Image via BusinessWeek

We hear a lot about LEDs these days, but is there a place in the market for their fancier, pricier cousins, the OLEDs? Organic light emitting diodes have yet to find a niche in the market, but if and when they do, they’ll have to overcome stiff competition…

Lighting tips…

Other Cool Stuff…

This summer, soccer’s about more than just winning games. A group of young innovators have started producing a new kind of soccer ball that can generate and store electrical power when kicked around. This is a huge breakthrough for families who don’t have reliable access to power…Image via EarthTechling

Normally, finding a broken light bulb is a bit of a let down, but in Jon Smith’s photographs, they turn into something extraordinary. Jon fills the light bulbs with different materials, like paint or glitter, then shoots them with a pellet gun and photographs the explosion. It’s way cool…Image via Wide Eyed Illuminations

Home lighting serves two major purposes: functionality and aesthetics. When walking into a dark room, the last thing you want is to have to navigate to the other side to turn on the lights. This can be unsafe and highly impractical. When it comes to aesthetics, the right lighting can change an entire room and its atmosphere. With dimmer and three way switches, you can bring functionality and aesthetics to any room in your home.

Standard switches control a light fixture or set of lights from one location. For larger sized rooms or long hallways it isn’t practical to have one light switch placed at only one end or in the middle of the room. This is where three way switches come in handy. With a three way switch, you can have two separate switches to a single fixture or set of lights. In this way you can strategically place light switches around your home to ensure there is always easy access to light.

Three way switches can be complex and difficult to install. When replacing standard switch it can be easy to mix up the wiring and your light switch will no longer work. This is where a professional electrician helps you out the most. Plan out where you feel more light switches are needed and contact one of our electricians to install the switch correctly the first time and help you avoid a headache and potential safety risk.

When it comes to dimmer switches, not only can they help you accomplish beautiful lighting in your room, but it can also be a practical decision. With a dimmer switch you can adjust the voltage going to your light rather than simply having an “on” or “off” setting. With either a slider or a knob you can adjust your light so it is perfect for reading, movies, or a romantic evening.

Dimmer switches can also help you save money by lowering your electrical bill. By having the ability to lower the voltage to your lights, you can use only the electricity you need and lower the lights to the perfect level. Remember, if you are planning to use LED lights on a dimmer switch, make sure you purchase LED bulbs that support dimming. If you choose the wrong type of bulbs, your dimmer switch will not leave you with the desired effect.

Here’s a familiar household scenario. You put a can of catfood into the electric can opener hoping to see the can spin around and make whirring noises, but instead nothing happens. No spinning, no noise. What to do?

Is the can opener broken or is it just not getting electricity? Finding this out is the first step of troubleshooting the problem.

Step 1: Plug the can opener into a socket that is delivering power to an appliance or lamp that works. Let’s say the can now spins and whirs. You know the can opener is fine. After you’ve fed Kitty, you can turn to the electrical issue to see if it’s something that you can handle or if you need to call an electrician.

Step 2: Look at the kitchen outlet that you originally plugged into. Does it have two little buttons on it that say “Test” and “Re-set”? If so, it’s a safety outlet (GFI) for kitchens and other places where water might be nearby. Push the re-set button and see if the can opener works now. If so, the problem may be solved.

However, if you frequently have to push re-set to get this outlet to work, there’s an electrical problem that an electrician should handle. If re-set doesn’t fix it, go on to Step 3.

Step 3: Is the outlet controlled by a wall switch? If so, flip the wall switch. Does the can opener work now? If not, go on to Step 4.

Step 4: Has the circuit breaker that controls the outlet flipped off? As a first step, turn off any computers and other electronic devices that might lose data if they lose power suddenly. Next, look in the circuit breaker box for any flipped switches. Even if you don’t see one, it’s possible that one has flipped off internally without moving to the off position. Firmly flip off each circuit breaker in turn and flip it on again. Now, plug the can opener into the kitchen outlet and see if it works. If the can opener works, you’re done.

But as a note, if a particular circuit breaker repeatedly flips off, your electrical system may need to be enlarged to meet your power needs or there may be an intermittent short circuit. An electrician can tell you which it is. A short circuit is a fire hazard and should be addressed as soon as possible.

Step 5: If after these steps, the kitchen outlet still doesn’t work, it’s time to call an electrician.

If you follow these steps whenever an electric outlet or wall switch is giving you trouble, you can save on unnecessary electrical service calls.  But if it turns out that you need an electrician and you’re in L.A., give us a call at (800) 990-9490.  We’ll be happy to discuss any electrical issues with you.

Kim Hopkins

CEO, The Electric Connection

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Although your regular power supply is proven to be a steady source of electricity for your home, it’s also known how a major storm can knock out your electrical connections on occasion. Typically, it’s only a short time of power outage for an evening or maybe an afternoon, so you go to bed early or take a much needed nap and the power is back on when you wake up. Two situations result in situations that aren’t so cute. One, you have work to do that can’t be postponed even though your power is off for a couple of hours. Secondly, when power is out for several days so you know you need to cook all the food you kept frozen, but can’t cook it because the power is out.

Preparing for Natural Disasters

When a major storm approaches you’ve certainly seen long lines at the grocery store of people buying last minute needs in case they won’t be available over the upcoming days. A better idea is to prepare ahead of time so you have no worries should a storm take your power out for a few days. A flashlight, bottled water, canned goods, a heater with fuel and perhaps a camp stove are always good to have around in case of an emergency. Better yet is to have a generator so you can continue to run your home as a home and live your life according to how you live on a daily basis.

Generators and Solar Panels

Solar panels may seem like a perfect solution, but unfortunately they don’t work very well when the sun is blocked by the storm that knocked out your regular electric supply. Generators, on the other hand, are ready to run as long as you keep them fueled and can keep you going during a power outage. A temporary outage for thirty minutes won’t be a problem as the generator will turn on so you never know the power went out. You may need to conserve energy for an outage expected to last several days, but your basic needs of heat, refrigeration, and cooking will be met.