With all of the information circulating around about renewable energy sources, it can be hard to keep everything straight. One of the most common sources of renewable energy actually comes from the sun, and is harvested with solar panels. The most common solar panel converts raw sunlight into electricity through the use of photovoltaic cells. These solar panels can be found in fields dedicated to their use. One of the most attractive things about solar panels, however, is that they can be installed directly onto your home by an electrician in Pasadena CA. This is becoming more and more common, as people are looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly, self-sustainable and reduce their monthly electric bills.

Installing and Using Solar Panels

There are two different ways to connect solar panels to your home. You can either connect them to a battery array that will store the power for you, or hook them directly into the existing electrical grid. Both methods have their pros and cons, which you can discuss with an electrician Pasadena, such as The Electric Connection.

One of the great things about having your own energy storage array is that you have reserve power if there is an outage. An electrician Pasadena CA who specializes in solar panel upgrades will place a panel in the optimal position on their home. They will then connect the panel to a voltage controller, which helps to control the flow of electricity into the batteries. The battery array is then plugged into a power inverter that converts the electricity from DC current to AC current, so that it can be used in your home. This type of installation is typically used to power just a handful of essential appliances, lights etc. In the case of a power outage, you will have a few hours of electricity by smartly using the battery array to power your home lighting, and essential electrical circuits.

The method of installation that is the easiest for the end user to understand and use is by hooking the solar panel directly into the main power grid. The Electric Connection, or the electrician in Pasadena that you have assisting you with your installation can actually connect your solar panel up so that it will feed the electricity back to the utilities company, rather than just to your home. This can work in one of two ways. Either you send everything you generate back to the electrical company, or you send anything in excess of what your battery array can handle back to the electric company. In either case, you receive credit for the energy you send, which can in turn lower your electric bills dramatically. This installation is slightly more involved, but only requires a minimal amount of home rewiring and/or electrical panel upgrade.

Regardless of the type of installation that you choose, adding a solar panel to your home is a great investment. Not only will you benefit from the peace of mind that you are using fewer fossil fuels to power your home, but you can even receive credit back for any excess energy that you create. To sweeten the deal, there are many state and national grants and tax credits that have been designed to assist people investing in renewable energy sources. Because of these tax credits, much of the cost of installation will come back to you on your tax returns. In just a few years, the majority of all solar panel installations will pay for themselves. If you are truly looking to increase your energy independence, and are interested in renewable energy sources, contact your Pasadena electrician today to talk about solar power.

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The new Live Laugh Love collection from Murray Feiss features a rustic Grecian Bronze finish with an uplifting mantra artfully imbedded in the design. Choose from 4-light chandeliers, 6-light pendant-style chandeliers and coordinating wall sconces.  Just in time for summer 2013, these new lamps impart a light-hearted message in a full-bodied design.

LIVE:

What do we mean by “lamp life?”

The “average life” of a light source is determined through controlled testing on a large sampling of light bulbs (lamps). Lamps of the same type, make and model are switched on at the same time, and when 50% of the bulbs in this large sampling burn out, this is the determined rate of lamp life.    Thus, due to slight variations in the environment, usage and make-up of each light bulb, the “rated life” listed on each bulb carton is an estimate; and, each bulb will perform slightly differently—some may outlive the “rated life” and some may die out before.

LAUGH:

It has been said that the average American child laughs out load about 400 times each day.  But, as children grow up into adults they laugh a whole lot less—maybe four times a day!

Studies show that just thinking about being happy or simply imagining yourself laughing, recalling a funny story, reading a piece of inspirational advice—all of these activities boost neural connections that can actually elevate your happiness quotient.

Although a serious lighting design is no laughing matter, new lighting compositions from Murray Feiss are made to uplift your spirit and enhance your life. So, why not install a new lamp to remind you to  “Live, Laugh and Love” every day!

LOVE:

What is a love light?

The term “love light” was made famous in 1961 when Bobby Bland recorded his R&B-style hit  “Turn on Your Love Light.”  The song has been popularized over the years, and recorded by many other bands including The Grateful Dead.  In  1999, the song was included in the Hall of Fame’s list of  “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.”

Love light may also include fine novel home lighting and accessories crafted to fill our homes with beauty and the most uplifting lighting effects.

Make a statement and select the seasons top fashions with bold new lighting and home accessories.  The Live Laugh Love collection from Feiss will give you reason to smile and get happy—quality design, accessible price points and exceptional service have kept Murray Feiss at the top of the lighting industry since 1955.

Other fun summer highlights from Feiss include island lights, mini chandeliers and ceiling pendants from the “Celebration” collection and colorful table lamps in the “Kennedy” collection.

As a homeowner, you have to make certain that the various parts of your home are not only in good working order, but also safe. Electrical problems tend to occur from time to time, and the flickering light is one of the most common. But why does this happen? What should do about it? How can you prevent it from happening? Our electricians offer outstanding electrical repair for such problems, and we can make sure that your entire network of indoor and outdoor lights operates just as it should.

There are plenty of reasons why your light may be flickering, but the most important factor to consider is that there is a gap in the electrical current somewhere. For any wall or ceiling-mounted fixture, there is both a set of wires that link that light into the circuit as well as to the wiring within the wall switch box. There could be a loose connection in either of these two place. It could also be related to a faulty socket, wall switch, wiring or even the light bulb itself. It should go without saying that flickering lights are not something to be taken lightly (if you’ll excuse the pun). Even relatively small issues such as this can result in fire hazards.

You’ll want to stay far away from any live wiring, and we don’t ever recommend you attempting to fix the issue yourself. Not only might you put yourself in harm’s way, but you could also damage nearby wiring and your home itself. What you can do is to check the light bulb. It could be something as simple as that, but you won’t know if you don’t check. If that’s not the issue, then it’s always best to reach out to a professional electrician so that the problem can be addressed quickly and correctly.

Plenty of DIYers can complete an electrical project on their own without the help of a certified electrician. Sure, it’s easy to fix minor annoyances with light fixtures or outlets, but not installations, renovations, and major repairs. That’s because what starts out looking pretty straightforward can quickly turn into a disaster. Here’s a look at four specific examples that ElectricMan Inc. can help sort out.

Contact ElectricMan today to prevent a DIY disaster, or for any other electrical needs. ElectricMan is your trusted, local certified electrician with 27 years of experience. For more information, visit the ElectricMan website. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

As technology moves forward, our knowledge of electricity and our ability to make it safer for us to use has also advanced. One of the latest and greatest things we have at our fingertips is GFI outlets. You have probably seen these in some buildings and maybe even a few new homes. The National Electric Code has made these outlets a standard. Kitchens, bathrooms and other areas that are near water like pools and spas are all required to have GFI outlets in place instead of the standard outlets. If you are not sure if you have one of these, call The Electric Connection and we would be happy to explain. You can also read on and learn a little more about what they are.

Your electrician in Pasadena will explain exactly what GFI outlets are. These outlets look different than the standard ones you have seen for decades. There are 2 buttons in the center of the outlet. 1 red and 1 black. These are to test whether the outlet is working and the other is to reset it.

GFI or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters can prevent against electrocution in the event a person is standing or touching water while using an electrical appliance. The GFI detects the very millisecond the electricity is no longer flowing along its proper second. As soon as it detects the break, it cuts power to the appliance, thus preventing a terrible accident. This is where the reset button comes into play. Simply reset the outlet after the situation has been made safe.

This is a fairly simple precaution you can take today to prevent a serious, life-threatening accident in the future. If you would like to learn more about replacing your existing outlets with GFIs, call an electrician. Pasadena residents can rely on The Electric Connection. We have a knowledgeable staff ready to help make your home a safer place. Give us a call today.