Tag: glendale electrician

Glendale Electrician – Fun Facts About Electricity

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 2 Comments on Glendale Electrician – Fun Facts About Electricity

It seems like nearly everything operates on electricity today. All the modern conveniences and necessities that drive the world rely on electricity to keep them going. While we take for granted that when we plug in our television, for instance, it will power on and allow us to watch our favorite shows, there is actually a lot going on behind the scenes. While you will call a Glendale electrician, such as The Electric Connection, with any major problems, it is nice to understand the basic facts about the electricity you use on a daily basis— such as AC and DC current.

Facts about Electricity

  • Electricity travels at or near the speed of light. It would take less than two seconds for a light bulb to turn on if you had the switch on earth.
  • Nearly everyone knows that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb—he also opened the first electrical power plant just three years later.
  • Static electricity can create up to 3000 volts of power.
  • Nearly 70 people each year on average are killed by lightning strikes.
  • One lightning bolt creates enough electricity to service 200,000 homes.
  • The two types of electricity are static electricity and current electricity.
  • Electrical current is measured by an ampere , better known as an amp.
  • The earliest recorded notation of electricity occurred in the time of the ancient Egyptians—well before Benjamin Franklin’s experiments.
  • Speaking of Benjamin Franklin, he may not have discovered electricity, but he did prove the lightning is a form of electrical energy.

These fun facts barely scratch the surface of the information out there when it comes to electricity and other forms of power. If you have more in-depth questions, search for electrician Glendale by visiting The Electric Connection’s website at ElectricConnection.com or getting in touch with us today.

Glendale Electrician – Why Copper Wires?

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Glendale Electrician – Why Copper Wires?

Whether you know it or not, copper wires are the most commonly used type of wires in our home electrical systems. Why is it that your electrician in Glendale and any electrical utility company values the use of this type of wiring over all of the other technologies available? The simplest answer is that copper wiring is just the best solution for the job. Copper wiring is extremely ductile and malleable. Furthermore, it has superior heat and electrical conductivity. Because of these properties combined with the fact that it is robust and rustproof, copper wiring is a nearly perfect material for any electrical wiring. The properties outlined above allow copper wiring to carry our electrical currents over distances that are much longer than wires made up of other materials.

By far, the most desired property of copper wiring is its incredible conductivity. When compared with other non-precious metals, copper comes out on top in regards to conductivity every time. Because of its robustness, it can also carry a larger amount of electricity for the particular diameter of that wire. What this means for an electrician as that copper wiring will experience less loss as the electricity moves through it. To further add to its case, copper wiring has the chemical makeup that make it highly resistant to the harsh environments that many wires must stand up to. It can withstand many different elements, is corrosion resistant and will not rust. For this reason, it is highly prized as an ideal electrical conductor.

Chances are, the walls in your home are filled with copper wires of all different shapes and sizes. Your Glendale electrician took great care to plan out and install a system that was ideal for the needs of your home. Because copper wiring was used, you can be assured that they will last for many years to come, all the while providing you with a high quality electrical current.

If your home has aluminum wiring or any other wiring materials in it, please don’t hesitate to contact The Electric Connection. You can read more about electrical wiring at our company website at www.theelectricconnection.com.

Glendale Electrician – Why is an Electrician’s BBB Rating Important?

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Glendale Electrician – Why is an Electrician’s BBB Rating Important?

One of the most important parts of hiring an electrician is screening and selecting the right contractor to work with. While this task may seem tedious at times, taking a little bit of time to do your due diligence at the onset can save you significant time and headache later on. By grading each contractor that you are considering by a number of variables, you can make your job a little bit easier. One important thing to consider with any electrical contractor is their rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Why should you care about a contractors’ Better Business Bureau rating? In a nutshell, the BBB is one of your best sources for learning more about a business’ track record. While customer testimonials should always be read with a grain of salt, complaints made to the Better Business Bureau are researched and responded to. Whenever a company has a longstanding A+ rating with the BBB, you can be sure that they have a reputation of upholding high standards of work and customer service. Furthermore, you can view any prior complaints to see how a business responds to any complaints that have been made.

In addition to giving you an idea of how many complaints an electrician in Glendale has received, knowing how they are responded to can be valuable information. A company that cares about its customers will take the time to properly address and fix any legitimate complaints, while a shoddy contractor may just brush them off.

With a little bit of research and the proper resources, you can find a high quality contractor that can take care of any and all of your electrical needs. The Electric Connection  holds an A+ rating and takes pride in the service that we provide. Please don’t hesitate to call us or visit our website for consideration in your next electrical project.

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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Glendale Electrician Explains – What Exactly Is a Standby Generator?

Posted on | by K Hopkins

The majority of all homes and businesses get their electricity from the local electric grid. Although this is very convenient, it can be a burden whenever there are issues that cause either a short-term or long-term outage. Extreme weather, for example, can leave your home without power for days or even weeks. While this is annoying for everyone, it can be dangerous under extreme temperatures or for anyone who needs to keep medical or other vital equipment running at all times. You also run the risk of spoiled food as a result of your refrigerator no longer running.

A standby generator is a device that was developed to make sure that you still have electrical power at your home or business whenever the electricity from the utility company has failed. Rather than placing all of your faith on the traditional electric grid, these generators allow you to get electricity by burning a fuel such as natural gas, diesel or propane. Depending on the size of your standby generator, you can expect your generator to work for several hours, or even days at a time. Your only real limit is the source of your fuel. If you have to stop and refuel your generator constantly, you must keep in mind that you only have a finite fuel source that may be difficult to replenish. If your generator hooks directly into your natural gas utility, you can likely run the generator continuously.

In most cases, an electrician in Glendale will connect your standby generator directly up to your electrical panel. A transfer panel is used to detect whenever there is a power outage. Whenever this occurs, your generator is designed to turned on automatically so that you have very little loss of power. To learn more about standby generators, or to talk about having one installed, call one of our technicians at The Electric Connection. You can also learn more at our website www.theelectricconnection.com/.

Ask an Electrician Glendale – What Is a Live Wire?

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Ask an Electrician Glendale – What Is a Live Wire?

Any wire that is referred to as “live” or “hot” is one that is carrying electrical current. If you come into contact with a live wire, it can result in electrical shock, because the body will function as a ground and the electricity will flow across the path of least resistance (your body) to reach the ground. If there are exposed electrical wires near you, whether in your home our outdoors, you must exercise caution. Always assume that any downed electrical wire is live.

Live wires in your home are normally color coded, according to the region that you live in. This means that the live wire in your electrical system could be black, brown or red. This lets you know that the wire that you are looking at could possibly be energized with electrical current. In your home, this live line is always balanced out with a “neutral” wire. The electricity will enter your appliance from the live wire and exit through the neutral wire.

Because of the way that electricity flows through a circuit, it is important to remember that both live and neutral wires can be energized with electrical current. In order to increase the safety of many appliances, it is common for an electrician in Glendale to install a polarized outlet, where one hole in the socket is larger than the other. These holes correspond to properly sized prongs in your power cords to ensure that you are providing live power to the correct part of the circuit. To further improve safety, some outlets also include a ground connection, giving any excess electricity a safe path from your electrical system into the ground. This connection can greatly lower your risk of electrical shock.

If you have any questions about grounded electrical systems, live wires or any other electrical issues, head on over to our website at www.theelectricconnection.com/.The Electric Connection is always more than happy to help.

Glendale Electrician – Why You Should Leave Electrical Repairs to Professionals

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 3 Comments on Glendale Electrician – Why You Should Leave Electrical Repairs to Professionals

When faced with home electrical issues, many homeowners are tempted to try and tackle the problem themselves. Even if you believe that you have the skills and knowledge to take care of the problem, you should always allow a professional to handle any electrical repairs. By attempting to fix it yourself, you are at risk of worsening a problem, leading to more extensive (and expensive) repairs later down the road. Furthermore, working with electrical components can be very dangerous, and there is no reason that you should risk your life to fix an electrical component in your home.

Rather than jumping at the chance to fix an electrical problem yourself, find a high quality electrician in Glendale to take care of the job for you. They will ensure that the job is completed safely, completely and to the satisfaction of all codes and regulations. While doing it yourself may save you a bit of money, it is never worth endangering your life.

If you are worried about the cost of hiring an electrician, think about how much it could cost if you end up making an error that puts you and your family at risk on down the line. Repairs after an electrical mishap can be extensive, expensive and inconvenient. If your repairs or electrical jobs are minor, consider compiling a list before giving your Glendale Electrician a call. This gives you the opportunity to bundle your tasks together, thereby making better use of your electrician’s time. This will typically result in a lower overall cost, because you do not have to call your electrician out multiple times.

Whether you call your electrician out for each job, or keep a running list of tasks for your electrician, the most important thing is to stay safe. For help with any electrical task or problem, give us a call at The Electric Connection. It’s our pleasure to help.

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