Electricity exists everywhere, from high voltage power lines to phones and computers. Understanding the basics of how it works remains essential to using it safely and efficiently.

When electricity travels from a positive lead to a negative lead in a circuit powered by a battery, it is considered direct current. This type of current powers electronics, LED lights, and cars. Alternating current is generated from rotation, usually by a generator. The direction of the current and the voltage flips as the generator completes a rotation. The faster the generator spins, the faster the flipping of current direction occurs. In North America, the typical frequency of AC power is 60hz or 60 alternations per second. The advantage of AC power is that the voltage can be stepped up easily by use of a transformer, which allows high voltage transmission. AC power is also useful for electric motors.

Specifically, power is a measure of energy usage over time. The standard unit of power is the watt and calculated as P (watts) = V (volts) x I (amps). Utility companies sell electricity in units of kW*h (kilowatt hours), which is simply one kilowatt of power delivered continuously over one hour.

Most families have a fire plan, a tornado plan, and even a “what to do when you’re locked out of the house plan.” What many families don’t have is a practiced electrical safety plan. You may have told your children a million times not to put their fingers in wall sockets, but have you told them a million times not to fly a kite under power lines?

Here are five key safety tips that your children should not only know, but memorize, when it comes to electricity:

Kids love to climb trees, but trees under power lines may be too dangerous to climb. Teach your kids to always look up before climbing trees. If power lines are running through or near the branches, it is not a safe to climb that tree.

Teach children to never fly kites or carry helium balloons on long strings under or near power lines. Electricity is always looking for a route to the ground; kites and balloons make the perfect conduits.

In some neighborhoods, power lines are buried in the ground. It can be difficult to tell where these lines are located. Teach your children not to dig in the ground in any areas you have not told them are safe.

Transformers are often large, green, metal boxes sitting on the ground. Teach your children that these are not mountains to be climbed or treasures to explore. Tell your children that if they notice one of these boxes open, they should alert an adult immediately.

When lightning strikes, it’s time to head inside. Children should know to go indoors when storms are approaching, but especially when thunder sounds and lightning strikes.

Don’t tell your children these things just once! Make sure that an electrical safety plan is part of your overall emergency preparedness plan. When your children know what to do and not to do around electricity, accidents are less likely to occur.

It has been six months since I started writing for the Light Reading blog, and boy has it gone by quickly. It’s hard to believe that I have written almost 50 posts! To mark this occasion, here are the six blog posts YOU liked best during my last six months of blogging.

1. via Strobel Design Build

In retrospect, I can see why this has been such a hit with the Light Reading readership. I mean, when it comes toMinions Web

This post was one of those visual, inspirational posts that I enjoy reading on other blogs. Instead of giving step by step instructions, this blog post shows you a bunch on interesting things that people have done with LED Matthew Danser Photography

This was my first blog post for Pegasus! In it, I interview Austin, TX photographer Matthew Danser to find out how he “paints” with light in his photos. We learn some interested photography tricks – tricks that I try out in the next most popular post.

5.

In this post I take some of Danser’s suggestions and experiment with “light painting” in my apartment at night. There’s lots of fun stuff here, and things get a little weird with my designs, but hey! It was an experiment! No stuffed animals were hurt during this photo shoot.

6.

With the kind of Maryland weather we’ve been having this month, you’d think we live in a subtropical climate! And while steady rain can be relaxing and good for those of us who raise a garden, it can pose some risks as well. What risks? Well, there’s always the usual dangers of a storm, but what we specifically want to cover is water damaged wiring.

The certified electricians at Kolb Electric take your safety and the safety of your home seriously, so if you’re at risk for damaged wiring, we want you to know what to do! Suspect you may have water damaged wiring in your home or business? Contact Kolb today!

You hear us going on and on about the dangers of electrical equipment, but we do this for a reason. It only takes a split-second mistake and zap; you’re in some serious trouble! Left alone, water-damaged electrical wiring can:

If and only if you have had submerged wires that have since dried out, and these wires have been totally shut off (at the breaker in the electrical panel) you may be able to utilize heavy-duty work gloves to move the wires. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS. Only do this if leaving the wire poses an immediate risk that must be resolved. Otherwise, just let the experts do it. Never take chances that may harm you or someone else.

Having trouble with your wiring after the downpours we’ve been dealing with here in Maryland? Contact the specialists at Kolb to get the repair and replacement you need!

You will be spending a lot more time indoors over the next few months as we ride out yet another winter. You will want to do what you can to ensure your family is as safe as possible inside your home. There are a few things you can do today to provide an extra layer of safety. Your Beverly Hills electrician is here to help you. You can count on the team at The Electric Connection to provide you with a knowledgeable, experienced electrician to take care of the following safety features for your home.

• Replace your old, standard outlets in the kitchen and bathroom areas with GFCI outlets. These are designed to cut the electricity the second the circuit is interrupted. These outlets are especially handy in areas where water is present, like the kitchen and bathroom. If an appliance is accidentally dropped in water, the breaker will trip, cutting off the electricity and reducing the risk of electric shock.

• Have hard-wired smoke detectors installed. These smoke detectors rely on your home’s main power rather than a battery. Dead or missing batteries in smoke detectors are often to blame for late warnings in the event of a house fire. The detectors are all interconnected so when one goes off, the rest of the alarms are sounded. You will need the installation completed by a professional electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners will feel better knowing the wiring was handled by somebody trained to work with electrical wiring.

• Carbon monoxide detectors are also handy devices that every home should have. If you use natural gas for your heat or have a woodstove, a carbon monoxide detector can warn you to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in the home.

Your home is somewhere you should feel safe. These rather easy and inexpensive safety features can eliminate some of the risks in your home. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your safety enhancements.