Holiday lighting products have evolved into a much safer product over the years.  With the development of properly sized wires and fuses and LED lighting to reduce the consumption load and the heat the lamps produce, holiday lighting has never been more safe.  In the past people would take the old C style lamps and hook one string of lights into the other.  Often overloading one the strings or the weakest link.  This overload would often melt wires, create sparks, and in some cases even cause a fire.  The manufactures and improved safety standards and testing, help reduce to the chance of an overload by installing a fuse at the starter end or male end of the light string.  This fuse would blow or trip when the load became greater than the fuse capacity, which would then project the wire from the overload.  It is always recommended to install lights that are interconnected (one light string plugged into the other) to manufacture specifications as listed by there instructions.

LED or light emitting diodes have not only made holiday lighting more efficient but even safer.  The old style C7 and C9 lamps could reach temperatures of up to 350 degrees.  The hot lamp if rested against wood or dry Christmas tree, has the potential to ignite the material from the heat the lamp produces and cause a fire.  With LED’s to replace the old style incandescent lamps the chance of fire from heat is almost non existing.  However, it is still possible to cause a fire from electrical spark or short.  These sparks or shorts produce heat much greater and can easily ignite flammable material.  Sparks or shorts are often caused by frayed or damaged insulation on the electrical wires and also loose connections.  It is important to inspect your holiday lighting for damaged or loose components and replace when needed.  Be sure not to use any damaged equipment and immediately discard them to eliminate the chance of future use.

A common mistake made people make with holiday lighting is to plug to many holiday lights into each other.  UL listed holiday lighting and cord splitters are tested to specific tolerances and should only be installed to manufactures specifications.  The easiest location to find the manufactures is specifications is to look at the tag on the cord most commonly found near the male end of the cord or light string.

If enough standard wall sockets are not present and you must plug in multiple cords, it is highly recommended to install a plug switch with a built in overload device to reduce the risk of overload.  The built in overload should not be mistaken for a surge protection device.  A surge protector reduces or eliminates the excess voltage going to the device plugged into itself.  Where an overload device will shut off power at the point of installation if to much power is being drawn through it.

On many new homes we will install plug ins located in the soffit or eve to reduce or eliminate drop cords for holiday lighting.  These soffit plugs are installed on a special heavier 20 amp circuit and often include a convenience switch located inside the home to shut the lights on / off as needed.  The special circuit makes sure your holiday lighting is not installed on regular interior circuits so the chance of variable loads and overloads are dramatically reduced.

Permanent holiday lighting can be installed by a licensed electrician.  The most common type of permanent holiday lighting is LED strip lighting.  These are can be installed on the under side of eves or soffits for a permanent installation.  Depending on the type of LED holiday lighting you choose you may even have the option to change the colors of the lights with a push of a button.  This allows the holiday lighting to be used for many occasions throughout the year.  You can call today or schedule online to have a lighting specialist come to your home or business and provide you with a written no obligation quote.

Most often, homeowners choose to have their flat screen TV mounted on a wall. Doing this requires finding studs, deciding on mount brackets, and in most cases adding new electrical outlets. That being said, this is not a job for an amateur or a DIY-enthusiast. Rather, it’s a job for a professional electrician. Keep reading to learn why.

Tilting mounts hold the TV flat against the wall and allows for downward tilting. This is ideal if the TV is going to be mounted up high—perhaps over a fireplace. For other homes, an articulating mount might be the better choice. This places the TV on a retractable arm that allows you to pull the TV out and swivel it.

What will be connected to the TV? You may have a cable box, or some other digital receiving device. Maybe you also have a gaming console. Many of these wires come with relative cables that will need a place.

As we just mentioned, you’ll have a lot of components that go along with your TV. Where will your cable box go? Will you need to have shelving installed as well? These questions will help determine where and how you’ll have the TV installed, and whether or not you’ll need specialized electrical services.

Your professional installer can help you decide this, however it’s a good idea to go into the installation with some sort of idea of where you’ll be most comfortable watching the TV.

Whether you have dry wall, stone, or brick, this will need to be taken into consideration when installing a flat screen TV.

High voltage cords, such as the plug for your TV, are not allowed to go behind walls, according to fire safety codes. This means that your installer may need to add an electrical outlet on the wall where you’re mounting the TV if one does not exist already.

A Look Back At 2011

Texas residents suffered damaging and costly electrical problems in 2011. Three major blackout incidents, two of which happened in the winter months of February and December respectively, left residents without heat and without power for hours and, in some cases, days at a time. Equally distressing was the 71-day drought that had Texans begging their local Dallas electrician for relief, as 100-plus degree heat waves weakened the power grid once again and left residents without air conditioning or electricity.

2012: Not Much Better

Unfortunately, 2012 does not seem to be the year for relief. Experts warn that several factors point to an even more severe blackout and power grid problem in the state of Texas for 2012.

 These factors translate into miserable, costly blackouts and power grid failures throughout North Texas.

Dallas Electrician Company Provides Solutions

There are some solutions for customers looking stay ahead of the game when it comes to protecting their home and appliances from the inconvenient and sometimes dangerous conditions that stem from power grid failures. With the help of a knowledgeable electrician, Dallas residents can acquire an indoor generator, which can serve as an effective emergency power source for your home or business in the event of a blackout.

One of the most convenient features of these indoor generators is that there is no need to use electricity to recharge the battery bank that runs the generator. Without the mess of a fuel-powered engine generator, customers can count on reliable and steady power output and a quiet supply of power for your appliances. Furthermore, the convenience of a solar-power or wind-power battery charge ensures that customers need not worry about using electricity to recharge generator batteries.

Gas prices are fabulous—right now. We all know it is only a matter of time before the gas prices creep back up and we will once again be forced to pull from other areas of our monthly budget to afford to drive our vehicles. Many people have already made the switch to electric cars in an attempt to save money on their gas bills while reducing the strain on natural resources. There are plenty of different models of electric cars available that are sure to suit your needs. When you make an electric car purchase, you will likely also buy a charging station for you car. An electrician in Pasadena has some vital information for you. The team at The Electric Connection can also help answer questions about the electrical requirements of your electric car charging station.

When you buy your car, you will have the choice to buy a Level I or a Level II charging station. A Level I station is essentially a trickle charger. It sends a small charge to your car and can take upwards of 24 hours to fully charge the car. This charging station can be plugged into a standard outlet. However, it will need to be the only item plugged into that outlet and should be on its own breaker. If you need additional outlets or breakers, your electrician can take care of that for you.

A Level II charger is a fast charging system that typically fully charges a car in about 8 hours. This charging station requires a 240-volt outlet, which is not standard in your garage. It is a special outlet that will require installation by an electrician experienced with Pasadena electrical requirements. An inspection of your breaker panel will need to be conducted to make sure you have room for an additional breaker dedicated to your fast charging station. These are all things your electrician will evaluate on the first call. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your consultation.