Without electricity, we would have an extremely difficult time getting through our day. We rely on it for everything from making our first cup of coffee in the morning to charging our cell phones as we sleep at night. All of the appliances we use on a daily basis must be plugged into an outlet. When those outlets are not working properly or pose a threat to the safety of your home, you need to call an electrician in Burbank. You can count on the team at The Electric Connection to send out a knowledgeable electrician to take care of the problem.

There are a number of different reasons why an outlet may be giving you problems. You may not even realize an outlet is faulty and assume an appliance is on the fritz or an incident was just a fluke. The following signs indicate there is a problem that needs attention.

• Sporadically working • A crackling noise or smell of burning wires

Any of these symptoms can suggest a serious problem is lurking behind the walls that you cannot see. Electrical fires are one of the leading causes of home fires. It is imperative you hire somebody who has the proper training take care of your Burbank electrical needs.

While the electrician is investigating the problem, the wiring will be inspected to determine if it is outdated or unsafe. If the outlet that is causing the problem is in the kitchen or a bathroom, it would be a good time to have the outlets in those areas upgraded to GFCI outlets. If you would like to make your appointment to have your outlets inspected, replaced or upgraded, give The Electric Connection a call today.

The summer weather is notorious for spurning some wild thunderstorms. Those storms can result in widespread power outages that leave you and your neighbors sitting in the dark for hours. The power outage may not be the result of a thunderstorm. It could come down to scheduled blackouts if the summer heats up as is predicted. You need to know how to stay safe during a power outage. An electrician in Santa Monica has some valuable tips for you. If you have any more questions, you can always count on the team at The Electric Connection to help you.

1-Call the electric company from your cell phone to determine what the situation is and how long you can expect to be without power.

2-Unplug all appliances and turn off things like the air conditioner, stove and so on. You don’t want to create a power surge when the electricity does come back on. You can have a surge protector installed by an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners who don’t want to risk their electrical equipment being burned out will appreciate the protection a surge protector offers.

3-Use flashlights whenever possible instead of candles. Candles increase the risk of a fire getting started.

4-Put together a small emergency kit and leave it in the pantry. The kit should include things like a radio for listening to weather reports, extra batteries for the flashlight and some extra cash or a credit card for emergencies.

You can avoid the side effects of a power outage by having a generator installed by a Santa Monica electrician. This will serve as your backup electricity source to ensure you always have power. You won’t have to worry about wasting the food in your fridge or worrying about how you will take a hot shower. Give The Electric Connection a call today to learn more about surge protection or a standby generator.

Ceiling fans are becoming the new standard instead of the old globe lighting fixtures available in every room of every home. Fans offer an advantage of cutting energy costs by circulating air in the room and reducing the workload of your heating and air conditioning unit. Although you may choose a particular ceiling fan according to your budget and design preferences, it needs to be properly installed in order to assure it functions as it is supposed to and is a safe device to have in your home.

Licensed Electrician

Every year it seems that the home is becoming “smarter” and more “automated”. We have televisions that can be interacted with remotely, speakers we can play in another room, and thermostats that can be adjusted across the country. These programmable and remotely adjustable thermostats are not only convenient, but they are efficient.

Most homes that haven’t seen electrical upgrades in a few years are likely equipped with an older thermostat that has to be adjusted manually. This has been acceptable for many years as we integrated the adjusting of the thermometer into our nightly routines. Each night before going to sleep many people would lower the thermometer to reduce their electrical usage at night.

Now, with programmable thermostats you can set schedules so that it automatically increases or decreases the temperature in the home. This helps build the optimal schedule for your home and reduce electrical waste by heating the home only when it is needed.

With the increased adoption of smart devices and wi-fi in homes all over the world, “smart” thermostats are the latest and greatest in home automation. These little devices connect through the home’s wi-fi network, which allows you to control them through a smart phone app. This enables them to be adjusted from anywhere. For example, if a day trip is going long and you won’t be home until late in the evening, you can lower the temperature in the home earlier than scheduled to maximize efficiency. With your home’s thermostat at the touch of a finger anywhere – savings are completely in your control.

Installing a new thermostat can seem like an easy job, but once the old one is removed the amount of wires can be overwhelming to the average handyman. Depending on the age of the home and wiring, the wires going to the thermostat may need to be upgraded for compatibility with the new thermostat. When shopping for a new thermostat don’t just review the features of the product, but ensure you are familiar with the specifications and requirements. For assistance in understanding the requirements of a new thermostat and electrical installation, contact your local Expert Electric.

There are many different ways to start saving on electricity in your home. Smart decisions can lead to big decreases in monthly energy bill. Smart thermostats are just one of the ways that savings can be put back in your hands. Contact you local Expert Electric at 604-681-8338 for more information.