Last week, we focused on electrical safety for babies and how you can baby-proof your home. When children are merely toddlers and learning to crawl or walk, their adventurous spirits can sometimes be a danger, especially when electrical appliances, wires, and plugs are in the picture. This week, we’re going to expand our efforts to include children of all ages. As your kid continues to grow, in both height and in their adventure, your home may become a greater danger zone as they can now reach kitchen appliances, electrical switches, curling irons, and virtually any other electrical device located in just about any location.

We want to share with you some of our top electrical safety tips that you can pass on to your kids to keep them out of harm’s way. It’s important to remind your children that there is nothing wrong with having an adventurous spirit, but they should always be vigilant and cautious, avoiding anything and everything that could potentially cause harm.

When you plug something into an outlet in your home, you probably don’t really take the time to think about where the electricity to power your appliance comes from. You plug it in, it works. But, what do you do when it doesn’t work?

Homeowners are constantly making improvements to their home. This may include upgrading or installing a new air conditioning unit, replacing the old fridge with a newer, more family-friendly model or adding a hot tub to the backyard. If you have already made these investments or are considering making them, you should contact your electrician. Beverly Hills residents can rely on the professionals at The Electric Connection to provide fast, friendly and knowledgeable service.

An electrical inspection will be needed to determine whether or not your existing electrical panel can handle these much larger items. Hot tubs, AC units and larger power tools will need more power than the typical appliance. If you have a newer home, it is a fairly simple process for an electrician to install the outlet needed to power the new item.

Older homes may need an electrical panel upgrade to support the electricity demands. An additional breaker may need to be added. In fact, this is may apply to newer homes as well, depending on the service that was put in during construction of the home.

If you have already hooked up a new refrigerator or stove and notice you seem to be tripping breakers, it is likely you need an upgrade. This is a sign there is too much draw on a breaker or that a breaker is weak. An electrician in Beverly Hills will be able to determine what the problem is during the inspection. If you are ready to take care of those tripping breakers or have more questions about what it takes to get your new appliance properly wired, give The Electric Connection a call.

LED Lighting Kit. This complete LED strip lighting kit is designed to permanently install on canopy tents, sun shelters, instant canopies, pop-up shelters, or E-Z UP Instant Shelters. A variety of colors are available—including “Bugs-Away” yellow—and the strip lights provide up to 360 lumens of illumination.

Competition is a wonderful thing. It makes us want to strive to be better, and keeps us working hard.  But competition isn’t perfect; there’s always another option, and you can’t always tell right away what option is the best deal or the highest quality. It is easy to determine the quality when it comes to something inexpensive; if you don’t like a brand of motor oil or breakfast cereal, you can always buy something different next time. But what happens if you pick a bad electrician?  Failing to spot bad electrical contractors, could mean you’ll wind up paying way too much for your service. Paying too much might actually be the best-case scenario; shoddy electrical work done by “electricians” is a safety hazard, and one you might not even know about until it’s too late.

So how do you find quality electricians? As a Dallas electrician myself, I’ve learned over the years how to make sure the electrician you use is knowledgeable and high-quality:

Mr. Electric® wants to make sure everyone is ready for the fall and winter months in case any weather-related disasters occur.  The importance of having alternate reliable energy when the need arises cannot be stressed enough. Electricity is the lifeline of many local businesses, hospitals and city buildings, and the amount of electricity usage in households is often taken for granted.

Generators propose a great solution when temporary power is needed, but they also require special care and attention to detail for safe operation and maintenance. Follow these tips to stay safe while operating permanently placed and portable generators.

Always operate generators outside in well-ventilated areas and away from windows, doors and vents. Enclosed or partially enclosed areas, even with ventilation, can result in CO poisoning.

“One generator produces as much CO as hundreds of cars. CO from a generator is deadly and can incapacitate and kill you within minutes.”

- Consumer Product Safety Commission

Plugging the generator into a wall outlet, also known as backfeeding, can pose an electrocution risk to utility workers as well as other homeowners and businesses served by the same utility transformer.

Mr. Electric licensed service professionals will be able to install a transfer switch, which will prevent a back feed in electrical current.

Before refueling, always turn off the generator and allow time for it to cool off before refueling. Continuous operation heats up the generator and any fuel spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.

Store fuel away from any fuel-burning appliance and outside of living areas in properly labeled, non-glass containers.

Always make sure the generator is kept dry during use, and dry your hands before touching it. Operate the generator under an open, canopy-like structure.

Never use the generator in wet or rainy weather or manipulate the electrical components if you are in standing water. Correctly storing and maintaining generators will prolong the life of the unit.

Being aware of the inherent hazards of electric generators will help prevent harmful situations. These tips from Mr. Electric will keep homeowners safe while operating permanently placed and portable generators.