Nest truly has some for everyone. If you are looking to make your home more secure, then you simply cannot go wrong with a Nest security camera. Offering 24/7 live video, alerts sent to your devices whenever something happens, exceptional quality night vision, and microphone and speaker capabilities, the Nest Cam offers greater levels of security than others on the market. With our free home assessments and estimates, you can be sure that your cameras will protect your home effectively, and that you’ll have an idea of the costs that you’re in for.

The device that professionals in our industry cannot stop talking about, of course, is the Nest Thermostat. Forget about “smart” technology. The Nest Thermostat is a learning thermostat, meaning that it gets to know your comfort preferences and will learn to program itself. This only takes about a week. Nobody home? The Nest Thermostat will turn itself down to save energy. You can also regulate its operation via your phone, tablet, or computer.

There is also the Nest Protect to consider. A new offering, this device is a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. You can silence false alarms from your phone, get alerts on your phone, and get precise information regarding the location of smoke or CO in your house. Contact us to learn more, and consider taking advantage of this great offer.

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.

It seems like every day some fantastic new “must-have” electronic device comes out. Is your home equipped to handle them all? Energy use in homes these days averages around 14,000 kWh (that’s kilowatt-hours) per year—up an astounding 636 percent since the 1950s and still growing! If you live in an older home in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, your electrical system may not be able to handle the increase in energy requirements. That’s why you might need a heavy up!

Service panel upgrades, also called “heavy ups,” will enhance your electrical panel’s capacity and make it safer to operate the variety of electronic devices you may have in your home.

Getting an electrical panel upgrade will provide you with a number of impressive benefits to improve your home’s electrical service all around, including:

Better Electrical Performance – do your lights flicker when you turn on certain appliances? Does your breaker trip frequently for no apparent reason? A heavy up will take care of these problems, providing a more consistent energy supply throughout your home.

Improved Electrical System Safety – while most new electrical panels are designed with safety in mind, the same can’t always be said for panels built 30 years ago. Overloading the electrical panel can lead to major fire hazards, many of which could cost you your home. An electrical panel upgrade can resolve these dangerous issues and improve the safety of your home.

Future Expansion — if you ever need to add circuits to your home, you’ll need a larger service panel. A heavy up gives you options, whether you need to really expand your electrical system (say by adding a new addition or central air conditioner) or you just need to add a few more outlets.

What does a heavy up entail?

Depending on your specific goals, you have a range of upgrades available for a heavy up. Some service upgrades are as simple as adding a few additional circuit breakers to the existing box, or expanding the box with a subpanel. More complex upgrades may include things like replacing a fuse box or an aging panel with one that allows for higher energy capacity. A Kolb Electrician can evaluate the condition of your current panel with any problems you are experiencing to determine how extensive your upgrades will be.

How long does an electrical panel upgrade take?

The time depends on the job. Adding additional breakers to an existing panel is usually pretty quick, often taking less than an hour. Installing a subpanel is not too complicated either, often taking no more than a few hours.

Where it starts to take a long time is when you need to make serious upgrades. If you need to replace a fuse box or circuit main, you could be looking at a job that takes all day.

Still asking yourself “Should I upgrade my electrical panel?” Let us help you decide! Already know you need a heavy up? Don’t let your favorite electronics put your home at risk—for electrical panel upgrades in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric at 877-385-0818 today!

Extension cords a quick tool that solves a lot of problems. Whenever we are at a lack of outlets, or need to use a device just a bit farther than the normal outlet can reach – extension cords are our best friends. But it is important to remember that extension cords were made for a specific reason, and using them incorrectly can lead to serious electrical hazards. Know the hazards and how to avoid them.

If you can identify with any of these hazards in your home it may be time to install additional electrical outlets to reduce dependence on extension cords. For assistance from a licenced electrician, contact Expert Electric at 604-681-8338.