Remodels In Time for Holidays with Electrician in Beverly Hills

Posted on November 16, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

Are you planning on having lots of family and friends over this holiday season? Maybe you are hosting a lavish party or a quaint dinner party. Whatever the case may be, wouldn’t it be nice if you had a little more space or if your kitchen was setup a little differently to make cooking for a large party easier? There is no better time to remodel your home. Consider it an early gift for yourself. A gift that will add value to your home while making it a little more enjoyable for you to live in. If you are ready to make that basement remodel or kitchen remodel happen, now is the time. Your electrician in Beverly Hills, like the team at The Electric Connection, is here to help.

You will likely need to hire a contractor to do the remodel. It makes it easier and you can keep up with your busy life. A remodel will involve some Beverly Hills electrical work. Whether you are tearing down walls, adding on a room or moving appliances around, you will need an experienced electrician to complete the wiring portion of the remodel. Meet with the electrician and discuss what it is you need. If you need extra outlets on one side of the room or would like data lines in a certain place, communicate that to your electrician.

It is important you choose an electrician who will work well with your contractor. Being licensed to perform the work is also an important factor. Remodels will require permits from your county building department. You want to make sure the wiring passes inspection the first time. By hiring a qualified electrician you can ensure the process will go smoothly and your remodel is finished in time for the holidays. Give The Electric Connection a call today and get started transforming your home.

Electrical Troubleshooting with Santa Monica Electrician

Posted on October 22, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

bigstock-Business-Colleagues-Working-At-43128436 There are times when you may think there is something wrong with your home in general. Your lights may flicker or burn out quickly or you can’t seem to get the toaster to work when it is plugged into a certain outlet. It can be difficult to determine if it is an appliance, a faulty light fixture or just one of those flukes that happens. You need a Santa Monica electrician to help you troubleshoot a problem that could turn out to be an electrical situation that requires a professional to handle. When you need help with the electrical problems in your house, you can count on The Electric Connection to provide you with the service you need in a timely manner.

Flickering lights are actually a signal that there may be some faulty wiring behind the walls that you cannot see. It is important the light fixtures are checked by an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners who notice lights that flicker, intermittently shut off or fixtures that go through bulbs quicker than normal should call an electrician. There is a chance the wiring to the fixture is exposed. This can be a serious risk for an electrical fire.

Breakers that trip often are also indicators of a bigger problem. The breaker may be weakened and need replacing or upgrading. This is something that will need to be evaluated by an electrician. If the home is more than 50 years old, the wiring may be outdated. Cloth wiring was commonly used in construction of homes before 1950. Today, we know that type of wiring isn’t safe and overtime, it can become an electrical hazard.

If you notice anything suspicious or smell burning wires or see black streaks shooting up the wall above an outlet, call an electrician right away. Taking quick action can save you the devastation of losing everything in a home fire. Give The Electric Connection a call today and take care of any electrical troubleshooting needs you have.

Home Safety Addressed by Beverly Hills Electrician

Posted on October 21, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

bigstockphoto_Trimming_Electric_Wire_1913494 You will be spending a lot more time indoors over the next few months as we ride out yet another winter. You will want to do what you can to ensure your family is as safe as possible inside your home. There are a few things you can do today to provide an extra layer of safety. Your Beverly Hills electrician is here to help you. You can count on the team at The Electric Connection to provide you with a knowledgeable, experienced electrician to take care of the following safety features for your home.

• Replace your old, standard outlets in the kitchen and bathroom areas with GFCI outlets. These are designed to cut the electricity the second the circuit is interrupted. These outlets are especially handy in areas where water is present, like the kitchen and bathroom. If an appliance is accidentally dropped in water, the breaker will trip, cutting off the electricity and reducing the risk of electric shock.

• Have hard-wired smoke detectors installed. These smoke detectors rely on your home’s main power rather than a battery. Dead or missing batteries in smoke detectors are often to blame for late warnings in the event of a house fire. The detectors are all interconnected so when one goes off, the rest of the alarms are sounded. You will need the installation completed by a professional electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners will feel better knowing the wiring was handled by somebody trained to work with electrical wiring.

• Carbon monoxide detectors are also handy devices that every home should have. If you use natural gas for your heat or have a woodstove, a carbon monoxide detector can warn you to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in the home.

Your home is somewhere you should feel safe. These rather easy and inexpensive safety features can eliminate some of the risks in your home. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your safety enhancements.

Fight Winter Blues with Electrician in Pasadena

Posted on September 10, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

heat_related2 (5) As you prepare to spend a lot more time indoors this winter, it is the time to think about making some home improvements that will make your home a little more comfortable and appealing. If you are going to be holed up inside your home, you want to make it as inviting as possible. Sometimes, a little facelift can totally change the look and feel of a room. A new coat of paint, refinishing the floors and adding new lighting are fairly inexpensive home improvement projects that breathe new life into your old space. If you have ever dreamed about a shiny, glass chandelier in your foyer or dining room, now is a great time to make that dream come true with the help of an electrician in Pasadena. The team at The Electric Connection can help you make your goal of adding new lighting a reality.

Chandeliers range from very basic to very elegant. You will get the freedom to choose the perfect fixture for your home’s personality. Spend some time choosing the right chandelier that is functional as well as aesthetically appealing. Once you have chosen the perfect chandelier, give you electrician a call to discuss placement.

If there is an existing light fixture in the room, it is a fairly easy job of switching the old light out and installing the new chandelier. If there isn’t an existing fixture, you will need to have an experienced electrician take care of any Pasadena electrical wiring needed to power the light. This will be discussed with you. At the time of installation, it is a good idea to have a dimmer switch installed as well. Some chandeliers are equipped with several lights can really brighten up an area. You may not always need that much light. A dimmer will give you the ability to adjust the lighting based on your needs. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your chandelier installation.

Outdoor Lighting Options by Electrician in Santa Monica

Posted on August 13, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

photo_23_20050923 We love to decorate our landscaping with various ornamental trees, gorgeous flower beds, fountains and various statues. Unfortunately, with the daylight hours already getting shorter, it isn’t always easy to showcase your hard work without adequate outdoor lighting. Homeowners have several choices when it comes to finding the perfect way to highlight various areas in the landscaping. An electrician in Santa Monica has some tips for you to use when choosing the right lighting for your yard. You can call The Electric Connection to learn more about outdoor lighting options.

Solar Lighting

Solar lights are great for those areas of your yard that need soft lighting and get at least 8 hours of full sunlight a day. They are easy to place and are free of wires. Outlining a flower garden or pathway through the backyard or from the driveway to the front door are great ways to use solar lights. However, this particular type of light is not a good idea for areas that are shady or close to the house where they will not get full sun exposure.

Electric Lighting

Electric lights come in a variety of styles and sizes. They can be placed throughout the landscaping, but it will be necessary for you to pay close attention to the Santa Monica electrical requirements. Electric lights in the landscaping are perfect for shady areas that the solar lights are not ideal in. You will need to bury the wiring and have it wired into your home’s main power. A switch can be installed that allows you to turn the lights off and on manually or you can opt to have a timer installed that will take care of everything.

If you would like to have electric landscape lighting installed around your home, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your installation.

Cloth Wiring Concerns Addressed by Glendale Electrician

Posted on July 28, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

electricalBS (24) Your home may not be safe for you to live in. Wiring is one of the leading causes of home fires every year and in many cases; it is completely preventable. Homes that were built before 1950 were probably built with the common electrical wiring at the time—insulated cloth wiring. Today, we know that method isn’t safe. The cloth frays and deteriorates overtime, which can leave wires bare. Bare wires that touch or touch insulation can create a small spark. A small spark is all it takes to cause major devastation. If you are not sure what kind of wiring you have, give a Glendale electrician, like those at The Electric Connection, a call today.

Just because your home was built before 1950, it does not necessarily mean it has cloth wiring. There may have been wiring upgrades done over the years. The best way to determine whether or not it is the old style wiring is by having an electrical inspection by a qualified electrician. Glendale homeowners will get the full story about the wiring hidden behind their walls. An experienced electrician will know what to look for and be able to tell you what you need to do to make your home safe.

It isn’t only an electric spark you need to be concerned with when dealing with cloth insulated wiring. There is also an increased risk of electric shock. Your appliances and gadgets are also at risk of being damaged with wiring that is not properly insulated. Many of the older, cloth insulated wiring jobs were not properly ground 60 years ago. This is another area of concern for homeowners. All of these issues and concerns will be addressed by the electrician during the inspection. The electrician will outline what needs to happen to bring your home up to today’s standards. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your electric inspection.

New Shops Need Burbank Electrician

Posted on July 28, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

bigstockphoto_Chair_22955 If you recently had a pole building or shop put up on your property, you are probably debating to have it powered with electricity or stick with a generator. There are clearly some real benefits to a shop having electricity. If you are simply using the building to store items, than electricity is probably not a major concern. However, if you are planning to use your shop to work on various hobbies or use it to repair vehicles, electricity is extremely helpful. You will need a Burbank electrician to go about completing the wiring process. You can depend on the team at The Electric Connection to help you make your shop complete with electricity.

Depending on the amount of electricity you need in your shop, you may need to have a sub-panel installed. This is something your electrician will discuss with you and advise you on. If your home is already using the majority of the breakers available in your existing panel, you will need an upgrade or an additional panel installed to run the shop. The size and type of the tools you will use in the shop will influence your decision.

Once you have decided on the electric panel situation, the next stop is to discuss outlet placement with your electrician. Burbank shop owners can decide how many outlets they need in the shop. You may even need a 240-volt outlet to run certain heavy machinery or to plug in a Level II electric car charging station. These are all options for you to consider when you make the decision to hire an electrician. Lighting is yet another element you will want to think about. Typically, a single fixture is installed along the ceiling and then several lamps will be used to illuminate specific work areas. If you would like to discuss running electricity to your new shop, give The Electric Connection a call today.

New Home Construction with Beverly Hills Electrician

Posted on July 27, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

bigstockphoto_Casual_Construction_Worker_1683157 Building a home is a great way to ensure you are getting exactly what you want out of your house. It really makes you feel as if you have been a part of the process from the ground up. It gives you the chance to create a home that suits your needs and reflects your personality. Many homeowners have discovered it is often much more economical to build a home than buy a home that needs various remodels and adjustments. It also makes it possible to buy the perfect home in the neighborhood you have had your eye on. To build your new home, you will need a Beverly Hills electrician like those at The Electric Connection.

When you build your own home, you will get to decide the number of rooms you have as well as bathrooms. Another major benefit to building your home is the thrill of designing your kitchen to work from you. Every person will have different desires and needs when they are in the kitchen. Some people need numerous outlets to run several appliances. Large families may need more than one microwave to keep the family going. All of these things require the expertise of an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners who want to add more outlets than the standard 4 or 5 in the kitchen, can discuss their needs with the electrician. The electrician will go about wiring the outlets and ensuring the breaker can run all of the outlets without becoming overloaded.

Your electrician will also take care of installing ceiling fans, installing light fixtures and running any data and phone lines for you during the building phase. This can save you a lot of time by getting it done during the building process instead of waiting until after the walls are up. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your new home construction consultation.

Hardwired Smoke Detectors a Bonus says Electrician in Santa Monica

Posted on July 10, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

If you are tired of replacing the batteries in your smoke detector every few months, you need to learn more about hard-wired smoke detectors installed by an electrician in Santa Monica. Although we are often reminded to change those batteries every six months, things happen, life gets busy, and we forget. We forget until about 2 in the morning when the device chirps to let you know it needs a new battery. Wouldn’t it be nice to avoid all of that and still keep your home and family protected? The Electric Connection can help you add a layer of safety to your home by installing new hard-wired smoke detectors.

Hard-wired smoke detectors are not just more convenient. They are actually a little more reliable than the kinds that are solely battery powered. It isn’t often you lose power, which means your smoke detectors will always be functioning. If you do lose power, the battery back up in each detector will keep your home protected. Another benefit to this particular kind of smoke detector is the fact all the detectors in the home are interconnected. When the first sign of smoke sets off an alarm anywhere in the house, all of the detectors will start beeping.

This is extremely beneficial to the residents in the home. It adds several, precious seconds to call the fire department or escape the house. Because the detectors are wired directly into a home’s Santa Monica electrical system, you will need a licensed electrician to complete the job. This ensures your smoke detectors are being installed correctly and are not creating a hazard caused by faulty wiring. Your homeowner’s insurance may offer a discount for homes, especially two-story homes that have hard-wired smoke detectors installed. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your installation.

Pool Installation Requires Electrician in Pasadena

Posted on July 10, 2014 | by Kim Hopkins

If you are thinking about beating the heat this summer with a new pool in your backyard, you will need to hire an electrician in Pasadena to complete the wiring. A new pool is an exciting toy that will lead to hours of fun for the whole family and of course, family friends. There are plenty of tools needed to keep your pool clean and safe to use. Tools like filters, pumps and heaters if desired, all require electricity. Water and electricity do not mix so it is important an experienced electrician, like those at The Electric Connection, complete the wiring for the pool to ensure it is safe. Even if you are choosing to go with an above ground pool, there is still some electrical that will be needed to operate the filter and pump.

The following are some of the things that will need to be addressed when bringing your pool up to Pasadena electrical codes.

*Depth of the wiring must be buried at least 18 inches for PVC conduit or 6 inches deep for EMT conduit. Your electrician can discuss this in more detail with you.

*Your pool will need a dedicated breaker and outlets to run on. The outlet needs to be no closer than 6 foot from the pool’s edge and no farther than 20 feet from the pool. This is the receptacle that will be used to power your filtration system, pump, heater and an automatic pool cover if you choose.

*Lighting inside the pool and around the pool area will also need to be installed by an electrician.

If you home’s electric panel is already maxed out, you may need to have a sub-panel installed to run the various equipment needed to keep your pool in tip-top condition. Give The Electric Connection a call and schedule an appointment to discuss your pool installation needs.