Sometimes that light that seems to be acting strange lately is more than just a fluke. It is a precursor to a bigger problem and it should be looked at by a professional right away. Little things like a popping breaker or a funky electrical smell are all signs you need a Pasadena electrician to come out and do some investigating. Not every problem is something small and meaningless. Those little electrical warning signs are often indicators there is something happening behind the walls of your home that you cannot see. It is imperative you get an electrician out as soon as possible to determine what the underlying cause is. The Electric Connection has a team of qualified electricians who are here to help.

If you are not sure what actually qualifies as an electrical emergency, this should help.

1-Anytime there is any smoking, crackling or visible signs like black streaks around an outlet, you need to call an electrician. Pasadena homeowners should consider this an emergency and call immediately. While you are waiting for service, do not use the outlet.

2-A breaker that seems to trip frequently is not an emergency, but it does warrant a look from a certified electrician. It may be weak or overloaded. If it is weak, it will need to be replaced.

3-Light fixtures that seem to work sporadically should always be checked out by an electrician. A loose wire could be causing a faulty connection. This can lead to an electrical fire. If you notice bulbs are constantly blowing in a fixture, it should be investigated as well.

4-An outlet that isn’t working properly may be improperly wired. This is something your electrician can take care of for you before it becomes a serious problem.

If you have experienced any of these issues or would just like an electrical safety inspection, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Cost, energy savings, maintenance and aesthetics must all be taken into account to optimize your budget and bring out the best in your home with the finest lighting design.

1.   Fluorescent and CFL (compact fluorescent) lamps work well in areas that require cooler, energy-efficient general illumination, such as undercabinet lighting and cove lighting in kitchens or flush-mount ceiling fixtures in garages and basements.

2.  Low-voltage halogen lamps are best for accent lighting and to provide luxurious illumination in areas of the home that call for a more up-scaled look, such as living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms and master bathrooms.

3.  For task lighting, choose LED (light-emitting diode) desk lamps, reading lamps, track lighting and mini-pendants. Bulbrite’s Generation 3 dimmable LED lamps provide great color rendering and light output, perfect for track and recessed fixtures. 

 4.  LED lamps are becoming the standard for outdoor lighting, too, due to their low-maintenance and high energy-efficiency. Although the initial cost for LED lamps is considerably higher, you will find tremendous long-term savings in energy, maintenance and replacement costs—especially in areas where illumination is frequently needed such as outdoor security lighting.

5.  Incandescent lamps are still popular for portable lighting and ceiling fixtures to provide pleasant general illumination.  Aim for energy-efficient incandescent:  Bulbrite’s Eco-Friendly Halogen A19 standard bulb is energy-saving, fully dimmable and available in clear or soft white.

Note:  Do not skimp and buy bulbs of lesser quality, because substandard bulbs may emit a poor quality of light and may burn out prematurely.  Purchase your lighting from a reputable dealer who will stand behind the quality of their merchandise.

For more information on updating your home with quality, energy-efficient lighting, visit a Capitol Lighting showroom and meet with a professional lighting consultant.

Is it time to replace your old dryer? Great news: The federal Energy Star program has started certifying clothes dryers, making it easy to pick out the most cost-effective and efficient models. Read on to find out what the change means and how to pick out the best model for your home.

Moisture and Heat Settings

The upside is clear: “ENERGY STAR certified dryers use 20 percent less energy than conventional models without sacrificing features or performance,” the program promises. So what took so long for dryers to get the federal efficiency stamp of approval?

“With dryers there are fewer major variables to manipulate — mostly it’s drying time and the amount of heat provided,” said Emilio Gonzalez, a Consumer Reports test engineer, so it was harder to find adjustments to meet the standard.

How did manufacturers finally find the extra energy savings?

The savings are not trivial. Energy Star claims that if every household in America switched over, consumers would save a total of $1.5 billion annually in utilities. The reduction in pollution would be the same as taking 2 million cars off the road.

Upgrade the Laundry Room

The first certified models are already available -- find a list of them on the Energy Star directory, which allows you to compare size, fuel type, energy use and other factors.

If you have a gas hookup in your laundry room, consider purchasing a gas-powered dryer. These models have a higher price tag but are more efficient across the board than their electric cousins. No matter what kind of dryer you buy, make sure you adhere to the following tips so you get the most for your money:

When facility managers or building owners first start the search for new replacement lighting fixtures in their facility, it can seem like a long road ahead.

From all of the read this post where we talk all about what it is. From there, you can come back to this post and continue, it will really help you keep up! Now, let’s get into when high bay lighting is practical in both broad terms and specific applications it is best used in.

In broader terms, the most appropriate time to use a high bay lighting fixture is for ceiling heights that are between 20 to 40 feet high. For heights between 15 to 20, you typically are going to go with a low bay fixture, but that’s for an entirely different post. For anything lower, you will typically be dealing with tubes and panels lights, most often found in offices, hallways, and other similar type environments.

So for commercial and industrial type environments in which the ceiling height is 20 to 40 feet tall, a high bay lighting fixture is commonly the most chosen lighting fixture to install. That is the broad definition of when high bay fixtures are going to be used at the most optimal rates.

So, what types of high bays are often used and fit the purpose perfectly. Although these applications are highly relevant, there are some we have not listed and may have missed, but these are just a few of many very practical applications that high bays work perfectly in:

Gymnasiums

Think about your school gym, or even your warehouses often have tall ceilings due to storage space requirements, this need for space vertically makes their ceilings the perfect height for high bay fixtures.

Factories

Similarly to a warehouse, factories and production facilities need proper lighting to keep things safe and consistent. With proper lighting through installation of high quality high bays (such as with LED technology), you opt-in for better safety standards and higher consistency in your production efforts.

Airplane Hangars

Large airplanes call for large ceilings in the hangars and a proper lighting system is a must for this environment. When maintenance is required, you need clear and proper light to contact one of our professionals.