As summer comes to an end, so do those long days and short nights. Now, when you head to work in the morning or the kids go off to school, there is a pretty good chance the sun is just barely breaking the horizon. Although we move are clocks back to make the best of the short winter days, it isn’t enough and we need extra security lighting to make sure we are coming and going with plenty of light brightening our paths. A Burbank electrician can help you enhance the safety of your family’s comings and goings by installing security lights. The Electric Connection has a team of qualified electricians to make this happen.

You have several choices when it comes to picking the right security lighting for your home. Solar lighting is really not an ideal option for the short winter days. While it works great for summer nights, you will want to have something a little more reliable. Electric pathway lights are perfect for illuminating the path between the door and driveway and can be set up on a timer to come on when you need them. Another option is the mounted security light. This can be put up to illuminate a driveway, the pathway to the door or a dark area in your landscaping. This particular type of light is much brighter and can spread light over a large area.

These will need to be installed by an electrician. Burbank homeowners can choose to have these lights on a timer, a manual switch or the common motion-detector system. The timers and motion-detection systems are a little more energy efficient and prevent the light remaining on when it isn’t needed. If you would like to learn more about your options for security lighting, give The Electric Connection a call today.

In all likelihood, the electrical panel is something you’re familiar with, especially if you have an older home with older wiring. When something stops working in your home, like the refrigerator, it’s often the first thing you check.

But if you find yourself running to the electrical panel often, it’s probably not a good sign. This is just one of the many indicators that you probably need an upgrade. Here are some others:

If you are remodeling your home, you are likely changing out appliances in the kitchen or adding a few new gadgets. And if your home was designed decades ago, the electrical system was simply not made to handle all of these new systems.

As our electrical needs grow, the electrical service has to change, too. The panel is what is responsible for distributing power throughout your home, and attempting to burden an older panel with a large load of appliances could mean major electrical trouble or even a fire hazard.

Do you find yourself resetting one or more circuit breakers all too frequently? Do your lights flicker as soon as you turn on the AC or hot tub? This type of electrical trouble could signal a big problem. Call an electrician to inspect your wiring and your circuit breaker box, and make an upgrade ASAP if this is seen as the best course of action.

Finally, it may be time for an upgrade simply because you have an older panel. If you still have a fuse box, and you need to replace a fuse every time you have electrical trouble, it’s not worth it. A new circuit breaker can replace your fuse box and will be a lot easier to use, and safer too.

Besides, some older panels, even those controlled with circuit breakers, are dangerous. Federal Pacific Electric panels, for example, were widely installed in the middle of the 20th century, but it turns out that most do not trip properly a large percentage of the time, presenting a fire hazard.

Solar energy may seem like the fuel of the future, but in many ways it’s already here. The sun currently powers a wide range of devices, including satellites and traffic lights, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach for the typical person. Mr. Electric is here to help you power your tomorrow with some practical and affordable solar solutions for your home.

If you’re looking to start small, there are many simple solar-powered inventions that can make your life easier. XD Design’s solar powered phone charger sticks to a car, home, or office window and can charge your electronic devices anywhere there’s sunlight.

Some companies have gone even further and incorporated solar panels into everyday objects, making them self-sufficient energy savers. BirkSun’s solar powered backpack can charge phones, laptops, and other small electronics when you are camping or hiking, or even if you just don’t have access to an outlet.

Every day, companies are coming up with new innovations to help bring this promising renewable energy source closer to the reach of the general public. While a lot of the smaller solar inventions are useful, more experimental projects, like the world’s largest solar powered boat, are showing that solar power isn’t just limited to smaller devices. These innovations making it more obvious that solar power is a viable energy source for the future. If you’re looking to decrease your carbon footprint, there are many ways to do it without making the commitment to power your whole home with solar energy. Consider installing a solar powered water heater or air conditioner, which can decrease the amount of energy your family uses daily. If you are interested in relying completely on solar power, do your research. While it is true that solar cells require a significant upfront payment, they also have great benefits and will decrease your electricity bill in the long run. The government also offers tax breaks for homeowners who use solar power, which can make the switch even more profitable for you. Contact your local Mr. Electric about to see what kind of solar initiatives they are taking and the types of solar energy systems available to install in your home.

Commercial buildings require special considerations when it comes to electrical wiring. Most commercial buildings do not have the luxury of a wooden frame to run wires through, so other wiring methods must be used. Some of those are discussed below.

In some instances, armored cable may be used. This type of cable, known as teck cable, is available in nearly any size and features a core made of the desired number and sizes of wires, protective jacketing, flexible aluminum armor, and in some cases a weather-resistant exterior jacket. Teck cables can be pulled through conduit, cable tray, or be buried directly in the ground as long as the cable is rated for direct burial and certain burial depths are adhered to. Teck cables can also be installed in hazardous locations by using special explosion-proof cable fittings and approved sealing compounds. The main advantage to teck cable is its ease of installation and versatility. When using a cable tray system, cables can also be easily added or removed at any time.

With this basic knowledge of the types of electrical wiring methods used in commercial buildings, it is easy to select the best option for any installation.

Your home’s circuit breaker is a valuable line of defense in protecting your home. All your electrical appliances rely on your home’s circuit breaker which makes it that much more important. Replacing your circuit breaker can be such an economical investment in protecting your home. Dealing with flickering lights, poor performance from your appliances such as your stove or microwave, and a smoking scent from your panel are just a few of the warning signs when it comes to your circuit breaker. Learn more about the warning signs so you can avoid a catastrophe and replace your circuit breaker before it’s too late.

One way to tell if you need a circuit breaker replacement is to sniff around and see if you smell a burning odor coming from the panel. If so, that means the wires and insulation have become overheated. Ultimately your circuit breaker is failing to protect your home from an electrical short elsewhere. Shut off the main power to the house immediately and call an electrician for an home, potential buyers are going to be hesitant to put down an offer. Everyone wants to purchase a home that is safe and secure, which is why an upgraded breaker is that much more valuable.