Fixing things around the house is one of the joys of home ownership. It makes you feel accomplished and you can save a ton of money. It is a lot of work sometimes, but the excitement of tackling something that makes you feel a little more a part of your home is thrilling. Unfortunately, not every home improvement project or little fixes here and there are things you should attempt to take on if you don’t have the knowledge and training. Electrical work is one of those things. A Santa Monica electrician, like those at The Electric Connection, wants to warn you of some of the dangers you face when you take on a job that is above your skill level.

1-Property damage is a very real possibility when you attempt to fix something you are not really trained to repair. Messing around with electrical wiring can result in frying certain appliances or even melting the wires behind the walls. You would need to replace expensive appliances and possibly have to rewire that section of your home.

2-Fire is probably one of the most common problems associated with somebody unfamiliar with electrical work doing repairs they shouldn’t be. Melting wires or wires that are not connected properly can cause a spark that will set off a devastating fire. It is always best to hire a professional electrician. Santa Monica residents can feel safer knowing the wiring was taken care of by somebody who has been trained in the field.

3-Injury to the person doing the work is another very real possibility. Electrical shock can be deadly.

4-Nullifying home owner’s insurance policy may happen if an unlicensed person complete the work and a fire or other property damage occurs.

Don’t take the chance. Call The Electric Connection today and hire a licensed electrician to take care of your home’s electrical needs.

We know your family’s safety is important to you, but have you ensured their electrical safety? The amount of electricity running through your home has enough power to cause death if electrocuted.  Implementing a few simple tips regarding your cords and plugs, outlets, and circuit breakers could potentially prevent injuries or fires in your home.

Cords & Plugs

All your electrical appliances have cords, and being a daily item, many times we overlook any wear-and-tear that could potentially be a safety hazard to your family and home. Make it a habit to check each appliance’s cords and plugs before every use. Check your cords for any frays, cracks or kinks. If they are damaged, replace the power cord before use; such exposures could be a fire hazard.

Also, make sure to be using your cords appropriately. As much as you want to tuck away or hide your cords, never staple or nail cords in position! Try using tape or twist ties to secure your cords safely. Also, refrain from running your cords through doorways or under rugs, this could cause damage to the cord or cause overheating. Instead try using an extension cord to safely reach that desired location in your home. Although, extension cords are not intended for permanent use, this should only be a temporary solution. Consider rewiring if you are really tied to having your appliance in a specific out-of-reach position.

Outlets

Once you are confident that your cords are safe, now you need to ensure that your outlets are also safe. Every outlet should have its wires covered by a secure plate and if you have children, make sure your unused outlets are covered with a childproof cap. Avoid using multiple adaptors or power strips, which can overload your outlets and cause fire hazards. Instead, relocate your appliances to another outlet.

For outlets located near a water sources like your bathroom and kitchen, you should check to make sure that your home is equipped with a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlet. This is a fairly new technology of which is now mandatory in all new houses built. A GFCI will protect your family from electrical shock if it ever comes in contact with water.

Circuit Breaker

Your circuit breaker protects electrical wiring from overheating or catching fire. If too much electricity is passed through a certain fuse it will “blow;” breaking the flow of electricity. If this happens, the fuse needs to be replaced – make sure to find the right size fuse to allow the appropriate flow of electricity. Your circuit breaker should always be easily accessible and all members of your family should be aware of its location and how to use it when the time comes.

Your electrical appliances, outlets and circuit breakers are constantly changing over time so make sure to be checking them regularly. Make this a household habit for your whole family. If you notice any signs of electrical issues such as dimming or flickering lights, unusual sizzling or buzzing sounds, or if your circuit breaker is continuously tripping, call an electrician from Expert Electric at 604-681-8338. One of our experienced electricians will gladly examine your home for any electrical concerns.

Your family’s safety is our top priority!

It seems like everything you buy today requires an electrical outlet. If you find yourself living in an older home or one with out-dated wiring, you could also end up at a loss for power. With electrical outlets spread sparsely around your home, it can be difficult to find enough outlets to plug in a lamp at the location you want or plug in all your electronics in the same spot. Fortunately, you do have some options for expanding your electrical accessibility and capacity.

The most common fix for this problem is to use extension cords. Extension cords can go extend as far as 150 feet, but are not always an ideal permanent solution. If you were running a significant amount of power through a long running extension cord on a regular basis, it would be a better idea to install an outlet at that location. With a heavy loaded extension cord you run a greater risk of fires and overloading the circuit. Undersized extension cords can overheat and cause a fire. If you will be running several electronics of the same outlet (television, computer, entertainment system) you should invest in a power bar with a surge protector. A power bar will be able to handle the larger electrical load and protect your valuable electronics from surges.

Another option would be to use an adapter to split two standard electrical sockets into four. This can be helpful when you need to plug in an additional lamp or phone charger in your room. If you find that you are tripping your breaker when you are plugging in more devices or appliances onto an adapter, power bar, or extension cord, you are probably overloading your circuit. The best course of action would be to have an electrician install a new outlet on a separate circuit.

While having new outlets installed by a professional electrician is the safest idea, it is not always possible in every situation. If you are a renter you may not be able to or want to upgrade the current electrical system. Or it is possible that your current breaker or electrical panel may not be able to handle additional electrical outlets. If that is the case, have a licenced electrician inspect your home electrical system to ensure that you are able to safely add on additional outlets. While planning for new outlets, identify areas that would be optimal for having power and covering the room appropriately. This way you can avoid problems down the road and installing an excessive amount of outlets in one room.

It is important to use undamaged extension cords and not run one extension cord off of another. For the best peace of mind, have one of our electricians install an additional circuit and outlets in your home. This will keep your home up to code and reduce the risk of fires significantly.

You're probably familiar with some of the federal energy efficiency programs by now. The most prominent, the Clean Power Plan, was announced last year with ambitious targets to limit carbon and other pollutants generated by the nation's electrical work. What you might not be aware of is the amount of impetus placed on the individual states to enact programs that advance the federal goals. Through the Clean Energy Incentive Program, or CEIP, states are responsible for reducing their carbon emissions by 2022 through renewable energy generation or increased efficiency measures. Read on to learn more.

States Picking up the Slack on Conservation

The Clean Power Plan sets a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Although it is a federal rule enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Air Act, the national government doesn't actually have control over the nation's electrical work, so the plan requires the cooperation of the states to come to fruition. In turn, the states will have to work with big polluters within their borders, primarily power plants, to bring emission levels down.

The federal agency is using emission rate credits as the carrot to incentivize the conservation measures, rewarding states for their reduction in fossil fuel consumption, which the states then pass on to the individual power generators and other industry players. Other options include household and industry efficiency programs to encourage people to purchase modern appliances and otherwise reduce the consumption in their electrical work. In total, the EPA is pushing states to reduce carbon emissions by 300 million short tons.

State Help for Increasing the Efficiency of Your Electrical Work

One interesting aspect of the EPA program is that it contains extra incentives for states that focus on initiating programs in low-income communities. The exact parameters haven't been worked out yet, and various programs will still work differently in different states, but essentially the federal agency will provide twice the credits for projects that affect low-income households. That means states will have an easier time reaching their goals, and the most vulnerable residents of an area have a better chance of participating and realizing savings from the Clean Power Plan.

Regardless of what your income level is, you should keep an eye on any efficiency programs coming from your state in the coming months and years. While much of the work is aimed at power plants, other assistance may be available to homeowners to purchase new appliances, invest in residential renewable energy like solar panels or otherwise decrease both energy consumption and utility bills in the household.

Trust the Experts for All Your Home Service Needs

If you need help figuring out how to reduce your household spending on electricity, or have any other issues with your home electrical system, contact a professional electrician today.

With little ones crawling around the floors, it is hard to always keep an eye on what they are doing all the time. Electrical outlets are at the perfect height for them and seem to be the most interesting thing to investigate. This convenience leads to hundreds of children suffering severe shock (electrocution) each year. This is why tamper resistant outlets are so important. If your home is missing tamper resistant outlets, it may be time to upgrade.

A tamper resistant outlet looks just like a normal outlet, to the untrained eye but have important mechanisms behind the plastic to ensure that nothing foreign can find their way into electricity. Behind the two top prong holes is a small plastic panel. This panel slides across to cover the prong holes. If a child approaches the receptacle with a key or other narrow object with the intention to insert it into the outlet, the plastic panel will prevent them. No matter how much force they apply, it will block the foreign object from entering the outlet and allowing electrical current to escape.

If this plastic panel is preventing objects from entering the prong holes, how do you plug in your normal devices then? The trick to this is that pressure must be applied equally through both prong holes in order to slide the panel to the open position. If there is uneven pressure, the panel does not move. This is how it can prevent paperclips from entering, but operates seamlessly when plugging in a lamp.

Tamper resistant outlets can prevent serious injuries to children. If you have a young one making their way around your home and you aren’t sure if you have tamper resistant receptacles, now is the best time to check. Contact your local Expert Electric at 604-681-8338. We can help to identify what kinds of outlets are used in your home, and upgrade them if needed.