A whole-house generator offers you the chance to go about your daily routine in relative normality, even when the power from the electric grid is cut out. Unlike portable generators, into which you must plug chosen appliances directly, a whole-house generator is actually hardwired directly into your home’s electrical system. When the power goes out, you can either start up this generator or, if equipped with an automatic transfer switch, wait for it to start itself up within moments. Once it does, you’ll be able to run your appliances and HVAC systems, as well as your gadgets and electronics, with the same ease and convenience as if the power were on. The capabilities of your whole-house generator, and its capacity to support systems of various electrical needs, will depend upon its size and quality of installation. We’ll make sure that you have what you need to keep your home up and running.

A portable generator may run on gasoline, but this is not the right fuel for a whole-house generator. These larger generators may take diesel fuel or run on propane, both of which will have to be stored on site, or you can opt for a whole-house generator fueled by natural gas, which is piped directly to the system. Contact a member of our staff to discuss your options so that you can choose your generator with well-deserved confidence.

You will be spending a lot more time indoors over the next few months as we ride out yet another winter. You will want to do what you can to ensure your family is as safe as possible inside your home. There are a few things you can do today to provide an extra layer of safety. Your Beverly Hills electrician is here to help you. You can count on the team at The Electric Connection to provide you with a knowledgeable, experienced electrician to take care of the following safety features for your home.

• Replace your old, standard outlets in the kitchen and bathroom areas with GFCI outlets. These are designed to cut the electricity the second the circuit is interrupted. These outlets are especially handy in areas where water is present, like the kitchen and bathroom. If an appliance is accidentally dropped in water, the breaker will trip, cutting off the electricity and reducing the risk of electric shock.

• Have hard-wired smoke detectors installed. These smoke detectors rely on your home’s main power rather than a battery. Dead or missing batteries in smoke detectors are often to blame for late warnings in the event of a house fire. The detectors are all interconnected so when one goes off, the rest of the alarms are sounded. You will need the installation completed by a professional electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners will feel better knowing the wiring was handled by somebody trained to work with electrical wiring.

• Carbon monoxide detectors are also handy devices that every home should have. If you use natural gas for your heat or have a woodstove, a carbon monoxide detector can warn you to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in the home.

Your home is somewhere you should feel safe. These rather easy and inexpensive safety features can eliminate some of the risks in your home. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your safety enhancements.

Science fiction aficionados may appreciate today’s blog post on one of the fundamental ingredients needed to create an other-worldly retreat where you can … well, space-out. From childhood bedrooms to multi-million dollar estates, science fiction has been the motivation for some of the most amazing spaces ever. Call it your Star Wars Sanctuary, Asimov Alcove, or Halo Haven, sci-fi rooms all have similar characteristics that give it their “universal” appeal. LIGHT.

One of the most popular settings for a fictional future is in outer-space. A black landscape, interrupted only by the flickering of shining planets & stars is the perfect backdrop for sci-fi design. LED fiber optic ceiling lights will make you look like you’re in space.

Patience and attention to detail will go a long way when installing these kits. You’ll find detailed instructions Make a home-made star constellation projector with star printables and a flashlight to mark real constellations!

Did you know that today is National Science Fiction Day, as well as Isaac Asimov’s birthday? 

Hopefully, you have surge protectors set up in your house to protect your electronics from power surges, or voltage spikes, that can fry your devices. Unfortunately, surge protectors won't save you from the evil cousin of a power surge -- a low voltage event, or brownout. Dimming lights in your house are a sign that you're experiencing a brownout, which over time can cause major damage to your appliances. 

Since your air conditioner is one of your most powerful appliances, any brief outage means it takes a lot of electricity to power the unit back up. To combat the problem, Direct Energy and One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating® offer the Comfort Sentry Contactor, a switching device with totally sealed contacts that goes in your AC unit. If voltage goes below a safe point or "flickers," the Contactor will automatically and safely turn the unit off — and then back on once the right amount of power is back. "In multiple dwellings, it will stagger turning power back on, one in 30 seconds, another in 5 minutes, and so on — to avoid using too much electricity all at once. It's protection built right into your home," explains Dave Borowski, spokesperson for Direct Energy. A smart homeowner will recognize this as an "ounce of prevention."