It is natural for you to want to take care of some of the small things around your house. Sometimes it seems silly to call out a professional to fix a leaky faucet or to look at a light that doesn’t seem to want to work all the time. You may decide to wait until there are several problems that need attention before making the call to a professional. This isn’t always a good idea. Sometimes, the most innocent looking problems are actually much more serious than you may have thought. An electrician in Beverly Hills wants you to understand that even the smallest thing could mean big trouble for you and your home. At The Electric Connection you will find a team of professionals who are ready to answer any question you may have about your electrical system, even if you think it is silly.

Some of the most common things that are ignored are those intermittent lights or outlets. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. You may assume it is just one of those things and do without the light or find another outlet, but you shouldn’t. Outlets and lights that don’t work all the time are a sign of trouble and it needs to be investigated by an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners should know that these problems could be an indicator of faulty or loose wiring. If the wires touch or they could create a spark which will ignite the insulation in the wall thus setting off a chain of events that puts your life at risk and ultimately destroys your home.

Never assume an electrical problem is not a big deal. It is worth a call to an electrician. You can rely on The Electric Connection to answer any questions you may have and to provide you with a knowledgeable electrician should you need it.

Did you see the news Friday about Des Moines south side homes without power?  More than 7,000 residential customers were without power.  The week before this occurred we installed a whole house generator in a home in the affected area.  When the power went out the Kohler generator we installed kicked on and powered up the entire home.  The whole house generator ran continuously for most of the day while its residence who were home at the time worked and continued there daily routine without power interruption.

Residential Whole House Generators are no longer just a luxury.

Why do you need a whole house generator?

* Our infrastructure is aging.  Its a fact that our power grid is aging and needs updating and constant maintenance.    While crews work hard to maintain reliability, down time will still happen at times.

* Storms are not going away.  Less face it, Mother Nature never sleeps.  From tornados and electrical storms to Heavy snows and ice storms weather isn’t going to give us a break anytime soon.  It’s a fact that Des Moines sees a variety of  weather.  As they say if you don’t like the weather in Iowa wait a few hours!

* Our homes are relying on more and more electricity.  Almost everything we purchase for our homes needs electricity.  Even your mobile phone needs charged at some point.  When is the last time you bought a item for your home that was a non décor item that required no electricity?  Even the amount of power going into homes as increased to compensate for our ever growing demand for electricity.

* Lack of other affordable and reliable alternatives.  As much as we would all love to go green.  Solar power and wind power has not yet become a cost effect and reliable power source for residential applications in Iowa.

Need a whole house generator installed?  We can install most major brands such as the Genrac standby generator in the picture and also Kholer generators.

The march of consumer product efficiency continues. Modems, routers and other internet equipment are the latest items to get a bump in energy efficiency thanks to a voluntary agreement between manufacturers and trade associations. The standards mean that new equipment should use about 10 to 20 percent less electricity than the gear currently on the market. The bottom line – reduced energy bills for consumers.

Homes Across the Country

The change is ultimately expected to affect 80 million homes in the United States. Currently, the terms run through 2017 and require manufacturers and providers to make their efficiency data available publicly – ask an electrician if you need help interpreting the data or picking out the best model once the new equipment hits the shelves.

“DOE appreciates industry’s voluntary commitment to improving the energy efficiency of small network equipment, and looks forward to the progress they can make and verification of the impacts at the appropriate time,” Dr. Kathleen Hogan, deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency, U.S. Department of Energy, said in a press release. 

Preparing for the Internet of Things

The voluntary agreement was hammered out among the Consumer Electronics Association, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the companies that make the equipment. This efficiency upgrade comes at a crucial time – not only are modems and routers essential for internet access, they will only become more important as smart technology advances and more of your household systems are hooked up to the internet.

“This agreement will begin saving consumers energy and money – and do so long before any mandatory regulatory standards could take effect – while protecting innovation and competition,” Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, said in a press release. “By setting requirements for energy-efficient broadband equipment now, the agreement will lock-in efficiencies at the dawn of the Internet of Things, which depends on strong broadband networking.”

Following the Cable Box Lead

This agreement is similar to a voluntary deal worked out by manufacturers of cable set-top boxes, in which the companies worked with the U.S. government to set an attainable benchmark. The deals are voluntary out of practicality, because federal regulations can take years to take effect and can be quickly rendered obsolete by ever-advancing technology.

“Our industry has proven that voluntary, energy-conservation agreements are the best means of effectively improving energy efficiency, while recognizing the lightning-fast pace of tech innovation,” Shapiro said.

Similar to the set-top boxes, modems and internet equipment are nearly ubiquitous in U.S. households, and they draw power nearly all the time unless the family pulls the plug at night. That means there's a lot of room for cutting back on their electricity usage. If you aren't sure whether the energy savings are worth upgrading your modem or router, ask an electrician to help calculate your consumption and offer strategies on how to get the best return on your conservation investment.

If you recently had a pole building or shop put up on your property, you are probably debating to have it powered with electricity or stick with a generator. There are clearly some real benefits to a shop having electricity. If you are simply using the building to store items, than electricity is probably not a major concern. However, if you are planning to use your shop to work on various hobbies or use it to repair vehicles, electricity is extremely helpful. You will need a Burbank electrician to go about completing the wiring process. You can depend on the team at The Electric Connection to help you make your shop complete with electricity.

Depending on the amount of electricity you need in your shop, you may need to have a sub-panel installed. This is something your electrician will discuss with you and advise you on. If your home is already using the majority of the breakers available in your existing panel, you will need an upgrade or an additional panel installed to run the shop. The size and type of the tools you will use in the shop will influence your decision.

Once you have decided on the electric panel situation, the next stop is to discuss outlet placement with your electrician. Burbank shop owners can decide how many outlets they need in the shop. You may even need a 240-volt outlet to run certain heavy machinery or to plug in a Level II electric car charging station. These are all options for you to consider when you make the decision to hire an electrician. Lighting is yet another element you will want to think about. Typically, a single fixture is installed along the ceiling and then several lamps will be used to illuminate specific work areas. If you would like to discuss running electricity to your new shop, give The Electric Connection a call today.