There are times when a circuit breaker will trip, which results in no power to an outlet or specific circuit. This can be caused by a number of different things. In most situations, the circuit breaker can be turned completely off and flipped back on without any problem. The following steps are provided by an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners can count on The Electric Connection for more information about this problem.

*When you suspect a circuit breaker has tripped, turn off, unplug or shut down any electrical equipment, like computers, that can be damaged when the power is abruptly turned off and on.

*Go to the breaker panel and find the breaker that is flipped. You will be able to identify it by an orange color showing in most cases. The switch may look like it is in the middle rather than the far right or left. If it isn’t obvious which breaker has tripped, start at the top and work your way down until the power returns to the outlet.

If the power was fixed and the outlet is working fine, it may have been overloaded. Having too many things plugged in is one reason this happens. The problem could have also been a faulty appliance being plugged in.

If the power is not restored, it is time to call an electrician. Beverly Hills residents will be interested to know that about 25 percent of tripped breaker issues can be fixed with these steps. The other 75 percent of the time will require an electrician to come in and troubleshoot the problem. One common fix is a breaker replacement. Over time, breakers can become worn and faulty.

To avoid any electrical fire hazards, it is best to get the breaker replaced before it becomes a serious problem. Give The Electric Connection a call today if you need help with tripping circuit breakers.

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:

Are you still using incandescent light bulbs? Your electrician would recommend a different course. Efficient lighting technology has blown up in the last few years, and advanced technologies are just getting better. Light emitting diodes, or LEDs, are at the forefront of modern lighting thanks to their inexpensive and long-lasting luminescence. Some of these new diodes are leading the pack in must-have lighting features, including smart home integration that you can control with your phone. Read on to learn more about the latest in LED technology.

Upfront Costs are Dropping

One of the biggest complaints about early LEDs was the price. Almost any LED will save you money over time compared to an incandescent bulb, since they use 25 to 80 percent less electricity and can last up to 25 times as long, but many consumers balked at paying the $35 or higher retail price for a single bulb. Newer models, however, can recreate the look of that classic 60 watt incandescent bulb with fewer LED panels, meaning they are cheaper to produce and sell for $10 or less.

Options are Expanding

Other common complaints about the first LED models were that the warmth of the light wasn't quite right and they didn't work with accessories like dimmers. With today's technologies, however, you can find LEDs that give off almost any color and lighting profile, allowing you to mimic the look and feel of your old incandescent bulbs or tailor your room to fit more eclectic tastes. Not every LED is compatible with standard dimmers yet, but many are – just check the label on the box to make sure.

Make it a Smart Bulb

Many new LED models are designed specifically to work with smart technology. That means you can control them from your phone no matter where you are, set up a schedule for them to turn on and off, and even have different colors or light intensities at different times. Newer bulbs are also optimized to work with your other smart home systems to move you closer to a goal of integrated whole-house control.

Turnkey Functionality

One of the biggest advantages of upgrading to LEDs is how easy it is. There's no need to hire an electrician to set up new wiring or fixtures – the bulbs screw right into the pre-existing bases, out of the box. If you want tips on how to make the most of your new lighting options and create the room profile that fits your home, however, don't hesitate to call up your local electrician for guidance and advice.

By Clarissa Allison | August 28th, 2015

If you are a homeowner considering outdoor lighting, then you have probably heard about solar landscape lighting. In addition to being environmentally friendly, light emitting diode which prevents the battery’s current from flowing back through the solar cell during the night. The battery charges during the daytime, and will meet its maximum charge before dusk. A photovoltaic cell then changes the sun’s light into electricity. Although environmental factors affect the performance of solar lights they will work outdoors throughout most of the year.

Many solar lights are self-sustaining, or “stand-alone” systems. These convert sunlight into electricity during the day, store the electricity in batteries, and draw from the batteries to power light fixtures after dusk.

Self-contained solar lights often have panels built right into the light fixtures. Solar lighting systems with panels separate from fixture assemblies, however, allow for only the panels to be placed in the sun, not the lights themselves.

All bathroom spaces have high levels of humidity and moisture and this is unavoidable. However, if the moisture is allowed to linger in the air for a very long time without being vented out of the space, it can result in mould and mildew growth on the grouting, the drywall structure as well as along the window ceilings and air conditioning ducts and can damage other aspects of your home’s structure as well.

In some cases, water damage may also occur which can become expensive to fix. That is why every bathroom in your home or commercial property should have an exhaust fan installation to suck out the moisture from the air and release it outside the structure. This may seem like an easy job and DIY enthusiasts sometimes feel, it’s a job they would be able to manage themselves.

But the fact is it’s never a good idea to play with electricity. Even something as seemingly simple as an exhaust fan installation can pose the risk of electrocution or death when handled incorrectly. The bathroom exhaust fan installation has to be handled with care, primarily due to the high moisture content interacting with the electricity that’s running through your exhaust fan.