You work hard to keep a roof or your family’s head and you want to protect them while they are at home. You probably lock your doors and windows at night and leave a light so nobody trips when making one of those late night bathroom runs. Is there more you could do?

Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors

You can add an extra layer of protection to your home for your family by having smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the home. An electrician in Beverly Hills can hard wire a smoke detector into each room of the home. This is an ideal option, because you do not have to worry about batteries going dead or being “borrowed” for some toy or remote. The detectors rely on your home’s electricity. Of course, you will still need to have a battery powered detector in the home. In most models, the electric powered detectors also have a battery backup option.

Hard wired smoke detectors should be placed in every room somebody sleeps in as well as the basement if you have one. The detectors can be interconnected, so if one goes off, they all go off, alerting occupants to a fire. This is an ideal option for those who like to sleep with their bedroom doors closed.

Carbon monoxide detectors should also be installed by an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners should absolutely have one of these detectors in their home to protect themselves against the odorless gas, carbon monoxide. As with the smoke detectors, an electrician will hard wire a carbon monoxide detector on each level of your home. These can be interconnected as well.

If you use a gas stove or have a garage connected to your home, you will definitely need to consider having a carbon monoxide detector. You can rely on The Electric Connection to get this extremely important job done for your family.

Summer storms and problems with the electrical grid can lead to power outages wherever you may live. There was a time when candles and flashlights were really the only way in which to make it through a power outage in one’s home. Thankfully, those days are far behind us at this point. If you are interested in keeping your home powered, despite the fact that you’re receiving no power from the grid, we strongly recommend that you consider the installation of a whole-house generator. More specifically, we suggest that you give the use of an automatic standby generator in  Needham Heights, MA some serious consideration. 

Some homeowners may only be interested in keeping an appliance or two running in the event of a power outage. In such instances, a portable generator may suffice, though these systems are really better suited for the campground or use at tailgating events. For whole-house protection, though, a whole-house generator is obviously the way to go.

What happens when you’re not at home to activate your generator, though? Do you just leave a chest freezer or your refrigerator without any electricity to keep them up and running, even if you’re going to be gone a few days? With the use of an automatic standby generator, you won’t have to worry about integral systems shutting down in the event of a power outage, even if you are not there to start up the generator manually.

A whole-house generator is wired into your electrical system directly, and automatic standby models are designed to detect the loss of electricity to the system. Once it has, the generator springs into action, powering your systems so that you won’t have to worry about spoiled food, failed security systems, and so on.

Everyone loves a beautifully decorated and well lit house on Christmas, but you should remember to keep safety in mind. A lot of lights, cords, and wires are covering your house, and although they are beautiful, you should be aware of what you are risking and maybe consider some alternatives. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure you stay cheery and bright:

Don’t use Grandma’s old Lights – I know they may mean something to you and they might be charming and rustic, but they are not safe to use considering their age. You could be posing a risk. Instead consider using cooler LEDs that are longer lasting.

Keep Cords Together and out of the Way – Make sure all cords are out of the way of where people may walk so no one trips or rips the cords out. Consider tape or clips to keep them together and out of the way!

Damaged Goods – If it looks frayed or damaged in any way, don’t risk it! A skilled electrician might be able to contact an electrician.

We still have a lot of cold weather to come in the months ahead. We’re encouraging homeowners to schedule their annual heating service as soon as possible, if they haven’t already. It’s not too late, and this preventative maintenance service can help you, your family, and your budget in a few different ways.

This fall, one of the most important things you can do for your home is to get a heating system inspection. During an inspection, a technician will look for issues affecting the performance of your heater.

More importantly, they’ll look for anything that compromises your safety. That includes poor gas connections, faulty electrical wiring, improper ventilation, blocked vents, and a cracked heat exchanger. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a real threat when you own a fuel-burning heater, and it’s so important that you have technicians give you the okay to keep using the heat.

With a complete safety inspection, you don’t have to worry so much about your heating system breaking down suddenly in the middle of winter. If this is something that’s happened to you before (or even if it hasn’t), you know that this is something you really want to avoid.

Heating systems are most likely to break down when they’re working their hardest. Make things easier on yourself for the winter by scheduling heating maintenance ne in the fall.

When a heater gets a thorough tune-up, you can feel confident that the system is running smoothly. And that can mean greater efficiency. Your heating system is able to run smoothly with a cleaned out blower wheel, tightened electrical connections, and other adjustments your technician may make.

That translates to lower bills. And if you complete this service every year, no matter how old your heating equipment is, you can maintain high efficiency levels for years, as heaters that receive regular maintenance are more likely to last for a long time to come.

Solar energy generation has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years. One Thursday in March, 2013 a major mark was hit. California surpassed the 1500 megawatt mark for the first time. This is a major accomplishment. While the concept of 1500 megawatts may not mean much to many people, that is enough power to supply 300,000 homes the energy they needed for the day. This would cover every single-family home in San Diego! The best part about this is that solar energy usage is still growing, so over time this number will likely increase.

Solar energy is an exciting frontier; if you are interested in helping the environment, you may wish to start with an installation for your home or other property. Solar energy is very clean, affordable and a great way to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels. If this is something that interests you, consider calling a Los Angeles electrician and discuss the possibilities for your home. Perhaps you could become part of surpassing the next major milestone.

Solar power is no longer a pipe dream; it is a reality. Californians are learning that this power source is not only useful and friendly to the environment, but it is also affordable. To date, there have been around 140,000 installations of rooftop solar collectors on buildings such as homes, schools, hospitals and office complexes. Each property owner decided it was important to make a positive impact on the environment by choosing solar.

Now that thousands of other California residents are finding that solar energy is a great choice, perhaps it is time for you to learn more too. Call the number one electrician in Los Angeles—The Electric Connection. Our electricians have a passion for solar power and will be glad to work with you to create a solar electricity plan that will work perfectly for you.