You hear a lot of suggestions and general chatter about making the change from traditional incandescent bulbs to LED. And while we at Kolb Electric generally agree, we noticed something when hopping around on the web. You can find a lot of answers why this is a good idea. But none of it is really…simple. You get charts, math, and massive walls of text, and you know that deep down, somewhere in there lies your answer. If only you could get your eyes to stop glazing over. So we decided to lay it down layman style for our consumers, letting you know the why in a short, succinct bit of information!

There are a few aspects that overall make LED the superior option. Longevity is good, as these lights tend to last much longer, thus need to be purchased less often. They’re also environmentally friendly, and that’s nice too. But when it comes down to it, you care about the efficiency. And this lies in the wattage of the two lighting types.

Light wattage strictly refers to how much energy a light requires to generate lumens (the unit we use to measure light). The big secret between these two light sources lies all in how they generate lumens:

To make it clear, let’s use an example: A standard incandescent bulb generally uses 60 watts of power to generate light. You can get the same amount of light from an LED, for a mere six to eight watts.

So there’s the big answer. The average light wattage of an LED is more desirable, since it requires demonstrably less energy to produce light. The longevity and environmental-friendliness are basically the icing on the technological cake!

As summer comes to a close, it is time to get ready for the fall cleanup season. This is a great time to have your outdoor lighting inspected, revamped or replaced by your electrician in Los Angeles. Summer storms and typical wear and tear will often result in broken lights or bulbs that need replacing. Although you may not be planning on spending as much time outside during the cooler months, lighting provides safety as well as enhances the appearance of a home. At The Electric Connection, we know how important it is to maintain a gorgeous landscape no matter how cold it is outside.

This is also a great time to review your current lighting scheme and make adjustments to areas you may have noticed were a little more shadowy than you would prefer. Take the time to note these areas and then call your electrician. Los Angeles homeowners have plenty of options when it comes to creating a beautiful, well-lit landscape.

Maybe you have taken advantage of some of the end of season sales and need some help hooking up that beautiful new water feature. Or maybe you have a new piece of yard art that deserves some special lighting to highlight it during the shortened days.

While you do have the option of using solar lights, winter months make it very difficult for the lights to charge. They will often go dark before the sun rises due to the limited amount of charging time allowed during the shorter days. For this reason, many people opt for outdoor lights that are electric. They tend to be more reliable and will stay illuminated throughout the entire night. If you would like to learn more about having electric lights installed in your landscaping give The Electric Connection a call today.

When a fire breaks-out, most people just assume that it’s been caused by some inflammable substance. While that might be the case, it’s important to keep in mind that fires can also be caused by electricity. The one thing to keep in mind is that an electrical fire can’t be doused by water. Faulty or old electrical installations can lead to a fire and cause untold damage to life and property.

There are times when the electrical equipment or appliances in an electrical system can be the cause of overheating & overload, which can end up causing a fire. So, exactly what is it that causes an electrical fire? There are three main reasons, let’s take a detailed look at what these are and what can be done to prevent this from occurring:

Some properties have wiring that is decades old and electrical wires do tend to deteriorate with age. In fact, if the wiring in your house is over 15 years old, the recommendation is that you should get the entire property rewired. Older wiring wasn’t designed to bear the electricity load that current-day appliances demand. At times the electrical contractor might have cut corners and installed wiring of poor quality and this can lead to a similar problem, both of which can result in fires.

Arcing is quite a common problem with electrical wiring. As mentioned earlier, most homes have a range of heavy-duty electrical appliances. When you run a number of these appliances simultaneously in your home, it results in overloading and overheating of the wires. If the wiring is old, it will get heated up which will cause the insulation around it to melt – this results in arcing and an electrical fire may erupt too.

There are times when electrical wires are just too close to an external heat source which causes the outer insulating sheath of the wiring to melt. If this goes unnoticed, it can result in an arcing and fire.

Regardless of what has caused the electrical fire, if you attempt to contain it by pouring water on it that will escalate the issue. Water doesn’t have any effect on electrical fires; in fact, if you try to use water to douse an electrical fire, you can get electrocuted. What you need to deal with an electrical fire is a Class C fire extinguisher.

This type of extinguisher has dry chemicals that help contain the fire. Depending on how severe the fire is, it might be possible to completely bring it under control using a Class C fire extinguisher. If you don’t have this extinguisher, baking soda might help to some extent.

In case there is a break-out of fire on your property, the first thing you should do is switch off the power-mains; this is effective in containing the fire. Ideally every home and commercial establishment should have a Class C fire extinguisher or two, based on the size of the property and that should be used in case of any fire in the electrical wiring. An electrical fire is an electrical emergency and it’s crucial that you keep the number of a local, reliable electrician handy.

Never try to fix any electrical issues on your own. That can only lead to more complications and will compromise the safety of your property. We at Allround Electrical can rectify all types of electrical faults and we provide a range of electrical services. For more information, contact our friendly team today at this number – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address. You may also reach us through this online contact form.

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As you go through your home and do some spring cleaning, you are probably doing some needed updates to your home. While you are taking care of jobs that have been stacking up for months, you should also consider evaluating the safety of your home. Things like smoke detectors are often overlooked. We are so used to seeing them in the corner of the room, you rarely give them much thought, that is until you need them. An electrician in Pasadena can install hard-wired smoke detectors that really can be forgotten about, but will still work. That is important. You can rely on The Electric Connection to send out an experienced electrician to complete the installation for you.

Smoke detectors are typically out of sight, out of mind, until they start chirping to remind you the battery is low. If the chirping is ignored, the battery will die and the smoke detector will become nothing more than a fixture on the ceiling. With hard-wired smoke detectors, you don’t have to worry about the batteries going dead and your home left vulnerable. The smoke detectors are wired directly into your home’s main power. As long as your home has power, your smoke detectors will work. There is also a spot for backup batteries in case of a power outage.

When the Pasadena electrician installs the smoke detectors, you will get the added safety feature of all the smoke detectors being interlinked. When one detector goes off, every detector that is hard-wired will sound. This can add several seconds to your alert time. If you have ever seen a house fire or been involved in one, you know how fast it can go. Every second counts. If you are ready to add an additional layer of safety to your home, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your installation.

Plan on hanging a lot of lights or putting on a display this holiday season? If so, you need to make sure your electrical panel can handle the electrical load! So before you start plugging in all of those fancy lights and fun electronics, read along with the team at Kolb Electric to find out if you need to be making a call for an electrician in Columbia.

Looking for help with a heavy-up panel upgrade, or need some other professional electric services? Contact Kolb Electric online today!

A heavy-up, also known as a panel upgrade, is simply an increase in the amount of amperage coming into your home. Your home essentially is capped at a certain allowed amperage for safety reasons. Your amperage limit directly relates to the electrical needs of your home.

On whether or not you need one, it depends on a few things. Heavy-ups are most commonly needed when a home’s demand for safe electricity exceeds its capacity, or if you just haven’t had one in a long time. As your electrical needs evolve (which they do very rapidly in modern homes), through getting more appliances, electronics, and entertainment tools, your need rises as well.

Put simply, people just need more power during the holidays. We find that more and more folks call in for an electrician in Columbia most often late November through the end of the year. Usually people start plugging up those light strands, and all of those nice decorations, only to find that they keep tripping breakers, or experience electrical complications. A heavy-up is the answer to this issue, as it ensures you have an adequate and safe supply of power going forward.

Signs that it’s time for an upgrade:

Suspect you might need to be looking into an upgrade? If you’re not sure, our team can help! The certified electricians at Kolb are always happy to help, and with our years of experience and top-class tech, we can help you determine if it is indeed time for a panel upgrade. Contact an electrician in Columbia today by calling 877-287-1179, or reach us any time online!