The use of solar and wind power is something that is growing by leaps and bounds. However, one of the biggest limitations of its use is not lack of adoption, but lack of storing the electricity produced by the technology. This is important because the sun is not always shining and the wind is not always blowing. Luckily scientists are working on new ways to do just this—which will enable more of us to use this type of power for our homes and businesses. Learn more about the options for storing this type of power and then talk to your Burbank electrician about whether solar or wind power is something that may benefit you.

The storage option that has been considered most by experts is using the generated electricity to pump water into storage. Then, later when power is needed and the wind isn’t blowing or sun not shining, the stored water would flow through a generator to produce energy. The main problem with this option is that it is not efficient. At least 30 or 40% of the generated power is lost.

Another option is mechanics. However, it is still inefficient. The fact that energy storage is so inefficient is the reason that more people and businesses have not turned to these natural forms of energy. Over time, it is possible that more solutions will work out—in the meantime, these clean energy options are used as a supplement to other “traditional” energy forms.

If you think that installing solar panels or utilizing other forms of clean energy is the right solution for your home or business, call The Electric Connection, the electrician in Burbank you trust for all your electrical  installation and repair needs. You can talk to one of our experts about the possibilities for expanding your clean energy use.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911). Her bio is beyond the scope of this entry, but I encourage you to follow the link and check her out. Get a little perspective on life today by reading a paragraph about this amazing human being and poet.

Harper’s poem, “Let the Light Enter,” depicts light in an interesting and fresh way, fresh still, even 100 years after her death. Poetry, generally speaking, is like a vast collection of opportunities to learn about yourself and the world in which you live. I invite you to take a minute to read “Let the Light Enter.”

The Dying Words of Goethe

He just urgently wants to watch the “balmy sunshine/ Play around” his deathbed. He just wants to experience the sensation of light doing it’s thing. “More light!” he demands. It strongly suggests that appreciating and enjoying the beauty of light is what Goethe, a lifelong thinker and poet who lived from 1749 to 1832, finds most worthy of his final precious minutes. That’s a big deal. In choosing between the pleasure of thoughts and the pleasure of the material world, he chooses the latter. It’s like all the things that seem to separate us from the natural world are shown to be false in the final moments. Think of a dog lying on a rock in the sun. Maybe that’s the purest state of being, just lying there, not thinking much, and enjoying the pleasure of the light, the sound of a brook. And maybe that’s why Goethe wants to pass away in such a state.

As a top Dallas Electrician we know that your family’s safety is one of the most important things on your mind throughout the day, so we decided that now would be a good time to re-visit the subject of Smoke Detector Replacement and maintenance. As the weather is cooling off, and we are coming into the holiday season, when heaters, cooking, and decorations can bring more potential safety hazards into your home, it is very important that you are certain your family is protected in the unfortunate event that you experience a house fire. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “Each year fires occurring during the holiday season claim the lives of over 400 people, injure 1,650 more, and cause over $990 million in damage.” Remember these lucky 7 tips to keep your family safe this holiday season by ensuring that smoke detectors are installed correctly in your home, and that they are all in working order.

Smoke Detector Battery Replacement: At least once a year

One of the most important things to remember, if you already have smoke detectors installed in your home, is to replace the batteries at least once a year. An easy way to remember this is to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when you change your clocks for daylight savings time every year. Picking up this helpful habit makes it much easier to remember.

Smoke Detector Replacement: Every 5 to 7 years

Many smoke detector manufacturers recommend replacing the smoke detector unit itself every ten years, but a smoke detector’s reliability will actually decrease after 5 to 7 years. While this may seem like an extra cost, it is certainly a small price to pay for making sure that your family will have the most reliable method of early warning in the event of a fire, providing vital time for everyone to get out safely.

Smoke Detector Cleaning: At least twice a year

Dust, cobwebs, insects, and other airborne particles that make their way into our homes can collect on sensors and contaminate the circuitry inside your smoke detector, causing it to be less effective at sensing smoke. This is one of the most forgotten factors simply because many homeowners aren’t aware of the effects that dirt and dust can have on a smoke detector. Think about how dirty the blades of your ceiling fan would get if you never cleaned them. The same dust that accumulates on your fan blades will accumulate inside your smoke detector. At least twice a year, use your vacuum cleaner wand attachment to carefully remove dust and other contaminants from the inside and outside of your smoke detector.

Smoke Detector Types: Ionization, Photoelectric, or Both

There are two commonly used types of smoke detectors, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Ionization style smoke detectors are more responsive to quick moving, high flaming fires, while photoelectric smoke detectors are more responsive to smoldering fires that produce more smoke. You can never know what type of fire will happen in your home, so a great option to ensure the best protection is to choose smoke detector units that provide both ionization and photoelectric detection of smoke and fire.

Smoke Detector Location: Key guidelines for safe placement

Smoke detector placement is highly important in order for them to work properly. When installing smoke detectors in your home, it is ideal to have a smoke detector in each room, but at the very least, you should install smoke detectors on every level of your home, and in hallways near each bedroom to increase the likelihood that your family will be able to hear them even while sleeping. Smoke detectors should be placed 6 to 12 inches from the ceiling, and you should avoid installing them near vents, fireplaces, or kitchen appliances to reduce the accumulation of dust, soot, and oily residues from cooking.

Interlinked Smoke Detectors: Whole house warning

Modern smoke detector systems are more than simply individual detectors. It is recommended to install a system that allows all of the smoke detectors in your home to communicate with each other causing all of the detectors to alert of the fire if any single detector senses one. These systems can be wired directly into your homes electrical system, or allow wireless communication between each smoke detector. This has been a major advancement in smoke detector technology, allowing more time for residents to escape if a fire begins in any area of the home. These systems are especially valuable in late-model homes where the master bedroom is often on the opposite side of the house from children’s rooms.

Smoke Detector Testing: At least twice a year

We often take for granted that a smoke detector will simply work as designed once it is installed, but as you can see from this list, there are a lot of factors that go into a reliable smoke detection system. At the very least, make sure that you test your smoke detectors twice a year using the test button that is located on the smoke detector unit itself. When testing interlinked smoke detector systems, be sure to verify that all of the other detectors in your home alert when you test each unit individually. Even if a unit alerts when you test it, if it does not cause the other units in the home to alert, that means that there is an issue with communication between the units, and it should be inspected by a licensed Dallas Electrician.

If you have any concerns about your smoke detector system, or any other electrical projects in your home, the top Dallas Electricians at ElectricMan Inc. will be happy to help. Reach out to us by phone at 972-792-7270 or through the “Contact Us” page on our website at www.ElectricManInc.com, and let our professional electrical technicians ensure your family’s safety by guaranteeing that the job is done right!

If your heater is not well-maintained, then you are at a much higher risk of encountering serious operational problems than you otherwise would be. When you have a professional heating technician inspect and meticulously tune up your home heating system, every component in that system will be working at peak performance levels. This not only helps to ensure that any minor issues are resolved before they can cause serious trouble, but also that any developing issues are caught early on.

Another great benefit of routine heating maintenance is the fact that you’ll be able to heat your home in an efficient manner. If your heater is not functioning properly in every way, then it is going to have to work harder than it should have to in order to heat your home. This will result in increased heating costs.

Not only will you likely be paying too much to heat your home, should you fail to schedule routine heating maintenance, but it is also very likely that you’ll be met with a subpar performance from your home heating system. If you want to pay as little as possible for the best performance possible from your heating system, just pick up the phone and dial our number. Great heating maintenance is just a phone call away.