Electrical wiring and materials have improved significantly over the years, but if you live in a house in which the wiring was laid a long time ago, there may be some risks involved. It is worth checking to see whether everything is as it should be.

Electricity is normally out of sight and out of mind because the cables are hidden in the walls and in switches and sockets. As a result, we rarely check the condition of our electrical installations. Faulty and aging wiring can cause electrical fires, but you can avoid this by having your electrician check them for you.

There are clear indications that can make it easier to identify aging cables. Any cables that are coated in black rubber will be quite old as they were phased out in the 1960s; the same applies to fuse boxes with wooden backs and cast-iron switches. These were also phased out in the 1960s.

During your inspection, you may see wires that look old but are intact. These will likely be safe to use. You will need to check any connections wrapped in friction tape to ensure that the tape is not unraveling or frayed. If the tape is damaged, turn off the circuit and replace it with new tape.

The biggest disadvantage with most old wires is that they do not normally implement ground wires. This may result in a person becoming the path to the ground and being electrocuted if there happens to be a short in an appliance.

LED lights are also measured in two different ways; by their color temperature and the lumens they produce. Because they use significantly less power and are gaining in efficiency with each generation, whereas older bulbs are consistent in their wattage being representative of the amount of light put out, LED bulbs can vary in efficiency a bit more. What this means is that the bulbs are now rated by their Lumen rating, or how much light they put out, versus how much power they draw. Understanding how LEDs work and the opportunities that they present to you as a homeowner are key to helping you make a decision as to how you light your home.

Keeping your home and family safe is a high priority for every homeowner. One of the best, yet often neglected ways to ensure their safety is to make sure that all of your home’s electrical components are in safe and good working order. When it comes to electricity, being safe is always far better than being sorry. Rather than worrying about loose wires, short circuits and other potentially dangerous situations, work with an electrician in Los Angeles to make sure that your home is as safe as it possibly can be.

Attempting to solve electrical problems on your own can not only put you in immediate danger, but can also make the problems worse than they were to start with. While it is perfectly fine to replace light bulbs, flip breakers back on and perform other similar simple tasks by yourself, tackling anything that has to do with wiring or the other electrical components in your home should be left to the professionals.

If you have a breaker or breakers that trip frequently, then it is time to call a Los Angeles electrician. This can be a sign that you may have malfunctioning appliances, or an overloaded circuit. This might mean that you need to address a problem with a particular appliance, or your electrical service in general. In some case, a small panel upgrade can add additional circuits to your home, allowing you to more evenly spread the load.

Regardless of whether you are faced with an electrical issue or if you need to have electrical components such as a whole house surge protector installed, your safety and the integrity of your home depend on the skills and experience that only a licensed, professional electrician has. For any questions, or to talk about your electrical jobs and problems, give us a call today at The Electric Connection. We’ll look forward to hearing from you.

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Modern home electrical systems are far more intricate than what they used to be. People simply have more electrical gadgets in today’s world than your grandparents used and therefore your electric system has to be able to handle the additional current. Throughout the house, there are more televisions and internet devices which require additional cable connections and electric plugs. The kitchen especially, in addition to the stove, oven, and refrigerator typically has a dishwasher, microwave, garbage disposal, and a multitude of countertop devices which can all be in use when you cook dinner.

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