The baseball season has started, NASCAR has revved up for the summer and football is right around the corner. All these sports, at one time, could only be enjoyed during the day. Mr. Electric®, a company committed to powering tomorrow, looked at how electricity and lights changed sports forever.

On the night of September 28, 1892, the game of football was changed forever when Wyoming Seminary played Mansfield State Normal School in the first-ever night game. The game lasted 20 minutes, consisted of a total of ten plays and ended with neither team scoring. The game ended early due to several players getting hurt by running into light poles caused by the insufficient lighting system. The first night game West of the Mississippi was played in Kansas by the now, Wichita State, and Sterling College in 1905. With upgraded lighting systems many games are now played at night. On September 28, 1992, Monday Night Football celebrated “100 years under the lights” in a game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams.

Baseball was behind football when it came to playing at night. Though teams had played at night since the 1880s, many teams did not make it common practice until many years later. The first ever Major League Baseball game to be played at night took place on May 24, 1935, in Cincinnati when the Cincinnati Reds played the Philadelphia Phillies. The Chicago Cubs were the last Major League Baseball team to finally host a game at night in their home stadium of Wrigley Field. The game took place on August 9, 1988. The World Series had its first night game in 1977. Now, every Major League Baseball stadium has lights and night games are a common occurrence.

Bristol Motor Speedway was the first NASCAR track to have lights installed for night races in 1992. In order for night racing to take place in NASCAR lights had to be designed that would not blind the drivers as they raced around the track. Bristol was one of the first tracks to have night racing. Since 1992, many tracks have added lights for night racing. Some of the most popular night races take place at Kansas City, Richmond, Charlotte and Bristol Speedways. None of these sports would be where they are today without the advent of electricity and intelligently designed lighting systems.

We often forget how important it can be to call an electrician if a problem arises with a home’s electrical system. In fact, most homeowners are complacent that their wiring system is just fine and needs no care or maintenance. More often than not, the only time a licensed electrician is called to a house when something is going wrong. It’s important to understand how to recognize when you may need to be preemptive about electrical problems and subtle signs that your electrical system needs maintenance or repairs. Keep an eye out for the following issues that could arise, indicating a bigger electrical problem in your home.

If you’re a fan of power strips, that’s not necessarily a problem right away. The problem happens when you start to overload a specific circuit in your home. Attaching a power strip and then packing it full of energy-heavy devices can quickly cause circuit breakers to flip. In addition to that risk, they can quickly become a fire risk when used inappropriately. Opt for power strips with surge protectors and be careful concerning how much you plug into them. If you need more outlet availability in a space, that’s when you need to call a local electrician.

While the rugs themselves aren’t a sign of electrical problems, the wires and cords run under them are. More and more people are adapting older homes to their current needs, leaving exposed cords and cables throughout the house. You don’t need to run them under carpet and rugs. In fact, that can be a tripping hazard. An electrician can quickly run wires and cables through the walls to get the cables out of sight and out of mind.

If you own an older home, you may have noticed how your outlets don’t look quite like outlets in newer homes. For a long time, two prong outlets were the standard. No many appliances use a three prong plug style in order to provide a ground for the electricity. Don’t be someone who just cuts the third prong off of their appliances or bends it back to make it fit in the two prong outlet; upgrade your outlets instead. Properly grounded outlets can reduce the risk of electrical fires and other risks due to electricity.

It’s important to regularly check your home’s main service panel. Regular visual checks and professional checks by an electrician can help to prolong the life of the panel and help avert any problems from improper care. When you visually inspect the panel, check for any signs of problems, including potential rust. If your panel is rusting, it’s time to have an electrician install a new one for safety and performance.

If you’ve ever turned on a light switch and found that the plate was warm to the touch, then you should call an electrician. Points where power is utilized in the wall should never be warm, and definitely not hot. It’s a sign of a bigger electrical problem that could be a safety hazard.

Although the holiday lighting season is still at least a month away, you are probably already digging around and planning your decorations for the season. Maybe you have already pulled out some of your Halloween decorations that require electricity and realized you are going to need some work done before it is time to pull out the twinkling lights. A Burbank electrician has some tips for you before you start plugging in your lights this year. If you have any questions, you can call The Electric Connection for help.

One of the most important rules of stringing lights together is not to connect more than three strands of lights. Doing so could overload the circuit and cause the breaker to trip. If you have a shortage of outlets, consider hiring an electrician. Burbank residents can have outdoor outlets installed that are designed to withstand the weather. The additional outlets outside are handy to have all year round. You won’t have to worry about running extension cords.

Speaking of extension cords; only use cords that are approved for outdoor use. Do not use cords that are damaged or have some of the protective insulation covering missing in areas. Wrapping the area with tape to compensate is never a good idea. Invest in the proper extension cord. A cord with several outlets is helpful. However, do not get carried away with hooking up numerous strands of lights are large yard ornaments. If the breaker trips, it is a sign the outlet is overloaded. Move some of your lights to a different outlet.

Outlet power stakes are a great option and many of them are equipped with timers and remote controls that allow you to turn on your lights without ever stepping foot outside. The power stakes are designed to protect the outlets from wet weather.

If you are ready to get your home ready for another holiday season filled with pretty lights, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Mortgage lenders try to look at the big picture, considering things like taxes and insurance when deciding how much they can loan out to homeowners and buyers. However, there's a major ongoing expense that appraisers currently don't take into account – monthly utility bills. You don't need to be an electrician to understand that the money you pay for power each month makes an impact on your budget and even affects the value of your home. A bill currently in front of Congress – the SAVE Act – would acknowledge that reality and let federal mortgage lenders make energy efficiency part of their formula.

Increasing the Value of Your Home

Essentially, the SAVE Act would make it easier to get financing for efficiency upgrades, even folding funding for it into traditional mortgages.

“This bill would require federal mortgage agencies to recognize the energy efficiency upgrades in a home during the mortgage underwriting process, thereby increasing the value of the home,” President of the Alliance to Save Energy Kateri Callahan said in a statement. 

The SAVE Act claims it would bring a number of benefits in addition to loosening the drawstrings on bank financing for efficiency. Among them:

A Diverse Group of Supporters

The SAVE Act was first introduced in 2013. Although Congress has yet to vote on the measure, it has lined up a diverse group of supporters who aren't typically on the same side of major issues, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers to the Alliance to Save Energy, the National Resources Defense Council, the U.S. Green Building Council and others.

In the meantime, there are a number of steps you can take around your home today to cut down on your utility bills. If you need any help installing efficient appliances or upgrading your home electric system, contact an expert electrician today.