Tag: electrical safety

3 Ways to Make Your Home Safer with an Electrician in Santa Monica

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

It is only natural you would want to make your home as safe as possible. You are protecting your investment as well as the people who dwell in your home. There are plenty of little, fairly inexpensive things you can do around your house that ensure there are safety measures in place. An electrician in Santa Monica can help you make your home safer. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help.

Safety Inspection

Your first layer of safety is to have an electrical safety inspection completed by an electrician. This will help identify any problems that are lurking behind the walls of your home. An electrician will go through your home’s electrical system checking for any warning signs. If the home has cloth wiring, it will be recommended the wiring is replaced and upgraded to today’s standards.

Hard-Wired Smoke Alarms

Hard-wired smoke alarms are an excellent addition to any home. The smoke detectors are wired directly into your Santa Monica electrical system. You won’t have to worry about your home being left vulnerable to fire because a battery was dead. If your home is multilevel or spread out, the hard-wired smoke detectors are especially ideal. When one detector is alerted, all of the smoke alarms will go off. This gives every person a few additional seconds to escape, which can mean the difference between life and death.

GFCI Outlets

GFCI outlets are an additional safety measure you can add to your kitchen and bathroom areas. The outlets prevent against electric shock if water happens to somehow come in contact with an appliance that is in use. The second the circuit is interrupted, the outlet will trip the breaker and cut off the electricity flow and prevent electric shock.
If you would like to make your home a little safer this spring, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Taking Care of Faulty Outlets with Electrician in Burbank

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Without electricity, we would have an extremely difficult time getting through our day. We rely on it for everything from making our first cup of coffee in the morning to charging our cell phones as we sleep at night. All of the appliances we use on a daily basis must be plugged into an outlet. When those outlets are not working properly or pose a threat to the safety of your home, you need to call an electrician in Burbank. You can count on the team at The Electric Connection to send out a knowledgeable electrician to take care of the problem.

There are a number of different reasons why an outlet may be giving you problems. You may not even realize an outlet is faulty and assume an appliance is on the fritz or an incident was just a fluke. The following signs indicate there is a problem that needs attention.

• Sporadically working
• Black streaks shooting up the wall above the outlet
• You feel a shock when plugging things in
• The breaker that runs the outlet trips frequently
• A crackling noise or smell of burning wires

Any of these symptoms can suggest a serious problem is lurking behind the walls that you cannot see. Electrical fires are one of the leading causes of home fires. It is imperative you hire somebody who has the proper training take care of your Burbank electrical needs.

While the electrician is investigating the problem, the wiring will be inspected to determine if it is outdated or unsafe. If the outlet that is causing the problem is in the kitchen or a bathroom, it would be a good time to have the outlets in those areas upgraded to GFCI outlets. If you would like to make your appointment to have your outlets inspected, replaced or upgraded, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Spring Home Electric Safety Inspections by Electrician in Santa Monica

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

We often use the time change as a way to remind ourselves to change the batteries in our smoke detectors. We do this because it is important our homes are protected as well as the people in our homes. In fact, there are plenty of things we do on a daily basis to ensure the safety of our home. One of the things that are often overlooked is the safety of the actual home. What is going on behind the walls? Is the electrical wiring safe? One way you can determine the electrical safety of your home is by calling an electrician in Santa Monica and scheduling an electric safety inspection. The team at The Electric Connection can take care of this for you and help set your mind at ease.

A home electric safety inspection can help identify potential problems before they become serious fire risks. The inspection will give you a better idea of what kinds of dangers are lurking behind the walls. If you live in a home that is more than 50 years old, you could be dealing with some outdated wiring issues. An electrician will be able to tell you if you are due for an upgrade or if your wiring is up to today’s codes.

The electrician will investigate your Santa Monica electrical system and notate any items that could use repair or replacement. You will always have the option of taking care of the repairs immediately or waiting until there is a better time. Some things that are often found on these inspections are the old style outlets in the kitchen and bathroom areas. Nowadays, the standard calls for GFCI outlets to be used in areas that are around water. If you would like to learn more about your home’s electrical system, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your home electrical safety inspection.

Why Do Breakers Trip? Electrician in Pasadena Explains

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Why do breakers trip? Have you ever turned on the vacuum or started the microwave while the toaster was in operation and experienced a tripped breaker? If you have ever dealt with a breaker that trips, you are probably wondering why it happened and want to know what that means for the safety of your home. An electrician in Pasadena is here to explain. You can learn more by calling The Electric Connection.

First of all, it is important to explain what a tripped breaker really is. Your breaker panel is probably located outside or in a hallway or basement area. When a breaker trips, it cuts off all flow of electricity to the outlets and light fixtures that the particular breaker supplies electricity to. When looking at the breaker panel, the tripped breaker will be slightly in the middle instead of all the way left or right. An orange bar is usually used to indicate which breaker has tripped.

As far as why the breaker trips, there are 3 main reasons
• Ground Fault
• Overloaded Circuit
• Short Circuit

An overloaded circuit is probably one of the most common reasons. If your breaker isn’t powerful enough to run several appliances at once, like the microwave, vacuum and toaster, it becomes overloaded and shuts down. You can address this by distributing your electrical draw to different outlets that are run by different breakers or by having your Pasadena electrical system investigated. You may be in need of additional breakers.
A ground fault or short circuit are much more dangerous than an overloaded circuit. Breakers that have bare wires or a bad connection can cause fires. If you don’t see anything out of the ordinary, but are still having trouble with a tripping breaker, give the folks at The Electric Connection a call.

5 Electric Safety Tips by Electrician in Burbank

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

With the spring weather lifting out spirits and encouraging us to get outside and take care of some of the little projects around the house, there are a few things you should know about electricity. Working outside or even inside will likely involve some kind of electricity. It is a good time to remind ourselves of some things we should do to ensure not only our own safety, but the safety of those in our homes and around us. An electrician in Burbank has some tips for you to stay safe this spring. You can count on The Electric Connection to answer any questions you may have about electrical safety.

Tip 1-Never use an indoor extension cord outside. Only use cords that are designated for outdoor use. These are the heavy-duty cords that are round and thick. Indoor cords are typically flat and thin.

Tip 2-To cut down on the use of extension cords outside, hire an electrician. Burbank residents can opt to have additional outlets installed outside to make it easy to plug in various power tools.

Tip 3-Only use the recommended wattage of light bulbs in all of your lights—indoors and outdoors. Keep bulbs away from surfaces to avoid a surface overheating and igniting.

Tip 4-Do not overload an outlet. Large power tools or appliances will typically need to be the only item plugged into an outlet.

Tip 5-If a breaker continually pops or if an outlet feels warm to the touch, call an electrician. In the meantime, avoid using the outlet and the outlet connected to the breaker. These are signs of trouble that can lead to an electrical fire if not handled quickly.

If you have electrical concerns or would like an electrician to take care of some of the items on this list, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Smoke Detectors Installed by Pasadena Electrician for Safety

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

As you go through your home and do some spring cleaning, you are probably doing some needed updates to your home. While you are taking care of jobs that have been stacking up for months, you should also consider evaluating the safety of your home. Things like smoke detectors are often overlooked. We are so used to seeing them in the corner of the room, you rarely give them much thought, that is until you need them. An electrician in Pasadena can install hard-wired smoke detectors that really can be forgotten about, but will still work. That is important. You can rely on The Electric Connection to send out an experienced electrician to complete the installation for you.

Smoke detectors are typically out of sight, out of mind, until they start chirping to remind you the battery is low. If the chirping is ignored, the battery will die and the smoke detector will become nothing more than a fixture on the ceiling. With hard-wired smoke detectors, you don’t have to worry about the batteries going dead and your home left vulnerable. The smoke detectors are wired directly into your home’s main power. As long as your home has power, your smoke detectors will work. There is also a spot for backup batteries in case of a power outage.

When the Pasadena electrician installs the smoke detectors, you will get the added safety feature of all the smoke detectors being interlinked. When one detector goes off, every detector that is hard-wired will sound. This can add several seconds to your alert time. If you have ever seen a house fire or been involved in one, you know how fast it can go. Every second counts. If you are ready to add an additional layer of safety to your home, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your installation.

Home Maintenance Safety Tips

Posted on | by K Hopkins

Safety should ALWAYS be the foremost concern for anyone who is working on or around electricity. It is critical to recognize and distinguish between repairs, which you are qualified to undertake and repairs that only a professional electrician should handle.

We recommend that you always contact a qualified, licensed electrician to perform any electrical work in your home.

If you do decide to undertake a basic home electrical project, consider the following important safety tips:

  • Always turn off the power to the circuit that you plan to work on by switching off the circuit breaker in the main service panel.

  • Be sure to test wires before you touch them to make sure that the power has been turned off.

  • Test from the black wires to both the grounded box and the white wires. Test from the white wires to the grounded box.

  • Never touch plumbing or gas pipes when performing a do-it-yourself electrical project.

  • Make sure that you are not standing on a damp floor.

  • Be sure to unplug any lamp or appliance before working on it.

  • Take an active role in understanding the condition of your current electrical system, its capacity, limitations, and potential hazards.

Is a permit or inspection required? Many state and local laws require that a permit be obtained prior to the installation of electrical wiring or devices. In addition, an inspection must be performed to ensure the work is safely completed meeting all applicable code requirements.

Projects that require a permit include:

  • Adding or extending a new circuit and/or wiring for central air conditioning, a swimming pool, or a hot tub

  • Installing a receptacle or light fixture where one did not already exist

  • Installation of new electrical panels in the house would require a permit

  • Wiring or re-wiring any new structure such as a house, garage, or shed. Permits are generally not mandated for minor repairs, but work must comply with the version of the National Electrical Code that is recognized by the state or city in which you live.

Projects that do not require a permit may include:

  • Replacing a receptacle where one already exists

  • Replacing a faulty circuit breaker that is the same size/type does not require a permit

  • Replacing or changing a light fixture within the home

  • Installing a phone or coax cable for cable television

If you hire an electrician or contractor to perform work at your home, be sure to confirm that he/she has obtained the appropriate permits, and request an inspection once the work is complete. This protects your family against risk of electrocution and electrical fires—and it is the law!

 

About the Author

David M Specht is the Director of Field Services for Cirtcele Electric, an electrical contracting firm located in Mesa, Arizona, just outside of Phoenix that provides residential, industrial, and commercial electrical services. As a second-generation electrician, he is committed to carrying his family’s legacy of professional service to individuals, families, and businesses in and around Phoenix and the Southwest United States. Mr. Specht is also a pilot and frequently travels to client locations, which puts him in a class few competitors can match. To learn more about David and the services his company offers, visit: http://www.CirtceleElectric.com

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.

Spring Home Improvement with Electrician in Los Angeles

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

If you are in the mood for a little spring cleaning or home improvement, you are likely looking around your home and thinking you could use some new lights. Lighting can make or break a room. Dark, dingy lighting can make a room look small or even outdated despite new furniture or a nice coat of paint on the walls. An electrician in Los Angeles can help give your room a facelift. You can count on The Electric Connection to provide you with a knowledgeable electrician who has the experience needed to make it happen.

Your dining room, kitchen or even your bathroom will be transformed with the installation of a new light fixture. It is amazing to see how different a room can look with just the right lighting. Your kitchen should be bright and inviting. Bright areas are ideal when you are working with sharp knives and need to see ingredients as well as read labels. There are plenty of options when it comes to enhancing your kitchen workspace. Track lighting is an ideal option.

Because electricity is involved, it is best to leave the Los Angeles electrical work to a professional. It isn’t a good idea to try and wire in a new light fixture if you are not trained for it. Not only do you risk your life, but you risk the safety of your home. A fixture that isn’t wired correctly may work initially, but overtime, it can be a serious fire hazard.

While you are thinking about upgrading your lighting, take a look at your living room as well. You can use track lighting or the more popular recessed lighting. This is an ideal option for the newest trend of mounting flat screen televisions to the wall. This insures your view will not be obstructed by a hanging lamp. If you would like to get started on your spring improvement plan, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Home Security Enhanced with Security Lighting by Glendale Electrician

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

As safe as we may feel in our own homes, it doesn’t hurt to add an extra layer of safety and security. Security lights can go a long way to making your home a little safer. Well-lit homes are deterrents against crime. Perpetrators are less likely to lurk in landscapes that are bright with no dark corners. Walking through your yard or from your car to the front door can also be dangerous if you can’t see well. An electrician in Glendale, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you make your home a little safer by adding security lighting.

You can opt to have the bright flood light variety or the kind that is a little dimmer, but just as effective. Security lights mounted above your driveway, your front door or your back door are all great places to place the lights. Motion detectors or timers are ideal and ensure you will never have to worry about stepping out of your car or your house into the darkness. An electrician will help you set the timer to meet your needs.

A Glendale electrician will need to wire the lights directly into your home’s main power. This is called hard-wiring and ensures the lights are always on. However, you can choose to have your security lights installed with a switch. This gives you the freedom to turn the light off and on whenever you need it. Part of your upgraded security lighting system can also include landscaping lighting. Lighting up darkened areas under bushes and in dark corners can help you keep other unwanted pests out of your yard. Nocturnal creatures will be less inclined to hide in an area bathed in light. If you would like to brighten up your outdoors, give The Electric Connection a call today.