2. In order to open the headlight housing, it must be heated to soften the glue that seals it. Preheat the oven to 270 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the housing in the oven (top rack). Heat the housing for approximately seven minutes. Note that this time will vary by vehicle manufacturer and that you should be careful not to overheat your assembly. Also note that the headlight will be hot when removing it from the oven, so take care not to burn yourself.

*Please note that this can damage your headlight assembly and that you do so at your own risk.

4. LED angel eye installation will vary by headlight. In this instance, we mounted an

5. Place the second layer back in the housing to ensure that everything is aligned the way you would like. This is also a great time to clean the inside housing, as you will not be able to do so once you reseal it. The cleaner you get it the better; smudges and dirt will be more visible when the lights are on.

8. Now it’s time to reseal the headlight housing. Preheat the oven to 270 degrees again, place the layers together, and put the headlight in the oven (with halo rings installed) for seven minutes. Remove the headlight from the oven, and press the layers together firmly as you work around the lens to ensure all of the edges are sealed (this might require gloves, as the headlight will be somewhat hot). Be careful to only press on the edges so as not to warp the lens.

*Please note that this can damage your headlight assembly and that you do so at your own risk.

10. With the headlight housing installed, complete your wiring, and test connections to ensure proper installation. Be sure to tape/heat-shrink any wiring connections that were added, and clean up any loose wiring.

Out of all of the challenges winter presents, there’s one small, quiet issue that plagues us all on a routine basis. We’re talking, of course, about static shock! Have you ever noticed that little zap is a lot more common in the colder seasons? Have you ever wondered why? If you answered yes to either or both, read on to learn a bit from the Columbia electricians at Kolb Electric!

Need reliable, top-quality electrical services for your home or business? Contact the team at Kolb online today!

There’s probably no one in the world that hasn’t encountered a static shock. It’s that small, surprisingly little jolt that you can often get when stepping out of your car or touching a door handle in your home. But though it seems like a simple incident, static shock (or more specifically static electricity) is actually a lot of science going on all at once.

Put very simply, since to explain it in detail would be, frankly, a bit involved and boring, a static shock is the product of an imbalance in electrical charge. Everything is constantly exchanging electrons.

Everything. All of the time.

And when you happen to be exposed to an insulator, which naturally holds onto electric charge (like rubber, or wool) you basically start scraping charge off of everything around you. This collects on the surface of your body, and the next time you come into contact with a conductor of any type, typically metals, that built up charge will jump to the conductor, producing that somewhat agitating shock.

So why is it that when winter hits, we see a lot more static electricity? The answer is pretty simple, actually! In seasons like summer, moisture in the air called humidity tends to be far higher, and those water molecules actually act as a great grounding barrier, helping you mitigate building an excessive static charge.

But when winter sets in, we see a lot less moisture in the air. And what is there tends to be frozen, thus a solid and no longer part of the air content. This cold, dry air is a breeding ground for static, allowing your body to pull in massive amounts of electrons which will ultimately result in that startling shock.

And did you know your furnace actually makes it worse by sucking out what little moisture your home retains? That means bad times for those of us with a furnace system and wool carpets!

As a Columbia electrician knows well, our winters can get really dry, and really cold, which means wrestling with a lot of static electricity. Looking for ways to reduce your shock factor? Try these tips out:

It’s all about adding a bit of moisture, and avoiding materials that present the properties of an insulator!

We can’t do a whole lot about the static in your home (save maybe some sage advice), but if you’re looking for a trusted team of top-class Columbia electricians for electrical installation and repair, there’s no team better than Kolb! Contact us online to learn more about our electrical services, or to learn more great tips, tricks, and handy info, keep up with our blog!

It is better to be prepared for a power outage than to have to scramble when one actually happens. Having a drawer, a small space in a cupboard or even a rubber tote filled with the supplies you will need when the power goes out is a good idea. Your Beverly Hills electrician suggests you keep at least one flashlight and some backup batteries, a battery-powered radio, matches and some emergency candles along with sturdy candleholders in your kit. These are just a few things you will need to get you through an outage. You can call The Electric Connection to learn about some other things you may want to keep in your kit.

Once the power goes out, you will want to grab your kit, especially if darkness is falling or it is already dark. If it is daylight, you can take care of these things without needing any light. As soon as the power goes out, you want to go about protecting your sensitive electric equipment. Smart TVs, computers, laptops and so on are very sensitive to electric surges. They need to be unplugged from the wall until after the power comes on and seems to be staying on. Don’t rush right over and start plugging stuff in the second you see the lights come on. It is not uncommon to have the power hiccup a few times before there is a steady stream.

You will also want to turn off any appliances and lights that may have been at the time of the outage. This will help cut down on a surge coming into your home and potentially causing serious damage. If this does happen, you will need to call your electrician. Beverly Hills residents can call The Electric Connection if there have been any side effects from a power outage.