Tag: panel upgrade

Electrical Estimates By Pasadena Electrician

Posted on | by K Hopkins

As with any type of home repair service, the cost of a project or repair will vary depending on what type of work you need to have done. If you have an electrical repair, for example, the electrician will need to take out his tools and do some electrical troubleshooting in order to determine exactly what and where the problem is. If this is the case, it’s not possible to give an exact electrical estimate before starting, and the job will need to be done on a time an material basis. The electrician should give you an accurate quote of their hourly rates, and the cost of materials that they charge you for should be realistic. If the electrician is knowledgeable and competent and the repair is straight forward, they can usually fix the issue within a fairly short amount of time and at a reasonable cost.

If you need a panel upgrade, new lighting, smoke detectors or any other type of electrical installation, you’ll want to make sure that you know the exact price before the job is started. For your own protection, this is very important.

Electric Connection, a licensed Pasadena electrician, can give you a ballpark price over the phone for most types of electrical installations, and then schedule an appointment to go out to your house or business property to give you a detailed price in writing. Getting a price in writing for the work you need done means no surprises for you at the end of the job and less stress for you while the job is in progress, too.

If you need an electrical update or installation, you can call our office and let us know exactly what you’re looking for, and we’ll be able to give a ballpark figure and some free electrical advice. If you like the ballpark price, we can schedule an appointment to go out to your property and give you an exact electrical estimate in writing. We’re a licensed and bonded electrician Pasadena area residents can depend on. You can also visit our website at www.theelectricconnection.com/electrician-pasadena-ca to find out more.

Los Angeles Electrician – Federal Pacific Panels

Posted on | by K Hopkins

Do you or does someone that you know have a Federal Pacific Electrical panel in their business or home? There are a number of reasons that these panels are unsafe, which means that they should be replaced as quickly as possible. One of the first reasons is simply because they are so old. Federal Pacific panels have not been installed in many years. The main reason that they should be replaced by your electrician in Los Angeles is because the circuit breakers in the panel may not always trip whenever they should. This can lead to some very serious issues with your home’s electrical system.

An Example

A couple years ago, one of our technicians were called out to inspect a circuit wire that appeared to have bubbled up. Whenever he arrived at the location, he discovered that this particular circuit had been overloaded so far that the sheath covering on the cable started to boil. Upon further inspection, he found out that the power for this particular cable came from a Federal Pacific electrical panel. What happened, was that the homeowner’s air conditioning unit was experiencing issues that caused it to seize up, continuously pulling more and more power from the panel. Rather than tripping like it should have, the circuit breaker remained on, leading to the boiling cable sheathe.

Although we were able to correct this problem relatively quickly, it could very easily have turned out much worse. This overloaded wire could have caught fire, or remained unnoticed and poorly insulated until it came into contact with a person or with another item that led to serious electrical shock or other injury.

The moral of the story is to have your home regularly inspected by a Los Angeles electrician for proper safety. For more safety tips or information about unsafe electrical panels, visit The Electric Connection at www.theelectricconnection.com.

Pasadena Electrician – Home Wiring Inspections

Posted on | by K Hopkins

Because of the rich history of home ownership that we have in the United States, the country is still the home to any number of homes that were built before most Americans were even born. Through preservation and careful maintenance, there are even homes that were built in the Victorian Era and prior. Although these homes are often prized for their historical significance, the electrical systems within can be very dangerous if they have not been brought up to date with current standards. Testing electrical outlets for proper operation and flicking light switches on and off is typically not a sufficient level of testing for an electrical system, especially when the electrical system is potentially very old.

Most homes built prior to the 1940s were constructed with knob and tube wiring, that has not been used for many years. Whenever you move into a home, you should not take it for granted that the previous owner took the time and care to have all of the electrical components upgraded to safer, more current technologies. This is one of the reasons why you should have your own electrician in Pasadena come out to do a full home safety inspection.

A full home electrical safety inspection can end up saving you and your family extensive time and money in the long run, especially if it is able to identify any key problems with your current electrical system. During an electrical safety assessment, a technician from The Electric Connection will come out and do a full check on your electrical system. During this time, we will discover whether or not you have any outdated wiring systems, an ungrounded electrical system, or an undersized electrical panel. If we discover any issues, we will put together an action plan to address these issues.

For more information on getting in touch with our team, or to learn more about the potential issues you could be facing, read through the resources at The Electric Connection website at ww.theelectricconnection.com.

Pasadena Electrician – Avoiding Breaker Panel Fires

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Pasadena Electrician – Avoiding Breaker Panel Fires

It is estimated that each year around 3,500 Americans die in home fires and 20,000 are injured. A leading type of home fires is the electrical fire. This is especially true in regards to manufactured homes. When it comes to breaker panel fires, there are currently two different brands of panels that have known manufacturing flaws that puts anyone with one of these panels at risk for an electrical fire. Zinsco panels and Federal Pacific Electric panels are known for the dangers that they pose. In addition to these two brands, there are also many people who have panels older than 40 years old that may not provide the protection that is needed to protect their homes properly from electrical dangers. If your home has one of these panels, you should get in touch with an electrician in Pasadena right away to ensure that the proper steps are taken to safeguard you and your family.

Federal Pacific Electric Company (FPE) Panels

The FPE was one of the largest circuit breaker panel manufacturers in North American from the 1950s to the 1980s. As time went on, many electricians discovered the dangers that these panels posed to the families that they were supposed to protect. It is now known that FPE panels may appear to work for many years, but can overheat and become a fire hazard after only one short circuit or overcurrent.

If you have a breaker that fails to trip whenever it is supposed, it can allow an incredible amount of electricity to enter your home from your electrical utility company. Whenever this happens, it can lead to severe overheating and electrical fires. As a result, many panels such as these older FPE panels can eventually catch on fire, leading to a very serious issue for any homeowner.

Zinsco Panels

Zinsco panels were also very common at one point in time. Although there are not many of them remaining, they can be very dangerous in the modern setting. These panels are simply not designed to handle the amount of electricity that we use every day.

For more information on electrical panels, (Click Here), or to schedule an electrical panel upgrade, call our team at The Electric Connection today.

Electrician in Glendale – Why Fuse and Circuit Breaker Size is Important

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Electrician in Glendale – Why Fuse and Circuit Breaker Size is Important

The frequency of accidents caused by the incorrect usage of electricity has increased as our dependency on electronic devices has increased over the last several years. Every year, accidental electrical fires cause millions of dollars in property damages. Because of this, you should always practice as much electrical safety as possible whenever you use your electrical appliances and devices. To make sure that your home is as safe as it can be from electrical accidents, you should also consider talking to an electrician in Glendale about performing an electrical safety assessment, updating service panels and ensuring that your home is properly grounded.

Can you use any size fuse or circuit breaker in your electrical panel?

Many older homes still utilize an outdated fuse box inside the service panel, instead of a safer and more modern breaker panel. If you still have a fuse box, then it is very likely that your electrical system is not prepared to take the amount of electricity that you use every day. This results in fuses blowing very frequently for many homeowners. Rather than replacing blown fuses with the appropriately sized replacements, some homeowners choose to oversize the fuse in order to reduce the frequency of blown fuses. This can be very dangerous, though not nearly as dangerous as replacing the fuse with something that cannot blow, such as a coin. Doing either of these should be avoided. Fuses are protective devices that are designed to stop electricity from flowing into a circuit whenever it reaches a level that is dangerous. Whenever you oversize or bypass a fuse, your circuit can overload. This can lead to overheating, fire and electrical shock.

One of the best ways to deal with an older fuse box is to have your electrical service upgraded by one of the technicians at The Electric Connection. We can send someone out to upgrade your service, and install the appropriately sized circuit breakers in your new electrical service panel. If you are experiencing any issues with your electrical panel, please don’t hesitate to give us a call today.

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Electrician in Pasadena – How to Use Your Electrical Panel

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 2 Comments on Electrician in Pasadena – How to Use Your Electrical Panel

Your electrical panel serves as the entry point for the electricity being provided to your home from your electrical utility. It also functions as an electrical safety device that will turn off an electrical circuit if there is too much current. Excess levels of electricity can lead to fire or electrical shock. Although you can often tell which circuit is malfunctioning by looking at your breaker box, it can make things much easier if you take the time to label all of your circuits or fuses. This way, you know which switch goes to which area of your home, regardless of whether or not that particular breaker has visibly tripped.

Most newer homes use circuit breakers in order to protect the different areas of the house. Some older homes, however, may still have fuses. If your home still has a fusebox, consider calling a local Pasadena electrician to inspect your electrical system. This is often the sign of an undersized electrical service. If you have a breaker panel, just follow the below steps to restore power to the area of your home that has been affected.

Excess electrical current passing through a circuit will cause your circuit breaker to trip, effectively stopping the current from flowing anymore. When this happens, the switch will move to a neutral position, which is between the ON and the OFF position. To return power to this circuit, all that you have to do is flip the switch all the way to the OFF position and then back to the ON position. Before doing this, it is good practice to turn off or unplug all appliances in the circuit.

Now that the power is back on, you can continue to use your circuit as usual. If you have continuous issues, however, you should call our technicians at The Electric Connection for assistance. We are always more than happy to lend a helping hand. You can also get more information through our website at www.theelectricconnection.com.

Electrician Los Angeles Can Light up the Spaces in Your Home

Posted on | by K Hopkins

If you need to add more light to the dark corners of your home—whether they are inside or outside—an electrician who specializes in custom lighting projects might be exactly what you need. The projects done by a licensed electrician can be customized to include all types of home lighting, including interior lighting, recessed lighting, landscape lighting as well as security lighting.

Your first step is deciding what style of lighting fixtures you’ll want to add to the interior or exterior of your home. Along with functionality, remember to choose lighting fixtures that complement the style of your home decor.

Once you’ve made the decision on what style of lighting fixtures you want, there’s one more step before finding the right electrician in Los Angeles.  That step is to purchase the lighting fixtures that you want to have installed. Now that you’ve made all of the decisions, it’s time to find the right electrician. Los Angeles residents and business know that they can count on The Electric Connection as a reliable and professional electrical contracting company that’s been in business for over 30 years.

We’ll be able to quickly install your new interior lighting or outdoor lights for you.  We’ll even rewire your entire home for you if necessary and bring your old wiring up to the current code requirements. We have years of experience when it comes to wiring installations as well as any other types of electrical services you might need such as new outlets, ceiling or bath fans, panel upgrades and more.

We’re fully licensed, bonded and insured electricians, and we’ll do it right the first time. Come visit us at: www.theelectricconnection.com today and see what we can do for you!

 

Electrician Santa Monica – What Are Electrical Circuits?

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Electrician Santa Monica – What Are Electrical Circuits?

An electrical circuit is the necessary pathway required to provide power to your appliances, gadgets and electronics. Each circuit is a closed loop system that is formed by wires, a power source, load, a switch and some sort of circuit protection. The electricity flows from the power source, into the circuit and ultimately into the object that it is plugged into. After the electricity has provided the necessary power to the device, it then flows back to the original electrical source, allowing the circuit to keep the electrical current flowing in a smooth manner. There are three different types of electrical circuits: the parallel circuit, the series circuit and the series-parallel circuit.

How Do They Work?

An electrician in Santa Monica installs an electrical panel that is then broken into several circuits that provide power to your home. Whenever you plug a device into an electrical outlet, or flip a switch, you are accessing electricity that is flowing through that particular circuit. By plugging in or flipping a switch, you are essentially completing the circuit. This allows power to flow freely from the positive terminal of the power source, through the wire, and back to the negative terminal. This allows us to provide on-demand electricity to our light bulbs, televisions, appliances and other electronics.

Types of Circuits

The simplest type of circuit is the series circuit, because it provides only one possible path for electrical current. If this circuit is broken at any point along this path, none of the devices on the circuit will work. A parallel circuit, on the other hand, contains more than one path for electrical current. If one of the paths is broken, electricity can still flow to other portions of the circuit. A series-parallel circuit combines these two circuit types. Some portions of the circuit are parallel, and some are attached in series. If one of the series circuits breaks, it will shut off power to anything in that circuit. If a parallel circuit breaks, all other parallel circuits will continue to function as normal.

As an electrician Santa Monica, The Electric Connection installs and maintains electrical circuits on a daily basis. For more information, or questions about our services, visit our main website at www.theelectricconnection.com.

Electrician Pasadena – What Should You Do If There’s an Electrical Fire?

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Electrician Pasadena – What Should You Do If There’s an Electrical Fire?

Although most electrical fires start very small, they can quickly spread into almost unmanageable proportions. This is especially true if the fire starts behind your walls. This can lead to a fire becoming very large before you even realize that it is there. Your best protection against an electrical fire is to prevent it from happening in the first place. If you must deal with one, however, you should always be prepared to take the proper course of action. Whenever faced with an electrical fire, your own personal safety is the number one priority. If the fire is too large for you to contain, or is growing too quickly, evacuate everyone out of the home immediately until a fire crew can make the area safe again.

If you are in a position to control the fire, start by shutting off all power to your building. Simply go to the electrical panel and shut off the main breaker until the fire is under control. If you do not already know where this is, find its location and make sure that it is never blocked or obstructed. Once the power has been shut off, you can attempt to smother the fire with a Class C fire extinguisher or baking soda. Do not ever throw water on an electrical fire. Water conducts electricity, which can result in you or someone else becoming electrocuted. Whenever the fire has been controlled, do not turn your electricity on until an electrician in Pasadena has inspected your wiring for safety. The last thing that you want is for a second fire to occur in the same place.

When it comes to using electricity in your home and businesses, your safety is more important than any other factor. Learn how to use your electrical system safely so that you can avoid any electrical fires, shocks or other mishaps. For more tips and information on fire safety and services, visit The Electric Connection website at www.theelectricconnection.com/.

Los Angeles Electrician – A Few Reasons You Should Call an Electrician

Posted on | by K Hopkins

Keeping your home and family safe is a high priority for every homeowner. One of the best, yet often neglected ways to ensure their safety is to make sure that all of your home’s electrical components are in safe and good working order. When it comes to electricity, being safe is always far better than being sorry. Rather than worrying about loose wires, short circuits and other potentially dangerous situations, work with an electrician in Los Angeles to make sure that your home is as safe as it possibly can be.

Attempting to solve electrical problems on your own can not only put you in immediate danger, but can also make the problems worse than they were to start with. While it is perfectly fine to replace light bulbs, flip breakers back on and perform other similar simple tasks by yourself, tackling anything that has to do with wiring or the other electrical components in your home should be left to the professionals.

If you have a breaker or breakers that trip frequently, then it is time to call a Los Angeles electrician. This can be a sign that you may have malfunctioning appliances, or an overloaded circuit. This might mean that you need to address a problem with a particular appliance, or your electrical service in general. In some case, a small panel upgrade can add additional circuits to your home, allowing you to more evenly spread the load.

Regardless of whether you are faced with an electrical issue or if you need to have electrical components such as a whole house surge protector installed, your safety and the integrity of your home depend on the skills and experience that only a licensed, professional electrician has. For any questions, or to talk about your electrical jobs and problems, give us a call today at The Electric Connection. We’ll look forward to hearing from you.

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