A large amount of the calls we go out on are for lighting fixture replacement/changes.  A lot of the customers say “I usually do this myself,” but I don’t have time to take care of this right now.  Another common quote we hear is “We have been working on this all weekend, and can’t get it to work.”  Last but not least, a favorite quote of mine that I hear is “I am so tired of this outdated looking lighting that exists in my home.  Can you please bring it up to date?”  Usually this is where I chuckle and say “Twitter, Google Plus.

If you are not an electrician, you probably don’t pay a great deal of attention to the gray boxes inside or outside the home. Those rectangle boxes are filled with wires and breakers and for the average person, it is a lot of chaos that doesn’t mean a whole lot except that it has something to do with the electricity that goes to the home. When things go wrong with the electric panel, only a trained electrician in Beverly Hills, like those at The Electric Connection, should service the panel. The panel is the hub of the electricity that comes in from the main power grid and distributes it throughout your house.

Most panels will last for decades without any issues. However, there have been several brands and models that have been made in the 90s that are substandard. There are actually some serious safety issues with the panels. It isn’t something you are expected to know, but you can rely on a Beverly Hills electrician to inspect the current panel and let you know if you have one that has been recalled. While the electrician is there, a thorough inspection of the panel can also be performed. This will identify any issues that may be happening.

Another reason to service the electric panel is for an upgrade. Upgrades should only be completed by a certified electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners who need more power to a specific room or need to add a large appliance like a refrigerator, electric car charger or a new air conditioning unit will need to have their panel serviced and possibly upgraded. This is something an electrician can take care of. If you are unsure about the condition of your electric panel or want to have an upgrade performed, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your appointment.

We all know that buying and selling a home can be one of the most stressful things we ever do. And if you’re selling your house, it’s extremely important to make sure your home is up to code. Some electrical code violations are illegal, others are dangerous—some are both! There is a major benefit to scheduling an electrical inspection prior to putting your home on the market: you have the ability to correct any electrical code violations ahead of time, which may help in avoiding delays in the negotiation and sale of your home.

Electrical code violations pose serious health and safety risks to anyone in the home. Don’t fall victim to the common wiring problems and mistakes that, left uncorrected, have the potential to cause short circuits, shocks and even fires. Avoid these violations that could cost you your home—and your life:

Handing over the responsibility of planning the layout of your home to the builder can be a huge relief. However, by doing so, you are leaving the builder with a hazy idea about your requirements. And this matters a lot especially in the case of electrical and lighting layouts.

The electrical and lighting plans of your home are as important as all the other plans. So before commencing the construction, consider adding these 6 essential points in the layout.

Follow this simple rule for every room and space in and around your house. Start with the functionality of that room or space. Next decide on the configuration of furniture in that area. And then, draft the lighting and electrical layout accordingly. In this way, you will not over-light or under-light any portion of your home.

Also, you can either consult an expert or do an in-depth research about the current lighting trends in the market. No matter how much you love a certain lighting trend, if it’s outdated, there’s a good chance that it won’t complement the current design elements of your house.

Security, lighting, cooling, heating – there are multiple control panels which you may find essential for your home. So decide on the specific types and number of these panels early. Doing so will help you mark their exact and convenient locations, in the layout itself, and save you a lot of hassles later.

These are the kind of electrical elements which most of the people would want to keep out of their sight. But, that might not be a practical thing to do in some of the cases. For your bathrooms, you might want to hide the power points inside the cabinets. However, when you need to use your hair dryer, you will have to keep the door of the cabinet open. And if it is a face cabinet, you won’t be able to use the mirror. Small things like this make a huge difference to your routine activities. For art aficionados, imagine the dismay of seeing a power point right next to their prized possession of a famous work of art. Hence, it would be wise to decide and ink in the places for power points in the electrical layout itself.

Imagine opening your garage door and fumbling your way to the switch board to turn on the lights. And, the irritation your guests might face while trying to figure out the correct switch required. Exactly the reason, why you should think of automated lighting. And as for the switches, you can replace them with customized images of pantry, garage, laundry etc. This kind of detailing goes a long way in making your life more convenient and your home more comfortable for your family and guests.

Outdoor spaces of homes have today become an intrinsic part of their inhabitant’s social lives. If this holds true for you as well, you should definitely factor in illumination of areas such as decks, patios, pools etc., in the electrical and lighting layout. An ideal choice would be weather proof electrical outlets. Whether you want to accent foliage, light a pathway, overhead lighting and ground-level outlets for the swimming pool, it is essential that you chalk in all of your needs in the electrical and lighting plans.

Documenting the placements of electrical and lighting elements is a must. Be it written plans and drawings, or photographs. These records will save you a lot of trouble in future, when you need to do any type of renovation or even repairs.

All the above mentioned aspects will help you plan every small and big electrical and lighting aspect of your home effectively. So save yourself a lot of trouble and unnecessary expenses which might arise in future, if you don’t plan the electrical and lighting aspects of your home at the design stage itself.

No matter why it happens, it is annoying. The power does go out on occasion and while you may want to contact an electrician in Santa Monica like Electric Connection, you will have to spend some time without power. However, if you prepare ahead of time and keep these tips in mind, dealing with a loss of power will be just an annoyance, not a major issue.

As you can see, there are many ways you can prepare yourself for a power outage. One of the best is to talk with the experts at Electric Connection, the electrician Santa Monica residents rely on to help them during a power outage or for installation and repairs.