Your home’s circuit breaker is a valuable line of defense in protecting your home. All your electrical appliances rely on your home’s circuit breaker which makes it that much more important. Replacing your circuit breaker can be such an economical investment in protecting your home. Dealing with flickering lights, poor performance from your appliances such as your stove or microwave, and a smoking scent from your panel are just a few of the warning signs when it comes to your circuit breaker. Learn more about the warning signs so you can avoid a catastrophe and replace your circuit breaker before it’s too late.

One way to tell if you need a circuit breaker replacement is to sniff around and see if you smell a burning odor coming from the panel. If so, that means the wires and insulation have become overheated. Ultimately your circuit breaker is failing to protect your home from an electrical short elsewhere. Shut off the main power to the house immediately and call an electrician for an home, potential buyers are going to be hesitant to put down an offer. Everyone wants to purchase a home that is safe and secure, which is why an upgraded breaker is that much more valuable.

You work hard to keep a roof or your family’s head and you want to protect them while they are at home. You probably lock your doors and windows at night and leave a light so nobody trips when making one of those late night bathroom runs. Is there more you could do?

Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors

You can add an extra layer of protection to your home for your family by having smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the home. An electrician in Beverly Hills can hard wire a smoke detector into each room of the home. This is an ideal option, because you do not have to worry about batteries going dead or being “borrowed” for some toy or remote. The detectors rely on your home’s electricity. Of course, you will still need to have a battery powered detector in the home. In most models, the electric powered detectors also have a battery backup option.

Hard wired smoke detectors should be placed in every room somebody sleeps in as well as the basement if you have one. The detectors can be interconnected, so if one goes off, they all go off, alerting occupants to a fire. This is an ideal option for those who like to sleep with their bedroom doors closed.

Carbon monoxide detectors should also be installed by an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners should absolutely have one of these detectors in their home to protect themselves against the odorless gas, carbon monoxide. As with the smoke detectors, an electrician will hard wire a carbon monoxide detector on each level of your home. These can be interconnected as well.

If you use a gas stove or have a garage connected to your home, you will definitely need to consider having a carbon monoxide detector. You can rely on The Electric Connection to get this extremely important job done for your family.

Generators can serve as literal lifesavers in the event of an emergency—providing power, light, and heat whenever a disaster strikes. But to be able to do its job, it has to be ready to go right when the situation demands it. This means making sure it’s well maintained, and repaired quickly when service is needed. Of course, this also means that you need to know when your generator needs repair service. Keep reason for 3 reasons that this may be the case.

When our electrical professionals inspect your generator, they’ll take a close look at your wiring, buttons, and any other electrical components. If any of these show a sign of damage, then the unit likely needs to be repaired.

Indications can include frayed wires, loose connectors, buttons that stay stuck when you press them, or electrical overloads that shut the generator down at improper times. Additionally, the voltage on the generator battery needs to be tested to make sure it’s not in disrepair.

The longer your generator lasts, the more likely it is to develop a leak from a hose, a line, or storage pan. Leaks can include oil or fuel—depending on the type of generator you own—in addition to coolant designed to keep the engine block from overheating. Check around the appliance for puddles and be sure to give us a call if you notice any.

If you’re lucky, you won’t have to use your generator for years (but it’s great to have that peace of mind when you do need it!) Unfortunately, however, when generators sit for a long time without being used, the battery can be drained, and other parts of the engine can start to fall into disrepair. This can be avoided by investing in yearly generator maintenance.