Tag: glendale electrician

Finding the Right Glendale Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

bigstockphoto_Construction_Worker_2047015There are times when you simply can’t or shouldn’t do certain repairs around your house. Not everybody is trained or cut out to take care of all the little jobs that arise. You need to hire a professional from time to time. One of the professionals you will likely need on occasion is a Glendale electrician. If you have never used an electrician or have had a bad experience in the past and are looking for a new one, how do you know what to look for? The team at The Electric Connection has been helping folks out for years and is here to help you as well. The following characteristics are what you should look for when you need to hire an electrician to take care of work around your home.

• Good reputation-ask your friends, neighbors and family members if they have used a particular company. What was their experience? Do some checking online as well. Angie’s List is a great place to start.

• Professional-an electrician that shows up at your door should look and act professional. A clean uniform is a good sign of a professional contractor. If you are bringing an electrician into your business, a professional appearance is very important.

• Licensed and bonded-this is an absolute must when hiring an electrician. Glendale residents should only allow contractors into their homes or businesses who have the proper licensing through the state as well as a bond to protect you in case there is any damage done to your home.

• Timely-Cable companies are often joked about because of their lack of timeliness, but it isn’t a laughing matter. You are busy and don’t have hours to sit around waiting for an electrician to show up. You need a company that can give you a set window and stick to it.

If you need an electrician, you can call The Electric Connection and find an electrician who meets all of these standards.

Surge Protection by Electrician in Glendale

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

electricalBS (28)It is time to get ready for another winter and there is no time like the present to get some of those little things done around the house that you have been putting off. During the spring and summer, most of your time and energy is focused on the outside of your home and the landscaping needs. Now, it is time to focus your attention on the inside of your home. An electrician in Glendale is here to help you take care of a few things that can make your home a little safer while adding a layer of protection for some of your expensive electronic equipment and appliances. At The Electric Connection, you will find a team of professionals who are capable of handling any job, big or small.

Surge Protectors

Whole home surge protectors are a worthy investment. In the event of a power outage or a power surge, the surge protector deflects the extra electricity away from your electronics. Sensitive electronic equipment like computers and smart televisions can be damaged when there is a surge or when the power goes out and then right back on. Your refrigerator will also suffer overtime and the expected life of the refrigerator will be dramatically reduced if it is constantly subjected to power fluctuations. The surge protector will need to be installed by an electrician familiar with Glendale electrical codes.

Hard-Wired Smoke Detectors

If you have a woodstove or plan on using a space heater this winter, it is a good idea to have hard-wired smoke detectors installed. These devices are wired directly to your home’s main source of power and do not rely on batteries. The detectors are inter-connected, adding precious minutes to a family’s escape from a house fire.

If you are ready to make a few improvements to your home, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your surge protector and smoke detector installation.

Cloth Wiring Concerns Addressed by Glendale Electrician

Posted on | 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.

Outdoor Security Enhanced with Spotlights with Electrician in Glendale

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Outdoor lighting is often overlooked by homeowners who are more focused on their indoor lighting needs. A few lights set in the landscape are nice, but it doesn’t often do enough to properly light an area to provide adequate security. Many people will settle for a security light over the front door or the garage door and call it good. That does little good for the far corners of the yard or pathways around the garage or what not. An electrician in Glendale can help you enhance the security of your yard. You can count on The Electric Connection to make sure your yard is well lit.

Spotlights can be placed in the yard to shed light on a specific area like a fountain, a gorgeous rose bush or even a statue. The spotlights can be solar or electric-powered. The latter is preferable, especially for areas that are shady. The lights are brighter than a standard pathway light and light up a broader area. A row of spotlights along a pathway in the backyard is perfect for adding a layer of safety.

Patio areas will benefit from additional lighting. The standard porch light tends to only light up the area closest the door, while the rest of the patio is swathed in darkness. String lights are a popular choice and can enhance the overall look of the patio. You can add festive-colored light strings or romantic twinkle lights. In either situation, you will need to have your Glendale electrical system beefed up a bit to accommodate the light strings. Your electrician can install an extra outlet for you to plug the string lights into. This ensures you are not overloading an existing outlet and still have an outlet available to plug in a fan or other electrical device. Give The Electric Connection a call today and help make your outdoor area a little safer.

Electrical Wiring Warning Signs by Glendale Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

It can be tough to determine what is a problem in your home and what is something that can be put off and until you have the time, energy or the money to fix. However, it is important to educate yourself about certain problems that can become extremely serious if left unchecked. Electrical problems often give homeowners a few warning signs before they become serious and lead to electrical fires. A Glendale electrician can help you determine what constitutes a serious electrical problem and what situations can be left until you have the time. The Electric Connection has the electricians you need to help you make your home safe.

Flickering Lights

A flickering light is often chalked up to a bad bulb. If you replace the bulb and the light still flickers, you likely have a wiring issue. It is possible the fixture is bad and needs replacement. In either case, it isn’t an issue you want to ignore. Wires that are bared either due to breaking down over time or the victim of rodent chewing can spark a fire. It is important the light is inspected by an electrician. Glendale residents will appreciate knowing their lighting is not a safety hazard.

Popping Breakers

If you plug in an appliance or turn on an appliance and the breaker trips on a regular basis, it could indicate the breaker is weak or faulty. A single breaker trip is usually not cause for worry and suggest the breaker was overloaded. A breaker that trips for no apparent reason needs to be inspected by an electrician. It will likely need to be replaced.

Bad Outlets

Outlets that do not work or work sporadically are a sign of trouble and need to be inspected and replaced right away. There are likely exposed wires behind the walls that could cause a fire.

If you have any of these issues, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your appointment.

LEDs Save Money and Look Great Says Electrician in Glendale

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Summer is the perfect time to complete partial kitchen remodels. You don’t have to do a lot to give your kitchen a facelift. Little things like updating the paint, hardware on the cupboards and drawers and lighting can make your kitchen look fresh and new again without a lot of time, energy or expense. Many of the little fix-it jobs you can handle yourself like repainting or adding fresh hardware. Other jobs that involve electricity should be left to an electrician in Glendale. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help you make your kitchen new again with the installation of under-cabinet LED lighting.

LEDs are the latest and greatest lighting revolution. They are extremely bright and require very little juice or electricity in this case, to run. Less electricity is always a welcome benefit and will end up saving you money on your monthly electric bill. There are a couple of different options available to you when it comes to having LEDs installed under your cabinets. You can go with a fixture that contains a few super-bright LEDs or you can opt for a light strip. The flexible light strips are often more convenient because you can choose just how much light you want illuminating your counter space. Sometimes you need a little and sometimes you need a lot.

After you have chosen your LED fixture, you will want to hire an electrician licensed to work on Glendale electrical projects to complete the installation of the light strips if that is your choice. The electrician will go about installing the lights by wiring the strips to a plug that you can plug and unplug as necessary. These light strips can be placed anywhere in your home, really. Your bathroom, hallway and closet spaces are all ideal places to add a little more light. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your LED installation.

Landscape Lighting Addressed by Glendale Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Doing your own yard work is a rewarding experience. While there is always the option of hiring a landscape company to take care of your lawn needs, it is often a job many homeowners would like to take on themselves. It is an excellent way to get some exercise while working with your hands. One of the biggest motivators to taking care of your own yard work is the cost savings. The money you save by taking care of your own landscaping needs gives you more money to put back into the landscaping. Landscaping is not complete without adequate lighting. Although you may want to do all the work yourself, landscape lighting is one job you will want to hire a Glendale electrician to take care of. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help you.

Many homeowners who tackle their landscaping needs on their own will usually opt to install solar lights. These lights are quick and easy to install and require very little effort. They can be placed anywhere in the landscaping, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will work effectively. Solar lights need at least 8 hours of sunlight to recharge. If the lights are placed under trees or thick shrubs that get very little sun, the solar lights will not recharge and will not light up when darkness falls.

Electric landscape lights require a little more effort to install, but they will remain lit throughout the night whether the sun shone on the lights or not. Because the lights will require electrical wire, you will want to hire an electrician. Glendale residents will appreciate the reliability of electric landscaping lights. Your electrician will wire the lights into the home’s electric panel. You can opt to have a timer installed for the lights or a manual switch for you to control when the lights are turned off and on. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your landscape lighting installation.

New Chandelier for Enhanced Rooms says Electrician in Glendale

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

There are certain changes you can make in your home that can give it an entirely new look and feel. Sometimes, the simplest thing like a light fixture can take a home from drab and dark to modern and brilliant. One common way of changing the look of a room is by installing a new chandelier. Chandeliers can add an elegant look to a dining room or entrance way. Despite how easy it may seem to simply change out one light fixture for another, the task involves some work with electricity. If you are not familiar with electric wiring, it is best to give the job to an electrician in Glendale. You can count on the team at The Electric Connection to take care of a chandelier installation efficiently and professionally.

One of the joys of owning your own home is being able to decorate it and embellish it to suit your tastes. Lighting plays a huge role in the way a room is presented. Take a trip to your local home improvement store and visit the lighting department. There are so many styles and designs to choose from, the process may take a bit as you envision each fixture hanging in your home. Once you have made your decision, it is time to take care of the Glendale electrical wiring.

An electrician will remove the existing fixture and check the wiring before installing the new chandelier. This is an excellent time to have the wiring evaluated for any signs it may need upgrading. Chandeliers are typically installed with dimmer switches. This gives you the freedom to change the mood in a room by making it very bright or dimming the lights. Your electrician will take care of this during the install process if you would like. If you would like to enhance your home with a new chandelier, give The Electric Connection a call today.

GFCI Outlets–Why You Need Them Explains Electrician in Glendale

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

If you have never heard of or seen the outlets that are in new homes or office buildings, you are missing out on something that could potentially save you or a family member’s life. A GFCI outlet is an added layer of safety when it comes to dealing with two things that never mix well—water and electricity. No matter how cautious you are, there is always the chance of an accident happening that will mix the two and create a life-threatening situation. Your electrician in Glendale, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you protect your family by installing GFCI outlets.

GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. The outlets are designed to trip the breaker the instant the flow of electricity is interrupted. If you were to accidentally drop the mixer in the sink or spill a cup of water on it while you were using it, the outlet would trip the breaker and cut the flow of electricity. This prevents you from getting an electric shock. This would be the case if you were in the bathroom using a hairdryer or any other appliance. The outlets also work on cords that may be damaged and at risk of causing an electric shock.

The outlets will replace any current outlets you have in the kitchen or bathroom. You may have seen these before. They have small reset buttons usually in the middle between the top and bottom outlets. Because the outlets will need to be wired, the job will need to be completed by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will feel better about using their electric appliances in areas that are prone to accidents that involve electricity and water mixing. If you would like to learn more about GFCI outlets or are ready to make an appointment to have an electrician upgrade your current outlets, give The Electric Connection a call today.

6 Simple Energy Savings Tips by Electrician in Glendale

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Doesn’t it always feel like no matter how well you budget and save, you are always looking in your bank account for just a few extra dollars? Maybe you have already buttoned down your spending and can’t really find any other places in the budget where you can cut back. An electrician in Glendale is here to provide you with some tips that can help lighten the burden of your electric bill. We all know every little bit helps. You can always count on The Electric Connection to answer any questions you may have about energy savings.

1-If you haven’t already done it, get rid of those incandescent light bulbs and replace them with CFLs. You could easily save $15 to $20 a month (possibly more) on lighting costs.

2-Turn down your water heater a couple of degrees. There is really no reason to have scalding hot water coming out of the tap. You can save a few dollars by not making your water heater work overtime heating water to a temperature you will not be able to use it at.

3-Have a ceiling fan installed by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will soon realize the energy savings the fans provide in the winter and the summer.

4-Invest in heavy curtains to block out the heat of the sun in the summer and the cold draft in the winter. This will help cut down on your heating and cooling costs.

5-Skip the drying cycle on the dishwasher and let the dishes air dry or use a towel to dry them by hand.

6-Consider using a clothesline in the summer to dry your laundry. You can also use a drying rack inside the home to cut down on the need for the dryer.

These are just a few things you can do to help reduce your electricity bill. There are plenty of other ways you can save. Give The Electric Connection a call today to learn more.