is a 43,000 square foot structure that includes a 7,000 sq. ft. sanctuary with a 2,000 sq. ft. balcony, in which services are held. The church also houses classrooms, offices, a food pantry and a kitchen. It is located at Sebastopol Road and Corporate Center Parkway on a 9-acre parcel across from the business park.

The Redwood Covenant Church is a 43,000 square foot structure built by Jim Murphy & Associates.
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Knights' Electric installed the lighting for the 6-acre parking lot at Redwood Covenant Church.
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The electrical distribution panels are located in the food pantry of the church kitchen.
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Knights' Electric's commercial department was involved in construction from the onset, bringing in the electrical power underground from the other side of Sebastopol Road by trenching and cutting through the pavement. Knights' Electric trenched for, and installed, all utility lines, exterior lights and parking lot lights. Inside the church Knights' Electric completed all the wiring and outlets including the HVAC units on the roof and the conduits for the fire and security alarms. Knights' Electric installed all the lighting for the classrooms, offices and kitchen, in which they installed appliance wiring and outlets.

"Knights' did a good job working with the other trades and had a good understanding of commercial codes including the alarm system. We had to install fire rated walls required for groups of over 300 people in the church," explains True, "in the first two weeks we were opened there was one service on the first Sunday and two services on the second Sunday. About 1,000 people attended each day!"