Whether you’re doing industrial wiring or residential wiring for electricity, you’ve got a complex task ahead of you. Needless to say, industrial wiring is essentially a much more complex form of residential wiring. This article will assume that you have some elemental electrical wiring knowledge or aptitude, and it will simply provide you with a very basic overview of what you need to understand with regard to residential wiring and industrial wiring.

It will be up to you to look up your local building and electrical codes for your home or office space. Also, check your local laws to see if you are even permitted to do your own amateur wiring before you proceed. Above all things, approach any wiring project with this knowledge at the forefront of your mind: “electricity can be deadly.” Put your safety ahead of all other concerns.

Red wires and black wires are usually “hot”. This means that there is a current (amps) flowing from the circuit breaker to the electrical box or the appliance in question.

The white wires usually are “returns”. This means that they allow current (amps) to flow back to the circuit breaker after the electricity has passed through the load or appliance in question.

White wires should not be connected together with ground wires, with the exception being back at the circuit panel bus bar. If you fail to observe this rule, then every single time the load is energized (such as turning on an appliance), electricity will flow through the ground wire and the return wire simultaneously. This is very dangerous.

A ground wire is usually bare and attaches to an appliance’s frame. Under normal circumstances, current should not be passing through it. Only when there is a short circuit should electricity pass through the ground wire; this happens so that the circuit breaker will kill the flow of current to the site or appliance.

Smart industrial wiring is based on 3-phase electrical power. 3-phase electric allows less workload to be placed on each wire involved while at once allowing them to work together to give you maximum results. With 3-phase electric, the wires are smaller and the motor is smaller than a typical single-phase motor. These factors allow greater efficiency and longer lasting motors and wires.

There are four types of 3-phase electrical power:

No matter which type of 3-phase electrical power you choose to use, you’ll need a voltage meter in order to determine the actual voltages that are available to you. The type does not determine this.

Industrial wiring typically runs through metal conduits, armored cable, or a raceway. These enclosures are the safety ground–never the neutral wire.

The above information should give you a nice guidepost for doing more research into and getting more practice with either residential wiring or industrial wiring. Again, safety comes first!

If you have recently moved into a home and have plans to put your personal touch on it, you are probably considering some renovations. Other reasons to renovate include accommodating a growing family or transforming the family home into one that is more of a retirement home. Maybe your home is old and you want to upgrade it to feel a little better or you are preparing to sell. No matter what your reasons for renovating may be, you will need an electrician in Glendale to help you make it possible. The team at The Electric Connection can assist you in making those renovation dreams a reality.

There are many different ways to renovate a home. Some are a little more labor intensive than others. A renovation may be something as simple as transforming a bedroom into an office. This would only require a Glendale electrician to do some minor changes to the wiring, including bringing in data lines and more outlets for equipment. Maybe you are making an office space into a bedroom and want to change out the fixtures to be a little more suitable for a bedroom. This is a quick fix that can be achieved in a single day when you rely on a certified electrician.

If you are going big and adding a new room or knocking out walls to make a space bigger, you will definitely need the services of an electrician. Glendale homeowners should always leave wiring issues to the professionals. An electrician can ensure the wiring is removed safely and new wiring is installed to compensate if needed. Kitchen upgrades are also going to run into some wiring issues, especially if you are adding more appliances or moving existing appliances. Give The Electric Connection a call today and set up your appointment to talk about your renovation plans.

The lives of 21st Century Americans are filled with endless electronic gadgets and appliances. A modern home filled with computers, entertainment systems and portable devices can quickly run short of convenient electric outlets to provide power to the media extravaganza. That makes power strips a must. In addition to providing ample plug space, power strips can also protect your devices, help keep them organized, give a boost to your energy efficiency and provide a flash of style while they're at it. Check out a sampling of models that show off some of the best that power strips have to offer:

If you need advice on powering and protecting your devices, or have any other electrical work that needs to be addressed, contact a qualified electrician without delay.

On any job site, having the right electrical safety gear is essential. For electrical projects, there are often special considerations, as some tasks can have unique hazards that require special gear.

Eye injuries are serious and for most electricians are a daily hazard. Having, and using, the right eye protection can make all the difference.

Electricians often work at heights, either on roofs, scaffolds, or elevated work platforms. In some locations, even working on a step ladder can require fall protection gear.

When the potential exists to fall more than 6 ft., fall protection gear should be worn. This includes an approved and inspected harness and a lanyard with the correct weight rating. Always ensure that the fully extended length of the lanyard is short enough to prevent the worker from contacting the ground in the event of a fall.

Hand injuries are the most common type of workplace injury, therefore selecting and using the right kind of gloves is vital.

Along with proper knife safety practices, using cut-resistant Kevlar gloves can greatly reduce the potential for cuts and scratches. In cold weather, ensure that insulated gloves are worn. When dealing with potentially hazardous chemicals, use gloves rated to handle the specific associated hazards.

If you are planning on renovating or sprucing-up your kitchen, it’s probably a good idea to map out a detailed lighting plan as well. Most people find this a little strange as they feel that lighting in a kitchen isn’t something that needs too much of consideration or planning. It’s just a place where you cook and probably where you have an informal meal after all.

However, the fact is that it’s important to plan kitchen illumination well if you want to make optimal use of your kitchen spaces. Here, we would like to share some basic lighting ideas to create the right balance of functionality and aesthetics.

If you want to get a better idea about what type of lighting would work best for your kitchen, it’s vital to understand how your kitchen spaces relate to the different type of lighting. Let’s start off with understanding what type of bulbs you can use for the best effects:

These bulbs emit a yellowish light and you will now find many artistic versions of these on the market today.

These bulbs throw off a flat, cold light that has a bluish tinge, which lends a very harsh effect to the room.

These have a warm light that makes the place look very inviting and comfortable

These are the latest in light bulb technology and are available in a range of effects including white, cool daylight, warm light, yellow and a range of other colours and hues. Aside from this, LED bulbs are also 80% more energy-efficient than standard bulbs; and most property owners are now opting for these fixtures.

In addition to the types of bulbs used, the style of lighting or the lighting effects are what impact the ambience and appearance of a room. With this in view, here we discuss the different lighting effects that can be used in your kitchen:

This is one of the simplest ways to create the right lighting effect in your kitchen. This type of lighting is designed to help you move comfortably around the room. In most instances this type of lighting comes from grid-style can lighting, widely-spaced, wall and ceiling lamps, semi-translucent skylights or even the natural light that streams in through glass windows and doors. This is the base layer of any lighting plan.

In your kitchen, task lighting would be required to illuminate kitchen counters and food preparation spaces. Since you will be cooking in your kitchen every day, it’s important that the task lighting be planned and installed well. If you have only recessed lighting fixtures in your kitchen, you will feel the lack of focused light when you are cleaning, cooking or prepping in that space.

If you install one-dimensional lighting in the kitchen, it creates unsightly shadows in different areas of the room, while ceiling lighting is ineffective in illuminating spaces like sinks, under counter or cabinet areas etc. On the other hand, if you add special pendant lamps over the counters or even your kitchen island it can prove to be a more practical solution. Under-cabinet lighting can also help in illuminating the cabinets that are positioned there.

This effect doesn’t seem as necessary as ambient or task lighting does in a kitchen space, as the illumination it provides isn’t as functional as the first two. However, it can have a significant impact on the way your kitchen spaces look. If you want to enhance the appeal of your kitchen (regardless of whether you are getting it entirely renovated or are opting for a lighting upgrade), it’s important that you plan your accent lighting well.