Replacing a major appliance in your home is never a fun—or a cheap—experience. However as cooling systems age, repairs become obsolete and sure enough your system eventually breaks down, requiring a full air conditioner replacement.

But how do you know when enough is enough when it comes to repairs? There’s no flashing neon sign letting you know that it’s time for a system replacement, and yet delaying replacement could mean dealing with an inefficient system that keeps making your utility bills rise. We’ve shared a few signs below that you can look out for, which indicate it may be time for a replacement.

Air conditioning systems perform at their best efficiency until about 10-15 years of age. After this time they start to break down a bit more frequently than usual. The good news is that systems manufactured today are much more efficient than those of the past. This can result in significant savings on your energy bills.

Do repair jobs seem more and more frequent? If your aging air conditioning system requires two to three repairs a season, chances are that it’s a good idea to consider system replacement. Rather that continuing to throw money into your old air conditioner and try to squeeze a few more years out of it, you can put that money towards a newer, better AC system.

Your air conditioner’s Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) is an indication of how efficiently it performs. Today’s systems will all have a SEER ratio above 13, while systems installed in the 90s and even the early 2000s will probably be in the 7-12 range.

The national electric code was designed and implemented to create a national standard for electrical wiring, equipment and related practices. This document creates a basic set of guidelines that must be followed by electrical contractors to make sure that electrical systems are safe, secure and standardized nationwide. This allows your electrician in Beverly Hills to work on nearly any electrical system in the country without having to learn new techniques and technologies. When it comes to troubleshooting, maintenance and general care, having this set of standard rules makes an electrician’s job much easier and safer.

The National Electric Code that is used in the United States was first published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Although the code is not mandated on a federal level, most state and local authorities require that it be followed in all electrical installations.  Every three years, the NFPA publishes a revision of this document in order for it to remain current with modern information and changing field practices. Within the document, you can find recommendations and guidelines for everything ranging from installing bedroom outlets, to properly positioning an electrical transformer. The National Electric Code strives to give detailed guidelines for any wiring task that you can imagine.

Electrical safety is by far the top priority of the NFPA in publishing and maintaining the National Electric Code. It is for this reason that so many local officials choose to mandate this code by law, thereby keeping the residents in their region safe and reducing their liability in regards to electrical wiring issues. By adhering to these standards, The Electric Connection and any other electrician Beverly Hills can safely and efficiently install, repair and maintain the electrical systems in their area to ensure that power is provided in a consistent, safe and standardized manner. To learn more about the different types of electrical tasks that we do, Click here to visit our website.

Recently, the Obama administration adopted a new gas mileage standard for cars made in America — 54.5 mpg by 2030. That’s a big jump. The most recent figures — 2009 — show that average gas mileage for American cars manufactured in that year was 33 mpg.

Well, the new standard is good for reducing dependence on foreign oil and good for our pocket books — it’s supposed to save us $45 billion annually at the gas pumps. It’s probably also good for American competitiveness in export sales — people in other countries seem even more concerned about gas mileage than we have become. The 2009 cars we imported got 35 mpg, 2 miles better than American-made.

Most Americans support the idea of upping gas mileage. Consumer Reports found in a recent survey that 77% of Americans feel that Detroit should produce more fuel-efficient cars and the government should increase mileage standards. So, everything’s good….

BUT wouldn’t it be better to run our cars on ZERO gasoline? Wouldn’t it be better to go electric? I’m not talking about the government telling Detroit to manufacture only electric vehicles (EVs). But when we buy our next car, if we made it electric or hybrid, we would be asking Detroit to manufacture the kind of cars that emit zero pollution and don’t eat any Middle Eastern oil.

You might be thinking — yes, but where does the electricity come from? That’s a good point, but here’s the neat thing about electricity — it can come from clean sources. In Los Angeles, 40% of the electricity supplied by the Department of Water and Power is generated from coal — not clean. But that means that 60% is generated from cleaner sources like natural gas, hydropower, nuclear, geothermal, wind, and solar. DWP expects that by 2020, 0% will be generated from coal and 40% will be generated from renewables. Those are the facts about electricity in L.A. — and, I assure you, my being an electrician doesn’t give me any bias on the subject!

My next car will be an EV. In the meantime I’m lending my support to the cause by installing EV chargers for those in L.A. who are beating me to it and have already bought their electric cars.

Click here to read more.

You’re on top of grounding your children, but are you familiar with grounding your home? It improves the safety of your home as well as increases the life of your electronics, and who doesn’t want that? Mr. Electric has all you need to know in order to have your home properly grounded.

Electricity likes to travel the path of least resistance. When there’s too much of it, it needs somewhere to go. That’s where grounding comes in. You see, without it, that path of least resistance is your appliances and electronics – and possibly you when you use them. Burn! Zap! Not a good thing.

Since you don’t want your appliances – or you – to take the heat in these situations, a grounding wire is added to your home, offering all that electricity the perfect chance of escape, via a wire attached to your home’s electrical system which is submerged firmly in the ground – the reason it’s called “grounding.” Both your home’s electrical box and your home’s outlets need to be connected to this grounding wire in order to be properly and safely grounded.

Without proper grounding, you and your home could suffer burned out electronics and appliances, electrical fires and potentially deadly electrical shock.

Without special testing equipment, it may be difficult to tell. Just because you have three prong outlets does not mean the outlets – or your home – are properly grounded. These outlets must be properly wired in to your home’s main grounding wire for proper protection. There is also more to grounding than sticking a big metal rod in the dirt, such as properly attaching wires, grounding to your home’s water pipes correctly, and much, much more. If you don’t want your electrical behaving badly, you can ensure it is properly grounded by having it inspected by a licensed, qualified electrician.

Newer homes, as a result of increased safety regulations, are typically properly grounded. Older homes, on the other hand, may not have had a proper grounding experience, or any at all. Homes built before 1950 are especially at risk. You should always have your home, regardless of age, inspected for proper grounding by a licensed, qualified electrician to avoid the potential risks of fire, electrical shock, and property damage. You never know what the previous resident did without a permit.

Don’t suffer the punishment of burnt out electronics or a burned down home. Mr. Electric® will keep you out of trouble – get grounded today!