Every single day we take about a hundred things for granted. We just assume it will be there and we assume our lives are fairly free from any major risks. We don’t think twice about listening to the satellite radio or playing a video game on the big screen. We run the dishwasher and grab a cold drink out of the fridge. All of these things are dependent on electricity. Not just electricity, but electricity that is coming into the house in a way that doesn’t pose a threat to you or the structure. These little things are extremely important explains an electrician. Burbank residents need to know what to look for and know the signs of trouble. If trouble is spotted, a quick call to The Electric Connection can things fixed right up for you.

Outlets and light switches are far more important to our daily lives than we give them credit for. You probably couldn’t get through a day without touching one or interacting with it in some way. This is why your Burbank electrician wants to make sure it is safe. Some things that indicate trouble are as follows;

Any one of these small warning signs could indicate big trouble. Don’t let the little things sneak up on you says an electrician in Burbank. Be vigilant. Pay attention and never let a seemingly small or innocent problem go unchecked. Give The Electric Connection a call today if you suspect you may have an electrical problem that needs inspection.

Homeowners have a powerful tool at their disposal that they may not even be aware of. Lighting can make or break a room. Having new, updated light fixtures in a room can completely change the way the home looks and feels. And although the actual work is not all that labor intensive, it is crucial you have a Glendale electrician perform the work. Working with electricity is something that should be left to the professionals like those at The Electric Connection.

It is amazing to see the difference a single light fixture can make in a room. Changing lights throughout a home is like giving your house a major facelift without any serious expense. There is so much you can do to change the look and feel of a room simply by visiting your local lighting store or your favorite home improvement store. Hanging chandeliers, recesses lights, track lighting and so much more is all available for you to use to your advantage.

You can easily turn a dark kitchen into a brilliant space with plenty of lighting right where you need it. Turn your dining room into a romantic area with lights that are controlled with a dimmer switch installed by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will have the freedom to control how much light you have. That one particular picture in the living room hanging over the mantle deserves some special recognition. Use recess or track lighting to direct light onto a family picture or a prized piece of artwork to really make it pop and become a focal point in the room.

The possibilities are endless. Take a walk around your home and look at your current lighting scheme. Could you do something different? Then head to the lighting store and pick up the fixtures that will compliment your home and décor. When you are ready, give The Electric Connection a call and schedule your appointment for your new lighting fixtures to be installed. It is that simple!

The list of rules to be followed when installing new electrical systems into a building are related to the specific rules of the state, as well as certain minimum requirements laid down by Federal law. So in some senses the United States does not have a unified Electrical Building Code, because often there are variations between different states.

It was to address exactly this issue that the National Fire Protection Association, a panel of nineteen different bodies, began publishing the National Electrical Code (NEC) in 1897, and now every three years, in order to arrive at a single source of rules that should govern electrical installations. The current version was published in August 2010 and runs to over 1000 pages.

Whilst the NEC is not law as such, in practice it has been adopted by most states as their set of rules for electrical installations and wiring in buildings (with a few changes here and their depending on the state you are in), and so is now in practice the Electrical Building Code for the United States.

You can read the full 1000 pages plus version online for free here: Building Codes

This is the book that all Journeyman Electricians will consume when undertaking their training, as it is pretty much the standard version across the country.

Though there are some differences between the states, and you can see the individual requirements for your state here: State Regulations

Some of the key NEC rules that need to be followed when installing a new electrical system into a building are:

If you are planning on installing electrical wiring then you should refer to the NEC and your local Electrical Building Code for specifics and to the link above for any state specific requirements that you need to know.

It’s full-on spring, and there seems to be a lot of activity in the landscape lighting world. That’s probably because landscape lighting is generally a great and affordable way to significantly improve the curb appeal of your home. Landscape lighting ideas abound on the internet, and, since it’s a popular season for landscape lights, I thought I would curate for you some of the best landscape lighting I have seen out there on the Web.

1. Wall Grazing at Its Finest

Wall grazing is a lighting technique in which light is cast up or down a wall in order to let the light and shadow play off the wall’s texture. Wall grazing works especially well on this wonderfully textured stone wall. Interesting walls like this almost demand uplights to play off their texture.

2. Cinematic Pond Beacon Situation

Very bright light on this structure in the middle of a pond creates a dramatic, almost cinematic effect. Bright uplights on the trees give some context to the attractive structure.

3. Variations on a Path

Using different styles of path light can make the walk to the house much more interesting. Never assume it’s law that all your path lights match. Mixing it up a little gives the eye a lot more to look at, and the outdoor lighting design looks more calculated, in a good way. Instead of the string of path lights that come in a pack, this is conscious design that makes every trip to the front door pleasant.

4. Variation on Variations on a Path

Another way you can break the monotony of path lighting is to place your path lights according to the visual features along the path, like plants or garden ornaments. Setting up the path lights to be spaced a little farther apart and placing them in different proximity to the path – now directly on the path, now set back near some interesting plants – leads the eye farther down the path, which creates a spectacle and gives the eye much more to admire.

5. Path Lighting without all the Path Lights

Landscape lighting doesn’t always have to include path lights. Here, adequate illumination and very attractive lighting design is achieved by uplighting trees and using downlights mounted on the house.

6. Moon Lighting: A Supernatural Experience?

Moonlighting is a technique in which lights are hidden higher up in trees to create an ambient effect. Pretty cool!

7. Under Counter Lights

One really cool outdoor lighting effect is under counter lighting. Led rope, tape, or LED tape rope hybrid can be run under the edge of counter, stone wall ledge, bar, island, or bridge to create a wonderful lighting effect. This is one application in which LED landscape lighting works really well.

8. Water + Lighting =  Awesome

What’s cooler than light fixtures giving an almost otherworldly beauty to outdoor water features? This is my personal favorite kind of landscape lighting. It just provides such a reliably relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. If your home is your sanctuary, you might want to consider this one-two-three punch of water, sound, and light.

9. Shadowy Magic

Moonlighting can also be used to create cool shadows on the path. See that light mounted up in that tree? It mimics the light of the moon, creating interesting shadows on the ground and enough ambient light to see where you’re walking. Great lighting design.

10. Lit Up Night Time Oasis

There are a lot of interesting things going on here. The space feels large and luxurious, in part because that uplight at the back draws the eye directly to the back edge of the space, making the whole spread look larger. The path lights around the perimeter draw attention to the landscaping. Of course, the star of this show is the cove lighting used around the bridge, making it look almost as if it is floating on light. Yes to this.

11. Epic Landscape Lighting in a Park

I mean, this pretty much speaks for itself. The high powered uplights illuminating the tall canopy creates an amazing effect. Not only is it beautiful, but it also represents the dual purpose of landscape lighting: To beautify and to make safer. Urban parks can be dangerous, but this one looks even more welcoming at night.