There are a lot of interesting facts and tidbits about solar power and its usage. If solar panel installation is something you are considering, here are four points you may find helpful in making your decision:

It does not cost as much as you think.

Solar panel costs are not as high as most people assume. There are even financing plans that you can look into. Also, they end up saving you a bunch on your electricity bill.

You are going green.

Having a solar panel installation done on your home greatly reduces your carbon footprint. Powering your home via solar energy requires no pollutants being expelled into our water or air. While your home is basically ran on solar energy, you still have the back up of electricity when its clouded over or rainy for several days.

There are different types of solar panels.

You should educate yourself on the different types of solar panels if you are looking into solar installation for your home. There are photovoltaic panels and solar thermal panels. The photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into usable energy. Solar thermal panels absorb heat and then distributes that heat for warming purposes.

The idea of using solar energy is not a new innovation.

Back in the Fifteenth Century, Leonardo Da Vinci had sketched several ideas on how to harness the power radiating from the sun. Although much was not done with it, it still proves that great minds thought early on that using solar energy was wise.

If you are interested in having solar panels installed, look no further than The Electric Connection. If you need solar installers based in the Los Angeles area, we can help you out. You can also visit our website or give us a call today for more information on solar panel installation and benefits.

When you hear something a lot, you tend to brush it off. Warnings about changing the batteries in your smoke detector are heard so often, it is easy to push the advice to the bottom of your to do list. When the smoke detector beeps incessantly, it is easier to pull the battery out with the idea you will put a new one in tomorrow. All of these seemingly innocent plans can actually be extremely dangerous. You never know when a fire will break out in your home and often times, it happens when the batteries are out of the smoke detectors. A good option for every home is to have hard-wired smoke detectors installed by a Los Angeles electrician like those at The Electric Connection.

Hard-wired smoke detectors remove the risk of a fire going undetected by a smoke detector without batteries. The smoke detectors are wired directly into the home’s main power by an electrician. Los Angeles homeowners will take comfort in knowing that as long as the power is on, the smoke detectors are functioning. There is a place to batteries in the detectors to act as a backup system should there be a power outage. This ensures the home is always protected, even if somebody borrowed the battery out of the smoke alarm.

You should invest in at least one hard-wired smoke detector on each floor and in the garage of your home. Another benefit to having these devices installed by a Los Angeles electrician is the fact they are all interconnected. When one alarm is sounded, all of the detectors will go off. This means if there is smoke detected in the garage, you will know about it if you are upstairs in your room. These tools can save lives. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your smoke detector installation.

It’s Zombie season! Halloween decor is already beginning to line the streets with witches, ghosts, monsters …. and ZOMBIES. And with the season premier of The Walking Dead looming on the horizon (a mere 3 days away), I’m all aflutter with the living dead.

Nobody wants to be caught in the dark with a drooling, moaning, rotting Zombie hoard, am I right? Take note fellow survivors, we’ve compiled a list of 9 must-have zombie-apocalypse light sources.

1. Solar and Battery-Operated Lights

Powered by the energy of the sun, you’ll never have to make a dangerous trip into the city to get more batteries with motion-sensor spotlights around your campsite to alert you to any sneaky Zombies.  Take them with you when you’re doing late night reconnaissance.  Doomsday Tip: Make sure there is an off-switch. Nothing worse than trying to douse your light with a zombie on your trail.

2. Good ol’ fashioned Flashlight

Electricity gives us light, warmth and many of the conveniences of modern life. It powers industry, our homes, our schools and our offices, yet most of us take it for granted. Do you know where your electricity comes from or how it reaches you to provide the energy you depend on? It's Grid Week, and the Department of Energy's Understanding the Grid infographic gives a bite-size education on how electricity is generated, transmitted and distributed to our homes and businesses.

With over 1 million homes in the Dallas area over 20 years old, older home electrical safety is a major concern that should be assessed by a licensed Dallas electrician. Many homes in the 70’s and 80’s were built with electrical wiring and breaker panels that have been known to be a fire and electrical shock hazards. If you live in one of these older homes, and it has not been updated, it is very important that you have a licensed Dallas electrician come out and take a look at the electrical system in your home, to ensure your family’s safety.