Have you ever plugged something into an outlet and sparks fly—literally? Little sparks or a lot of sparks accompanied by a popping sound can be scary and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are minor sparks and major sparks. An electrician in Santa Monica will explain why outlets spark and what it means for you and your safety. If you have any more questions, you can call The Electric Connection.

A blue arc that occurs when you first plug in an appliance, is not generally cause for concern. You are seeing that blue arc because the appliance is immediately drawing electricity from the outlet. The electricity that is flowing through the wires behind your walls and to the outlet is moving pretty quick. When you make that connection between appliance or lamp and outlet, it is kind of like static electricity explains a Santa Monica electrician.

Now, a spark that happens while an appliance is plugged in is a serious concern. This means there is a break in the connection somewhere along the line. It may be the cord to the appliance or it could be the wires to the outlet. Bare wires that come into contact with each other or touch anything else can spark, causing a fire. This is an issue that should be repaired immediately by an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners should shut off the breaker to the outlet that is sparking and call for service.

Another cause for sparking could be water. If an appliance comes into contact with water, the water interrupts the flow of electricity and creates a spark. This is obviously very dangerous. Water and electricity do not mix—ever. Consider having GFCI outlets installed in areas where water and electricity are in close vicinity to each other, like the bathroom or kitchen. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your outlet repair.

The search for commercial lighting systems can be confusing, misleading, and overwhelming at times. With all of the different terms, labels, and technologies being used how can anyone expect you to make any decisions with all of that going on?

Well, this post is going to at least relieve your confusion about DesignLights Consortium vs EnergyStar approved and qualified lighting products. There is a difference, and you need to be well aware of what it is when you are looking into a new lighting system for commercial Click here to read it, then come back to finish the rest (opens in a new window)!

The major difference between DLC and EnergyStar is that DLC is only for commercial lighting products while EnergyStar is more focused on residential purposes and applications, with a minor hint of commercial lighting in there as well. This makes DLC the more “go to” organization when it comes to commercial lighting qualifications as they are seen as the experts on commercial lighting products and technologies.

Anyways, when it comes to becoming EnergyStar qualified for a lighting product, a product needs to pass these (along with others) guidelines to be able to be EnergyStar qualified:

Conclusion

After this quick, simple, and brief overview of the differences between EnergyStar and DLC; we hope you’ve found some light on the topic (get it, light).

In a general sense, most of your commercial lighting purchases will include DLC qualified products, especially when buying for warehouses, factories, parking lots, street lights, and the like all except for those listed.

Are you confused on any point? Have any comments or questions? Comment them below and we will surely find an answer or response!