It is time to get ready for another winter and there is no time like the present to get some of those little things done around the house that you have been putting off. During the spring and summer, most of your time and energy is focused on the outside of your home and the landscaping needs. Now, it is time to focus your attention on the inside of your home. An electrician in Glendale is here to help you take care of a few things that can make your home a little safer while adding a layer of protection for some of your expensive electronic equipment and appliances. At The Electric Connection, you will find a team of professionals who are capable of handling any job, big or small.

Surge Protectors

Whole home surge protectors are a worthy investment. In the event of a power outage or a power surge, the surge protector deflects the extra electricity away from your electronics. Sensitive electronic equipment like computers and smart televisions can be damaged when there is a surge or when the power goes out and then right back on. Your refrigerator will also suffer overtime and the expected life of the refrigerator will be dramatically reduced if it is constantly subjected to power fluctuations. The surge protector will need to be installed by an electrician familiar with Glendale electrical codes.

Hard-Wired Smoke Detectors

If you have a woodstove or plan on using a space heater this winter, it is a good idea to have hard-wired smoke detectors installed. These devices are wired directly to your home’s main source of power and do not rely on batteries. The detectors are inter-connected, adding precious minutes to a family’s escape from a house fire.

If you are ready to make a few improvements to your home, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your surge protector and smoke detector installation.

Outdoor lighting is often overlooked by homeowners who are more focused on their indoor lighting needs. A few lights set in the landscape are nice, but it doesn’t often do enough to properly light an area to provide adequate security. Many people will settle for a security light over the front door or the garage door and call it good. That does little good for the far corners of the yard or pathways around the garage or what not. An electrician in Glendale can help you enhance the security of your yard. You can count on The Electric Connection to make sure your yard is well lit.

Spotlights can be placed in the yard to shed light on a specific area like a fountain, a gorgeous rose bush or even a statue. The spotlights can be solar or electric-powered. The latter is preferable, especially for areas that are shady. The lights are brighter than a standard pathway light and light up a broader area. A row of spotlights along a pathway in the backyard is perfect for adding a layer of safety.

Patio areas will benefit from additional lighting. The standard porch light tends to only light up the area closest the door, while the rest of the patio is swathed in darkness. String lights are a popular choice and can enhance the overall look of the patio. You can add festive-colored light strings or romantic twinkle lights. In either situation, you will need to have your Glendale electrical system beefed up a bit to accommodate the light strings. Your electrician can install an extra outlet for you to plug the string lights into. This ensures you are not overloading an existing outlet and still have an outlet available to plug in a fan or other electrical device. Give The Electric Connection a call today and help make your outdoor area a little safer.

Image via CleanTechnica.com

In Lighting Tips…

Other Cool Stuff…

As part of the UN Conference For Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, this Image via UNCSD2012.org

OSRAM introduced a new OLED fixture, called “Rollercoaster” for its interesting architectural design. It features the innovative transparent OLED panels, and OSRAM hopes to begin mass production of these products by 2014. Read more on the fixture Image via LightNOWblog.com

Have you made any lighting changes to your home or building this month? Or have you learned anything new about light? Please share!

By Blake Daniel, Franchisee of Mr. Electric of West Fort Worth

Whether it’s due to thunderstorms in the spring, ice storms in the winter, or blazing heat and power distribution regulation in the summer, the electricity supplied to your home can be unstable at times. This makes your home vulnerable to power surges.

Preventing power surge damage has traditionally been left to the consumer to guess what to do. Do you buy numerous surge protectors and power strips? Do you spend time running around the house during a lightning storm unplugging everything in sight, while putting yourself at risk for electrical shock? Or, do you rely on your homeowner’s insurance policy to cover any power surge losses that may occur?

Now there is no need to worry, you can protect your investments by preventing power surge damage with a Whole House Panel Surge Protector, the heart of industrial protection for your home. There are features not seen in the marketplace until now, creating a main zone of protection and acts as your first line of defense while stopping power surges before they can enter the house through the transmission lines.

As the main line of defense, a Whole House Panel Surge Protector prevents high-energy power surges from ever entering into your home and protects your electrical panel, motor-driven, and other AC-powered appliances in your home against power surge damage.

While this is not a one-unit, full coverage surge protector, as there are many ways in which you can receive a surge, you can be confident that your electrical panel and most electrical items in your house are covered. If you would like more information on how to protect your house from power surges, ask your local Mr. Electric service professional.