It gives you a good feeling to take on do it yourself projects. You are saving money, and it is nice to know that you have a direct part in helping your home look its best and stay in good repair. While you may not want to take on large electrical projects—for those you would call your electrician Beverly Hills, Electric Connection—you can learn to handle the smaller, simpler electricity-related jobs yourself. If you plan to take on these jobs, it is important that you have a good understanding of the process and that you have the right tools to get the job done right. Consider adding these tools to your toolbox, if you plan to take on any electrical jobs.

Basic Hand Tools

Power Tools

Testing Equipment

Safety Equipment

As you can see, there are a lot of tools that are necessary for completing an electrical job. In many cases, it is actually more affordable, and certainly more convenient, to call an electrician in Beverly Hills. If you are unsure who to call, consider utilizing the services of the skilled electricians at Electric Connection. Our technicians are all properly certified and understand what it takes to get the job done right. There is no need to risk your safety or the electrical items in your home by taking on a job that you are not comfortable with completing. If you have any questions or concerns, give us a call and we will be happy to help you in any way we possibly can.

LED fixtures, such as

With energy consumption that is less than half of what 150-watt LED parking lot light that is a direct replacement for 400-watt metal-halide (MH) fixtures. That’s 250 watts less for the same amount of light!

The average price of electricity per kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 12 cents. To figure out the monthly cost of running 25 LED parking lot lights for 11 hours per day, use this formula: (combined wattage x monthly hours of use)/1,000 x price per kWh. For 25 LED lights, (3,750 x 330)/1,000 x .12) the total would be $148.50 per month or $1,782 per year.

When the same formula is used for 400-watt MH fixtures, the monthly cost is $396, and yearly cost would be $4,752. So, in this situation, switching to LED fixtures would save approximately $3,000 per year. When coupled with the savings on maintenance, LED fixtures can save $6,470 per year. At that rate, the cost of 25 $340 LED fixtures would be recouped within two years.

Left: LED wall packs; Right: HID wall packs

Unlike LED fixtures that light up instantly, HID parking lot lights require a warmup period of up to 10 minutes before they reach full brightness. They also can’t be turned immediately back on after being switched off; this is called restrike time, and it can take up to 15 minutes before they can be turned on again. Attempting to power on the lights before the bulbs have cooled can damage a fixture’s components and cause the HID bulb to fail sooner.

HID lamps consist of a ballast and a quartz tube that contains gas, metal salts, and two tungsten electrodes. In order to create light, an electric arc passes from one electrode to the other through a gas (most commonly mercury, metal halide, or sodium). The mercury used in this process is dangerous if enough is inhaled or released into the environment. If an HID bulb bursts, all contents should be put into a sealed container or sealed bag and taken to a recycling center or hazardous waste facility. If HID fixtures are used indoors, wall packs and canopy lights, are used indoors, the possibility of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure should be taken into consideration. HID bulbs emit a substantial amount of UV radiation, but an outer glass envelope prevents the radiation from escaping. However—according to the FDA—”If the outer bulb breaks and the inner tube continues to operate unshielded, intense UV radiation is emitted. UV exposure at this level can cause eye and skin burns, as well as blurred or double vision, headaches, and nausea.” The UV light from an HID bulb with a broken envelope can also lead to discoloration of items and fabric. LEDs emit little to no UV radiation.

In short, LED lights are a better alternative to HID parking lot lights. They offer a great deal in the way of savings, longevity, maintenance reduction, brightness, color, and safety. While it may take a short amount of time to recoup the price of switching to LEDs, all of their qualities make it easy to see why so many businesses have started the process.

For technical questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.

Electrical wiring is an important part of a home that we all depend on every day. If your home wiring is outdated, though, it can be an electrical safety hazard and result in shorting out or even electrical fires.

An electrical safety assessment can be done by a competent electrician in a fairly short amount of time and for a reasonable amount of money. A Santa Monica electrician will check for any safety hazards or needed electrical code corrections, and they will check all of the connections and wires to make sure that nothing is broken, deteriorated or frayed. An electrical safety inspection by Electric Connection, a licensed electrician Santa Monica trust most, will give you the peace of mind you need. Knowing that your home electrical is safe, you can feel rest assured that your family is protected.

Electric Connection is licensed, bonded and insured and fully qualified to do electrical safety inspections. If you’d like to find out more, please visit our website at We’re ready to help you out with your next home electrical safety assessment.

Have you ever walked outside the house where your electric meter is mounted and heard a strange whirring noise? Was it the sound of the little hands on your frantically spinning around and around? If so, you were probably instantly alarmed. Every turn on that meter is costing you money. Your electric bill is going up right before your very eyes. How can you stop the wheels from spinning quite so fast? An electrician in Los Angeles is going to tell you how. At The Electric Connection we understand that every dollar counts and if you can keep a few more in your pocket things will be much better for you.

The following items are some of the biggest energy hogs in your home that are causing that meter to spin like crazy. Some you can control and others are just a part of life explains a Los Angeles electrician.

1-The refrigerator is costing you money. If you have invested in an energy efficient refrigerator, you are ahead of the game, but even those use a lot of electricity. The key is to make it use less by making sure the filter on the bottom and behind the refrigerator is clean.

2-A hot water heater is also going to cost you. You can limit how often it runs by shortening your hot showers and only washing full loads of dishes. Using the cold or warm setting on the washer is another way to cut back on hot water usage.

3-The air conditioning unit is probably one of the biggest culprits causing your meter to spin explains an electrician. Los Angeles residents definitely need to stay cool in the summer, but keeping the thermostat turned down too low isn’t really necessary. You can save some money on your electric bill by having a ceiling fan installed. The fan will circulate the cool air and create a slight breeze that makes you feel cooler.

Give The Electric Connection a call if you have any questions or would like to have a ceiling fan installed in your home.

When you need electric work done, you may be wondering what the first step is and what you can expect. There are plenty of businesses in the phonebook, but choosing the right one can be a bit of a guessing game. You can rest assured when you call The Electric Connection for service. You will want an electrician in Burbank that you can count on to show up on time. Knowledgeable and honest are also very important factors to consider. You have a busy schedule and will need a company with a record of showing up on time and getting the work done promptly.

When you call for a service call, you likely have a problem, but are not exactly sure what it is. You will be forced to rely on what an electrician tells you is the problem. In order to properly troubleshoot an electrical problem, various tools and equipment will be needed. Hiring an electrician that has a fully equipped work vehicle can help save a lot of time. At times, repairing electrical problems can be expensive. If you are on a budget, you will likely only want to pay for what you need to get your home up and running safely. You will need a Burbank electrician who will provide you with an honest quote about what is necessary and what is optional, but recommended.

An electrical safety inspection is always a good idea. If the electrician is at your home, it just makes sense to have the inspection done then. When it comes to your home’s electric safety, it is imperative you choose a company who only hires electricians who know what they are doing and can give you honest quotes about any work that needs to be done.