Tag: fans

3 Cost-Saving Tips for Staying Cool from Your Electrician in Santa Monica

Posted on | by Kim Hopkins

Spring is always a good time to give your heating and air conditioning unit a break as well as your pocketbook. Summer is just around the corner and those electric bills will jump once you start using your air conditioner on a regular basis. The hot weather does not need to cost you a fortune to stay cool. There are a few things you can do to keep your home comfortable without setting the AC at 72.

Ceiling Fan

An electrician in Santa Monica can install a ceiling fan to help reduce your electric bill. The fan stirs the air, preventing it from getting hot and stagnant. The nice cool breeze will help cool you as long as you have the fan blades spinning in the right direction. It’s always best to hire a licensed electrician install your fans since they would have sufficient knowledge about electrical wiring. Typically, fans are sold with a kit with all the supplies needed to install it. The Electric Connection is reliable and can complete the job for you in a timely manner.

Kitchen Exhaust Fan

Use an exhaust fan in the kitchen to pull out the hot air. If you do not have one, these are available for purchase at most hardware stores. If the space is already available in the range hood, this is a quick replacement job. However, it’s always best to leave it up to a certified  electrician. Santa Monica residents know cooking in the summer heat is tough. When possible, use the microwave, stovetop or even better, barbecue!

Oscillating Fans

These are available at almost any store and use less electricity than an air conditioning unit. Simply moving the air around the home works to keep it cooler. Anything you can do to lessen the burden on your AC will save you money on your total electric bill.

Interior Lighting Know-How From a Burbank Electrician

Posted on | by K Hopkins

Interior lighting consists of the lights on the ceilings and walls in all of the rooms in a house, as well as the lamps and other lighting fixtures that you may have in your home. There are many different styles of interior lights to choose from such as track lighting, chandeliers, pendant lighting, recessed lighting, wall sconces and more. Choosing the type and style of lighting that you like best can be difficult, but fun at the same time. As far as the proper placement of your lighting fixtures goes, an Burbank electrician can help you decide what works best.

Chandeliers can be used in any home, but the bigger styles tend to work well in larger homes or rooms with high ceilings. There are many chandelier options that you can choose from in all different shapes, sizes and finishes. Electric Connection is the electrician Burbank homeowners rely on for professional lighting and chandelier installations.

Another style of lighting that’s very common is a ceiling fan with built-in lights.  A support box is required to support the weight of the fan, so if there’s no existing junction box these may require a little more work to install than a chandelier.  With a ceiling fan you have the added benefit, though, of having both the lighting and a fan in one unit.

As we know, most lamps need to be turned on and off at the lamp switch, but a certified electrician from Electric Connection can easily wire your outlets so that you can use your wall switches to turn your lamps on and off instead. This type of set up makes your table lamps even more convenient and easy to use.

Of course, there are even more options for lighting in your house, but you’ll definitely want to consider choosing one or more of the options we’ve mentioned since they’re the most popular. When you’re ready to install or update your home lighting, you can give us a call at Electric Connection.

An Electrician in Burbank Discusses Your New Home Purchase

Posted on | by K Hopkins

When you are shopping for a new home, you have a lot of things on your mind. You want to find the perfect place to live, in a great neighborhood and you do not want to break your budget. However, there is one other thing you want to keep in mind—the electrical system. While you will have a home inspector check the house and he will check the basic electrical system as part of the whole house survey, it is good to make a few basic checks yourself too. You can call an electrician Burbank from Electric Connection to help you. However, if you want to check some things yourself, here are a few things to keep in mind.

  • Check that all wires are neatly bundled and squared as they enter the connection points. This will show you how careful the original electrician was.
  • Make sure that all circuit breakers only have one wire entering the terminal. This is what the NEC requires to maintain proper code.
  • Check for a neatly written or printed list of circuits inside the cover.
  • Go into the attic and make certain all electrical work up there is neat and seems safe.
  • For older homes, make sure that all receptacles are grounded, requiring a three prong plug. You can find a test kit for this at Home Depot or a similar store.
  • Make certain all ceiling fans are installed properly. This is a do-it-yourself project many people take on that can sometimes go awry.
  • Check outside receptacles for a waterproof cover and test these outlets as well.

These are just a few of the things that you need to keep in mind as far as the electrical system in a home you are considering purchasing. Remember, if you ever have questions or concerns during the process, call your electrician in Burbank—Electric Connection.

Burbank Electrician Explains Top Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Burbank Electrician Explains Top Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill

In today’s tough economic landscape, the idea of saving money on your electric bill is especially appealing. By following a few simple tips you will find that your monthly bill will shrink—giving you additional money to do the things you want to do. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Use Fans – Fans use much less electricity than air conditioners. Installing an attic fan or even ceiling fans around your house can help you keep the AC use to a minimum. An electrician in Burbank from The Electric Connection can help with the installation project. (Click Here)

Use Energy Saving Bulbs – An energy saving bulb can produce as much light as a typical bulb but at a significant energy savings. These bulbs cost more up front but cut the electric bill by a significant sum.

Use Power Strips – Most electronic devices use power even when turned off because they remain in a standby mode. If you plug many of your products into power strips and flip the switch off at night you can reduce energy use.

Eliminate Appliances – Do you need all the electric appliances you use? Are there any you could replace with gas-powered appliances? Look over your appliance use and see where you can make changes.

Replace Old Electronics – Older electronics often use more electricity than newer ones. Newer products follow Energy Star standards so they are cheaper in terms of energy consumption. Replacing appliances often saves money in the long run.

Turn Down the Water Heater – If you use an electric water heater, you may not need it as high as it is. See if you can turn it down a few degrees and save money from heating costs.

Saving electricity isn’t just about reducing the impact on your wallet, it is good for the environment too. Contact The Electric Connection, the electrician Burbank residents trust, today and see what other changes may help your bottom line too.

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!

 

Los Angeles Electrician Knows the Pros and Cons of Electrical Heating Systems

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Los Angeles Electrician Knows the Pros and Cons of Electrical Heating Systems

Although there are many options out there for heating your home, electric heating options have become one of the most popular solutions in many areas of the country. It is generally clean, low-maintenance heating that gives off no soot or fumes associated with combustible heat sources. It is also much less expensive to install in both existing homes and new construction. Once installed, however, electrical heating can be more expensive than gas or other heat sources.

Often in addition to a central heating system, electrical heat sources are placed in homes to provide additional heat to areas that need it. This can by done by any homeowner, and generally requires no help from an electrician unless there’s the need to have additional electrical outlets installed. While this type of heating can be somewhat efficient if used properly, unchecked small heaters can lead to excessive energy usage. To prevent this, you should only use portable heaters if they have a built-in thermostat. You can also find heaters that will turn themselves on and off according to a schedule. These advanced features are more expensive, but can be very convenient.

The various types of electric heaters include:

Storage Heaters

Storage heaters are fairly large heating units, which are mounted to a wall and must typically be installed by an electrician. These heaters are unique, in that they generate heat during off-peak times so that your electrical bills remain low. They will then release that stored heat during the day. In order for this type of heater to work efficiently, special off-peak meters must be installed and agreements with your utility company must be made. This is one of the cheapest types of electrical heating to have installed, but it can be more expensive than other central heating options.

Fan Heaters

You can find a variety of fan heaters in nearly every store that you visit during the winter. This relatively cheap, portable solution can provide fast, portable heat to a small area. This makes them ideal for providing additional heat to areas that need it.
Convector Heaters
Convector heaters are bigger than fan heaters, but provide more long lasting, even heat. While they take longer to heat up, they make little to no noise, which makes them much more appealing than heaters with noisy fans. There are many options available, most of which do not require the assistance of a licensed electrician.

Underfloor Heating

Under floor heating is an excellent solution in many ways. If you are building a new home, this may be an especially great option for you. Because it can be very invasive, however, under floor heating is not recommended for pre-existing structures. Heat is generated and distributed through a network of electrical heating cables that are placed under your floors.

Electric Fireplaces

Another home or office heating methods that’s gaining popularity today is the electric fireplace. Because they require less maintenance than traditional wood or gas fireplaces, many people are choosing this aesthetically pleasing heating option. These fires provide various levels of heat, as well as a visually pleasing fire effect.
Regardless of the electrical heating solution that you choose, make sure that you look into the different options and choose the one that is best suited for your needs. If you have any doubts or questions about the use and installation of an electrical heat source, get in touch with an electrician in Los Angeles, such as The Electric Connection. We are a licensed, bonded and insured Los Angeles electrician. We will be more than happy to discuss the different types of electrical heat sources that are available, as well as what the installation requirements would be.

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