The concept of fuel cells as an energy source is credited to a chemist, William Grove. He demonstrated in 1839 that electric current could be produced by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen over a platinum catalyst. Thereafter, many alternate forms of the technology emerged for producing electricity from various materials and catalysts.

The main reason why fuel cell companies have not been profitable is due to startup and operational costs. Although fuel cells provide clean, inexpensive energy, it is much simpler to use coal or natural gas. These industries have been around for a long time, so their processes are now streamlined.  Unless legislative action requires the use of clean energy, the adoption of fuel cells will remain slow.

Fuel cells are attractive for energy production because they provide clean energy, with no harmful byproducts. Although commercial adoption of fuel cells remains slow, it is possible that the technology could become disruptive and make a significant impact on the energy industry. That could happen if environmental pollution due to the burning of fossil fuels becomes a global concern. So far, large countries that account for a great deal of pollution, such and China, have been indifferent about the pollution they cause.

The changing season is upon us. School has started and it won’t be long before we are pulling out those jackets and watching Friday night football. The chilly air may not warrant turning on the furnace, but you will still need to take the chill off. Your trusty space heater is always an option. When you are sitting at your desk or when you first step out of the shower, it can be a little cold. The space heater is perfect to warm up your immediate space without heating up the entire house. Before you plug it in that first time, it is a good idea to read the following tips provided by an electrician in Los Angeles. If you would like a professional to do the inspection, give The Electric Connection a call.

1-Thoroughly check the cord on the heater from end to end. Look for any areas of the cord that have been chewed by mice or pets that have left the wires exposed. If there are exposed wires, do not plug the space heater in. Either take it in to be serviced or throw it out. Wrapping black tape over the cord is not a safe option.

2-Choose a spot to place the heater that gives it plenty of clearance from the wall, furniture and curtains. You need to allow at least 3 feet of space between the wall and the heater. Heaters need ventilation to work properly.

3-Do not use extension cords to plug in the heater. It increases the risk of tripping and knocking the heater over. If you don’t have enough outlets, consider having an electrician add additional outlets. Upgrading your Los Angeles electrical system is a worth investment for your home. Give The Electric Connection a call today to add more outlets to your home.

Surge protection is part and parcel of every electrical system and many devices such as HDTV’s and computers are plugged into surge protection devices. However, it’s not necessary to have individual devices to protect the different appliances or equipment in your home. It’s possible to get a centralised surge system installed into your property’s main electrical panel; this turns your home into a single large surge protector.

This kind of a system offers a significant amount of convenience. Most homes nowadays have a large number of appliances and equipment ranging from washing machines, dishwashers, electric stoves, ovens, refrigerators, HVAC systems, home PCs, printers, scanners, pool equipment, hot water systems, outdoor lighting, irrigation system, home entertainment and music system and more.

Based on the number of equipment and appliances you want to protect, a centralised surge protector can be much more affordable than just getting individual surge protectors installed. This also extends protection to all the other larger appliances in your home, that don’t already have any surge protection adapters. The different types of surges that can occur are:

The long and short of it is that surges can occur at any point of time and this is what makes it important to have a centralised system that will provide protection to all the equipment and appliances in your home.

If you notice the lights in your home flickering, that is generally caused by an electrical surge. Typically, these types of surges won’t burn out your appliances and devices, but they do have a negative impact on the longevity of this equipment. When it comes to getting surge protectors installed, the high-cost of the damage caused by electrical surges to our electronic equipment and appliances should be the topmost priority.

Current day home appliances such as ovens, dishwashers, refrigerators etc. are becoming increasingly sophisticated and operate on smart technology. They have a large number of closely intertwined, sensitive components; an imbalance or impact to one of them has the potential to impact the rest of the components too. This holds true for larger systems such as the hot water and HVAC systems too.

Even when these systems aren’t being used, major electrical surges can cause heavy damage to them and will shave years off of their operational lives. Without you realising it, this can result in thousands of dollars of losses in the duration you live in that home. In some cases, a massive power surge can cause irreversible damage to your HVAC or hot water system, and replacement becomes the only option you are left with.

Keeping all these aspects in view, it becomes extremely important to ensure that you have a high-grade, reliable surge protection system installed in your home. We at Allround Electrical can provide excellent electrical upgrade maintenance solutions to commercial and residential customers.

We will survey the space, make note of all the equipment and appliances on your property and will provide solutions that are best-suited to your needs. For more information, contact our friendly team at this number – 1300 169 263. Alternatively, you can also write to us at this email address.

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If you’re searching for a way to control your lighting from anywhere and without flipping a switch, Wi-Fi LED lights are the perfect products. With a Wi-Fi LED Controller Hub, you can control compatible LED bulbs, LED flood lights, and LED strip lights with your Android or iOS-enabled smartphone or tablet. The Milight 3.0 app, along with a Wi-Fi compatible controller when necessary—allows you to power lights on and off, control multiple zones of lights, select from thousands of colors, choose from various single-color and color changing modes, and control brightness and speed.

Wi-Fi compatible flood lights are great for landscape lighting, tree uplighting, architectural wall washing, and other outdoor applications. These LED landscape lights are available in 30- and 50-watt versions and have separate LEDs for either white or colorful illumination. They plug into a standard 3-prong outlet and can be easily connected to a Wi-Fi hub. Connect multiple lights to the hub, and synchronize their color, brightness, or mode with your smartphone or tablet.

Technology is advancing at a dizzying pace. What used to be the ‘latest’ and ‘most advanced’ devices yesterday becomes redundant today. When people embrace any technology, they do so because it adds convenience, comfort and safety to their lives in one way or the other. When it comes to your home, all these three aspects matter a great deal. It’s why many people are now veering towards the smart home concept.

Sure, many homeowners already have Internet-based security systems and landscape irrigation systems that are connected to timers etc; but smart homes are designed and set up to do much more than that. Having a smart home is a lot about Wi-Fi connectivity and more. Take a look at some concepts; this will help you create a plan for your smart home.

It’s not uncommon for companies that launch smart home products to say that connecting their devices to the Internet is a breeze. Sure, they are bang on spot most of the times, but what actually matters a great deal is the Wi-Fi connectivity in your home. These are some of the things you will have to keep in view while planning your smart home:

This is vital, and it’s something you should keep in view while planning your first smart home. The longer the distance the radio waves have to travel, more the connectivity issues. The best way to overcome this kind of an issue is to install the Wi-Fi router at the center of your property and on the ground floor.

You will find a number of products which claim they are able to extend the Internet connection in your home. The simple fact is that multimedia over coaxial power-line adapters, network extenders etc tend to slow down the signal by around 50% and that reduces the consistency of the network. Of course, you won’t find any issues with driving a motion sensor or a smart bulb; however, you might just find it challenging to stream a movie to your tablet/laptop, only because it can’t figure out which Wi-Fi router it should connect to.

At times, installing a network of Ethernet cables turns out to be the best solution. You can use cable runs to install your smart home hub devices in spots that are more accessible. The devices that are connected to these hubs will function more smoothly if you do this. If your home is already wired for telephones, hardwiring for Ethernet won’t be too difficult. You will need to speak with your electrician and check whether he would be able to run an extra cable to the point you need it at, without too much of drilling and sawing.

When you are planning your smart home, ensure there are sufficient power points at different places in your house. While certain devices may be battery-powered, many aren’t. So whether it’s a Wi-Fi router/extender, web security camera etc, you will need a power point to plug them in. And of course you don’t want power cords dangling all over your smart home.

Very simply put, if you are building a new smart home or remodeling your existing one, sit down and plan not just for the current smart devices you plan to install, but for future ones as well. Map out a detailed plan and get some advice from the installer too. Coming back to the first point – focus on getting a very good Wi-Fi router and ensure its positioned at the right point on your property.

Very importantly, get a professional to do all the wiring work once you have your entire smart home plan in place. For more information about smart home device and hardwiring solutions, call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263. You can also drop us a line via email or by filling out this contact form.

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