Although the holiday lighting season is still at least a month away, you are probably already digging around and planning your decorations for the season. Maybe you have already pulled out some of your Halloween decorations that require electricity and realized you are going to need some work done before it is time to pull out the twinkling lights. A Burbank electrician has some tips for you before you start plugging in your lights this year. If you have any questions, you can call The Electric Connection for help.

One of the most important rules of stringing lights together is not to connect more than three strands of lights. Doing so could overload the circuit and cause the breaker to trip. If you have a shortage of outlets, consider hiring an electrician. Burbank residents can have outdoor outlets installed that are designed to withstand the weather. The additional outlets outside are handy to have all year round. You won’t have to worry about running extension cords.

Speaking of extension cords; only use cords that are approved for outdoor use. Do not use cords that are damaged or have some of the protective insulation covering missing in areas. Wrapping the area with tape to compensate is never a good idea. Invest in the proper extension cord. A cord with several outlets is helpful. However, do not get carried away with hooking up numerous strands of lights are large yard ornaments. If the breaker trips, it is a sign the outlet is overloaded. Move some of your lights to a different outlet.

Outlet power stakes are a great option and many of them are equipped with timers and remote controls that allow you to turn on your lights without ever stepping foot outside. The power stakes are designed to protect the outlets from wet weather.

If you are ready to get your home ready for another holiday season filled with pretty lights, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Temperatures are still mild enough that you likely aren’t thinking about the implications of snow and ice just yet, but now is actually the perfect time to start considering it, and deciding what you’re going to do about it when it hits.

A driveway heating system will help you with the inconvenience of shoveling snow and the safety concerns involved with walking on icy surfaces, but what about your roof? Winters are particularly harder on roofs than any other season, especially if you have an asphalt or shingle roof.

The buildup of ice and snow adds weight to your roof that it is not designed to handle. Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against inclement weather, but it can only take so much pressure. The ice that forms in the winter creates ice dams—formed from melted snow refreezing and creating a blockage—as well as gutter ice.

Gutter ice can cause gutters to become too heavy and rip away from your home. Not only does this mean you’ll have to repair and/or replace your gutters, you may also have to contend with the property damage that this could very well leave behind.

Even without ice as a factor, snow itself poses a risk to your roof. This is especially true if you have a flat roof, or an older home with a weakened roof structure already. The problem is that as the snow builds up, it creates too much weight, and your roof can crack or even collapse under all the strain.

The solution to this problem is having roof heating cables installed. These cables do just what the name implies: they keep your roof warm so that snow and ice never have a chance to buildup. Rather, it melts upon impact and drains from your gutters and downspouts just as rainwater would.

Phil Neal, originally from Massachusetts is Custom Electrical Services new construction manager.  Phil has a variety of responsibilities including overseeing installations, scheduling, and quality control.  Phil is a very experienced electrician in areas such as residential electrical, commercial electrical, service and repair and has received his certification as a licensed Journeyman electrician.

Phil is a 4 year veteran of the U.S. Navy and a 4 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps.  Phil has been deployed to Iraq and has traveled the globe throughout is military career.  He has a wife Deanna a son and twin girls.  With his free time Phil enjoys spending time with his family and taking his kids to the park.

Thank you Phil for your service and being such a critical park of Custom Electrical Services!

Categories: Team Member Spotlight« Electrician In Ames & Surrounding Communities – Top Electrical Contractors  |  Local Electrician 24 Hour Local Electrician You Can Trust! »

Outlets and switches in Fairfax, VA are often taken for granted. So much for granted, in fact, that it’s almost amazing to consider what life in your home would be like without them. Without outlets, you wouldn’t be able to charge your cell phone or laptop. Without switches, you wouldn’t have any lights for the rooms in your house. It sounds ridiculous to even consider, but it’s a real possibility if you don’t replace them periodically. While outlets and switches can provide you with power for years, there will come a point where they need to be replaced or else be a liability and, ultimately, a safety hazard.