It is important to know the basic information about workplace electrical risks and prevention, especially if you are working in the Here are some of the most common workplace electrical risks:

Faulty Equipment: Equipment that isn’t working properly can cause electrical shocks. These shocks can cause serious injury in and of themselves, but can also lead to workers falling off ladders or other platforms. Faulty equipment and electrical appliances can also cause fires.

Misuse of Equipment: Workers who do not have adequate training on certain pieces of equipment may not follow all the necessary safety precautions. This can result in electrical shocks or fire.

Misperceptions: Workers may be working on or near equipment which they thought which they thought was dead but is actually live.

If you are working around electrical equipment, it is highly likely that you might encounter workplace electrical risks on a daily basis. Raising awareness for you and your co-workers, in addition to proper care and maintenance of electrical equipment is key in preventing hazards, injury and damage.  That’s why it’s so important to familiarize yourself with potential dangers, learn how to avoid them, and be prepared in case of emergency. Good luck keeping yourself and your workplace safe.

Wiring, cabling, and NM cable (romex) have changed over the years.  Depending on the age of your home it will most likely represent the type of wiring you have throughout your walls, ceilings, and floors.  Have one of our trained professionals identify the type and condition of the wiring in your home.  Older homes can have knob and tube wiring, cloth covered, and various PVC coated types of wiring.  Our electricians can perform an “electrical rewire” eliminating old and outdated and even dangerous wiring.  Like most things in life wiring can have a life span also.  People often take for granted the condition of the wiring in there home.  Only noting the condition of the old wiring when something happens or its to late. Take the time have your homes wiring inspected from one of our licensed electricians that specialize in old wiring.

Do you live in an older home with original wiring?  Chances are your home does not have the necessary circuits and ampacity to handle todays electrical demands.  Modern day demands were not figured in your homes original electrical plans.  Your wiring may have not been planed for dishwashers, high powered microwaves, garbage disposals, powerful vacuum motors, and all the electronics, lighting, and gadgets we have in our homes today.  Without the proper dedicated circuits, your homes wiring can be come overloaded.  Combine overloaded wiring with outdated fuses, breakers boxes and you have a set up for disaster.  Many older breaker type boxes do not trip or stop the flow of electricity at proper level or ampacity.  If you have a circuit that has had an appliance added to it or is generally just overloaded. The breaker may be allowing to much current to go through the wiring causing it to heat up and bake the wires insulation over time.  This heating of the cable can make the insulation on the wire become brittle even crack which can lead to a short circuit or spark causing a fire.

Our electricians can provide you with a safe and cost effective solution to your homes older wiring.  Our electricians are experts at electrical rewires and specialize in older homes.  They have many specialized tools and unique tools designed to get to wiring to the necessary places without damaging your homes walls or ceilings.  Tools such as wall cameras, fish rods, magnetic wire pullers, fish tapes, and wire tracers can be used to perform electrical rewires more efficiently and safely then ever before.  We can pull the proper permits for any city or county in the state of Iowa.  If you live in Des Moines, Ankney, Norwalk, West Des Moines, Altoona, Indianola, Ames, Grimes, Johnston or any Des Moines metro city we can help you with your homes electrical wiring every step of the way.

Two atoms were walking down the street one day, when one of them exclaimed, “Oh no – I’ve lost an electron!” “Are you sure?” the other one asked. “Yes,” replied the first one, “I’m positive.”

I have heard that joke at least ten times and it is still over my head. Maybe it all boils down to the way I view things, usually on a more metaphysical level, or as my sister would say, “out there and far fetched.” I totally understand the idea behind quantum physics; the idea that a researcher’s views and expectations influence the outcome of their experiments makes total sense. It gives those scientists power over what they do. On the other hand, when it comes to comprehending electricity, I just get lost. The subject is so hard to grasp; the only thing I know for sure is that I am very dependent on it. It seems to have all the power, no pun intended. I challenge you to gain better knowledge than I have in the journey that takes you around in a circle between the words electric, electric charge and electricity, each one’s definition leading back to the others.

Thank goodness for those who understand what I don’t. Another subject that seems to be connected to electricity, but don’t ask me to explain, is the internet. All I had to do to find an electrician in Beverly Hills, was search for “electrician Beverly Hills CA” and some sort of “feelers” out there in a hidden territory gave me The Electric Connection. To me it does not seem so far fetched that in a few years I may only have to think “electrician Beverly Hills” and one will show up at my door. Shoot – that was almost what happened, now that I think about it. The only difference was the inclusion of a phone call.

When the Beverly Hills electrician from The Electric Connection finished his work at my home the next day, I knew that he understood this complex subject. He probably gets the internet too. I did not end up with funny shoes or new exercise equipment, but I do have new electrical outlets, two ceiling fans installed and some landscape lighting that I have wanted for ages. This electrician in Beverly Hills even did his best to explain electricity to me, which included what he knew about electric eels. I am sure he noticed the glazed look on my face, but at least he tried.

There is just so much to learn here in one short life, or even in several for that matter. I have learned that we cannot be experts at everything, but we can sure appreciate those who are. I may not know fully understand electricity or cyberspace, but I do know great customer service when I see it, which is exactly what everyone should expect from their local Beverly Hills electrician.

Click here to visit our website.

Ever noticed a slight spark when you plug in an appliance? Maybe a bittle blue zip of electricity with a hair dryer, or a hand blender. If you’re not especially technology-savvy, this phenomena may give you a little fright! After all, when it comes to electrical appliances, wiring or equipment, everyone understand that when the sparks start to fly, it can be scary. So what causes a sparking outlet? Is it normal? Is it dangerous? Answers to questions like these and much more follow!

At Kolb Electric, we understand outlets to a tee. Allow us a moment of your time to teach you about outlet sparking, it’s causes, and when it’s time to be concerned!

To understand sparking and its causes, it’s important to know a little bit about how an outlet operates. You can essentially think of an outlet as a supply line, doling out the electricity allotted to your home in measured quantities per-circuit. In the United States, our outlets run a high, fast and hot current of around 115 to 240 volts.

The important thing to know about sparking is that in actuality, it always happens when you plug in an appliance. That fast, hot current floods the plug at the moment of contact, and for a split-second the connection is being established. This forms a spark! It’s just that normally, you either don’t see it, or it doesn’t persist.

As an important note, we at Kolb would like to say that any time you feel threatened or concerned about your electricity, contact a professional or the fire department. We don’t want to see you in dire straits, and assisting you is what electricians like us are here for!

Having said that, generally speaking, sparking outlets are a cause for concern if:

To prevent issues like these from arising, keep an eye on your outlets. If they get old (even five years can be reason to have them checked), consider having them replaced or serviced. As years wear on, the connections can loosen, causing arcing and large sparks. If your outlets are located near possible sources of water, have GFCIs (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) installed for added safety.

At Kolb, our primary goal is always the safety and satisfaction of our consumers. You guys are important to us, and if we can help keep you safe, you can be sure we want to do all we can! Call on our master electricians today if you have any concerns regarding a sparking outlet, or if you have any other electrical concerns!

Summer storms can get pretty wild with raging winds and crazy rain and hail. Power companies do their best to build power grids that can withstand some of the worst Mother Nature has to offer, but it isn’t always enough. There are times when power lines get taken down and residents are left sitting in the dark. Brief outages are not usually an issue, but outages that extend for several hours can be devastating. Any food in the refrigerator and freezer will likely need to be tossed resulting in an expensive waste of food. An electrician in Glendale, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you prevent damage by installing a standby generator.

A standby generator can save you from losing all the food that would otherwise become unsafe to eat after an extended power outage. The generators can also keep your life as normal as possible despite a raging storm right outside your windows. Families with young children are likely familiar with the need to maintain a normal routine that will keep the kids feeling safe. Lights are another major factor. Lights add comfort and security. It can be dangerous walking around your house in the dark.

Because the generator will need to be wired directly into your home’s electric panel, it is important to hire somebody who is familiar with Glendale electrical codes and standards. Once the installation is complete, you won’t have to worry about doing anything else. The generator automatically turns within seconds of the main power grid failing.

There are various sizes of generators and you will want to choose one based on your power needs. You can discuss this with your electrician before buying the generator. If you are ready to schedule your generator installation or have any questions about generators, give The Electric Connection a call today.