Under cabinet lighting has become very popular recently, especially in kitchen remodels. There are many benefits to having this type of task lighting. In addition to adding functionality to your counters, it can also add depth and highlight your backsplash, giving your kitchen a great look throughout the day. There are a variety of different lights that can be installed by an electrician in Los Angeles, each with its own benefits.

One of the top choices for under cabinet lighting is LED lighting. LED lights do not use as much electricity as standard light bulbs. This means that the bulbs will use less electricity and generate less heat. You don’t want very much heat to build up under your wooden cabinets, so this is a very important feature. LED bulbs are also very durable, and not filled with a glass like fluorescent bulbs, or a thin fragile filament like incandescent. LED lightings can withstand the beating that they may get in your kitchen. One of the greatest things about LED lights is that they are long-lasting. LED lights have a much longer lifespan than any of the other alternatives.

Xenon bulbs are another popular option for under cabinet lighting. They are great when compared with halogen. They create less heat than halogen bulbs, last longer and you can handle them without gloves (unlike their halogen counterparts). Xenon bulbs are also dimmable, which makes them great for kitchen lightings. If your kitchen currently has halogen light bulbs, it is recommended that you switch them with xenon as soon as they start to burn out.

These two options are two of the most popular types of under cabinet lighting installed by your local Los Angeles electrician. To talk about installing under cabinet lighting or any other electrical issue, give The Electric Connection a call. You can find all of our contact information and further resources (Click Here).

Every home uses energy in some way, shape, or form. For most of the population, this energy comes in the form of electricity from the power grid. According to Dayton Power & Light, an average of 46 percent of a home’s energy consumption goes into heating and cooling the home. Another 12 percent of energy consumption goes into lighting. While many individuals may think that all energy efficiency improvements are made through construction changes, like new windows, there are plenty of upgrades that can be made on the electrical system to improve your energy usage. Take a look at how a residential electrician can help you today.

We all forget to turn off the lights when we leave the room from time to time. Or perhaps you leave your back porch light on all night for safety. These habits can be a large energy drain but they don’t have to be. Motion sensor lighting, especially for exterior or commercial uses, can make a home much more efficient by turning the lights on when you need them and off when you don’t.

While your first thought may not be about needing the local residential electrician when you upgrade to ENERGY STAR® appliances, it may be a phone call you have to make anyway. Upgrading appliances such as the washer, dryer, or air conditioning unit may also mean addressing the power output of your home. Even ENERGY STAR appliances run on more wattage than older appliances used to and therefore the upgrade may put a strain on your electrical system and circuit breaker.

The residential electricians at Electrical Gurus can provide you with an energy efficiency evaluation of your home to help you identify your biggest electricity drains and how you can improve upon them. Contact us today!

You may have heard the term GFCI from your electrician before. But what exactly does it mean? And is that type of outlet really necessary in your home or building?

We all know that water and electricity don’t mix. That’s what makes electrical outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, and other rooms where water is used so tricky. To reduce the chance of electrocutions, burns, and shocks, virtually all North American building codes require that ground fault circuit interrupter outlets (GFCIs) be installed where there is water nearby. GFCI outlets have a built-in circuit breaker that instantly stops the flow of electricity when it senses a surge.

A GFCI outlet not only helps keep you and your family or building occupants from getting shocks and burns, but it helps prevent electrical fires. In the even that there is an electrical fire, it can lessen the severity and any damage.

A GFCI outlet is important not only to meeting local building code requirements, but also to help prevent potentially-fatal accidents.

GFCI outlets are designed with a red button that activates the outlet after the built-in breaker is tripped, and a black button that tests the outlet to make sure that the breaker is working properly. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that all ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets be tested in the following intervals:

To test your ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets, plug a lamp into the outlet. Turn the lamp on and push the black test button. If the lamp goes out, the outlet is working properly. If the lamp remains lit, contact a licensed electrician to evaluate the problem. Electrical and wiring issues make poor DIY projects and are best left to electricians who are trained to safely handle electrical current and wiring.

At Kolb Electric, we want to help you keep your home or building safe in the Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC areas. We can save you time by inspecting and testing all of the ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets in your interior space and addressing any electrical issues we may discover during the tests. To learn more about electrical safety and GFCI outlets and/or to schedule a service appointment, call us at 877 287-1179. We’ve been helping Mid-Atlantic homeowners like you with their electrical needs since 1925.

CRI) of 82 to show the true colors of objects and surroundings.

A rocker switch allows for two levels of light, but the fixture can also be dimmed with an electronic low-voltage (ELV) dimmer. Up to 10 under-cabinet fixtures can be joined in a series with our interconnect cables. The low-profile white aluminum fixture has 120V AC operation and is designed to last 30,000 hours—three times longer than equivalent fluorescent fixtures.

This is the second year the United States is focusing its efforts to really bring energy conservation to the forefront of conversation. We have all heard about fossil fuels being depleted and the demand each house puts on the power grid. We are constantly told we have to be more frugal with electricity. It is for the benefit of the world as well as our bank accounts. Saving energy will ultimately save money on the electric bill and make each one of our carbon footprints just a little bit smaller. Your Burbank electrician and the team at The Electric Connection wants you to know about Energy Action Month, which is this October.

Right now, the government in the United States is taking action to reduce their own energy consumption. It starts at the top and by their good influence, hopefully citizens will follow suit. An electrician in Burbank has some ways that will help you take action this October and develop new habits that will ultimately lead to less energy usage, lower electric bills and a smaller demand on today’s power sources.

Things to do right now include;

*Turn up the AC a couple degrees or turn up the heater a couple of degrees *Switch out those old bulbs with LEDs (this may require a different light fixture)

Things to Schedule

*Get a ceiling fan installed by an electrician, Burbank homeowners can really save money on their heating and cooling costs with this one device

*Schedule an energy audit to get an idea where you use the most electricity and how you can cut back

These are 4 easy, actionable steps that will help you save money and do something great for the environment. Give The Electric Connection a call if you need a new light fixture or ceiling fan installed.