There are times when you look at a problem and consider whether it is something minor that you can take care of without spending a lot of cash on hiring a professional or whether you need to leave it alone and call somebody that knows. You could compare it to putting out a fire in the kitchen with a fire extinguisher or calling the fire department. There are some pretty serious risks involved when you try and take care of a situation that you have no knowledge of. This is especially true when dealing with electrical problems. When in doubt, always call a Glendale electrician if you are not sure whether your electrical problem is a quick fix or a more serious problem. The Electric Connection has a team of qualified electricians who can help you with any electrical problem in your home.

When it comes to dealing with electricity, there are just too many things that can go wrong if you don’t know what you are doing. Although you may not notice anything immediately, wires that are not connected right could turn into a festering problem that will eventually start a fire. The following are some indicators you need an electrician. Glendale residents will definitely rather be safe than sorry.

*Any burning smell or crackling noise coming from an outlet

*Lights that flicker or bulbs seem to need replacing often

*Breakers that seem to trip often or for no apparent reason

*Replacing or installing new outlets, light fixtures or ceiling fans

*Upgrading an electric panel

*Installing outdoor electrical equipment like hot tubs or security lighting

These are just a few reasons you will want to give an electrician a call. While it sometimes seems like it would be cheaper to take care of these things yourself or do your own troubleshooting, in the long run, it is always best to let a professional handle electrical jobs. Give The Electric Connection a call today and make an appointment to have your job handled.

If you’re like me, you have a favorable reaction to yachts, perhaps without ever having stepped foot on one. I have absolutely no idea how I will one day acquire a yacht. All I know is that yachts and I are destined to be together some way, somehow. This amorous examination of yacht lighting exists, yes, because there are interesting things to note about yacht lighting design, but, if I’m totally honest, we’re in the dog days of summer; I’m landlocked; and I want to stare at yachts. Do you want to stare at yachts, too? Let’s stare at yachts in all their luminous glory.

1. In A Word, Yes. 

I am sucker for underwater lights. In pools, in little water features and ponds, they just make me smile. But beaming into a foreign sea from the hull of a yacht? I am slain (in a good way). Of course, that’s not the only amazing thing about the yacht lighting situation above. While the lights are illuminating the sea on either side of our vessel, whaddaya say we project the sea life around us onto this huge sail? OK, great!

I mean, seriously?! Are you seriously watching the sea life around your yacht as it’s projected onto a giant screen in the middle of the beautiful sea with starlight and moonlight above you and light beams shooting out of either side of your vessel? Yes? Well OK, then. I guess I would, too, if I were you.

2. Outdoor Recessed Lights

What an amazing night time mood these recessed lights lend this yacht. I love the way the fixtures form scallops of light along the side of the cabin, especially because the reflective surface of the yacht amplifies the light levels. Very nice via Charter World

And it also says, Come hither thou and hangeth out on me. Basically, these lighting designers have gotten it right. What looks better against the soft night sky than lights with a via Charter World

Those recessed light fixtures with single and multiple lamps are a great choice for this yacht living room/control center/spaceship dashboard. The top level is evenly lit, and the lower level, with its crisp light, invites the eye and the whole body, actually. Take me to Greenland, Captain! If you need me, I will be luxuriating.

7. Cove Lighting!

Sometimes the bad news about energy and the environment in the media can be overwhelming. Good news tends to get pushed aside in favor of spectacular disasters. Yet, every day in towns and cities across America, people are working on green energy projects that both help the environment and save money. This shouldn’t be a surprise — survey after survey has found that most Americans are concerned about the environment, and most cities today are scrambling to save money.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs in Street Lights. Replacing conventional incandescent electric bulbs with LED bulbs in street lights is one popular green energy project. In the largest such project in the world, Los Angeles is replacing the bulbs of 140,000 street lights. The LED bulbs use considerably less electricity, creating not only money savings but also savings in the oil and coal needed to generate electricity. When complete, the project will save the City $10 million each year. Of that, $2.5 million will be saved on maintenance costs and $7.5 million in electrical usage. The project will also reduce carbon emissions from electric generation by 40,500 tons per year. That’s like taking 6,700 cars off L.A. streets for the life of the bulbs – every year for 10 or so years.

L.A. City engineers originally hoped that the LED bulbs would save 40% on electric bills. When they measured the savings of switching over the first 20,000 bulbs, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the savings on electricity was more like 55%. The City has also found that the LED lights create brighter and more uniform visibility, reducing pockets of dark shadow that conventional street lights tend to leave.

L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa commented proudly, “We’re seeing L.A. lead the way.” The project is being funded, in part, by Federal stimulus dollars as well as the Clinton Foundation. Sarah Potts of the Clinton Foundation said, “The Clinton Climate Initiative was excited to work on this project mainly because L.A. was willing to be a mover on this. They were willing to set the bar for where energy efficiency street lighting could and should go.”

However, L.A. is not alone. This type of green street lighting project is being undertaken from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to towns in Northern California, where PG&E, the electric utility, gives rate breaks and rebates to its street light customers who switch over to LED bulbs.

Green Energy Projects at Home. We don’t have to wait for government projects before we can start saving money by helping the environment. If you want to go greener in your own home or business, you can take steps that range from quick and simple to more ambitious:

1) Replace the bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Today’s fluorescents fit into regular lamps and fixtures, come in a range of warm colors, and save electricity. While CFL bulbs cost more at the supermarket, they last longer than old-fashioned incandescents, and so cost less over their lifetimes. You can start by buying a four-pack on your next trip for groceries. Unscrew the bulbs in the light fixtures you use most often and screw in the new bulbs. It’s that simple. If you have any questions, you can call The Electric Connection, your Los Angeles electrician.

2) Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are very efficient when it comes to cooling a room. Set your thermostat for the air conditioner 2 degrees higher than usual, turn on your ceiling fan, and you’re achieving the usual cooling effect while saving money and electricity.

3) Here’s a more ambitious green step. Make your next car an electric hybrid or all-electric. Electric vehicles reduce our dependence on foreign oil — 60% of our oil imports are burned in our vehicles. Electric vehicles are available today that are competitively priced, convenient, and also give you the benefit of freeing you from the ups and downs of gas prices while enjoying the satisfaction of helping the environment. When you’re ready to make the move, keep in mind that The Electric Connection, a fully licensed and bonded electrician in Los Angeles CA, installs electric vehicle chargers.

If you see solar panels on some of the buildings in your town or if you’ve purchased an Energy Star appliance or installed compact fluorescents in your light fixtures, you and your town are part of the green energy movement that is quietly growing throughout our country. To find out more, call The Electric Connection, a knowledgeable green Los Angeles electrician. To visit their website, simply type in electrician Los Angeles CA on a web search, and you’ll very easily find their site near the top of the first page.

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