GFCIs or ground fault circuit interrupters are safety devices that have been extremely effective in reducing the total number of home electrocutions by almost 50%, in Australia. Most new homes and businesses now have these devices installed in locations where water is present in and around the premises. It’s important that electrical installations in outdoor locations be protected from wind and rain; that’s the one way to prevent shock hazards.

Before we understand what a GFCI is, let’s understand what a ground fault is. It is the unintentional flow of electrical current between the source and any grounded surface. If the electrical installation isn’t properly protected, an individual that comes into contact with an energised part can suffer an electrical shock.

For instance, if the person is holding any deteriorated electrical cord attached to the hair dryer, and it happens to touch a plumbing fixture they are using, they can get electrocuted and will suffer a painful shock.

This small receptacle has “test” & “retest” buttons on it. It may sometimes be built into circuit breakers that are installed in the main electrical panels. When electricians are conducting an electrical audit, they also test whether the GFCIs are functioning properly. They might also recommend that you get GFCIs installed in the vicinity of plumbing fixtures.

These are extremely useful electrical safety devices which trip the electrical circuits in case they detect any leakage current or ground fault. An individual that’s become the pathway for a leaked current can get a severe shock or will get electrocuted. It is important to get GFCIs installed in any outdoor or indoor areas where you feel that water might come in contact with the electrical installations or fixtures you have on your property.

Ideally, the areas where GFCIs should be installed include:

It is important that these devices be checked with regularity. If you have opted for an electrical maintenance contract, the electricians will ensure that the GFCIs are checked along with all the other installations; this will help confirm they are working as they should and that they provide the necessary safety to those living or working on your premises. You can also test the GFCIs on your property, by following these basic steps:

If you aren’t too sure about whether you have GFCIs installed at the right points on your property, call in your local electrician. They will inspect all the fixtures and inform you if GFCIs have to be installed in any specific rooms or outdoor spaces. Aside from this, they will also audit the rest of the installations and tell you if any upgrades are required.

Because you don’t think of building a relationship with a Santa Monica electrician until you actually need one, most people have to do a little searching to find one that is exactly what they are looking for. Chances are, you have seen their trucks driving around town and/or advertisements on billboards and radio. Aside from their more obvious branding, however, most people know next to nothing about each electrical company. Because of the nature of the electrical business, there are many differences between each electrical contractor. Many electric contractors, for example, specialize in either commercial or residential electrical work. This is an important fact to consider. You wouldn’t want to hire a residential contractor for a commercial job, or a commercial contractor for a residential job. With a little looking, however, you are sure to find exactly the right electrician in Santa Monica for your needs.

Word of Mouth

As with most service-based professions, word of mouth is very powerful for electricians. In addition to providing top-notch electrical work, high quality electricians such as The Electric Connection also strive to provide the highest level of customer service. It is this customer service that will eventually gain them the referrals that drive their business. When you are looking to have electrical work done, such as having outlets replaced, ceiling fans installed or even a whole house rewire, start by asking your friends and family first. Many of them will have had first hand experience with at least one electrical contractor. Whether their experience with a particular electrician Santa Monica CA has to offer was good or bad, they will most likely be more than happy to share their story.

The Phone Book

The most traditional place to search for an electrician is in the phone book. Because the commercial section is conveniently divided into sections, you can very quickly obtain a huge list of electricians in your area. This is both good and bad. It is good, because you now have a pool of possible electrical contractors. It is bad, because there are so many to choose from. Start by narrowing down your search for a Santa Monica electrician by choosing only those within a certain distance. You can then do more research to find those that offer the type of services that you require.

The Internet

Another great place to find an electrical service company is the Internet. Because most electrical contracting companies have their own websites now, you can very quickly and easily do a large amount of your research quickly and efficiently just by starting with Santa Monica Electrician.” Your search results will typically bring you a list of the top contractors, such as The Electric Connection, in your area. You can then browse their website to learn more about their company.

What to Look For

Remember, there are a few things that you should look for. For example, make sure the contractor offers the types of electrical services that you are looking for. Any electrician that you hire to perform work on your property should also be properly certified, licensed and insured, as is The Electric Connection. This will ensure that the work done is safe and up to current regulations. You should also choose an electrician with a proven track record, references and examples of their work. A good electrician will be proud of their reputation, their previous jobs and the fact that they provide some of the best service in town. These technicians will be working on one of the most important components of your home or business, so don’t be afraid to expect the best from your Santa Monica electrician, The Electric Connection.

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Strips with more LEDs per foot will consume more power.

In short, if maximum energy efficiency is what’s most important to you, choose a light strip with smaller LEDs and fewer LEDs.

In order to ensure your LED power supply doesn’t overheat and fail prematurely, we use this general rule of thumb:

Make sure the total wattage of your LED strip lighting is at least 20 percent less than the power supply’s rated wattage.

For example, if you have an LED strip light that requires 80 watts of power to run, you’ll need a power supply that’s rated for at least 96 watts.

The vast majority of our strips include wattage per foot right on their product pages.

power supplies range from six watts to 1,500 watts for compatibility with a wide variety of LED strip lights.

Let’s take a look at an example:

It’s important to verify that the voltage of the power supply you choose is compatible with the voltage of your LED strip lighting. Also, be sure that the power supply’s input voltage matches that of the location it will be installed in. If you have an LED strip with 12-volt DC operation that you wish to use in a 120-volt AC home wiring system, you’ll need a power supply that includes 120 volts in its input range and has 12-volt DC output.

Another factor to take into account for longer runs is voltage drop. A significant voltage drop is present after a certain distance of LED strip. After this distance, there will not be enough voltage present to light the next length of strip. This varies depending on the type of strip and length being used. Usually, a single-density strip (nine or less LEDs per foot) will need to run back to a power source every 32 13/16 feet (10 meters). A high-density strip (18 or more LEDs per foot) will need to run back to a power source every 16 3/8 feet (5 meters). Please refer to “Max Run” in the specifications table of the strip light to determine how many can be run continuously without a parallel run back to power.

3) the 4) if you want your strip to be dimmable

power supply calculator on the product pages of all of our LED strip lights!

There are a few steps involved:

Step 1: Select your strip and the length you need.

Step 3: Click the green “Power Supply Calculator” tab, and select your product by choosing it from the list OR by pasting the exact part number in the search bar.

Step 4: Enter the number of strips at the desired length you’ve selected and voila! You’ll see a list of all compatible power supplies with the best match at the top of the list!

When dealing with electronics, safety is paramount, and you want everything to work like it’s supposed to. So if you’re still not sure which power supply to use for your LED strip lighting project, just reach out to our technical support team or customer service department at 866-590-3533. Our teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.