generator Archives

Do I Need A Panel Upgrade When Purchasing a New Refrigerator?

Posted on July 24, 2020 | by K Hopkins

electrical panel A refrigerator is almost a must-have in modern homes and as such various models hit the market every day trying to meet up with homeowners’ needs. When you purchase a new refrigerator, it’s fine to wonder if there will be any complications with your home’s electrical system.

Your home’s electrical system and panel precisely might seem like superheroes who never tire but make no mistake, it has a limit to what it can take.

There are several reasons you might need a panel upgrade with or without your purchase of a new refrigerator. They include:

More power

An old home yet to be rewired likely has a 60-100 amp electrical panel. Modern homes typically have a 150-200 amp service and larger homes can even invest in a 400 amp service. As you would observe the capacity for home panels seems to increase over time. It’s only natural following the constant introduction of various home appliances on the market. Hence, when adding any home appliance it’s important to ensure you have sufficient power.

An upgrade gives you more power and the flexibility to do this without the worry of putting stress on your electrical system. If your amperage is insufficient for new additions, the breaker will trip frequently and be at risk of electrical issues. Power-hungry appliances in any home often include air conditioner, electric clothes dryer, electric range, hot tub, and refrigerators. An upgrade becomes necessary for you to enjoy a safe system with the freedom to add new appliances.

Faulty wiring

Flickering or dimming lights, sparking or discolored power outlets, burning smells, and more are warning signs that indicate faulty wiring. Your home electrical wiring was built to last, but not forever. As the wiring deteriorates with use, the need for rewiring and upgrade can come up.

Old-fashioned fuse box

Circuit breakers and fuses perform the same function, but fuses are outdated because of their limitation to one-time use. While circuit breakers have to be reset after tripping to prevent a short circuit, fuses melt and disrupt the flow of power. Fuse boxes are often found in old homes and you will need an upgrade to change them.

Despite these reasons, only an electrician, like those at The Electric Connection, can determine if an upgrade is what you need. Upgrading from a lower amp to up to 200 amps can cost up to $3000. The project usually requires a permit and will be inspected after completion.

Refrigerators and your electrical panel

Refrigerators come in different design, styles, and sizes, but they all typically require a dedicated 115 or 120 volts with a properly grounded branch circuit. This should also use a 3 prong grounding type receptacle, protected by a 15 or 20-amp circuit breaker or time-delay fuse. If you are plugging your refrigerator in with a generator as the power source, you will need to know the wattage. You can find the exact figures written on the refrigerator’s rating plate. Make your calculations using volts x amps = wattage.

A fact to note is that the amps or wattage needed to start the refrigerator is 3 times its running amps or wattage.

Our Electricians Appreciate Your Feedback

Posted on February 8, 2020 | by K Hopkins

Feedback is a vital part of any company’s growth and progress and at The Electric Connection, our electricians appreciate your feedback. We constantly seek to hear your thoughts on your experiences, our services, and the things you think we could do better or cut down on. This information is of great value to help us serve you and all our customers better.

Why your Feedback is Important

Your feedback goes a long way to help us improve our services. At the Electric Connection, we strive to provide only the best electrical service and leave our customers satisfied and happy. With your feedback on how you feel about this service or your experience with our electrical technicians, we can always better understand what works and what doesn’t. Your opinion lets us know if we are meeting or perhaps exceeding your expectations and these negative or positive words help us serve you better.

The Electric Connection is a customer-focused company and so we consistently measure your satisfaction. If you are satisfied you can always depend on us for your electrical needs and refer our services to friends and loved ones. Your feedback ensures that we do not disappoint when you refer us. We keep all our customers happy with the information we get from them.

Our company is all about us and you. We want you to rest assured that we value your opinions and appreciate your feedback.

Your feedback can come in any form such as a review, a message to us when you call or and an email, or fill a feedback form. We take all comments and any information you leave seriously as it is how we can hear your opinions.

We believe there are always ways we could do better and that is why we value your feedback so much. All requests are taken into consideration. We have a highly efficient system and transparent procedure that helps us prioritize your feedback after evaluation and even combine them with our insight and ideas for top-notch results.

Part of our culture is listening to our customers. Our electricians appreciate your feedback.

Your Reviews Matter for Electricians

Posted on November 29, 2019 | by K Hopkins

We are in the 21st century and as generations pass, things change repeatedly. Things like how customers make choices, the number of electricians in the electrical industry, the need for a solid online presence, and more. The reputation of an electrical company is vital now more than ever and reviews also play a strategic and critical role. People want proof of an electrician’s capability and affordable pricing before hiring. This proof usually comes only in the form of reviews. Hence, every customer’s review matters for an electrician.

What clients look for

As mentioned earlier, a lot of things change every day including customer behavior. New customers want to know if the electrician is experienced. They want to know if they are prompt and known for quality service. Of course, the electrician will have their good qualities pasted all over their website or page. They will try their hardest to convince you of how great their electrical service is. While new customers may take this into consideration, they are hardly spurred to make a favorable decision this way. Statistics show that 84% of customers trust online reviews to give them the insight they need. Also, 74% of customers say online reviews help them trust a business more.

The bottom line is customers want to see reviews. They want to hear what others like them have to say and many times, customers who leave reviews talk about the very details that a new client may be looking out for.

Reviews boost ranking on search results

The search results in question here include queries like “highest-rated,” or “most reviewed.” Many people use similar queries on review platforms to help them narrow down their choices to the best options available. Without a wealth of reviews, some electrical companies will not be included in such search results. If the customer can’t see the company, then they can’t be converted.

Reviews reveal special qualities

Many businesses have unique qualities or service they provide to their clients. Such companies may not be so concerned about telling everyone about this quality but leave it to their customers. Reviews often let you see what is different or unique about a specific electrical company. For example, if an electrical company is always prompt and perhaps offers some extra service, customers who appreciated or enjoyed this would mention it in their review.

Your reviews matter for electricians

Talking about reviews is easy but getting them in the first place can be daunting. Not all customers – satisfied or not – have the patience to leave a review. Some electricians send mails, cards, and try other strategies to get their customers to leave reviews. Some of these methods are successful, others are not. As a customer, your review matters for electricians. Aside from contributing to company growth and expansion, leaving reviews help to solidify a friendly business relationship which comes with its perks depending on how the company operates.

The Review Generator has helped The Electric Connection reach out to their customers and grow their online rating.

Are Online Reviews Important for Local Search?

Posted on July 19, 2019 | by K Hopkins

Your business reputation is invaluable to its success. And in recent times, consumers no longer want to hear how good your business is from you, they want a third party confirmation from users like themselves. This brings us to the ever growing importance of reviews for businesses.

Let’s check out some stats.

92% of buyers or consumers depend on business reviews to help them decide which companies to trust.

This means that if your business reviews contain more negatives than positives, potential clients will be skeptical and probably look elsewhere.

Now, not only do reviews affect purchases, but they also influence your local SEO or visibility. When you own a local shop, you want to be seen on online local searches to boost sales.

Studies have shown that 86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses before making any decisions.

Here’s why online reviews are important for local searches.

They show your business is genuine and offers good products- that is if there are positive reviews to speak for you.

The consistency and quality of online reviews make you seem relevant to search engines and increases your chances of showing up in top results. Not only do you need to have more positive reviews, but you must also have them consistently.

Studies show that over 40% of consumers only read reviews which are up to 2 weeks old. The implication of this is you would lose some prospects if your last review was a month ago.

Some online reviews are keyword rich. Trying to rank higher in searches all by yourself can be daunting but with rich and consistent reviews, it can become much easier. Some customers tend to speak about the service when they leave reviews. This applies to both positive and negative feedback. These service keywords go a long way in local searches and can improve rankings greatly.

How to get reviews

The reason most businesses avoid the subject of reviews or suck at it is that asking for reviews can be tough. It is not an easy feat to convince most people to feel interested in leaving feedback about your business.

This gets worse for positive reviews because customers who feel they had a bad experience waste no time in letting the world know about it. So, how do you get your clients to leave reviews especially good ones? The team at The Review Generator has compiled a few tips to guide you.

Delegate a team to this task.
Remember not to sound too formal, pushy, or needy when asking for reviews.
Create a template text to send as emails or messages to customers. Try to include links to the review page in these messages.
Set up a review page customers can visit to drop reviews and see other customers’ feedback too.
Claim your listings and business profiles on review sites to help you monitor your online reputation.
Respond professionally and interactively to reviews online.

Good practices to help maintain your online reputation with reviews

Never buy or write fake reviews.
Respond appropriately to negative reviews. They are a necessary evil that proves your authenticity and tests your professionalism.
Try to get keyword rich reviews by encouraging clients to talk about the service they receive.

The Electric Connection proudly utilizes services by The Review Generator. This reputation management service allows The Electric Connection to collect a variety of feedback from all our clients. We strive on customer satisfaction so when a problem arises, we want to know. The Review Generator allows us to reach out to our customers for feedback, get more positive reviews, and take care of any complaints from our customers privately.

The Importance of Gathering Reviews for an Electrical Company

Posted on June 12, 2019 | by K Hopkins

Reviews are the lifeblood of any business and they won’t be going away anytime soon. They influence your brand reputation and can determine your business success. As a skilled tradesman, gathering as many positive reviews as possible is an essential success strategy. Many electrical companies do not recognize this and so do not take the necessary steps towards obtaining customer reviews.

In this article, we will discuss the importance of gathering reviews for your electrical company.

You can’t truly ignore them.
Whether or not you like it, customers will leave reviews, feedback, and comments about your business. Some might be positive, others negative, and very few will maintain a sort of neutrality. Ignoring your business reviews is an ineffective and dangerous action. It is almost the same as leaving your business unsupervised.

Keeping up with reviews about your company/service can be tough for a busy electrician, but there are ways to do it efficiently. Apply tools to monitor any mentions of your company and establish creative responses to both negative and positive customer reviews.

You forfeit visibility
Maintaining your online presence is everything in this day and age. The majority of your clients are online searching for electrical service, and if they cannot find you, they will choose your competitors. Online reviews help to improve your online visibility. Some prospects filter Yelp results by ‘most reviewed’ or ‘highest rated’. Hence, without as many positive reviews as your competitors, you will not be seen. Google equally provides search results using relevance sometimes influenced by positive reviews.
It is what customers are looking for.
You may believe that your services are one of the best. You can even write all about it on your website. The only problem is, customers won’t take your word for it. Online reviews are known as peer recommendations between customers because over 84% of prospects will use reviews to decide if they should hire your service or not.
Reviews can become a competitive advantage
Customer reviews can help you stand out in the way you desire. Great reviews that praise your business, mention important points and show satisfaction can establish your brand authority and increase business growth. Some happy clients may do this naturally, but others won’t. Create a strong review game that gets you what you want. Encourage customers to leave reviews that highlight the issues you helped them solve.

Don’t push, only ask strategically and politely. You can also do this yourself when you respond to their reviews.

At The Electric Connection, we stay updated on customer reviews and feedback. We provide quality services to satisfy clients and ensure availability to respond to their feedback. Client feedback on several platforms is a testimony of our brand authority in the electrical niche. You can check out our dedicated customer review page to see for yourself.

The Review Generator can help you reach out to your customers easily to get more reviews on your public review sites. They offer a one month free trial and has helped The Electric Connection connect with our customers to get more positive reviews online.

Should I Ask My Customers to Leave Reviews?

Posted on January 14, 2019 | by K Hopkins

The survival of most businesses depends on building trust and loyalty with clients. When a potential customer finds your service attractive, they wouldn’t be in a hurry to hire you because they still require some assurance that you are worth the investment of time and money.

Unfortunately, in an online business or website, you cannot be physically present to apply your skills of persuasion. This means that you must put a system in place to convert visitors to leads.

Business reviews are part of the most vital ways to convince a client that they can trust you, especially when you offer electrical services. Statistics show that about 85% of customers view online reviews from strangers and make their decisions based on them. Hence, electrical service reviews from satisfied clients help to grow your business and establish your brand authority.

Although customer reviews are important, they are not so easy to get. As an electrical contractor, you may wonder if it is okay to ask your customers for reviews. The answer is yes. Some clients are reluctant to leave reviews while others may forget all about it. When you have a client that doesn’t leave a review, you have to develop a way to encourage them or ask subtly.

If you have been in an online business long enough, you would discover that asking customers for reviews may be beneficial but it is also daunting. Here are some tips on how to ask customers for reviews.

Engage your Clients
Customers are more likely to leave reviews- and positive ones – if you engage them on a personal level. Try to connect with clients fully and ask questions that show your concern for their satisfaction. This rapport makes it easier to encourage clients to leave reviews.
Review Emails
Asking for electrical service reviews via email requires a direct approach. You can put together a message body that says how glad you are to work with the client. Include something about the importance of reviews and subtly ask for one.
Ask when you receive customer praise
Some satisfied clients may find it difficult to dismiss their joy. They can offer praises after the job is completed. Take this opportunity to ask them for feedback or review. Ensure that you respond politely and with equal gladness to hear of their satisfaction. When this conversation is established, request that they take a few seconds to show this satisfaction in a written review.
Provide links
To make clients feel comfortable with leaving reviews, you can provide direct links in an email or message to them. This lessens the chances of reluctance and allows the client to leave a review without hassle or wasting precious time.
Never Push
Despite your efforts to create a seamless system where customers can leave electrical service reviews, there would be those that are quite determined not to leave one. When you encounter such clients, there’s no need to push or force them. Simply let it go and encourage them towards return patronage.

There’s is a fine line between asking for an electrical service review and demanding one. While it is fine to develop ways to ask your clients to give reviews, it is wrong to use pressure. Employ suitable tips and be sure to learn what works best for you.

What Does An Electrician Do?

Posted on August 26, 2018 | by Kim Hopkins

Working as an electrician you can expect to do everything from installing to maintaining all electrical and power systems found in homes, businesses, or factories. If you take a look a the wiring or control equipment found in a structure, there’s a good chance, as an electrician, you will be working on it. Wherever electricity flows, you can find an electrician.

Like many fields, electricians often specialize in different areas, such as commercial or residential, installation or maintenance. For example, an electrician specializing in construction can often be found installing wiring for new buildings or homes. Residential electricians often focus more on homes and apartment buildings, whereas commercial electricians focus on working in buildings, such as offices or stores. It’s not uncommon to specialize in a multitude of things as well.

There are many tools an electrician must use throughout their day. For example, when an electrician is installing new wiring, you can see them using conduit benders, screwdrivers, pliers, and wire strippers. To test the wiring, tools such as voltmeters or ammeters are used. These tools are used to ensure the job is safe to start and safely completed.

When performing electrical maintenance, the work varies from day to day. There are many different components of electrical items so it greatly depends on where that electrician is working that day. Residential electricians will often provide a variety of jobs for homeowners, such as rewires or new ceiling fan installations. Commercial electrical jobs are more intense and require a bit more training. These electricians will be found repairing motors, transformers, or generators. A great skill that a commercial electrician also has is advising on which equipment works well together and which will cause hazards.

If you are considering becoming an electrician, be prepared to work indoors and outdoors, as well as inside attics and underneath homes. Work can be very strenuous sometimes and require the lifting of heavy items which standing and crouching for long periods of time. There are great risks of shocks, falls, and cuts if you’re not careful or know what you’re doing.

Each state varies in what is necessary to become a journeyman electrician. Schooling and testing and required in order to get your license. Many companies offer jobs as helpers for those who do not yet have their license. This will give a junior electrician the experience necessary to take the next step. You can also learn a lot by working with a professional electrician.

Working as an electrician can be a tough job but can be very rewarding work. To see a homeowner happy with a new installation or to see your work admired by customers can be a great feeling. Electricity runs the world so there should be no shortage of electrician jobs in the country.

The Electric Connection has been providing electrical services to the Los Angeles area for over 30 years. We are proud to provide homeowners and businesses with excellent services. If you need any electrical work done in your home or business, please contact us.

Preparing for Power Outages with Beverly Hills Electrician

Posted on October 23, 2015 | by Kim Hopkins

As the temperatures get cooler, Californians are going to be turning on the heat. Cold nights means a lot more people are going to be relying on their furnaces and space heaters to take the chill off. These things are electricity hogs and can quickly tax the power grid. This combined with poor weather in general can lead to a power outage. The outage may last a couple of hours of be much longer and really wreak havoc on your daily schedule as well as basic duties like making a meal, cleaning the house or taking a hot shower. Your Beverly Hills electrician has some tips to help you prepare for a temporary power outage. The team at The Electric Connection knows how much of an inconvenience living without electricity can be and hopes to help you ride it out in relative comfort.

*Your best option is to have a standby generator installed by an electrician in Beverly Hills. This ensures you always have a back up source of power and never have to go without. The generators are enclosed in a box, which helps reduce noise. You won’t have to worry about your neighbors complaining about the noisy generator.

*Putting together a kit that includes essentials like spare batteries, flashlights, emergency candles, matches and a solar charger for your phone and other gadgets will save you a lot of frustration. The solar chargers are relatively inexpensive and ensure your phone, laptop and tablet will get charged.

*Put together a little box of goodies that you can eat without worrying about heating the food up. Things like crackers, energy bars and a couple cans of beans will give you something to munch on while you wait for the power to be restored. Don’t forget the manual can opener.

Power outages are rarely very long, but even an hour without electricity can throw you off a bit. Avoid dealing with it by talking with an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners who invest in a standby generator will never have to worry about eating cold beans for dinner. Give The Electric Connection a call today to learn more about generators and preparing for power outages.

New Home Construction Requires Electrical Contractor

Posted on September 21, 2015 | by Kim Hopkins

New home construction is a dream many families have. There is a great deal of satisfaction to picking and choosing the layout of your home and adding elements that are specific to your family’s needs as well as your own decorative tastes. There are plenty of contractors who will give you the freedom to have a say in the planning stages, including what electrician company is hired to complete the work. Home construction has many elements. You will need plumbers, electricians, framers, painters and landscapers. Having a say in the hiring decision ensure you are getting the chance to choose the best company possible. At The Electric Connection, we understand your desire to check references and see our work.
Some of the things that an electrician will be required to do for your new home construction are as follows;

*Install the electric panel. This is the hub of the electricity to your house. The electrician will ensure it is adequate for your home.

*Install the proper wiring for large appliances like the refrigerator, washer and dryer.

*Complete the wiring needed for outlets and switches. Wiring will need to be properly installed to pass inspection. The electrician will ensure the wiring is tight and secure to each of your outlets and switches.

*If you are having a standby generator installed, the electrician will take care of that as well.

*If landscaping is a part of your new home construction, your electrician can take care of installing and hooking up your outdoor lighting as well.

These elements may not look like much on paper, but the electrical wiring in a home is one of the most crucial elements. It is absolutely essential the work is completed by a competent and experienced electrical contractor to ensure the home is safe. This will also reduce the risk for future service calls. Give The Electric Connection a call today and see what we can do to help you fulfill your dream of new home construction.

Staying Safe in a Power Outage by Santa Monica Electrician

Posted on May 25, 2015 | by Kim Hopkins

The summer weather is notorious for spurning some wild thunderstorms. Those storms can result in widespread power outages that leave you and your neighbors sitting in the dark for hours. The power outage may not be the result of a thunderstorm. It could come down to scheduled blackouts if the summer heats up as is predicted. You need to know how to stay safe during a power outage. An electrician in Santa Monica has some valuable tips for you. If you have any more questions, you can always count on the team at The Electric Connection to help you.

1-Call the electric company from your cell phone to determine what the situation is and how long you can expect to be without power.

2-Unplug all appliances and turn off things like the air conditioner, stove and so on. You don’t want to create a power surge when the electricity does come back on. You can have a surge protector installed by an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners who don’t want to risk their electrical equipment being burned out will appreciate the protection a surge protector offers.

3-Use flashlights whenever possible instead of candles. Candles increase the risk of a fire getting started.

4-Put together a small emergency kit and leave it in the pantry. The kit should include things like a radio for listening to weather reports, extra batteries for the flashlight and some extra cash or a credit card for emergencies.

You can avoid the side effects of a power outage by having a generator installed by a Santa Monica electrician. This will serve as your backup electricity source to ensure you always have power. You won’t have to worry about wasting the food in your fridge or worrying about how you will take a hot shower. Give The Electric Connection a call today to learn more about surge protection or a standby generator.