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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Have you been eyeing that gorgeous chandelier at your favorite lighting store for a while now? If you have been dreaming of transforming a boring entrance way or a drab dining room into something that you can be proud of, the time is now to buy that chandelier. Lighting can make such a huge difference in a room. It transforms it from drab and boring to spectacular and gorgeous. You will need an electrician to take of your Beverly Hills electrical needs like those at The Electric Connection.

While you can certainly buy the chandelier of your dreams without any help, you will definitely need an experienced electrician to complete the installation process. You don’t want your dream of a gorgeous chandelier to go up in smoke, literally, by not having the fixture installed correctly. An electrician in Beverly Hills will need to determine what will need to be done to get the new light fixture installed where you want it.

In many cases, an existing fixture will already be in place and the electrician will be able to use the existing wiring. However, if you would like the chandelier hung in a place that does not have an existing light or ceiling fan fixture, there will be a little extra work involved. The electrician will need to create a a wiring harness, which is simple enough but should only be handled by somebody who knows how to safely work with electricity.

Along with hanging the chandelier, you will likely want to have a dimmer switch installed to allow you to control the strength of the light emitted from the bulbs. This is another fairly simple task for your electrician. If you are ready to transform your home with a new chandelier or some other exciting lighting fixture, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Mortgage lenders try to look at the big picture, considering things like taxes and insurance when deciding how much they can loan out to homeowners and buyers. However, there's a major ongoing expense that appraisers currently don't take into account – monthly utility bills. You don't need to be an electrician to understand that the money you pay for power each month makes an impact on your budget and even affects the value of your home. A bill currently in front of Congress – the SAVE Act – would acknowledge that reality and let federal mortgage lenders make energy efficiency part of their formula.

Increasing the Value of Your Home

Essentially, the SAVE Act would make it easier to get financing for efficiency upgrades, even folding funding for it into traditional mortgages.

“This bill would require federal mortgage agencies to recognize the energy efficiency upgrades in a home during the mortgage underwriting process, thereby increasing the value of the home,” President of the Alliance to Save Energy Kateri Callahan said in a statement. 

The SAVE Act claims it would bring a number of benefits in addition to loosening the drawstrings on bank financing for efficiency. Among them:

A Diverse Group of Supporters

The SAVE Act was first introduced in 2013. Although Congress has yet to vote on the measure, it has lined up a diverse group of supporters who aren't typically on the same side of major issues, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers to the Alliance to Save Energy, the National Resources Defense Council, the U.S. Green Building Council and others.

In the meantime, there are a number of steps you can take around your home today to cut down on your utility bills. If you need any help installing efficient appliances or upgrading your home electric system, contact an expert electrician today.

Have you been mulling over your electric bill and dreaming of it just going away? Then you remember you like lights and hot showers and your microwave and you pay the bill. Cutting your electrical bill in half or making it disappear altogether is a possibility when you switch over to renewable energy. You can’t go anywhere today or read a paper or magazine without seeing or hearing the term. What is renewable energy? An electrician in Los Angeles is prepared to explain the ins and outs. If you still have questions, you can call The Electric Connection.

Renewable energy is any type of energy that comes from something that will always be replenished. It won’t run out. Currently, our world depends on coal, gas and oil. These things cannot be produced. Once they are gone, they are gone. The natural resources will run out one day, which is why there is such a huge push for renewable energy sources. A Los Angeles electrician can explain the different kinds of renewable energy in more detail. With technology constantly advancing, there always seems to be some new and improved way to harness the energy from renewable resources.

The most common form of renewable energy that is used for residential purposes is solar. The energy from the sun is harnessed and converted into the electricity your home needs. Cities are currently using wind turbines to generate the electricity needed for their needs. These turbines turn when the wind blows. The spinning blades produce energy that is transformed into electricity. It isn’t unheard of for a home to have its own personal turbine to produce the energy needed to power the home. It can all be a bit technical, but you can leave it all up to an electrician. Los Angeles homeowners who want to learn more about renewable energy can call The Electric Connection.

If you have been thinking about a kitchen remodel and are finally ready to take the plunge, you will need to find an electrician in Pasadena. Construction is something that should be left to the professionals as well as the electrical wiring that will need to be completed. Even if you are doing a light remodel and doing the work yourself, the electrical work will still have to be completed by a certified professional. If you are not familiar with electricity, you should never attempt to handle it. It is simply not worth the risk. You can rely on The Electric Connection to provide an electrician who has the experience and knowledge you need.

During a kitchen remodel, you will likely want to have any wiring upgraded to make sure it is up to the latest codes. This will include installing GCFI outlets that are safer for use in the kitchen. Along with the outlet upgrade, you can add additional outlets that seem to always be in short supply in the kitchen. One of the best parts of remodeling your kitchen is having a say in what will work best for you and your electrical needs.

A remodel will typically include new light fixtures as well. This is the really exciting part. If you haven’t seen a brand new kitchen in a while, you will be amazed at the various lighting that is available. There are some gorgeous track lighting fixtures that will fulfill your Pasadena electrical needs. Another handy feature is the under-the-counter lights that are quickly becoming very popular. Some use LEDs, which are energy efficient and shed plenty of light on the spaces that tend to be shielded from the standard ceiling lights.

If you are ready to schedule your kitchen remodel, give The Electric Connection a call today to set up an appointment.