It was only a matter of time before I gave you a post about this. I’ve been trolling blogs, news networks, and Image via DirJournal.com

9. This house gives passersby a little bit of everything – colorful trees, animals, icicles, candy canes, and I think I see Santa’s sleigh somewhere in there. I just hope he can find the chimney!

7. These homeowners really deserve congratulations for the intricacies of this design. The neighbors also deserve congratulations for putting up with it.

5. This house comes in at #5 for creating such a striking space with only one color light. Dipped in sugar, anyone? Also, points for adding new architectural features, like that crown-ish turret.

3. Points to #3 for doing something entirely new, with shocking precision.

Let’s say your teen is using an electric drill outside and standing with bare feet in a puddle. Not a good idea. Let’s say the drill malfunctions and leaks electricity out of its proper circuitry. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, which just might be from the drill, along arms and legs, and into the puddle. If the drill were plugged into an ordinary outlet, this could be a fatal accident.

In recent years, the National Electric Code has included requirements for special safety outlets where such accidents could happen. These special outlets are called “GFIs” (Ground Fault Interrupters) or “GFCIs” (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) — two different names for the same thing. They are required by the National Electric Code in garages, kitchens, bathrooms, pools, spas, and in some other outdoor areas where water could be present. The Electric Connection, your local Glendale electrician, can check all of your outlets for you and replace or install new GFCI’s.

A GFI, or safety outlet, detects that the current in an appliance is no longer flowing in its proper circuit. It shuts off the current within milliseconds. In the case of our teen, if the drill were plugged into a safety outlet, electrocution would be avoided — a life saved.

GFIs look different from ordinary outlets. They have two buttons labeled “Test” and “Reset.” You can check that the outlet will cut off current when needed for safety by pressing “Test.” Test should shut off current to the outlet so that the outlet no longer provides power. After the test, you can restore current to the outlet by pressing “Reset.”

Newer GFIs also have a tiny green indicator light that tells you that it’s providing power. This is a handy feature when you conduct your test. It’s also handy because from time to time, safety outlets may be triggered without your knowledge and may no longer be providing power. The absence of the green light will alert you to this situation.

A Downside

This is the downside of safety outlets — they can be tripped without your realizing, or they can become faulty and can trip repeatedly for no reason. Let’s say you have an electric toothbrush charger plugged into a safety outlet in your bathroom. The outlet has somehow been tripped and no longer provides power. If it’s equipped with a green indicator light, the light will be off. In any case, if it’s lost power, press “Reset” and power should be restored.

Another possibility is that an outlet in a kitchen, bathroom, garage, or outdoor area is not a safety outlet but is “protected” by a GFI elsewhere in the circuitry. If a non-safety outlet in your house has lost power, you can check for this situation by making sure that all the GFIs in your kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas have not been tripped and are still providing power.

Home Safety Check

Check that your kitchens, bathrooms, garage, and outdoor areas are equipped with working GFIs. (Refrigerators are incompatible with safety outlets and should not be plugged into one nor protected by safety outlets elsewhere in the circuitry.) If you have GFIs, remember that they have a limited lifespan, so press the Test button of each at least once a month to check that they shut off power as designed.

If your home doesn’t have safety outlets or they are no longer working, call a qualified electrician to get an estimate for installation. GFIs are a relatively inexpensive investment in your family’s safety.

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We all know how important electricity is. Our lives wouldn’t function as well, or if at all, without it. Whether it is watching the news on television and surfing the internet, or playing games on consoles and ironing clothes, even tasks as simple as cooking would be a problem should electricity go out. It is important to have a clear understanding of everything that could go wrong and to have emergency kits near electricity sockets. Because as they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Pun intended.

But just because there are so many things that could go wrong when electricity is in question, doesn’t mean you should panic. Statistics show 80% to 90% people panic and are unable to stay calm when there is an electrical emergency.

The people who refuse to panic and keep their cool will assess the situation in a calm sensible manner which will enable them to think clearly and pick a correct action plan. We all have seen disaster movies and know that the first guy to be killed is the one who panics the most, whereas the one who stays calm and takes control makes it through to the end.

Now, do not make the error of thinking that those who stay calm are not afraid: they are. Fear and panic are two different things. It depends on your ability to stay calm and not let the situation overwhelm you into not thinking sensibly and in turn making rash decisions that have consequences. Here are some examples of electrical emergencies that could occur:

We shouldn’t take electricity for granted and should be aware of the dangers it brings. We all know that electrical shocks are not to be taken lightly as everything depends on its severity. A light shock can cause slight discomfort and a severe shock can cause severe burns to the heart causing heart failure.

Modern electrical circuits are well fitted with circuit breaker fuse systems. Should a fault develop, the switch automatically trips itself. Most homes have trip switches, and they are located either on or near fuse boxes and fuse boxes are near electricity meters. Should a switch trip itself, it is in your

best interest not to panic. The first thing that you need to do is to find the trip switch and switch is back ON. That should do the trick. And if the problem still persists, you should call a certified electrician. In fact, calling in an electrician is better than taking a risk yourself.

In case of a power cut, check the trip switch, as well as wiring and appliances. If you think everything is OK with these things, it is clear that this is a problem beyond your control and calling in a certified electrician is the best course of action. It is important to keep in mind that you shouldn’t try to fix this problem and wait for the electrician to come in and deal with the problem, so that you and your family stay safe.

These are a few basic electrical emergencies which can occur unannounced. Being mentally prepared for them is important so that you don’t panic. Most importantly, keep the number of a certified electrician on hand to ensure you can place the call the moment the emergency occurs