As the rest of the world is observing Discovery Channel®’s legendary Shark Week 2014, we at Mr. Electric® took it upon ourselves to set aside this time to celebrate what we have endearingly termed Spark Week. While the fascinating facts and featured film clips of the mystifying creatures are fun and interesting to watch, we believe the electric spark is just as deserving of our appreciation for a week as sharks are – especially taking into consideration that electricity wouldn’t exist without it.

As far back as 600 BC, a Greek philosopher by the name of Thales of Miletus discovered that when amber is rubbed with a cloth, it can be electrified and attract other objects and produce sparks. German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Leibniz made the association of sparks with electrical phenomena in 1671. There were some more experiments performed in 1708 by Samuel Wall with amber rubbed with cloth to produce sparks. And finally, the story we are all familiar with, in 1972 Thomas-Francois Dalibard and Benjamin Franklin each independently demonstrated that lighting and electricity were the same thing. Ben even extracted sparks from a cloud during a thunderstorm with his famous kite experiment.

The discovery of the electric spark encouraged electrical research. Once scientists began to understand how electric sparks occurred in nature, the question became how that power could be harnessed and controlled. This was the beginning of electricity.

Spark plugs begin the combustion in your car’s engine, allowing you to start your car every morning. The discovery of the electric spark led to the development of spark-gap transmitters. While these transmitters are no longer used in radio communication today, they played a large part in the beginning of wireless communication. Without sparks, you would have a much harder time driving, listening to music, and even seeing in the dark. The discovery of sparks is one of the most important scientific advances in history, so don’t forget to celebrate Spark Week!

As you walk around your house trying to find ways to save a few dollars here and there on your electric bill, you may be overlooking the obvious. Your current light bulbs. You have probably seen the more expensive light bulbs in the spiral shape in the stores but may have passed over them in favor of the less expensive bulbs. Your electrician in Glendale is here to tell you, you may be costing yourself more money by choosing those cheaper bulbs.

The experienced professionals at The Electric Connection can answer any questions you have about energy savings. One of the easiest things you can do is to start changing out your current halogen bulbs for the more energy efficient Compact Florescent Bulbs or what are simply referred to as CFLs. A CFL uses 75 percent less energy than the old standard bulbs.

Your light usage in your home probably accounts for maybe $20 on an average $100 monthly electric bill. So, if you replace each of your current energy hogging bulbs with CFLs, you could potentially safe about $15 on your electric bill. While that is not a massive amount of savings, it will certainly add up. Don’t be fooled by the word florescent. There is no eerie yellow or green glow. They are available in a variety of colors depending on your preference. If you have more questions, you can ask your electrician. Glendale residents may also want to consider replacing outdated lighting fixtures with more modern energy efficient fixtures.

This is a job for a certified electrician. While there, the electrician can install dimmer switches on lights that do not need to be at full power all of the time. These dimmers give you the freedom to have just a little light or a lot, depending on what your needs are. Call The Electric Connection today to learn more about dimmer switches and how they can help you.

This winter is shaping up to be a cold one, even in areas you wouldn’t expect it. It can throw a wrench in your budget when you get an electric bill that is significantly higher than you are accustomed to. Running the heater all day and night is going to cost you. There are some things you can do to reduce your power usage throughout the winter to help offset the usage of the furnace. Your electrician in Burbank can help you do just that with these power saving tips. The team at The Electric Connection can provide you with more details about energy saving tactics.

1. Hold a family meeting. Make it clear that everyone needs to be a little more energy conscientious and make the effort to conserve. 5. When you turn on the heater, be frugal. You can set it at 72 and still be comfortable. If you are chilly, put on a sweater and some warm socks. Take the opportunity to enjoy some hot chocolate under a warm blanket.

Saving money doesn’t mean you have to dramatically change your lifestyle. A few simple tricks and you can balance the budget. Turn on the heat and rest easy. If you need any future tips or need those new LED fixtures, give The Electric Connection a call today.