Tag: panel upgrade

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!

 

Electrician Santa Monica – What Are Electrical Circuits?

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Electrician Santa Monica – What Are Electrical Circuits?

An electrical circuit is the necessary pathway required to provide power to your appliances, gadgets and electronics. Each circuit is a closed loop system that is formed by wires, a power source, load, a switch and some sort of circuit protection. The electricity flows from the power source, into the circuit and ultimately into the object that it is plugged into. After the electricity has provided the necessary power to the device, it then flows back to the original electrical source, allowing the circuit to keep the electrical current flowing in a smooth manner. There are three different types of electrical circuits: the parallel circuit, the series circuit and the series-parallel circuit.

How Do They Work?

An electrician in Santa Monica installs an electrical panel that is then broken into several circuits that provide power to your home. Whenever you plug a device into an electrical outlet, or flip a switch, you are accessing electricity that is flowing through that particular circuit. By plugging in or flipping a switch, you are essentially completing the circuit. This allows power to flow freely from the positive terminal of the power source, through the wire, and back to the negative terminal. This allows us to provide on-demand electricity to our light bulbs, televisions, appliances and other electronics.

Types of Circuits

The simplest type of circuit is the series circuit, because it provides only one possible path for electrical current. If this circuit is broken at any point along this path, none of the devices on the circuit will work. A parallel circuit, on the other hand, contains more than one path for electrical current. If one of the paths is broken, electricity can still flow to other portions of the circuit. A series-parallel circuit combines these two circuit types. Some portions of the circuit are parallel, and some are attached in series. If one of the series circuits breaks, it will shut off power to anything in that circuit. If a parallel circuit breaks, all other parallel circuits will continue to function as normal.

As an electrician Santa Monica, The Electric Connection installs and maintains electrical circuits on a daily basis. For more information, or questions about our services, visit our main website at www.theelectricconnection.com.

Electrician Pasadena – What Should You Do If There’s an Electrical Fire?

Posted on | by K Hopkins | 1 Comment on Electrician Pasadena – What Should You Do If There’s an Electrical Fire?

Although most electrical fires start very small, they can quickly spread into almost unmanageable proportions. This is especially true if the fire starts behind your walls. This can lead to a fire becoming very large before you even realize that it is there. Your best protection against an electrical fire is to prevent it from happening in the first place. If you must deal with one, however, you should always be prepared to take the proper course of action. Whenever faced with an electrical fire, your own personal safety is the number one priority. If the fire is too large for you to contain, or is growing too quickly, evacuate everyone out of the home immediately until a fire crew can make the area safe again.

If you are in a position to control the fire, start by shutting off all power to your building. Simply go to the electrical panel and shut off the main breaker until the fire is under control. If you do not already know where this is, find its location and make sure that it is never blocked or obstructed. Once the power has been shut off, you can attempt to smother the fire with a Class C fire extinguisher or baking soda. Do not ever throw water on an electrical fire. Water conducts electricity, which can result in you or someone else becoming electrocuted. Whenever the fire has been controlled, do not turn your electricity on until an electrician in Pasadena has inspected your wiring for safety. The last thing that you want is for a second fire to occur in the same place.

When it comes to using electricity in your home and businesses, your safety is more important than any other factor. Learn how to use your electrical system safely so that you can avoid any electrical fires, shocks or other mishaps. For more tips and information on fire safety and services, visit The Electric Connection website at www.theelectricconnection.com/.

Los Angeles Electrician – A Few Reasons You Should Call an Electrician

Posted on | by K Hopkins

Keeping your home and family safe is a high priority for every homeowner. One of the best, yet often neglected ways to ensure their safety is to make sure that all of your home’s electrical components are in safe and good working order. When it comes to electricity, being safe is always far better than being sorry. Rather than worrying about loose wires, short circuits and other potentially dangerous situations, work with an electrician in Los Angeles to make sure that your home is as safe as it possibly can be.

Attempting to solve electrical problems on your own can not only put you in immediate danger, but can also make the problems worse than they were to start with. While it is perfectly fine to replace light bulbs, flip breakers back on and perform other similar simple tasks by yourself, tackling anything that has to do with wiring or the other electrical components in your home should be left to the professionals.

If you have a breaker or breakers that trip frequently, then it is time to call a Los Angeles electrician. This can be a sign that you may have malfunctioning appliances, or an overloaded circuit. This might mean that you need to address a problem with a particular appliance, or your electrical service in general. In some case, a small panel upgrade can add additional circuits to your home, allowing you to more evenly spread the load.

Regardless of whether you are faced with an electrical issue or if you need to have electrical components such as a whole house surge protector installed, your safety and the integrity of your home depend on the skills and experience that only a licensed, professional electrician has. For any questions, or to talk about your electrical jobs and problems, give us a call today at The Electric Connection. We’ll look forward to hearing from you.

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Burbank Electrician Evaluating Your Electrical System – A Smart First Step

Posted on | by K Hopkins

Creating that relaxing and efficient bathroom you’ve been dreaming of is a great project. Finally getting to pick out that perfect whirlpool tub or that delicate sconce lighting that you’ve always wanted can be fun and exciting, and it can also be the beginning of the end of years worth of wishful thinking and making do. But, don’t get too carried away with all that planning before the practical matters have been considered, such whether your electrical system is equipped to handle the changes you have in mind. Consulting an electrician to evaluate your system and your remodeling plans is an important first step.

Replacing older bathroom lighting fixtures with new, modern ones is a job that can be a bit more complicated than it may seem at first glance. Newer fixtures, like whirlpool tubs or modern lighting options are designed for new homes with modern electrical systems. Installing them in an older home can present some challenges as far as your wiring system is concerned, making it necessary for your to do some wiring or electrical panel upgrades. Or, you may need additional switches or outlets installed to make everything work. Knowing these details ahead of time can make your project a lot less complicated, so it makes sense to have your electrician Burbank specialist look over the situation before you begin.

No electrician will be more skillful and professional in evaluating the electrical needs of your remodeling project than The Electric Connection. Our well trained and dedicated staff places a high priority on exceptional customer service, which combined with their reputation for high quality work, has made them the highest rated electrician in the area. The Electric Connection can help you determine whether you’ll need electrical upgrades to make your remodeling plans practical.

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Is Your Electrical Panel Safe?

Posted on | by K Hopkins

If your electrical panel has fuses rather than circuit breakers, safety can be an issue. Even some electrical panels equipped with circuit breakers can pose safety hazards and need to be upgraded.

Another reason to upgrade your electric panel is if it’s too small. To say it’s “too small” means it doesn’t supply enough power. One sign of insufficient power is that fuses are frequently blowing or circuit breakers are flipping off. Or possibly, a contractor has told you that your home or business needs more power for a new air conditioner or other installation.

What is an electrical panel?

The power from the electric utility company flows through large wires to your home and into the panel, a large metal box with fuses or circuit breakers inside. The panel controls the flow of electricity throughout the house, cutting the flow with fuses or circuit breakers if power levels rise too high.

If you think of your home electrical system as having branches and twigs like a tree, your electrical panel is the tree trunk. From the panel, the current flows into major electrical branches which dwindle into smaller and smaller branches and twigs, serving every part of your home.

An electrical panel may also be called a:

  • Breaker box
  • Circuit breaker panel or box
  • Power breaker
  • Fuse box or board
  • Electrical box or service
  • Panel board
  • Residential service
  • Service panel
  • Main panel
  • Distribution board

These all mean the same thing.

How do fuses and circuit breakers work?

If too much power were to flow into the wires in your home, they could melt and a fire could start. If you were to accidentally touch a damaged overloaded wire, you could receive an electrical shock.

To prevent more electrical flow than the wires are designed for, your electrical service panel is supposed to detect the problem and stop the flow immediately. In older electrical panels, a fuse blows. In newer ones, a circuit breaker flips off. Both fuses and circuit breakers are designed to break the circuit and cut the power to wires. Properly functioning circuit breakers (or fuses) are vital for your family’s safety and the safety of your home. Click here for more information about how to get the power back on if a circuit breaker has flipped off.

How do I know if my electrical panel is too small and should be upgraded?

If circuit breakers are flipping or fuses are blowing often, it likely means that your electrical system needs enlargement, including possibly a panel upgrade. Here are common situations which call for enlarging an electrical system:

  • A move to a house with an old undersized service
  • Adding central air conditioning
  • Adding an oven, hot tub, spa, power equipment in your garage, etc.
  • A room addition
  • A kitchen renovation

Fuse Boxes

Older electrical panels have fuses rather than circuit breakers. In the days when fuse boxes were installed, homes needed considerably less power. Many fuse boxes were designed to handle 30-60 amps of power whereas the appliances and electronics in today’s homes often require 100-200 amps of power or more.

Fuse boxes may become overloaded, blowing fuses and shutting down your appliances. This is an inconvenience, and there’s a temptation to buy larger fuses so that they won’t blow so often. But, oversized fuses can allow overloading and overheating of wires. Occasionally, someone will have put a penny in the opening to replace a blown fuse. This can really create a fire hazard because a penny can’t break the circuit.

A little known danger of fuse boxes is that homeowners can accidentally stick their fingers into the fuse opening, possibly while changing the fuse, and be electrocuted. The safe solution is to upgrade with modern circuit breakers.

Circuit Breaker Brands

Specific brands of circuit breakers, especially those installed in earlier decades, have been found to deteriorate with age and pose a safety hazard. You can go to the free website Inspectopedia  and search on the brand of your circuit breaker to check its safety.

If you want to learn more about electrical panels, including some unsafe brands, click here. You can also ask us to check out your electrical panel. Call us 8-5 at (818) 446-0888. The Electric Connection provides free over-the-phone estimates and free home inspections, including checking the safety and sizing of your panel, with every electrical job. We look forward to talking with you.

Kim Hopkins

CEO, The Electric Connection

Can I Charge My Electric Car Overnight?

Posted on | by K Hopkins

The short answer is, yes, you can charge your new electric car overnight and drive out into the world with a full charge in the morning. Both new electric cars, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, started deliveries in Los Angeles in December 2010. If you’re anxiously awaiting delivery of one of these vehicles, it’s time to consider your charging options.

The all-electric Nissan Leaf can drive about 100 miles before it needs a battery charge. The Chevy Volt can drive about 40 miles, and then it starts burning gasoline. It’s a hybrid. Both come with a complimentary charging cord called a “Level 1 charger.” It plugs into an electrical outlet in your garage or carport and requires only ordinary house current. But a Level 1 charger works slowly and won’t take you from a depleted battery to a full charge overnight. You may still be able to use a Level 1 charger if you have a short commute which would allow you to top off your battery overnight. Here’s more about Level 1 charging.

Drivers who have longish commutes or who don’t charge up every night will want faster charging with a Level 2 charger. A Level 2 charger takes a Nissan Leaf battery from completely empty to completely full in 8 hours; 4 hours for the Volt. So, even if you totally drain your battery, with a Level 2 charger, you’ll be able to fill it by morning. A Level 2 charger is usually purchased along with the car. It’s housed in a container about 18 inches around and hangs on the garage wall, sticking out about a foot. It requires installation of a 240 volt circuit, higher than ordinary house current.

Both Nissan and Chevy will arrange your purchase and installation of a Level 2 charger if you wish. Both car manufacturers have contracted with electrical contractors that they’ve trained and certified. Or you can make your own arrangements with an electrical contractor.

Purchase and installation of a Level 2 charger costs about $2,000. The price can vary quite a bit depending on the distance of the charger from your electrical panel and on whether you need an upgrade of your panel size to accommodate the additional power demands of the charger. Some lucky homeowners, who registered for a California state research project on electric vehicles, will qualify for a discount, or even free purchase and installation. And, here’s some good news: A few days ago, on April 27th, L.A. DWP announced a rebate of $2,000 to homeowners who install a Level 2 charger as part of their research project. A rebate of this size is significant as, in many cases, it can cover the entire cost of the purchase and installation of a charger. Click here for more information on L.A. DWP rebates for EV chargers.

All homeowners who buy an electric car will benefit by their far-sightedness. No more stops for gas. No more worries about gas prices creeping up to $4 or $5 a gallon (or more?!) any time there’s unrest in the Middle East or a natural disaster. They’ll know that they’re contributing to the solution to our dependence on foreign oil — about 60% of that oil is sucked up by our gas tanks. For this reason, President Obama has set the goal of one million electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015. For us in Los Angeles, every electric vehicle makes our skies bluer — when you’re running on electricity, your car is emitting no pollution or greenhouse gases at all.

For more about my company, The Electric Connection — all the stuff you wanted to know but were afraid to ask — If you’re interested coupons for electrical work, for example, $50 off installation of a Whole House Surge Protector in the L.A. area, click here on our coupon page.

What is the Difference between a 100amp panel and a 200amp panel?

Posted on | by K Hopkins

100amp vs 200ampElectricity become a major part of our lives from the day it was introduced. Electricity has remained powerful, relevant, and dangerous in some situations and at the same time, our demand for it increases. The way power is used now is highly different from how it was used in the past, and this only means that conversations on upgrades will often occur.

What is a 100 amp and 200 amp panel?

The electric panel in your home distributes power through the circuits to every outlet, light bulb, and appliance. These panels come in different sizes ranging from 60 to 400 amps. It could be more or even less depending on what is needed.

A 100 amp panel is equally equipped with circuit breakers or fuses and is ideal for homes with normal or regular electric demands. A good example is a home of up to 2500/3000 sq ft. with heat, gas, water, and one air conditioner.

A 200 amp panel suits average to large homes. It is ideal for a home of the same 2500/3000 sq ft. but with enough coverage for a hot tub, more outlets and other power demands. Homes of 3500 sq ft. and above will, however, need a 200 amp panel and an additional panel for their electrical needs with power demanding appliances.

The Difference

The major difference between a 100 amp panel and a 200 amp panel is capacity. With a 100 amp panel, you can do a lot but never too much because overloading circuits can compromise your electrical safety and lead to damages and even loss of life and property.  A 200 amp panel, on the other hand, enhances electrical safety because it gives you enough room to include a hot tub, a pool, a few power demanding appliances, or expand your home.

You can get along fine with either panels or even larger ones depending on your usage. What are your electrical needs and what is the size of your home?

If you have a 100 amp panel but are not sure of an upgrade, an electrician can provide you with professional insight on what to do. If you have a panel with even less capacity than 100 amps, then an upgrade is needed for sure. Modern homes use either 100 or 200 amp. Some use more. What’s important is to ensure safety and comfort.

What does a panel upgrade take?

A panel upgrade is never a small task. It is financially demanding, and it is also vital to hire only a licensed and experienced electrician to get the work done. This electrical technician may also be required to pull a permit for this project. Depending on the electrician you hire and if services like repairs are needed on your electrical system, the upgrade can take from up to 10 hours to a few days.

If you have questions on your home’s electrical panel it is important to speak with the experts. Reach out to us.