Whether your home is old or new, there are probably some things you would like to change about it. While the layout and existing construction is often the first thing you think of, wouldn’t it be nice to make your work for you a bit more? If you have been dealing with a breaker that trips frequently or have to turn off everything in order to use a certain tool or appliance that is a bit of an energy hog, you could probably benefit from an electric panel upgrade. An electrician in Pasadena, like those at The Electric Connection, can help bring your home up to your electrical standards.

If your home is older (more than 50 years) it wouldn’t hurt to have an electrical inspection. During the inspection, the condition of your wiring will be evaluated to determine if your electrical problems may be due to faulty or deteriorating wires. You have to imagine 50 years ago, the average home had a handful of items that needed electricity. Today, almost every outlet in the house is in use with various computer cords, cell phone chargers and a long list of gadgets that make our lives easier.

Because of this, your Pasadena electrical needs are a little different and an electric panel upgrade will support all the gadgets you need and want without having to share outlets or unplug everything so you can use one appliance. In some cases, the panel itself may be just fine and you will just need an additional breaker installed. All of this can be determined after the electrician does the inspection and talks with you about what your needs are. From there, you can make a decision about what will work best for you. When you are ready or if you would like to learn more about an electric panel upgrade, give The Electric Connection a call today.

It’s exciting to deck out the front yard, the house and of course all over inside the home with pretty holiday decorations. Bright lights and big, extravagant moving decorations are something many homeowners take pride in. For some, it is a bigger is better. There is certainly some friendly competition between neighbors, which can be great for visitors who love to see the grandeur. However, there can be some safety concerns when that must electricity is being used. One of the most important things to remember this season is electrical safety. Your electrician in Beverly Hills wants you to be safe this season. The team at The Electric Connection can help make your holiday decorating easier and safer.

Extension cords can help connect those lights and big decorations, but you want to be sure you use the right cord for the job. Outdoor electrical cords are specifically designed to withstand the elements. Never use flat cords that are only to be used outside to try and plug in lights outside. Stick with the big, heavy round cords that are typically 3-prong.

Never connect more than 2 cords together. Ideally, you will only want one cord connected to a light socket. If you find your cord is simply not long enough, call an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners can have additional outlets installed in the outer edges of their yard and landscaping, which makes decorating a breeze and can prevent having to use an extension cord altogether.

Never connect more than three light strands together. This could overload the circuit. LED strands are a little more forgiving because they take very little energy to run. Again, call your Beverly Hills electrician to install more outlets if needed. It is cost effective and makes decorating a breeze. Give The Electric Connection a call today if you have questions or want those additional outlets before it is time to deck the halls.

Let’s say your teen is using an electric drill outside and standing with bare feet in a puddle. Not a good idea. Let’s say the drill malfunctions and leaks electricity out of its proper circuitry. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, which just might be from the drill, along arms and legs, and into the puddle. If the drill were plugged into an ordinary outlet, this could be a fatal accident.

In recent years, the National Electric Code has included requirements for special safety outlets where such accidents could happen. These special outlets are called “GFIs” (Ground Fault Interrupters) or “GFCIs” (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) — two different names for the same thing. They are required by the National Electric Code in garages, kitchens, bathrooms, pools, spas, and in some other outdoor areas where water could be present. The Electric Connection, your local Glendale electrician, can check all of your outlets for you and replace or install new GFCI’s.

A GFI, or safety outlet, detects that the current in an appliance is no longer flowing in its proper circuit. It shuts off the current within milliseconds. In the case of our teen, if the drill were plugged into a safety outlet, electrocution would be avoided — a life saved.

GFIs look different from ordinary outlets. They have two buttons labeled “Test” and “Reset.” You can check that the outlet will cut off current when needed for safety by pressing “Test.” Test should shut off current to the outlet so that the outlet no longer provides power. After the test, you can restore current to the outlet by pressing “Reset.”

Newer GFIs also have a tiny green indicator light that tells you that it’s providing power. This is a handy feature when you conduct your test. It’s also handy because from time to time, safety outlets may be triggered without your knowledge and may no longer be providing power. The absence of the green light will alert you to this situation.

A Downside

This is the downside of safety outlets — they can be tripped without your realizing, or they can become faulty and can trip repeatedly for no reason. Let’s say you have an electric toothbrush charger plugged into a safety outlet in your bathroom. The outlet has somehow been tripped and no longer provides power. If it’s equipped with a green indicator light, the light will be off. In any case, if it’s lost power, press “Reset” and power should be restored.

Another possibility is that an outlet in a kitchen, bathroom, garage, or outdoor area is not a safety outlet but is “protected” by a GFI elsewhere in the circuitry. If a non-safety outlet in your house has lost power, you can check for this situation by making sure that all the GFIs in your kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas have not been tripped and are still providing power.

Home Safety Check

Check that your kitchens, bathrooms, garage, and outdoor areas are equipped with working GFIs. (Refrigerators are incompatible with safety outlets and should not be plugged into one nor protected by safety outlets elsewhere in the circuitry.) If you have GFIs, remember that they have a limited lifespan, so press the Test button of each at least once a month to check that they shut off power as designed.

If your home doesn’t have safety outlets or they are no longer working, call a qualified electrician to get an estimate for installation. GFIs are a relatively inexpensive investment in your family’s safety.

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So many people consider a condo or  apartment their home, yet traditional Emergency Electrician, ElectricMan Inc.

Indoor Generators For Condos have now become available to make it easy for condo and apartment residents to make sure they have the safety and security of an emergency backup power system without breaking any rules, dealing with messy fuels, or causing any pollution! This is a huge step forward not only for providing reliable electricity during an outage and maintaining comfort in your home, but it also allows peace of mind, especially if you rely on home medical equipment to maintain your health, knowing that you never have to be without power. Whether it’s because of a common power grid failure, or even a natural disaster that leave millions without power every year, you can rest easy knowing that you no longer have to go without safe reliable backup power just because you are subject to rules about Generators For Condos from your homeowner association.