Your circuit breaker serves the same function that the fuse box once did; it is responsible for the safe distribution of electricity throughout your home. The current is broken up onto different circuits, and each circuit will have a breaker in the box. Certain appliances may be on a designated circuit, while other circuits will cover an area of the home. When the power running to any circuit reaches overload levels, or if there is a fault of any kind on the circuit, the breaker will trip, stemming the flow of electricity until the breaker is reset.

Generally speaking, an overloaded circuit is the cause of a tripped breaker. This prevents overheating on the circuit, and is a very important safety measure. Short circuits are also possible causes, and are more concerning. Essentially, this occurs when a hot wire touches a neutral wire in one of the outlets on the circuit. This can cause a spike in current flow, and can result in overheating of the circuit, which will trigger the breaker to trip. Crossed wires are serious business, so contact us if you suspect that you have any such issues. Ground faults are a third cause, and are similar to short circuits in that a hot wire touches the ground wire within an outlet box. No matter what is causing your breakers to trip, you should schedule professional service if it is a frequent problem.

By Clarissa Allison | January 6th, 2017

A new year is the perfect opportunity to achieve balance at work and at home. Many of us have big plans for 2017, and making aesthetic and practical changes to our surroundings can kick start a positive influence that lasts throughout the year. One of the ways to refresh our environment is to experiment with new lighting options in our decor choices. Read on for lighting suggestions that will keep you on trend as well as helping with energy savings!

Arc and Tripod Floor Lamps

Lighting fixtures as main focal points  and statement pieces are what’s happening now. Modern and sleek designs that that take center stage can transform an entire space. Floor lamps in unexpected silhouettes such as arcing designs, and with clean details like linen shades add a fun dimension to dark metals. Highly stylized but simple floor lamps have returned as an important design element, and arcing floor lamps complement your reading nook or living room perfectly. Likewise, tripod floor lamps offer the mid-century appeal created by the sophisticated Scandinavian designs of the 1960′s.

Industrial Lighting Fixtures

 Jewel Toned Accents

Last year, decorating in pastel shades of pink and blue were a common sight in contemporary homes, but jewel tones are now what’s in demand going forward. Look for lighting fixtures in berry hues with accents like scroll-work, chrome or rounded details. Even a lampshade in a rich tone conveys a warmth and romantic element to your surroundings. The best part? You don’t have to purchase large, expensive pieces to achieve this look. Simply add a couple of pretty table lamps to a sofa table to set the baseline for your living room’s theme.

Smart Home Lighting

Eric Lebersfeld and his dedicated Capitol Lighting team have expanded their reach and literally broadened the horizon toward “Making Lives Brighter.”  Together, they have enriched the lives of many and remain gratefully committed to their work with Habitat for Humanity.

Most recently, Habitat for Humanity Palm Beach County honored Lebersfeld at their gala celebration for his outstanding service and commitment.  Lebersfeld and the Capitol Lighting team remain faithful supporters of Habitat for Humanity and look forward to continuing the relationship and investing their resources in this noble organization.

Capitol contributions to Habitat for Humanity include:

•Donating over $100,000 in cash and products just this year.

•Investing their time and supporting the cause for almost 10 years.

•Developing the Making Lives Brighter Campaign with partner and spokesperson Rob-Van-Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice, to better serve the community and expand gift-giving capabilities.

• Bringing comfort to inhabitants, Capitol Lighting collects old lighting fixtures to be donated to Habitat and then offers donors a 10% discount towards new lighting purchases.

Members of the Capitol Lighting family enjoyed an evening of celebration and an awe-inspiring acknowledgement of their efforts on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.

For his work over the past 10 years, Habitat for Humanity Palm Beach County appointed Lebersfeld as an honoree.

Here are some excerpts from Lebersfeld’s speech at Habitat for Humanity’s Gala Celebration:

October 5, 2013

“So, how did it come to be that a little Jewish boy from New Jersey who sells lights for a living ends up being honored by a big international Christian Ministry that builds houses? “

Lebersfeld credits his parents, who taught him by their example to live his life in a certain way, to see what connects us as human beings, rather than what divides us:

“If one elevates their thinking just a little bit, we come to realize that the small differences between us are easily dwarfed by the commonalities we all share. 
The quality of a person is not made up by whom they know, what they have or how they look, but by who they are, what they create and how they can add to the lives of others.”

Lebersfeld went on to impart some of the history behind Capitol Lighting, a family-owned business that began in 1924 with his great-grandparents:

“Together, they started Capitol Lighting and began our mission to make lives brighter. 
They did this literally and figuratively. For almost 90 years, Capitol Lighting has been on a quest of making the lives of our customers, our communities, our vendors and most importantly, our employees – brighter”.

“Habitat’s stated mission is that of “building hope with homes”. Their organization is filled with dedicated and passionate people striving to provide deserving and hard working families with an incredible gift. They also have provided me personally and every member of my team who has worked on a habitat project the gift of allowing us to do a mitzvah – a good deed”.

“Our goals are aligned and Capitol’s and Habitat’s working together makes all the sense in world”.

Lebersfeld acknowledged with gratitude Capitol Lighting’s spokesperson, Rob Van Winkle, also known as Vanilla Ice, for boosting the Making Lives Brighter campaign and helping Capitol to donate well over $100,000 to Habitat.

He concluded his remarks by whole-heartedly thanking Habitat for Humanity for allowing Capitol Lighting the opportunity to support their good work: “It allows us to fulfill our mission while helping you fulfill yours”.

Lebersfeld also vowed his continued support for Habitat for Humanity, as he thanked Mike Campbell, director of Habitat, and Ana Vento of Vento Designs for making the evening such a success.

There are times when a circuit breaker will trip, which results in no power to an outlet or specific circuit. This can be caused by a number of different things. In most situations, the circuit breaker can be turned completely off and flipped back on without any problem. The following steps are provided by an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners can count on The Electric Connection for more information about this problem.

*When you suspect a circuit breaker has tripped, turn off, unplug or shut down any electrical equipment, like computers, that can be damaged when the power is abruptly turned off and on.

*Go to the breaker panel and find the breaker that is flipped. You will be able to identify it by an orange color showing in most cases. The switch may look like it is in the middle rather than the far right or left. If it isn’t obvious which breaker has tripped, start at the top and work your way down until the power returns to the outlet.

If the power was fixed and the outlet is working fine, it may have been overloaded. Having too many things plugged in is one reason this happens. The problem could have also been a faulty appliance being plugged in.

If the power is not restored, it is time to call an electrician. Beverly Hills residents will be interested to know that about 25 percent of tripped breaker issues can be fixed with these steps. The other 75 percent of the time will require an electrician to come in and troubleshoot the problem. One common fix is a breaker replacement. Over time, breakers can become worn and faulty.

To avoid any electrical fire hazards, it is best to get the breaker replaced before it becomes a serious problem. Give The Electric Connection a call today if you need help with tripping circuit breakers.