There are certain changes you can make in your home that can give it an entirely new look and feel. Sometimes, the simplest thing like a light fixture can take a home from drab and dark to modern and brilliant. One common way of changing the look of a room is by installing a new chandelier. Chandeliers can add an elegant look to a dining room or entrance way. Despite how easy it may seem to simply change out one light fixture for another, the task involves some work with electricity. If you are not familiar with electric wiring, it is best to give the job to an electrician in Glendale. You can count on the team at The Electric Connection to take care of a chandelier installation efficiently and professionally.

One of the joys of owning your own home is being able to decorate it and embellish it to suit your tastes. Lighting plays a huge role in the way a room is presented. Take a trip to your local home improvement store and visit the lighting department. There are so many styles and designs to choose from, the process may take a bit as you envision each fixture hanging in your home. Once you have made your decision, it is time to take care of the Glendale electrical wiring.

An electrician will remove the existing fixture and check the wiring before installing the new chandelier. This is an excellent time to have the wiring evaluated for any signs it may need upgrading. Chandeliers are typically installed with dimmer switches. This gives you the freedom to change the mood in a room by making it very bright or dimming the lights. Your electrician will take care of this during the install process if you would like. If you would like to enhance your home with a new chandelier, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Kolb Electric, here, and we wanted to discuss a fairly common topic we’ve noted with our patrons as of late. We’ve been getting a lot of “Is this normal?” Or “Is this a common problem?” questions on our projects and calls recently. This got us to thinking; maybe people would be interested in learning a bit about what electrical problems our Baltimore electricians encounter regularly.

What would we consider to be a fairly normal issue? And what would be an oddball? Answers to this and more today in:

No problem is ever “normal’, per se. That’s why it’s a problem! But there are certainly some issues we see regularly:

So why do we feel like it’s a good idea to clue you in on our most common repairs? Partially because information is fun, but mostly because problem is the key word here. Understanding that these common issues are indeed problems that should be looked into by our Baltimore electricians is important.

Any instance of poor wiring, flickering lights, under-maintained equipment or general electrical funny business should be addressed right away! Leaving them alone or ignoring them can be hazardous, or can lead to much larger electrical problems. So have them handled by a pro right away!

If you note any of the issues we mentioned today (or any other electrical problems), contact the certified Baltimore electricians at Kolb today! Our experts can have your electrical appliances and wiring in perfect working order in no time at all!

The cost of energy is something that everyone’s concerned about and with energy costs projected to continue rising for the foreseeable future, it should come as no surprise that an increasing number of people are looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption and of course, their bills. If you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably heard about something called a smart meter. What you may not know about these devices, however, is exactly what they are and what makes them special.

Can installing a smart meter in your home help you to save on your energy bill? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this new generation of power meters? Keep reading for the answers to these questions.

Smart meters are designed to work with new smart power grid technologies which are being implemented in several countries and like the grids themselves, they are designed to help consumers to use energy more efficiently. These new meters can be read online, which will ultimately eliminate the need for utility company employees to go door to door reading power meters. However, there are advantages for consumers as well as for the utility companies.

The most important advantage of using smart meters as far as consumers are concerned is the ability to access much more detailed information about their energy consumption. Rather than simply providing information about the total level of power consumption, a smart meter allows consumers to see not only how much energy they’re using in their home, but how this energy is used. This is data which homeowners can act on to reduce their energy consumption, essentially putting control over their energy bills back into their hands.

These meters provide detailed information on usage by time of day, which allows consumers to identify their household’s peak usage times as well as the rates assessed during these hours. Better still, consumers can identify how much energy particular appliances are using, alerting them when appliances aren’t operating at optimal efficiency so that they can have these appliances serviced or replaced as needed. Software is now available for users which automatically send text messages with customized information on their energy usage, so there’s no need to be out of the loop as far as energy efficiency is concerned.

While consumers will need to hire an electrician to come out and install a smart meter in their home in areas where local utilities do not provide this service, the savings which the average household could realize from using these sophisticated power meters should make this a worthwhile investment. Smart meters are clearly a growing trend and in the near future, they will be even more useful as newer energy technologies like solar and wind power become more common, since they are ready to work with these power sources.

For instance, with a conventional electricity meter, it would be necessary to have an electrician come to your home to install a new meter if you were to install a wind turbine or solar panel on your home. A smart meter, however, is able to seamlessly integrate with the new power source; which is yet another reason that budget-conscious and environmentally minded consumers are starting to take a serious look at smart meters.

For any home that depends on natural gas power for heating, cooking, or other tasks, a risk exists of exposure to carbon monoxide. Most modern gas appliances and pipes are built to high safety standards and should present little danger to a household. However, it is wise for any home with a gas line to set up carbon monoxide detectors as a precaution.