Light switches are so common we rarely think twice about them. We walk into a room, flip the switch without looking and carry on. In the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, the light that comes on in an instant is a bit of a shock to eyes that have not quite adjusted. Lights are often a little too much for certain occasions and you are forced to choose between too much or too little. Or are you? Your California electrician has a better idea. The team at The Electric Connection can help you take control of the light in your life by installing a dimmer switch.

For a long time, dimmer switches were a common feature for chandeliers installed in the dining room area. This allows you to dictate just how much light you want to shed over the dinner table. Cheery breakfasts and lunches are best served with plenty of light. Evening meals that are meant to help you unwind or connect with your friends and loved ones over a delicious entree are best served with low light. It gives the space a more intimate feel.

You can have that same luxury of light control in every room in the house. There is some very minimal electrical wiring that will need to be done. It is a fairly easy switch to install a dimmer in place of your existing light switch. You can have one in the living room that allows you to turn down the lights while you are watching television. Another in the bathroom gives you the ability to have low light for those middle of the night visits instead of blinding light that wakes you up and interrupts a good night’s sleep. An electrician in southern California is ready to help. Just give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your dimmer switch installation.

Alexai Erchak, while a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is credited with developing the first prototype high efficient LED in 2001.  These LEDs use specialized mirrors and tiny photonic crystals to generate more usable light from the semiconductor materials.  Erchak observed that the Swallowtail butterfly highlights their fluorescent blue and green colors with a natural illumination much like that of his specialized prototype, and he was astounded at the similarity between the natural brightening structures in the butterfly’s wings and his own LEDs.

So much we learn from nature! The appeal of new designer outdoor lighting captures the essence of natural beauty and wonders of the world.  Make way for the butterflies and new designer outdoor lighting.

The “butterfly effect” is a phenomenon or belief that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one sector of the universe may be related to a tornado occurring in another part of the world. Could it be possible that the gentle vibrations in the wings of a butterfly could be the pivotal mechanism that leads to the ultimate surge of a storm cloud?  Is it science fiction or is there some truth to it?

Either way, there is no denying that the effect of designer outdoor lighting significantly increases the beauty and property value of our home.  And, the latest designs are eco-friendly, sustainable and made to last.

Bask in the splendor of summer style with these super natural compositions.

Novel summer finishes include this Raw Copper with iridescent glass from Arroyo Crafsman.  Arroyo Craftsman designs and manufactures fine outdoor lighting that honors the traditions of elegant simplicity combined with a quality craftsmanship established by the founders of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Arroyo’s designer outdoor lights are inspired by famed styles such as the California Mission, Swiss Chalet and English Tudor. Each piece from Arroyo Craftsman is meticulously hand crafted in the United States and available with several hand applied finish and glass options.

Glowing Butterflies Shine With Natural LEDs

Install the service panel at a convenient location that is also secured so that only authorized people have access to it. The electrical panel is sized according to the environment as well. In many commercial wiring schematics, where each tenant has separate cabling and metering, the panel should provide for this. All panels and metering are typically installed in one location with an outline of which components are related to each apartment, floor or condo. There should be adequate electrical outlets to avoid using extension cords. It is important to ensure the layout and spacing complies with the relevant electrical standards.

A tenant may carry out renovations and wish to add electrical outlets to other locations not served by the initial outlets. Before making the modifications, the tenant should confirm that the panel and conductors have the capacity to handle extra outlets, lights or additional loads. This can be confirmed by the building owner, a qualified electrician, or electrical contractor who carried out the initial wiring. If the wiring is not adequate, additional cabling and protection may be required.

Electrical Safety in a commercial building is usually very critical to any building owner or caretaker, as well as business owners or tenants. They must ensure the safety of the people working on the premises as well as the visitors and customers. To minimize the risk of accidents and injuries, the building owner should make sure that the electrical wiring is up to date. This includes regular maintenance. Three phase power should comply with all electrical and building codes for that area. In particular, the people responsible must focus on ensuring that:

A comprehensive inspection of a commercial installation of electrical wiring should be carried out every 5 years by a qualified electrician. However, it is important to have regular inspections in between that identify defects and enable prompt repairs. A building owner must ensure the safety of the tenants, employees, and visitors while also guaranteeing uninterruptible supply to the premises.

To most people, circuit panels are the first place they go when power fails to a room.  The loud click heard when a space heater or hair dryer overloads a circuit usually calls for a quick trip to flip a circuit breaker back on.  Every building depends on the circuit panel for safety and electrical management for the home.  The electrical panel for your home, along with the attached circuit breaker, serves to delegate power throughout the home.  By splitting up power demands, it prevents overloads in separate rooms and isolates individual features and appliances.

You may be wondering why we need to split up circuits the way we do.  If all of our devices operate on 120 volts, why do we need separate circuits?  The answer has to do with the physical quirks of wiring.  You see, while everything operates off of the 120 volts delivered by your home’s wiring, the power demands are different for each device.  As power is applied to a circuit, current flows over the wiring and heats it up.  The higher your power demands, the more current is flowing through the wires.

The wires in your home can only handle a set amount of current (most circuits are 20-amp circuits) before they overheat and begin to ignite insulation around them.  If you placed every light, appliance, and TV in your home on the same electrical circuit, you’d reach this thermal limit almost immediately.  To prevent his, we install circuit breakers to help separate energy demands to specific rooms.  We also separate the energy load to create special appliance circuits.  This is why your HVAC unit is on a separate circuit from your kitchen and your laundry room.  Appliance circuits use thicker wires which are designed to handle higher electrical loads.  High current circuits are expensive, so homes are designed to use them sparingly.

This is also why you should only ever replace breakers and fuses with new units that have the same tolerance.  Circuit breakers are designed to be the weakest link in a system.  They must trip before anything on the circuit itself would fail.  This safety feature means that the breaker will trip before wiring overheats or appliances are damaged by high-current draw.  If you do need to replace a breaker, always match it with the same current-rating.

Power surges are another reason we separate circuits in a home.  Whenever a load is applied to the system (you turn on a hair dryer, electrical appliance, or even a lamp) inrush current is also applied.  Inrush-current is the initial surge of power that occurs when current is increased.  Extra power is applied across the system, which causes a risk of electrical damage when a high-power device is applied to a low-power circuits.  To mitigate this, high-load motors such as those in power tools, HVAC systems, and other appliances are plugged into special appliance circuits.  This is also why you should plug sensitive low-voltage electronics into surge protectors.

Sometimes electrical panels can wear out.  While the signs are clear when you know what to look for, without experience you have no way of knowing if it’s time to replace your panel.  Get an inspection for your electrical panel if:

If, however, you happen to notice one of two logos, Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) or Zinsco, you should call for a replacement immediately.  These older models of electrical panels are unsafe and should be replaced quickly.

For the best in quality electrical repair work and installations, contact the professionals at Custom Electric!  Be sure to check back here each week for helpful advice, news, and guides or follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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