Have you ever been busy in one part of your house and really needed to get talk to someone at your front door, in the kitchen or out in the garage? If that sounds like something that happens to you often, an intercom system may be the perfect solution. This is a project an electrician in Glendale can easily tackle for you, saving you the time and hassle of doing it yourself. Learn more about what intercom installation entails and give Electric Connection a call today.

First, when installing an intercom system, you must figure out what rooms in your home you may want to connect to the system. Generally, you will have a speaker at the front door and a place in your home you spend a significant amount of time—perhaps the kitchen. However, you may want additional receivers in the bedrooms or basement.

Each receiver you install will require both wiring and construction work to enable it to work correctly and look good. The most difficult part for many is installing it into the wiring of the home. This will involve working with the circuits and tapping into the wiring already in your walls. The construction aspect is tricky too—unless you know how to work with drywall, plaster or whatever substance of which the wall is constructed.

Finally, there are many different types of intercom systems, from basic to systems complex enough for large corporations. If you are unsure which one will work best for you, this is another reason to work with Electric Connection, the electrician Glendale residents trust. Give us a call today and we will be happy to discuss your needs for an intercom system today. Our team of experts can get started and have your home and family more connected than ever before.

One of the biggest challenges faced by electrical engineers, while designing and installing circuitry, is ensuring that electrical fittings can accommodate different plugs. The terms ‘electrical outlet’ and ‘electrical receptor’ are interchangeable, and they do a lot more than just provide electrical connectors for devices to plug into.

Love is in the air, which has gotten me to thinking about lighting. (Come to think of it, what time of year doesn’t do that?) If Valentine’s Day always gives you a hankering to pop Gone With the Wind or your favorite rom-com into the DVD player, have you ever thought about what goes into making those romantic films?

Color temperature is one of the first things to note when studying the lighting in a romantic scene. Is it orange? Bluish? White? Most often, warm colors add to an inviting, romantic atmosphere. For example, the warm light in this sunset scene in Titanic draws the audience in, unlike the cold, blue lighting later in  the movie, after things get dire.

2. Brightness (and Shadow)

You can judge the quality of light in a film scene through the hardness or softness of its shadows. Hard quality light has dark shadows with sharp edges, and often feels more raw than soft quality light. Soft lighting, often used in older films, has lighter, diffused shadows and tends to feel more sentimental. If you’ve seen Casablanca, you know what I mean.

Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules.

Cool lighting can still be quite romantic in the right setting. Like in this still from The Notebook:

And with advances in film technology, sharp shadows can also be quite romantic. Case in point, this still from the end of the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice:

Mr. Electric® wants to make sure everyone is ready for the fall and winter months in case any weather-related disasters occur.  The importance of having alternate reliable energy when the need arises cannot be stressed enough. Electricity is the lifeline of many local businesses, hospitals and city buildings, and the amount of electricity usage in households is often taken for granted.

Generators propose a great solution when temporary power is needed, but they also require special care and attention to detail for safe operation and maintenance. Follow these tips to stay safe while operating permanently placed and portable generators.

Always operate generators outside in well-ventilated areas and away from windows, doors and vents. Enclosed or partially enclosed areas, even with ventilation, can result in CO poisoning.

“One generator produces as much CO as hundreds of cars. CO from a generator is deadly and can incapacitate and kill you within minutes.”

- Consumer Product Safety Commission

Plugging the generator into a wall outlet, also known as backfeeding, can pose an electrocution risk to utility workers as well as other homeowners and businesses served by the same utility transformer.

Mr. Electric licensed service professionals will be able to install a transfer switch, which will prevent a back feed in electrical current.

Before refueling, always turn off the generator and allow time for it to cool off before refueling. Continuous operation heats up the generator and any fuel spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.

Store fuel away from any fuel-burning appliance and outside of living areas in properly labeled, non-glass containers.

Always make sure the generator is kept dry during use, and dry your hands before touching it. Operate the generator under an open, canopy-like structure.

Never use the generator in wet or rainy weather or manipulate the electrical components if you are in standing water. Correctly storing and maintaining generators will prolong the life of the unit.

Being aware of the inherent hazards of electric generators will help prevent harmful situations. These tips from Mr. Electric will keep homeowners safe while operating permanently placed and portable generators.