You’ve packed the swimsuits and the sunscreen, the bug spray and the camera, but did you remember to properly lock up and secure your home? While making that long vacation “to-do” list, don’t forget to include the proper safeguarding of your home on your list before you head off on your summer getaway.

If you’ll be away from your home for an extended amount of time, you might want to consider hiring a house sitter. Someone actually living in your home can help keep it safe from thieves, and your house sitter can also water your plants, retrieve your mail and newspapers, mow your lawn, or even take care of your pets while you’re away. And because your home will continue to look lived-in, it can hold less of an appeal to burglars. Hiring a house sitter is not the cheapest option for home security, but it can solve many problems at once and it is likely to be a solution that will give you the most peace of mind while you are away from home.

Nothing says “I’m not home” more than yellowed newspapers on your doorstep and mail overcrowding your mailbox. If you’ll be leaving your home for an lengthy holiday and if you don’t have someone you can ask to retrieve your mail and newspapers each day, you can ask for a stop delivery on both. The United States Postal Service will stop delivery and will hold your mail for up to 30 days for free, and you can either cancel your newspaper subscription or choose a stop delivery on your newsprint for however long you’ll be away. All you have to do is ask, whether in person or possibly even online.

With social media and online networking an ever-present entity in modern times, it’s easy to want to brag about your upcoming cruise or your month long road trip across America to all your online friends and family. But you may be unwittingly letting criminals know when your home will be an empty and easy target. Keep in mind that online information can be read by anyone, often even if your accounts are private, and you probably don’t want the entire world knowing that your property and home will be unattended during your vacation.

Don’t make your home a tempting target for possible criminals. Remembering to secure your home while you’re away can help keep your home and property safe, as well as help relieve any possible worries you might have so that you can actually relax and enjoy that much-needed vacation.

It may seem way too early to think about ice on your roof, but summer is coming to a close in less than a month, and the milder temperatures are the perfect time to think about servicing your HVAC system, doing preparedness tasks around the home, and yes, thinking about the possibility of ice and snow on your roof when winter comes around.

At FB Electrical, we’ve recently acquired a boom truck that allows us to effectively and efficiently perform many important electrical services—de-ice cable installation being one. There are many beneficial reasons to have these cables installed on your roof this fall. We’ve shared a few below.

As you are likely aware, when water gets into a space and then freezes, it expands. Then when it melts, it takes up less space. As a result, it can leave cracks and breaks on your roof. If your roof is kept warm all winter however, then this freeze-thaw cycle may never happen.

When water sticks around your home for too long—be it at your foundation, on your roof, or in your attic—then mold and mildew are encouraged to grow. Standing water can create additional property damage as well. De-ice cables allows ice to thaw and evaporate more quickly than it would otherwise.

There are potentially DIY tasks you can do to try to limit ice and water damage to your roof. However we don’t recommend them as they can be dangerous for the average homeowner. We have the tools and the expertise, in addition to the knowledge of water runoff patterns, to do the job right the first time.

Ice can easily crack or clog your gutters just as it can the shingles of your roof. Keep your gutters working effectively by helping them divert water away from your home as it melts due to the de-icing cables.

Have you discovered your electric car is not saving you quite as much money on fuel as you had hoped due to the inability to get the car fully charged? Many electric car owners are discovering the typical 120-volt charging station isn’t enough to keep their car charged throughout their busy day. If you work somewhere there is a charging station and can get your car on the charger, you are set. But, if you are constantly on the go throughout the day or don’t have a charging station available to you, you need a better option.

Your electrician in Burbank can help you appease your car’s electrical needs by installing the necessary outlets needed to use one of the faster car charging stations. Unlike the more common 120-volt stations that you can plug into almost any outlet, the 240-volt chargers need something a little bigger. The Electric Connection can get you set up with the necessary outlet. Just give us a call.

If you are unsure what a 240-volt outlet is, think of your dryer or air conditioner. An electrician will need to inspect your electric panel first to determine whether or not your current panel has the capability of supporting the additional breaker needed. Typically, most newer houses do. The electrician will go about creating the proper outlet needed for you charging station.

If there isn’t enough room in the panel, you will need an electric panel upgrade. This is something you can discuss with your electrician. Burbank electric car owners can also count on The Electric Connection to install an outlet for the 120-volt chargers as well. Any charger should be on its own dedicated outlet to prevent overloading. If you need an additional outlet in your garage or carport, please give us a call today and we would be happy to schedule an appointment.

The electrical system of a home is the system that receives the most use and which you depend on more than any other during the average day. Although your plumbing and HVAC systems are also important for daily life, nothing impairs your lifestyle more than a faulty electrical system.

Many homeowners, in their haste to have electrical troubles fixed, will attempt to handle the repairs on their own. Some may try to tackle the job to save money, or because of an interest in “do-it-yourself” hobbies. We understand all three of these motives, but for a number of very important reasons you should not attempt the work yourself. Nor should you hire amateur electricians to do it either.

The 3 Best Reasons To Hire Professionals for Electrical Repairs in Shoreline, WA

In my 27 years, I have heard these questions a lot: “Why is it so hard to find the top electrician for my electrical repairs? There are so many choices and my problem seems so easy, any electrician should be able to do it. Does it matter who I call? Aren’t all electricians the same? How do I find an expert electric man?” – Nick Shaeffer

The answer is no – not all Twitter, Google Plus.