By Clarissa Allison | August 14th, 2015

Look up at the sky tonight in your town. Odds are it will be almost completely devoid of stars. This is the product of light pollution and urbanization. Since human beings are used to dwelling in the sun’s light, we have essentially engineered the dark to surround ourselves with light during nighttime hours.

What exactly is astronomers and the occasional stargazer, uplight causes atmospheric scattering making distant celestial light sources difficult or impossible to see. Uplight often also goes along with two other light quality culprits by producing both glare and light trespass.

Once you’ve accomplished the above tasks, go out and buy yourself a telescope to view the night sky and enjoy its beauty.

Enjoy a tour of the wonderful Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona

Check out our top 10 picks for the most enchanting crystal chandeliers of the year.  These timeless designs are destined to become heirlooms in the finest homes around the world.  More than that–the crystal chandelier has taken center stage in the modern lighting industry with LED illumination and a variety of creative interior design applications.

From master bedroom closets to kitchen island lighting, crystal chandeliers are celebrated for their sheer elegance and energizing aura.

“Maya” from Cristalstrass, seven tiers of good luck!

“Valencia” from American Brass and Crystal, made exclusively in America with a fantastic array of customizable finish and crystal options!

“Da Vinci” from Geometrix by Schonbek, colored crystal from Schonbek continues to dazzle!

“Florale” from James R Moder, Imperial crystal blended with the whimsical beauty of nature!

“Primo” from Elegant Lighting with Swarovski crystal for the classic traditionalist!

“Original Classics” from Bar Del International feature Swarovski Spectra crystal and colorful accents such as Grapes with Green Leaves!

“Marquise” from Fine Art Lamps, hand-cut or smooth polished–these crystal elements sparkle like diamonds!

“Renaissance” from ELK Lighting, a Sunset Silver finish infused with polished lead crystal is magnificent!

“Byanca” from Savoy House, the Mohican Bronze finish draped with crystal beads makes for a breathtaking standout!

“New York” from Trump Home, lighting design combined with rich sophistication and the unmatched excitement of New York City!

If you are looking at your electricity bill and trying to determine where your money is going you need to know what appliances are using the most electricity. This will help you make better decisions about where to cut back in your home to truly make a difference on your electric bill. A Pasadena electrician has a list of the top 10 energy users in your home. If you would like to learn more about buying energy efficient appliances or other ways to save on your electric bill, give The Electric Connection a call today.

1-The biggest electricity user in your house is your air conditioning. With the height of summer just around the corner, it is time to start thinking of better, more energy efficient ways to cool your home. You can have a ceiling fan installed by an electrician. Pasadena homeowners can still stay cool without relying solely on the air conditioner.

2-Your refrigerator is next on the list. While you can’t really do without a refrigerator, you can invest in one that is more energy efficient than your existing one.

3-Space heaters, if you use them, are also big electricity users. Consider investing in an infrared heater.

4-Water heaters use a lot of electricity. You can reduce the need for the heater to constantly heat the water by ensuring it is insulated. Reduce the temperature on your water heater a few degrees as well.

5-Lighting is your next issue to tackle. You can save money on lighting by switching to LEDs and CFLs. Making sure lights are off when nobody is in the room and installing dimmer switches are also helpful.

These are just a few things you can do to reduce your electric bill. Making a few changes today can start saving you money on your next electric bill. Give The Electric Connection a call today to schedule your ceiling fan installation.

The electrical field is one that has seen a number of remarkable discoveries over the decades. One very important lesson has been the aspect of grounding of electrical currents. It’s true that we need electricity for almost everything in our daily lives and can’t even imagine a world without it. However, it continues to be one of the most dangerous elements on earth. If you haven’t already properly grounded your home’s electrical systems, you are taking a significant risk by not doing so.

Every electrical circuit has an active wire which supplies power; there is also a neutral wire which is responsible for carrying the power back. There is a third wire (grounding wire) that can be attached to the power outlets & the electrical appliances and devices; this wire is connected securely to the ground in your breaker box.

This third wire is the additional path that the electrical current can pass through to be safely returned to the ground, in case there is a short circuit; this prevents any harm being caused to anyone. In the event that a short circuit occurs, the current flows through into this grounding wire and it’s when you notice a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse in the electrical main board on your property. If this wire hadn’t been grounded, it would have resulted in a fatal shock.

This is one of the most important reasons to ground electrical currents. It’s the best way to protect your family members from electrical surges when they are operating any electrical appliances in the house. In case a lightning strike causes an electrical surge on your property it can result in extremely high electrical voltages in your system. When the wiring has the proper grounding, all the excess electricity gets diverted into the earth, rather than burning everything that’s connected to your electrical system.

When your installation is grounded, it becomes very easy for the power to get directed exactly to where you need it; this allows the electrical currents to efficiently & safely travel across your home’s electrical system.

A properly grounded system makes it much easier for the power to be distributed in the right amount to the right places. This plays a significant role in ensuring that there is no overload in the circuits. The earth becomes the common reference point for all the different sources of voltage in an electrical system.

One of the primary reasons why grounding is extremely effective in keeping you safe is because the earth is an excellent conductor, and electricity always takes the path that has the least resistance. When you ground your electrical system, you are giving it a path that it can easily take, rather than into you; this can potentially save your life.

If your home’s electrical system isn’t properly grounded, you are just risking the appliances and equipment that are connected to your system, being burnt beyond repair. If the situation gets out of control that can also result in a fire risking your property and causing physical injury, sometimes even death.

It’s Zombie season! Halloween decor is already beginning to line the streets with witches, ghosts, monsters …. and ZOMBIES. And with the season premier of The Walking Dead looming on the horizon (a mere 3 days away), I’m all aflutter with the living dead.

Nobody wants to be caught in the dark with a drooling, moaning, rotting Zombie hoard, am I right? Take note fellow survivors, we’ve compiled a list of 9 must-have zombie-apocalypse light sources.

1. Solar and Battery-Operated Lights

Powered by the energy of the sun, you’ll never have to make a dangerous trip into the city to get more batteries with motion-sensor spotlights around your campsite to alert you to any sneaky Zombies.  Take them with you when you’re doing late night reconnaissance.  Doomsday Tip: Make sure there is an off-switch. Nothing worse than trying to douse your light with a zombie on your trail.

2. Good ol’ fashioned Flashlight