Homes that were built more than 10 to 20 years ago are likely not equipped with the much safer grounded-fault circuit interrupter outlets in the kitchen and bathroom areas. GFCI outlets are ideal for use in areas where there is potential for an appliance to be exposed to water. Everybody knows water and electricity don’t mix. But, we need our gadgets and just try to be extra careful. Unfortunately, accidents happen. A Los Angeles electrician, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you protect not only yourself, but your family members from suffering serious injury when one of those little accidents happen.

The difference between the standard outlet and the GFCI outlets is the safety feature that cuts power to the appliance the second there is an interruption in the flow of electricity from the outlet to the appliance. The breaker will be tripped if the circuit does not flow along the correct path and is interrupted by your body for example. This protects you from suffering an electric shock. If you accidentally drop the blow dryer into the sink while the water is running, it could be an extremely dicey situation if the dryer is plugged into one of the old-style outlets. Power will continue to run to the dryer until the water shorts it out. You would risk receiving an electric shock if you tried to grab the blow dryer out of the sink while the electricity is still flowing.

If you would like to protect your family from these kinds of accidents, call an electrician. Los Angeles homeowners can have current outlets in the kitchen and bathrooms replaced with GFCI outlets without a lot of hassle. These outlets are great for anywhere in the house and can also prevent shock from wires that have been damaged by rodents chewing through or that have been ran over by the vacuum. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your outlet upgrade.

Your electric bill may be completely manageable and affordable. However, wouldn’t you like to learn how to save a few extra dollars every month and do something good for the world at the same time? Just because you can afford your current electric bill, doesn’t mean you can’t make adjustments around your home that will reduce the amount of electricity you use. A Santa Monica electrician is here to tell you about a few things you can do around your house to reduce the amount of electricity you use. The folks at The Electric Connection would love to share their knowledge with you.

Of course you know about turning off the lights when you are not in the room and turning off appliances when you don’t need them, but there are even more things you can do that will certainly add up to big savings for you and less burden on the power grid. It is no secret, our booming population has put a serious burden on our current power grids and blackouts from time to time during peak usage times are not uncommon.

You can lessen your impact by changing out your old, energy hot incandescent light bulbs to the more energy-efficient CFLs or LEDs. The CFLs are the spiral shaped lights that can easily be exchanged in your existing light fixtures. If you have a light fixture that will not accommodate one of these environmentally friendly options, talk with your electrician. Santa Monica residents can update their home lighting by replacing old fixtures with new, more modern and energy efficient fixtures.

Placing LED lights under your kitchen counters gives you plenty of light to see what you are doing and is extremely inexpensive to use and the fixtures are relatively cheap as well. If you are interested in doing your part to make the world a better place, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your light fixture upgrade.