When the Lights Won’t Turn On, Pasadena Electrician Can Help

Posted on April 25, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

Sometimes, life is funny and throws you a little curve ball now and again. One of the things we have come to rely on in life is electricity. When it doesn’t work as expected or it doesn’t work at all, it can be extremely frustrating. You want electricity when you want it and not after you have had to flip breakers, unplug things and wiggle wires. It is actually very dangerous to mess with switches, outlets and appliances that are not working as they should. It is best to leave it up to a professional electrician in Pasadena to handle any kind of electrical problems. The crew at The Electric Connection can get your home’s electrical fixed and working properly again.

It is important you recognize the signs of an electrical problem that can lead to something as dangerous as an electrical fire that threatens the safety of the home’s residents. Your Pasadena electrician wants you to watch out for the following;

*A popping or snapping sound coming from an outlet or light switch
*A smell of burning wires
*A small shock when you flip a switch or attempt to plug something in
*Black streaks shooting up the wall above a switch or outlet
*The outlet or switch doesn’t always work or doesn’t work at all
*The breaker feeding the switch or outlet trips often
*The switchplate, outlet or wall around the area feels warm or hot to the touch

These are all signs you have a problem that needs some attention from an electrician. Pasadena homeowners should call at the first sign of any of these problems and avoid using the outlet or switch until it can be looked at. If you can shut off the breaker that feeds the problematic switches and outlets, it would be safer. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your electrical repair.

Is Your Electric Meter Spinning? Glendale Electrician Provides Energy Savings Tips

Posted on April 25, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

You know that little meter outside your home that is fairly unattractive and unnoticeable until you hear it making a scary sound. The sound is the little dial spinning around and around. That dial spinning represents your money flying out the door. The dial is measuring the amount of electricity you are using in your house. A spinning meter can be a little scary and you will be dreading the next electric bill. When you think about this summer, it is easy to really get concerned about how much it will cost you to keep your home cool. An electrician in Glendale can help you manage your spinning meter and help keep some of that money in your pocket. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help.

These are 5 ways you can help limit your electricity usage and keep your electric bill down.

1-Make a commitment to set your thermostat at about 74 this summer. That is a comfortable temperature and you can maximize it by using a ceiling fan installed by a Glendale electrician to help stir up a breeze and circulate the cool air.

2-Buy a laundry rack and dry a few things outside on the patio to cut down on how often you use the dryer.

3-Be more conscientious about the amount of hot water you use. Don’t leave the faucet running while you wipe down cupboards or rinse dishes. Shave a few minutes off your shower time as well.

4-Switch out your old bulbs for the much more energy friendly LEDs. These tiny little bulbs use a fraction of the electricity of the standard bulb. You can also use CFLs. In some cases, you will need to have your light fixtures upgraded by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will appreciate the new look an updated fixture brings to a room.

5-Buy new curtains and blinds to use as sun shields this summer. It will help keep your home warmer and save on cooling costs.

Give The Electric Connection a call today to install that new light fixture or ceiling fan so you can start saving money on your electric bill.

Revamping the Outdoors with an Electrician in Burbank

Posted on April 25, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

With the spring weather upon us, it is time to get outside and really enjoy the outdoors. Although it stays lighter longer, the evenings are still warm and beckoning, even though it is a bit dark. For early birds, getting up with the sun is exciting and invigorating. This is the time they like to go out and get the paper, water the blooming flowers or just sit outside and enjoy the sounds of nature when they are not masked by the hustle and bustle of life. If you have been out and about in the early mornings or late at night, you have probably noticed your outdoor lighting. Is it looking a little boring or maybe just a little too dark? An electrician in Burbank, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you revamp the outdoor lighting and make your yard much more inviting and safe.

When you step out your front door, you want to be able to see around the yard and if your car is in the driveway, being able to get a good clear view. This can be achieved with new lighting installed by your electrician. Burbank homeowners will appreciate the safety that comes with adequate and attractive lighting around these areas.

In the backyard or on your porch or patio, you will want enough light to read the morning paper, do a crossword or to talk with someone while looking at their face. It also allows you to see where you are going and whether or not the chairs are wet with dew. A little lighting installed by a Burbank electrician can completely change the way a space looks and feels. You will be inclined to spend more time outdoors when you know you can see clearly. Give The Electric Connection a call today and see what changes and upgrades you can make to your outdoor lighting.

Electrical Repairs Require Santa Monica Electrician

Posted on March 24, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

When your car isn’t running right or you have a leaky faucet, you may try and diagnose and repair the problem yourself. These are fairly innocent symptoms and a number of people can safely take care of the problem just by using Google or talking to somebody at the auto parts store or their local hardware store. Unfortunately, electrical problems in the home, even those that seem relatively simple, can be extremely dangerous for the average person to fix. It is absolutely imperative you call an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners who suspect they have something going on with the electrical in their home can call The Electric Connection.

Sometimes, the obvious problem is just a symptom of something much bigger. A light switch that doesn’t seem to work or an outlet that is loose or makes a popping noise may seem like no big deal, but it is. It is hard to say what is happening without an inspection from a trained and certified electrician in Santa Monica. It could really be a quick fix that requires a little tightening of the wires or a replace of the switch or outlet. It could also be an indication of faulty wiring or wiring that is old and brittle.

There are plenty of other scenarios that would require you to call a Santa Monica electrician. If you want new outlets, additional outlets or new light fixtures, you will want to leave the job to the professionals. This ensures the job will be done right and you can sleep better at night knowing it was handled by someone who has been through extensive training and been certified. It is too risky to ignore the problem or attempt to diagnose it if you don’t have the knowledge. Give The Electric Connection a call today if you suspect your electrical wiring may need a little help.

Lighting Concepts by an Electrician in Pasadena

Posted on March 24, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

The standard light fixture is average. It is expected. You walk into a room and you flip the switch, the light comes on and your room looks like a million other rooms in houses all across the world. What if you wanted something a little different? Maybe something that speaks to your style and reflects your personality. An electrician in Pasadena can help you come up with a unique lighting scheme that will improve the way your room looks and make you feel more comfortable with the style. The team at The Electric Connection has a team of electricians who know how to transform an ordinary room into one that pops.

We live in a time where ordinary lighting is becoming out of style. People want to have their space tailored to them. Adding new lighting that may have bold colors or a unique design will make you feel like you have put your own special touch on your home, which you have. A Pasadena electrician can install as many or as few light fixtures as you want—where you want. You don’t have to settle for the single light in the center of the ceiling. There are some standards, like track lighting or recessed lighting, but you can find some very unique shields and shades.

Pendants and hanging lights are also a fun way to add some color to the kitchen. You can choose to have the pendants at varying lengths. You can discuss the various hanging options with your electrician. Pasadena homeowners will appreciate the flexibility that technology has brought to the lighting world. Bold and bright or subtle and soft, You are sure to find a combination that makes your room feel more comfortable and homey. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your new lighting concept.

Home Safety Additions by Los Angeles Electrician

Posted on March 24, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

When you walk in the door of your home at night, you expect to be relatively safe. You expect the home to be constructed well and to protect you from the elements. Your home keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It is where you spend time with your family and feel the most comfortable. That is the idea at least. Unfortunately, there are often hidden dangers in the home that need to be addressed. It only takes a few changes to make your home a little safer. These are things your Los Angeles electrician can help you with. The team at The Electric Connection has a trained staff of electricians ready to help you make your home a little safer for you and your family.

Installing GFCI Outlets

These are standard features in recent construction, but older homes were not equipped with GFCI outlets explains an electrician in Los Angeles. These outlets are specially designed to be used around areas where water is at, like the bathroom and kitchen areas. The outlets will trip the breaker the second the flow of electricity is interrupted by water. This will prevent an electric shock.

Hard-Wired Smoke Detectors

These are an ideal option to the standard battery-powered smoke detectors. A hard-wired smoke detector will need to be installed by an electrician. Los Angeles homeowners will love the fact that the smoke alarms are wired directly into the home’s power and do not rely on batteries. If a fire breaks out and the smoke detector alerts, it will trigger the rest of the smoke detectors that have been hard-wired into the main power system.

These are two fairly simple, basic upgrades that can make your home a little safer for you and your family. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your outlet upgrades and smoke detector installation.

When You Need to Call an Electrician

Posted on March 24, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

If you are sick, you call a doctor. If you air conditioner stops working, you call an HVAC repairman. We are fortunate to live in a world where we are only a phone call away from help. We are not expected to fix things ourselves. In fact, the economy relies on us calling in professionals who have went to school and made a living repairing things and making our lives a little easier. What about an electrician? When should you call an electrician, like those at The Electric Connection.

Here are a list of jobs that would require you to give your electrician a call.

When you have a flickering light or a light that doesn’t always turn on when you flipped the switch.
When you need electrical upgrades around the house, like adding additional outlets or replacing old outlets with GFCI outlets.
When you want to add a new light fixture.
When you know you have old wiring that could be potentially dangerous.
If you are doing any kind of remodeling or adding an addition to your home.
When you are having a new home built from the ground up.
When you buy a new house or are thinking about selling and want to know the condition of the electrical wiring in the home. This is especially important if the home was built before 1950 and there is no proof of electrical upgrades.
Upgrading the breaker panel to accommodate your needs.
Installing a home office.

This is not a comprehensive list, but it does include some of the more common reasons you would need to hire an electrician. If you have a job that is listed here or have any questions about what kind of electrical work you may need, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your consultation.

Hidden Dangers Behind Your Outlets by Glendale Electrician

Posted on March 24, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

Your home is the place where you feel safest. It has all your creature comforts. Things like your favorite chair where you sit and watch television or play on your laptop. While you are sitting there, feeling comfortable, you may be in danger. If your laptop charger is plugged in, you are at risk of electrocution if the outlet is hiding a dangerous situation. Your television and all electronic devices that are plugged into a bad outlet are at risk of being short-circuited and possibly ruined. An electrician in Glendale is here to tell you that a single faulty can be extremely dangerous. The team at The Electric Connection has trained professionals that can identify problems and then take care of them.

It takes very little for an outlet to become unsafe for regular use. Outlets in older homes are at a higher risk of being faulty, especially if they were wired with cloth insulated wiring. Over time, the cloth frays and falls away and the wires are bare. Plugging things into the outlet and unplugging mildly disturbs the outlet, which can result in the wires touching. This can create a spark that can start a fire or cause an electrical shock when another device is plugged in explains an electrician. Glendale homeowners who have felt a mild or major shock when using an appliance plugged into an outlet, need to have it investigated immediately.

Another problem that may cause an outlet to become dangerous are rodents. Rodents have a strange desire to chew electrical wires. They can chew through the wires, leaving them exposed and arcing. Again, this leaves you prone to an electrical fire or electrocution. Your Glendale electrician can do a fairly quick inspection to identify any hazards. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule a home inspection to determine whether or not your outlets are hiding a dangerous secret.

Brightening the Office with an Electrician in Beverly Hills

Posted on March 24, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins

Spending long hours every day inside a dingy office can be taxing. It wears on your eyes and your psyche. While natural light is often preferable, it isn’t always a possibility. That doesn’t mean you stay in the dark. There are things you can do to brighten up the office and make it a little more inviting to work in. Clients will also appreciate a brighter, more lively space as well. A brighter office is only a phone call away. An electrician in Beverly Hills, like those at The Electric Connection, can help transform that once dark space into one that is nice and bright.

There are many different lighting options besides the typical fluorescent bulbs that tend to be the standard in many office buildings. That yellow glow can be difficult to cope with day in and day out. There are some serious benefits to updating the lighting in your office explains a Beverly Hills electrician.

New lighting that is energy efficient can save money on the electric bill
Reduce the glare on screens, which improves employee productivity and moral
Brighter spaces make for a better workspace in general

It doesn’t take much to make a space look more inviting when you change the lighting scheme. If you are not sure what your options are, you can consult with an electrician. Beverly Hills office owners will appreciate getting some expert advice from people who know the business. There is new technology that is changing the ways homes and businesses are lighting their spaces. LEDs are the wave of the future. They are bright, energy efficient and they won’t heat the place up, which is especially important during the summer months. Call The Electric Connection today and bring your office up to date with latest in lighting technology.

Adding Outlets for Easier Life with an Electrician

Posted on February 11, 2016 | by Kim Hopkins | 1 Comment

We live a world that is very plugged in. All of gadgets that keep us updated with work, play and family require a charged battery that can only be achieved by plugging the unit into the wall. We have an electrical appliance for just about any task we have. All of this means we are very dependent on the electricity we are so lucky to have. Sometimes, our needs surpass the supply. How many times have you had to dig out an extension cord because you were short on outlets or you needed to charge your laptop while you were in an area that didn’t have an available outlet? It happens a lot. You need the services of an electrician, like those at The Electric Connection.

Additional outlets installed in your home or office can make life easier. It allows you to streamline your work space whether you are cooking dinner or working on a big project for work. You don’t have to figure out what to unplug so you can plug in another device. You can have it all with the help of an electrician in southern California. It doesn’t take a lot of work and there won’t need to be a complete remodel to add the additional outlets.

In some cases, the electrician may need to add an additional breaker to support the new outlets. This is generally when you want to run a large appliance, like a refrigerator or stove, or when you already have a number of appliances on the same breaker. This is something that will be evaluated before any electrical work is started. An additional breaker is usually not an issue. In rare cases, a panel upgrade may be necessary. This is usually for older homes that have limited breakers or outdated wiring. Give The Electric Connection a call today and get started on your way to electrical outlet freedom.