Nobody likes feeling hot and uncomfortable while they are trying to take respite from the heat in the comfort of their own home or when they are trying to focus on their work in an office building. While you may be tempted to crank up the air conditioner in an attempt to stay cool, you could literally end up spending hundreds of dollars by overworking your air conditioning unit. What can you do? Suffer in the heat or throw tons of cash at the electric bill?

Before you make any rash decisions, realize there is another option—a ceiling fan. A cost-saving measure to help keep you comfortable can be achieved with the help of an electrician. Burbank home and business owners can benefit from installing a fan to help circulate the air in a room and prevent that hot, stale feeling that tends to envelope you when the temperatures are soaring outside.

A ceiling fan is an energy efficient way to help keep the air circulating, which automatically makes you feel cooler. Using a fan to stir the air can help cut down on the need for the air conditioner. The slight breeze the fan produces is very soothing. You will want to discuss the various options and fan sizes with your electrician. Burbank residents can call The Electric Connection to help the pick the right fan for their needs and schedule an installation.

It isn’t just the hot summer months that benefit from a ceiling fan. In the winter, the fan can be turned to spin in the opposite direction to help circulate the warm air by pushing it down and pulling the cold air up. You can choose to install one fan in the main living areas, or install several fans throughout the home or office to keep the air steadily moving. The friendly team at Electric Connection is ready to serve you.

Adding Security Lighting to Your Home There is a great selection of security lighting systems for homes that can be customized and designed to fit the needs of your home. Home security lighting systems can help deter thieves while lighting the area around your house so you can see to walk after dark.

Advantages to Residential Security Lighting Walking outside your home after dark can be dangerous because you cannot see any obstacles that may be in your way. With security lighting, you have your path well-lit so you can make sure you can see where you are going and avoid the risk of tripping or falling.

As previously mentioned, security lights have been proven effective in deterring criminals. When they approach your home or storage buildings and the lights come on, they will be startled. They don’t want to be seen by the neighbors or police, so they will most likely leave and head to a home that doesn’t have such good lighting and protection.

Your home’s exterior lighting plays a significant role in your home’s appearance as well as safety. Another feature you may want to consider is adding floodlights. Adding floodlights to your landscaping and having them aimed toward your home can help accent the area and add an extra layer of protection by keeping your home in clear view.

Decorating for Halloween involves jack-o-lanterns, cobwebs, ghosts, ghouls, witches, skeletons and more. One of the most exciting parts of decorating is putting up lights! Different colors, shapes, and sizes can take a home or yard to another level. Along with this new level of appeal comes a new level of safety hazards, though. To ensure your Halloween goes smoothly for your family, Mr. Electric® wants you to know the precautions you should take to safely power tomorrow.

Before decorating, count the number of outlets available and take note of where they are located so you can plan your displays accordingly. This will allow for a safe distribution of use among different outlets and prevent you from having strings of lights stretching across the floor or yard. Those are both huge hazards that can be avoided by planning.

Carefully look over all of your decorations. Any bare wires, damaged sockets, or loose connections could cause very serious shocks or start fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, about one-third of the house fires involving decorative lighting were caused by electrical failures or malfunctions. You can prevent it by simply taking the time to inspect.

Outdoor lights are made for outdoor use, and indoor lights are made for indoor use. It’s really important to remember this. When decorating, always double-check to make sure that they are meant to be used in that location. The same rules go for extension cords and other electrical decorations.

Just like other electrical appliances in your home, it’s not safe or necessary to have your lights on when you are away from home or asleep. Have them on only when you are able to actively monitor them.

Decorations are so much fun that we often forget that they come with imminent dangers. It’s nothing to be frightened by (like many other Halloween things), but being aware can be the difference between Halloween fun and a night of terror. To explain just how important we think these tips are, we wrote you a haiku.

Halloween is here.

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Purchasing a new home can be both an exciting and stressful experience. While you may like what you see on the outside, we all know that there can be problems hidden behind the walls. When it comes to electrical, not only can improper work cost you lots of money, but it can also be dangerous. If you are browsing for a new home, make sure you are cautious of possible issues that can arise.

As we have written about in the past, the main service panel is a critical part of the home electrical system. This is what controls the electricity in the entire home. Over the years these panels can become old and worn. Sometimes additions may have been made to the panel, but not done correctly. When looking at a service panel it is important to look for any loose or wires and connections into the panel. The wires should be tight to avoid electrical outages and flickering. Loose wires can also cause sparking and lead to fires. An expert electrician can also identify the amount of wires going into each circuit breaker and the organization, which can help with safety and efficiency.

One concern many people have is what kind of wiring is behind the walls. Many of us have heard of aluminum wiring and that we should avoid it. The problem with aluminum wire is that the wires can become loose more easily and also heat up, becoming more prone to electrical fires. Old knob-and-tube wiring can also become weak, break easily, and cannot function at today’s standards. It is a good idea to have an expert electrician inspect the wires in your prospective home to make sure they are safe or whether they need to be upgraded.

Outlets in the home should also be easily tested. Check to make sure that none of the electrical outlets look burnt, dirty, or are loose. Outlet testers can be test to make sure that they are properly grounded and being fed electricity properly. It may appear that the outlets function properly and can continue to do so without being properly grounded. But in the event of a power surge, especially in a major appliance, the electricity will not escape through the grounded wire and can cause electrocution.

These are just some of the potential electrical problems that a home can have. In order to protect yourself and your investment, have a home inspector visit the home. If you have just purchased a home, have an electrician inspect it for any possible issues and for a more thorough analysis.