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.

Circuit breaker problems can make life difficult with a host of harmful effects, but most importantly, they are a safety hazard. Circuit breakers keep you safe from dangerous amounts of electrical current. When they aren’t working properly, there could be a risk of damage to your possessions or even losing your home to a fire. To keep yourself and your family safe, stay on the lookout for the signs of circuit breaker problems. The sooner you identify them, the sooner you can get them taken care of by a professional.

From twisted to swinging, the top 5 LED pendant lights award the most sophisticated styling and sensational lighting effects.  Here are our top picks from the Dallas Market Center…

1.  “Swing” from WAC Lighting’s Modern Forms

“Swing” from Modern Forms presents a playful, yet powerful geometric filled with sparkling Art Glass encased in Polished Chrome.  These 10-inch mini pendants may be artistically grouped in a linear or circular pattern to deliver superb LED illumination.

2.  “Manette Grande” from Tech Lighting

“Manette Grande” from Tech Lighting adds a sleek and versatile sophistication to this contemporary cylindrical composition.  A myriad of finish options, including Antique Bronze, Black and Satin Nickel,  combined with custom mix-and-match hand-blown glass in a choice of Clear, Smoke or White makes for a winning presentation.

3.  “Helix” from Hubbardton Forge

“Helix” from Hubbardton Forge is magnificently twisted and tastefully tapered in this minimalistic contemporary style.  Superb finish options include Natural Iron, Mahogany and Burnished Steel for a classic ensemble to highlight interior design schemes from retro-casual to modern-formal.

4.  “Masque Grande” from Tech Lighting

“Masque Grande” from Tech Lighting delivers gently diffused illumination in a modern-contemporary 22-inch Energy Smart pendant.  The blown glass shade is available in choice combinations:  Clear-White, Smoke-Black and Smoke-Gray with finish options in Black, Satin Nickel or White for a cleverly defined and robust illumination.

 5.  “Light Spheres” from ELK Lighting

“Light Spheres” from ELK Lighting dazzles with hundreds of LED light sources within Chrome plated glass balls and a laser-cut Stainless Steel frame.  Floating elegance and remarkable illuminating effects bring this pendant light to the top of the A-list.

The Dallas Market Center, home of the American Lighting Association (ALA), is the most complete wholesale merchandise resource for home decor and the lighting industry.  Attracting buyers and exhibitors from around the world, the Dallas Market Center is where the “best of the best” introduce new products, including the latest giftware, decorative accent pieces, garden accessories, and–of course–outstanding LIGHTING designs!

Modern day living is highly reliant on the use of electricity and the different appliances, equipment and fixtures it powers. Industries are even more reliant on electricity and their profitability is closely knit with how seamlessly their systems operate. They rely on electricity to such an extent that they rarely give it a second thought; well, at least not until something goes wrong such as:

Most of these problems can be attributed to poor power factor. Let’s understand a little more about what that is.

Power factor is essentially a measure of how effectively the incoming power is being used by the electrical equipment on your premises. It is expressed in terms of a numerical value in the range of 0-1. A higher power factor indicates that the electrical equipment is being used more effectively.

For instance, if the power factor is 0.8, it indicates that 80% of the power supply to the equipment is being utilised effectively and that 20% is being wasted. Regardless of what this ratio of effective usage Vs wastage is, the latter is an unnecessary expense. Typically, your power factor should be closer to 1; it indicates that your site is using energy in an efficient manner.

A number of businesses are currently being charged a kVA tariff and not a kilowatt tariff. This means, your service provider is probably charging you for the power they supply to you, rather than that you actually use. Simply put, you are paying for power that is being supplied to you, but which is being wasted. If your business has a low power factor, it means you pay even more for this waste. There is another aspect you should keep in view. As mentioned at the start, poor power factor has the potential to cause power drops and power losses; in turn, these lead to motor failure and overheating and failure of other equipment too.

Installation of Power Factor Correction equipment might just help avoid prohibitively expensive infrastructure upgrades; it does this by reducing the current electrical demand on your system & improving the efficiency stability. Based on which tariff you are on, power correction might just prove to be an excellent way for your business to deescalate its electricity costs.

The power factor can be improved by installing Capacitor Banks. These are PFC (Power Factor Correction) equipment and help correct the inefficiencies in the energy supply. Apart from this, they also reduce the peak demand on the power network. This is an effective and cost-effective solution to reduce your power bill as it helps lower the monthly demand and the capacity charges. Generally, the payback periods for PFC are between 1 and 3 years. Taking the life span of the PFC equipment into consideration & the potential savings, this investment can prove to be very worthwhile for you.

If you feel that you are paying too much for electricity, we at Allround Electrical can conduct a survey of the equipment used on your site and map their electrical consumption against the power your plant is using and is being charged for. We will then provide you a report of what your power factor is; and if it is low, how it can be corrected. For more information, call us at 1300 169 263. You can also drop us a line via email.

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