Whole-house generators are permanent installations on one’s property. They must be properly sized for the electrical demands of that property, and they are hardwired right into the home’s electrical system. For many homeowners, especially those in urban and suburban areas, this level of protection is a bit of overkill. The portable generator is a versatile piece of equipment that you can use in many different settings in order to power an admittedly more limited array of electronics.

A portable generator is not going to keep your entire house up and running, nor will it be able to support large HVAC systems. You must plug your gadgets and electronics directly into the generator in order to use it. If you are just looking to keep a few items up and running during a power outage—allowing you to run the refrigerator to protect your food supply, charge your phones, even watch a DVD—then a portable generator is a great option to consider. Not only that, but they are extremely handy for camping trips, and even tailgating on game day. They can also be used to power medical equipment in a pinch. We ourselves have serviced a portable generator on a medical service mobile unit truck. Give us a call if a portable generator sounds like a good fit for your needs.

Swimming is a fun activity in the middle of the day with friends and family members to join in the festivities. It is nice to throw a pool party, barbecue and hang out in the middle of the day when the sun is the hottest. That is one of the main reasons people have pools installed. They want to be able to cool off without having to trek to a busy beach that is a little too sandy for some people’s liking. Pools are also a real treat long after the sun has gone down. Adding pool lights will allow you to enjoy your pool after a long, hard day without worrying about turning on a flood light in the backyard. An electrician in Pasadena can help you transform your boring pool into a beautiful place of serenity with the addition of pool lighting. You will find a helpful staff at The Electric Connection that will answer any questions you may have and get you set up with a certified electrician.

The possibilities for pool lighting are pretty extensive. It is best to have the lights installed during the installation process by a Pasadena electrician. Obviously, electricity and water are not a great combination, which is why you only want the lights to be installed by a professional, experienced electrician. Pasadena homeowners will appreciate knowing their pool is safe and doesn’t pose an electrical hazard when the lights are installed properly and up to code.

You will have the luxury of choosing to use colored lights and going with a lot of lighting or just a few. If you are having a new pool installed, you will need an electrician to take care of all of the wiring needed to run the filters, pumps and heater anyways. Why not have lights installed as well? Give The Electric Connection a call today and get a quote for your new pool.

Last month, I wrote via www.bet.com

2) A Dwarf Makes Giant News

Astronomers are given the spotlight as they announce that Pluto, the dwarf planet with a changing orbit, has passed Neptune to become the ninth planet from the Sun. It had been the eighth farthest since 1979. Of course, we now know that Pluto is not a planet at all but some kind of ball of rock and ice. 

 4) Re-imagining Literary History

Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman win the Writers Guild Award for SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Also nominated were Robert Rodat for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and Andrew Niccol for THE TRUMAN SHOW.

6) You’re Still the One

Shania Twain wins a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “You’re Still the One,” in which the Twain passionately announces, “We’re still together, still going strong.”

9) Run to the Hills

Gloriously, and to the headbanging delight of metal heads across the globe, Iron Maiden announces that singer Bruce Dickinson has rejoined the band. 

11) The Tumultuous Days Continue for Kid Dynamite

Early in the month, Mike Tyson is sentenced to four years in prison for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident in 1998. The judge gives him only one year of jail time, followed by two years of probation and a $5000 fine. Days after he begins his sentence at the Montgomery County Detention Center, he is put in solitary confinement for throwing a TV in the general direction of some guards. He is released from solitary after about six days.

13) Return Mail

TLC releases their third album, FANMAIL, after a five year hiatus. The new album sells 318,000 copies in its first week, and it becomes clear to the world that TLC “don’t want no scrubs.”

15) The Dawning of the Age of the File Share

The Artist Formerly Known as Prince makes headlines a second time as he files a lawsuit against nine websites for copyright and trademark infringement. He accuses websites of selling bootlegged recordings and offering unauthorized song downloads.

Is your utility company planning on installing a smart meter on your home? You're not alone. These meters have been implemented in a number of regions across the United States, as well as in other countries in North America, Europe and Oceania. Read on to find out more about why these smart devices are growing in popularity and what you need to know about them.

Three Advantages for You

Smart meters have several big advantages over your traditional electricity meter. For one thing, they send their data to the utility company automatically, so there's no need for a meter reader to come by once a month. That also means they can turn your service on and off remotely, so you don't have to sit around and wait all day to get the power switched on after you move into a new home.

To take advantage of the remote reading capability, smart meters calculate your usage frequently, between every fifteen minutes and one hour, so you get a much better idea of when you use the most electricity. Additionally, most smart meters let you access a granular breakdown of all the data they collect about your energy usage, so you can make informed decisions about how and when to use your appliances. If you notice a big spike during the daytime, for example, you can turn the air conditioner down a notch or two, or cut down on the number of televisions you have on. It's easy to save electricity if you break down your consumption device by device, and a smart meter gives you the ability to get started.

Real Time Feedback

The smart meter also helps your utility company respond quickly to any outages and fine-tune its production. Since the company gets feedback about your consumption within an hour, it will know automatically if your power goes out and can see what other houses are having problems. That way, the company can get a jump-start on addressing the outage and act quickly to alleviate any accompanying safety concerns, like a downed wire.

What's more, the meter tells the company exactly when people are using power, so it can adjust its supply accordingly. From there, utilities have the option of instituting time-of-day pricing, selling electricity at cheaper rates during nights and weekends. This allows utilities to balance out their production schedules and use fewer auxiliary plants during the day, which reduces fossil fuel consumption and helps keep prices lower overall.

Spreading Across the Country

As more people discover the benefits of smart meters, their adoption is poised to increase across the country. Next time your utility provider upgrades its equipment, chances are you will get a smart meter installed if you don't have one already. If you have further questions about smart meters, how they work and what information they collect, contact your local electrician today.

This Father’s Day, get out of the tie and money clip routine with 15 bright gift ideas that shine a light on Dad’s favorite past times. Is your dad a grill master, an adventurer, an artist or a hardcore movie buff? Or is he one of those guys that has his own personal style that can’t be nailed down to just one? Whatever the case, chances are good that we’ve got a lighting gift to match his style: