With the unseasonably cool temperatures gripping the entire country right now, you are probably considering the purchase of a space heater to help ward off the chill. There are several different kinds of heaters on the market today. As you can imagine, some are better than others. An electrician in Los Angeles is here to explain the most common types of space heaters available. You can call The Electric Connection for more information.

Oil-filled radiators are one of the safer types of space heaters. Oil is heated and rotated through the radiator releasing heat into the room. They are silent due to the lack of a fan. They can heat a small room. Fortunately, they do not get overly hot and will not cause scalding burns if you happen to touch them. However, they produce enough heat that you will want to follow the standard guidelines of keeping the heater at least 3 feet away from walls or furniture.

Ceramic-element heaters are rather small, but produce a great deal of heat. They are typically safer than their counterpart, the coil-based convection heaters. Different fan settings will help control the amount of heat produced. One of these heaters could heat a small room or used at a desk.

Infrared space heaters are new to the market and do cost more, but they are much more energy efficient. They can heat a large room and in some cases an entire home if it is relatively small and well-insulated.

As far as the cost to your Los Angeles electrical bill, space heaters are not as bad as many assume. It will depend on the type of heater you use and how many kilowatts the heater uses. If you are looking to make a long-term investment, the infrared heaters are a good option and will ultimately save you money in the long run with a lower heating bill. If you have more questions about space heaters, give The Electric Connection a call today.

There are instances where NEC and other regulators recommend dedicated circuits for certain loads. Typical loads to put on individual branch circuits include sensitive electronic equipment such as computers. In addition, water heating systems, large appliances, and other high capacity loads that zap power require a dedicated circuit.

Run cables all the way to the main service panel and avoid connecting to other existing circuits. The same conductor size should be used throughout the branch circuit.

Electric water heaters, HVAC equipment, hot tubs and other appliances should each have a nearby disconnect that is easily visible and accessible. The power disconnect can be provided by the main or sub panel breaker, a dedicated switch, or a power cord that can be unplugged.

The branch circuits should have adequate current carrying capacity, adequate and grounding.

Typical branch currents include:

With that major storm from a couple weeks ago still fresh in everyone’s minds, more and more people in the Maryland, Virginia and DC area are starting to think about the benefits of installing a standby generator. Generators are still fairly new, however, and a lot of people still have questions about them.

To put it simply, generators supply backup power to your home when the grid goes down. Most standby generators are powered by gas or propane and are connected to your home’s main distribution panel via an automatic transfer switch. The generator constantly monitors incoming voltage, activating automatically when it senses a power outage. When it turns on, it also closes the line from the power company and opens its own line so you don’t accidentally get power coming from two sources. When the power comes back on, the generator shuts off and reopens the line so you get power back as usual.

Once used more by farmers, businesses and construction companies, generators have evolved significantly over the past decade from their loud, large and expensive roots and are now well suited for use in homes. Standby generators are quickly becoming even more popular than portable generators thanks to their ease of use, quiet operation and aesthetically pleasing design.

One of the most common misconceptions about standby generators is that they’re not affordable to most people. Fortunately, this is not true! Standby generators have come down in price significantly over the years. In fact, these days there are generators available from as small as three kilowatts to as large as 45 kilowatts! Smaller units provide supplementary emergency power for general lighting, a refrigerator, or an air-conditioning unit alone, but large units can run multiple AC units and provide power for other household needs such as appliances or sump pumps. The money you’ll save in spoiled food is practically enough to cover the cost!

Standby generators are becoming increasingly popular as part of new home construction, and while this is obviously an easier job, retrofits are still more popular. At Kolb Electric, we install Generac generators. Generac generators have a number of additional benefits compared to others on the market. They:

Standby generators are safer, more reliable, and less expensive to run than portable generators, and require no input on your part – they start and stop automatically. If you live in Maryland, Virginia or Washington, DC and want to install a standby generator in your home, call Kolb Electric today!

LED cove lighting is a great way to add accent lighting or color to any room, and LED strip lights are the perfect product for the job. LED strip lights can be used for any type of RGB LED strip lights, you can choose from a ton of dynamic color-changing and single-color modes with adjustable brightness and speed control. variable color temperature strips are also available and can be used with a compatible controller and remote. Installing LED cove lighting is easy, and we’ve provided basic instructions for a standard L cove, recessed ceiling/tray ceiling cove, or crown molding cove in a 16-by-16-foot room. We recommend that you have a certified electrician wire your strip lights to power.

Tools and Optional Materials:

The way you install the strips or even the number of strips used might vary depending on the room size or the style, shape, and size of your cove. The steps and materials needed for this particular installation could be used in a room with a standard L cove, crown molding cove, or recessed ceiling/tray ceiling cove. The photos below show several different cove types.

DIY “L” Cove

Valence Cove

Crown Molding Cove

8) If desired, use a double-sided 3M foam pad to mount the amplifier in the middle of strips 1 and 3. Cut the foam pad, and use it for both amplifiers.

9) Repeat steps 6-8 for strips 2 and 4.

10) If you are experienced, connect your power supply to power. Otherwise, hire a certified electrician to set up power for your new LED cove lighting.