We all need a little inspiration to reveal our true creativity. If you’ve tired of your boring bedroom’s look, here are five on-trend ideas on how to illuminate your dream bedroom getaway brilliantly.

1. Unexpected objects in the same color family. At first thought, using lamps that are large enough to be placed as floor lamps may seem like it would be cumbersome. But when sleek, unobtrusive and blending in with the surrounding scheme, this can be a fun surprise that draws the eye to details you wish to highlight, such as interesting wallpaper or art.

As I’ve said before, I’ve spent years in the electrical business working hard to help people save money and keep safe.  But I’m not really any different from any other American.  At the end of the day, I get to lay down my work for a while and come home to my wife and children, and I want nothing more in all the world than for them to be happy and safe.  For me, that’s one of the places where being a parent and being a Top Garland electrician can come together.  I have the expertise from my trade to do what any parent would want to do; make your home safer for your family.  Which makes this story I’m about to share with you hit me even harder than it would otherwise.  I can’t think of anything worse than something like this befalling the people I love.

Not so long ago, a mother in Texas was bathing her five and six year-old children when disaster struck.  A hair dryer, plugged into an outlet nearby, was accidentally pulled off a nearby counter, and wound up falling into the bathtub.  The current from the hair dryer quickly passed into the bathwater.  Neither child survived.

What makes the story even more tragic is that the deaths of these children could have been prevented with an investment of less than sixty dollars in equipment and labor costs.   Specifically, installing a GFCI or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, could have saved the lives of these children. The home the family lived in was an older home, and as a result the circuit in the bathroom wasn’t equipped with this simple yet incredibly important piece of equipment.

A GFCI is designed to quickly interrupt the flow of electric current when it detects that the current is imbalanced, which is a sign that current’s passing through something other than what it’s supposed to, like a person.  This can be a danger when we’re dealing with outlets close to water; the composition and chemical structure of water make it an extremely effective conductor of electric current.  It doesn’t take very much water, either; unplugging an appliance with your hand in a small amount of spilled water on a counter top can cause you to suddenly complete a circuit to the ground, giving you a very nasty shock.

As you might expect, this means that a GFCI should (and by code, must) be installed anywhere there’s a electric device close to water. This isn’t limited to kitchens and bathrooms either; GFCIs should also be installed on outlets located in garages, near any counter top, near pools and hot tubs, and on any external outlets.

We don’t always think of external outlets as needing a GFCI, but they do; remember, any electronic equipment you use outside interacts with the elements.  Using an electric lawn care device, like a weed whacker or electric mower on wet grass can be dangerous, especially if you happen to run over the cord, which could create a circuit between the electricity and the ground through your body.

One of the most common issues I see where GFCIs are lacking, and could be potentially dangerous, lie where there is plenty of water:  your swimming pool.   Older pools, like older homes, may not have a GFCI installed on the pool light located under the surface.  Over time, the seal that keeps water out of the pool light can break down; if and when they do, it can turn your pool from a fun place to spend time to a place to get to get your goose cooked in the blink of an eye.

Although all outlets like the ones listed above must be equipped with GFCIs according to code, this hasn’t always been the case.  Older homes, like the one where those two children were killed, may have been built before these regulations were put in place.  If you have any question whatsoever I strongly recommend that you contact a Top Garland electrician as soon as possible to perform an inspection.

With the latest trend of installing recessed lighting in the interior of a home, many homeowners are wondering if the lights are a good option for outside as well. Recessed lighting offers many benefits and it just makes sense to take advantage of the latest and greatest lighting systems on the inside and outside of your home. The fixtures can be installed by an experienced electrician in Pasadena in a single day typically. That means you will be enjoying your new outdoor lighting that evening! You can call The Electric Connection to find out how soon you can schedule your lighting installation.

Check out some of the benefits to having recessed lighting installed on the outside of your home by a Pasadena electrician.

They don’t take up any room Lights are flush and do not hang down, interfering with plants or at risk of being broken

Hiring an Electrician

Although the lights are fairly simple to install, it is best to have the installation completed by a professional electrician. Pasadena homeowners won’t have to worry about ensuring the lights are properly insulated from the elements. There is also an issue of the light touching insulation. There will need to be a hole cut into the home to install the light and it is important it does not create a fire hazard by touching wires or insulation.

There are several styles of lights to choose from. You will want to choose one that is right for your needs. Recessed lights with reflective trims tend to be brighter and are a great option for areas that are particularly dark. Check out your home improvement store to get an idea of what you want and then give The Electric Connection a call and schedule your installation.

It finally feels like summer outside - at least most days of the week - and homeowners across the Mid Atlantic are sitting out on their decks and patios late into the evening now that it is finally warm out. As a result, many homeowners are taking out their extension cords and stringing them through storm doors and beneath windows so that they can power outdoor lamps, radios or other devices. If you don't have a power outlet on the side of your house, you may be tempted to do this, but this practice is less than ideal in most situations.

Placing any cord underneath a door or window jam increases the prevalence of wear on the wire, which may cause the protective layer of insulation around the electrical currents to be weakened. Every time you slam the door to your back porch, you could be creating the risk of sparking or arcing. The results of this will be costly damage if a fire sparks - not to mention potentially fatal.