Across the U.S. approximately 4,400 people are injured and an additional 400 die each year resulting from electrical hazards annually. Add in electrical fire, and you have what results in an estimated $1.6 billion in property damage each year. Could these accidents have been prevented? When it comes to electrical safety, what you don’t know can hurt you.

GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. A GFCI is required in any areas with an increased risk of shock due to electrical hazards, such as water. In order to protect you from electrical hazards, a GFCI monitors electrical current, turning off an electrical circuit when it detects an imbalance - current flowing along an unintended path. Think of a GFCI as a small, extra-sensitive circuit breaker built right into an outlet to protect you against electrocution – even in outlets that are not grounded. GFCIs are currently required for use in:

Note: Never use GFCI outlets with refrigerators, freezers, or other appliances, as they could trip without your knowledge.

AFCIs stand for arc-fault circuit interrupters, and they protect you from electrical dangers, but of a different variety – those that create heat via arcing. Examples include a rodent chewing on a wire, driving a nail through a wire, or a device overheating where it is plugged into the wall. AFCIs detect this arcing, shutting down outlets before damage can occur. They are not found in wall receptacles like GFCIs, but instead are easily incorporated into your home or business’ main service panel in the form of specialized circuit breakers. AFCIs are required in:

Though you may have an older home or business where building codes do not require these outlets, proper home safety does. Regular outlets and circuit breakers are designed to protect the house's electrical system, not people. With these devices being so easy and inexpensive to install, why wouldn’t you want to protect yourself and others from the unnecessary electrical hazards overlooking them presents?

As of 2014, the National Electric Code (NEC), the nation’s singular code for safe electrical installation, has added the following standards for the safety of your home or business:

All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in a laundry room now require GFCI protection, whether or not a sink is present.

As dishwashers age, the risk of electrical shock increases, thus the latest requirement for GFCI protection on all dishwashers, whether they use a receptacle outlet or are hardwired in.

As of 2014, the NEC has recently added kitchen and laundry areas to the list of areas requiring AFCI protection. This includes all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying not just outlets but also devices found in these rooms.

Shocked by how inadequately prepared for electrical hazards your home or business is? Don’t get burned by ignoring the need for these inexpensive, potentially life-saving devices. Contact Mr. Electric® today.

A well thought out lighting plan can really add a lot of interest and atmosphere to your home. And, if that plan is made with careful consideration of the way you use the various rooms in your house, it can provide light in just the right places to make household tasks and activities easier. With the help of an experienced professional electrician in Glendale, you can create a lighting design plan that is both pleasing to the eye and practical.

If your kitchen is due for a lighting makeover, with dark corners and shadowed work areas, a combination of lighting options can help create a space that is versatile and functional. Bright task lighting over work areas, such as counters, sinks and oven ranges, can make food preparation more convenient, while softer light can be more pleasant over dining areas.

Bathroom lighting plans should include bright lights for personal care areas, such as mirrors used for shaving or makeup. Softer lighting around the shower or bath can create a relaxing atmosphere to help you wind down after a long and stressful day at the office. Living room and bedroom lighting should be soft and relaxing, with a few strategically placed areas of task lighting for reading or other activities. The particular fixtures should be chosen with the help of your electrician, who can help you determine which options will work best with your home’s electrical system.

The Electric Connection has a reputation as being a top electrician in Glendale, earned with quality craftsmanship and an unswerving dedication to exceptional customer service. Give us a call for a free consultation and an estimate on your new lighting design plan. We can help you determine whether you’ll need electrical upgrades to make your remodeling plans feasible. You can do a fast Internet search for electrician Glendale and you’ll easily us, and then you can give us a call for suggestions on the best lighting fixtures to suit your kitchen or other home lighting needs.

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Your garbage disposal is a lifesaver.  It is a remarkably quick and convenient way to dispose of food waste.  In fact, many garbage disposals can withstand years of daily use without a beat.  But how do you keep the not-so-silent hero of your kitchen healthy?  If properly monitored and maintained, your garbage disposal can dodge the serious problems for years to come.  Continue reading for best practices and tips for extending the life of your garbage disposal.

 

Run Cold Water During Use

The cool shock from cold water will cause the food that is in your drain to harden.  This is ideal, since hardened food is much easier for your garbage disposal to grind up.  Many people get in the habit of running hot water down their drain, however we advise against using hot water for your garbage disposal as the high temperature can melt your food waste.  Melted food waste will adhere to the pipes of your sink and garbage disposal, which in turn can cause a clog or a more serious issue.

 

Watch What Goes Down the Drain

Certain materials should never come in contact with your garbage disposal.  Obviously, metals and plastics should be thrown away instead of shredded down the drain.  Many other things should be kept away from your disposal, including fibrous vegetables, bones, oils, and grease.  Here is a list of some of the things that should never be placed in your garbage disposal:

 

Add Some Citrus

Now, time for something that we encourage putting in your garbage disposal: citrus fruits!  Whenever you peel a lemon, lime, or orange, toss that peel down the drain of your sink and let your garbage disposal work its magic.  The peel will help to eliminate some of the food waste that is stuck to the blades and interior of the garbage disposal.  Additionally, the fresh scent will suppress any odors coming from the garbage disposal.

 

Occasionally Use Boiling Water

Remember when we said that hot water is not the best option for garbage disposal use?  That remains true.  However, if you are trying to wash away any excess food stuck in your system, a pot of boiling water down the drain once a month will do the job.  Keep in mind, the heat does cause the food that is in your garbage disposal to melt, which can cause clogs.  It is imperative that you do not pour boiling water down your drain more than recommended.

 

Keep It Running

Many people will shut off the garbage disposal after they hear a change in sound, generally indicating that the food is gone.  This method will leave bits and pieces of your food waste in the disposal, which after time can cause a clog.  To avoid this issue, we recommend running the disposal for an extra two minutes with cool, running water.  This ensures that all pieces of food waste are eliminated down the drain.  As an added aspect of protection, pump a small amount of dish soap into the disposal.  The grease-fighting powers of the dish soap will both clean the disposal and finish the job by sweeping away any stubborn pieces of food waste.

 

one of 11 retrofit kits designed to replace existing Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium lights in their existing fixtures. Multiple mounting options are included so you can use these lights in fixtures such as high bays, flood lights, area lights, shoe boxes, street lights or wall packs, to name a few. Installation is simple and easy and is no more difficult than a bulb and ballast replacement. Patent Pending Heat Sink technology allows this LED retro kit to run significantly cooler than other heat sink designs. Because of this, the head itself is warrantied for 10 years. Utilizing high efficiency Nichia LEDs, these kits produce an incredible amount of light while consuming very little power to do so. Compare these to the competition, you will save a lot of money on your utility bill using our Retrofit kits compared to the competitions.

LED Retrofits can be installed anywhere including