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Beautiful Outdoor Lighting by Burbank Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

It may be hard to think about sitting outside right now and your landscape lighting may be the farthest thing from your mind, but this is a great time to consider revamping your current outdoor lighting. With fewer chores to do outside, you can spend some time focusing on the coming spring and what you would like to do with your yard. One improvement that can make a huge difference is the installation of new outdoor lighting by an electrician in Burbank. The team at The Electric Connection would love to help you get your landscaping ready for spring.

There are many ways you can enhance your outdoors with lighting. Adding lights to fenceposts is a great way to light areas that would normally be in the dark. This can provide additional safety and security in those areas. Adding motion-sensing security lights to the backyard, driveway and any other areas that hold high-value items is another excellent way to make your home a little safer says an electrician. Burbank homeowners can have the lights professionally installed to ensure it is done right and is safe. In many situations, it will be necessary for a new breaker to be installed in the breaker box to run the new outdoor lighting.

Another lighting option that you may want to consider are spotlights. The spotlights can be directed at ornamental bushes, a flagpole or a water feature in the landscaping. This transforms your entire yard into a thing of beauty while adding a layer of safety. You can have some fun with the lighting as well. Adding twinkle lights or colored lights that dance over water features are another option you can discuss with your Burbank electrician. Spend some time finding what works best for you and then call The Electric Connection and schedule your new outdoor lighting installation, so you are ready for spring.

3 Most Effective Ways to Save Energy by Los Angeles Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

It is always a great time to think about saving a little more money wherever you can. You can make it a New Year’s resolution or simply make a change and a commitment to add a few more dollars to your savings account each month. Whether you choose to skip coffee once a week or carpool, every dollar helps. You can also save money by using less electricity says an electrician in Los Angeles. Here are three of the most effective ways to save energy. You can call The Electric Connection if you have any questions.
1. Your thermostat is going to give you the most control over how much energy you can save. In the summer, turning the thermostat up a couple of degrees (meaning the house is a touch warmer) or turning it down in the winter (meaning the house is not quite as warm), is your best option for saving real money. You can dress a little warmer or a little cooler to be comfortable say a Los Angeles electrician.
2. The next big energy user in your home is the hot water heater. In a nutshell, using less hot water will save you some money. Taking shorter showers, only running the dishwasher when it’s full and washing clothes in cold water when possible are all ways to save.
3. Refrigerators and freezers are the next big energy hog in your own home. While you can’t really do without the appliances, you can make sure they are not costing you more than necessary. Checking the seals, closing the doors when not in use and setting the thermostat to thirty-six to thirty-eight degrees is a good way to save energy explains an electrician. Los Angeles area residents can also invest in a newer energy-efficient model.

If you would like to learn more about energy savings, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Holiday Lighting 101 by Santa Monica Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Tis the season to deck the halls, the lawn and anywhere else you can add a little holiday cheer in the brightest of ways. Bright lights, tall air-filled front lawn decorations and moving figures can really make a lovely show and propel your house to the top of the best decorated list. However, all of those awesome decorations require electricity. Your Santa Monica electrician wants you to be safe and have fun this holiday season and has a few rules when it comes to decorating. The team at The Electric Connection can answer any additional questions you may have.

1. If possible, use LED light strands. They are cooler, use a fraction of the electricity and you will really love how bright the LEDs are. You get more bang for your buck.
2. Never connect more than three strands together. You will end up with flickering lights or half strands in the middle of the string that don’t light up explains an electrician in Santa Monica.
3. Use the right extension cord for the job. Only use cords made for use outside in the lawn. Consider using one of the power strips made for the outdoors to run several lights and decorations.
4. If you are finding outdoor electric outlets to be in short supply, call an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners can have more outdoor outlets installed around their lawn to make decorating a breeze and limit the amount of extension cords needed.
5. Consider putting your holiday lights and other décor on a timer. This ensures everything comes on at the right time and doesn’t inadvertently get left of all day or night.

Have a safe and fun holiday while making your house the best decorated on the block. Give The Electric Connection a call if you need some additional outlets to make your decorating task a little easier and safer.

Replacing Old, Tired Light Fixtures with Glendale Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Out with the old and in with the new can make a big difference in the way a room looks. Every decade or so, there are new trends in home decorating and construction. Those new trends are appealing to potential buyers and for those who don’t plan on selling, but like the latest trends, you can enjoy them too with the help of a Glendale electrician. One of the trends that tends to change often is lighting. You don’t have to completely remodel your home to stay with the times. You can call The Electric Connection and have new light fixtures installed that make your home look and feel more modern.

There are some other advantages to upgrading your old light fixtures as well explains an electrician. Glendale homeowners that want to use the more energy efficient bulbs on the market may need to have a new fixture installed to accommodate the bulbs. Those LEDs that are very popular right now don’t always work in the older fixtures. CFLs may also be too long or too wide to fit into an existing fixture. If you haven’t been into the lighting department lately, take a trip and discover all of the new styles. You will be amazed.

When you choose to update the old fixtures with newer, more energy efficient light fixtures, you are also getting the peace of mind knowing the electrical wiring is safe and up to code. When your Glendale electrician is taking care of the removal of the old fixture and the installation of the new, the electrician will get a peek at what’s happening behind the walls and in the ceiling. This can tell you the condition of the wiring and whether you need to consider having other outlets, switches and fixtures replaced. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your new lighting installation.

Extension Cord Safety Tips by Burbank Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

This is the time of year we tend to pull out the extension cords in order to get ready for all of our holiday lighting needs. It is fun to decorate and to compete with the neighbors for the brightest house on the block, but it can be risky if you are not careful. These are a few tips provided by an electrician in Burbank that can help keep your home safe this holiday season as you light it up. If you have concerns, you can always call the team at The Electric Connection to ask for an electric inspection.

1. Do not run extension cords across your driveway where it will be ran over.
2. Only use the round outdoor cords outside. The flat cords are not properly insulated and cannot handle the outdoor weather.
3. If you find you are having to leave windows open a crack to plug in the cords, consider have new outdoor electrical outlets installed by an electrician. Burbank homeowners will appreciate how much easier it is to decorate with outlets readily available.
4. Always unplug the extension cords when they are not in use. Do not leave them plugged in and “live” with nothing plugged in to the cord.
5. Do not string more than one extension cord together. If one isn’t long enough, buy one that is.
6. Do not overload an extension cord by plugging in more than three strands of lights connected together.
7. For indoor cords, make sure the cords are not in a busy walk area. Never run them under rugs explains a Burbank electrician.
8. Do not use a cord that has visible signs of damage. Electrical tape around a frayed cord is not safe. Discard the cord and buy a new one.

Have fun and be safe decorating your home this season. Give The Electric Connection a call if you need more outlets or have electric safety concerns.

Home Fire Prevention Tips by Los Angeles Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

We know we should change the batteries in our smoke detectors when we ‘fall back’ in early November, but there are other things you can do to make your home a little safer by preventing a fire in your home. Some of those things require the help of an electrician in Los Angeles while others can be done on your own. The team at The Electric Connection has some tips for you to make your home a little safer.

1. A working smoke alarm in each room is an excellent idea. The bare minimum should be a smoke alarm on each floor. Consider having a Los Angeles electrician install hard-wired smoke detectors that rely on your home’s power instead of a battery.
2. Keep a working fire extinguisher in the house, preferably near the kitchen where a fire is more likely to occur.
3. Do not leave any pots or pans unattended on the stove.
4. Wipe up any grease spills and keep your stove and oven clean to keep a fire from starting while you are cooking.
5. Pay attention to the outlets in your home. If you notice any black marks, smoking or a burning smell call an electrician. Los Angeles homeowners can prevent electrical fires by being aware.
6. Keep the dryer lint vent clean. Clean behind the dryer as well. Lint is extremely flammable and can quickly ignite with a little heat and a minimal spark.
7. Do not use a space heater if there is not adequate space. A good three feet away from furniture and the wall is ideal.
8. Do not overload the circuits in your home by plugging in multiple devices and appliances.

If you have concerns about the electrical in your home, call The Electric Connection today and ask to have a safety inspection to identify any potential problems.

When You Need GFCI Outlets by Beverly Hills Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Are you looking around your home and wondering how you can make it a little safer? One thing you can have done, that is quick, easy and effective is to have a quick electrical inspection. You will learn a great deal about the condition of your home’s electrical wiring in a single day when you hire an expert electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners will appreciate getting the opinion of someone who knows all of the ins and outs of electrical wiring. The team at The Electric Connection can help you learn more about any hidden dangers behind your walls while implementing a few improvements to make everything a little safer.

One of the things that is regularly done is the replacing of certain outlets in the home with GFCI outlets by an electrician in Beverly Hills. These outlets are the ones easily identified by the little red and blue button between the outlet holes. These are best installed anywhere water can come in contact with an electrical appliance. Think along the lines of bathroom and kitchen. These areas are where you are most likely to have water and electricity mix. Accidents happen; wouldn’t it be nice to make sure those accidents don’t have to put a life at risk?

The GFCI outlets will automatically cut the power to whatever device you may be using when the water interrupts the flow of electricity between the appliance and the main current. This can prevent an electric shock a Beverly Hills electrician explains. Other circuits on the breaker will continue to operate, only the device plugged into the involved GFCI will be shut off. Once the danger has been mitigated, you can press the reset button on the outlet and continue using the appliance. If you still have questions about the outlets, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Bad Outlets by Pasadena Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Electrical outlets are so common in a house, they can be easy to overlook. Because we all know how important electricity is to our daily lives, it makes sense you would want to make sure it is there when you need it. You also want to make sure it is safe. Electricity is a necessity, but it is risky when not used properly or when the wiring moving the electricity through the house is damaged or faulty. It isn’t all that uncommon to come across a bad outlet in a home explains an electrician. Pasadena homeowners can rely on the professional team at The Electric Connection to take care of any bad outlets around the house.

There are a few key signs you need to know so you can identify a faulty outlet before it becomes a serious problem.

1. Black streaks that shoot up the wall or down are a bad sign. If possible, turn off the breaker to the outlet and call an electrician in Pasadena to replace the outlet right away. An outlet that has these streaks can cause a fire whether there is anything plugged in or not.
2. If you smell burning wires, which tends to have a metallic, rubber smell, cut power to the outlet and call for service.
3. If an outlet doesn’t work at all, it is likely because the wires have either become disconnected or have no electricity running to them. Both are bad signs and need attention.
4. Snapping, crackling or other sounds coming from within the wall where the outlet is placed could be a sign of slow burning. Cut the power and get a Pasadena electrician to take a look at the wiring.
5. Outlets that are loose and wiggle need to be securely fastened to keep the wires from jiggling loose and possibly sparking a fire.

If you have noticed any of these signs, give The Electric Connection a call to take care of the problem for you.

Home Remodels with Santa Monica Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Have you recently purchased a fixer upper? With all of the home renovations shows on television these days, you may be inspired to invest in a house that needs a little help. Transforming something old and damaged into something new and lovely is exciting. It can be very fulfilling to get your hands dirty and apply your creativeness to a home renovation. It doesn’t matter if you are planning on flipping the home or making it yours to love. Part of any home renovation is going to include some electrical work, which will require the services of a professional electrician. Santa Monica new property owners can rely on The Electric Connection to take care of the electrical portion of the renovation.

Redoing walls and floors is only half the project. Sometimes you may need to bring an old home into the 21st century with new, safer electrical wiring explains an electrician in Santa Monica. Once you know the wiring is safe and ready to handle the demands on the electric panel, you can move on to the good stuff. Choosing floor material, wall colors and cabinetry is exciting, but the electrical is the first big step.

In some cases, you may be removing walls, which are likely to have wiring behind the sheetrock. This will need to be moved or disconnected by a Santa Monica electrician. Part of your planning will include installing new light fixtures and having outlets installed. With the current trend of having large, flat-screen televisions mounted to the wall, it is a good idea to have an outlet placed high up on the wall. It is the little details like these that can take a home renovation from good to great. It’s all in the details. If you are ready to get started on your home renovation project, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Replacing Dangerous Wiring by Glendale Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

One of the biggest fears a homeowner can have is the thought of losing their house to a fire. Home fires are far too common. All it takes is a small mistake or a little accident to create a horribly devastating fire that destroys all of the world possessions a family owns. One of the leading causes of a home fire can be blamed on faulty wiring. This is generally through no fault of the homeowner. There are nearly 375,000 house fires each year. There are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of your home catching fire explains an electrician in Glendale. You can count on The Electric Connection team to provide you with more information related to electrical fires.

1. More than half of the fires in homes is caused by cooking. Be extra careful when using grease and always ensure the stove and oven are off when you go to bed or leave the house. Be attentive anytime you are cooking.
2. Heating is the second leading cause. If using a woodstove or fireplace, ensure it is properly cleaned and maintained.
3. Electric wiring that is old should be inspected by a Glendale electrician. Cloth-insulated wiring is outdated and unsafe and should be replaced.
4. Have a whole home electrical safety inspection completed by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will get a detailed report of potential hazards as well as things that absolutely should be addressed right away to prevent an accident.
5. Have working smoke detectors in every room. Consider hard-wired smoke detectors as well that are more effective at alerting the entire home to a fire.

Due diligence and being a little more attentive can help prevent fires in the home. If you would like an inspection of your wiring or need a quote for electrical repairs needed to make your home safer, give The Electric Connection a call today.