Smoke alarms have been required in homes, apartment buildings, and offices for many years. Regulations on carbon monoxide detectors are far more recent, but it’s vital to know whether a potential carbon monoxide leak could make your family members sick. The people at Nest, the same company that brought us the Nest Learning Thermostat, recognized a need for a combination smoke detector and CO detector and created a product that alerts you to danger in a unique way that helps you to feel that your home is protected no matter where you are.

We’ll look at the many benefits of integrated fire alarms and CO detectors in this guide, but be sure to call on a professional for installation. At FB Electrical Services, we’ll make sure that the unit is installed in the most accurate location for smoke and CO detection, that all of the electrical components are working properly, and that the detectors in each room are interconnected.

One studied alternating current (AC), and the other, direct current (DC). And yet, the world would not be where it is today without their contributions to science and electricity. In light of Nikola Tesla’s birthday on July 10, Mr. Electric is taking a look at the electric Tesla vs. Edison feud.

The main focus for Tesla was alternating current: an electric charge that periodically reverses its direction and is delivered to customers through a transformer. It travels at a much higher voltage than direct current and is more effective because of its ability to travel greater distances while maintaining a constant voltage.

Edison focused his research of electricity on direct current. A key difference between alternating current and direct current is that direct current only flows one way. The voltage of direct current is also constant but it is better when the electricity produced has to travel in short distances.

Edison was working on a system to generate direct current. When he could not get it to perform correctly he hired Tesla, an engineer and graduate of The Polytechnic Institute, who studied electromagnetism, promising him $100,000 if he could correct the problems Edison was having with his research and invention. Tesla corrected the problems but was not given the money. Tesla resigned and Edison spent the rest of his career trying to discredit Tesla’s research and work with electricity.

Today, nearly every home and business in the world is powered using Tesla’s alternating current. The ability of alternating current to travel over long distances and efficiently power everyday home and business electrical equipment eventually overtook Edison’s research on direct current. Edison did not lose out completely, as most battery-powered devices, fuel cells and light emitting diodes use direct current. As the push for alternative energy sources is on the rise, many manufacturers are looking at how batteries and electricity can change the way we look at fuel and the way goods are produced. Whether the electricity being used is AC or DC, Tesla helped us get where we are today.

The good news is that heating systems in modern homes are safer than they’ve ever been before. But while many people never experience any major risk to their safety due to a furnace or boiler, it’s still a possibility. Any heating system that uses combustion to work, like a natural gas furnace, could potentially leak a dangerous gas called carbon monoxide (CO, for short) into the home.

The heat exchanger is where combustion produces a flame as natural gas ignites. This heat is contained within a heat exchanger made of aluminum or steel. It is essentially a curved tube, and the smoke and carbon monoxide byproducts vent through the other end and out of the house. Air blows over the heat exchanger to heat up and is sent to the ducts running throughout the home.

Unfortunately, over time, the heat exchanger can become damaged. This is especially true if you have anyone but a professional technician work on your furnace, but it can also happen with time. You should have HVAC technicians inspect your heating system each and every year to check for leaks and cracks.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas. That means you wouldn’t have many ways to notice if it were in your home. It is poisonous, and sometimes people don’t know about it until people in the house start to get sick.

Carbon monoxide detectors save lives. A CO detector near each room where people sleep (and throughout your living spaces) should be tested each month and replaced every 5-10 years. You should also replace the batteries for your CO and smoke alarms every 6 months (even if the test works).

Alternative energy was once one of those things reserved for “tree huggers” and those who lived too far off the power grid and couldn’t bring electricity to their property. Those days are long gone. Nowadays, alternative energy is the way to go and it has become very trendy and popular, even in residential areas. You may have already seen this trend in your own neighborhood. Solar powered homes don’t exactly stick out like a sore thumb, but if you look closely enough, you can see the panels mounted flush on the roof of a home. If you are interested in learning more about solar power, talk with your electrician in Los Angeles. At The Electric Connection, we are very familiar with solar panel installation and can answer any questions you may have.

Solar panels are not quite as expensive as you may have thought. In fact, they are very affordable and many companies offer lease programs that make it easy for every homeowner to take advantage of the free electricity from the sun. You don’t have to totally rely on solar power for your home if you don’t want to. You could use simply as a supplemental power source during the day to help save on your monthly electric bill.

If you do choose to go with a large system that will run your entire house, night and day, you may have times when excess electricity is produced. You can actually sell it back to the power company if you are still connected to the grid. How cool is it to have the electric company send you a check every month. It is crucial you hire an electrician familiar with the Los Angeles electrical codes to ensure your solar panels are installed correctly and safely. Give The Electric Connection a call today to learn more or to schedule your installation.

We all need a little inspiration to reveal our true creativity. If you’ve tired of your boring bedroom’s look, here are five on-trend ideas on how to illuminate your dream bedroom getaway brilliantly.

1. Unexpected objects in the same color family. At first thought, using lamps that are large enough to be placed as floor lamps may seem like it would be cumbersome. But when sleek, unobtrusive and blending in with the surrounding scheme, this can be a fun surprise that draws the eye to details you wish to highlight, such as interesting wallpaper or art.