Juggling the seemingly endless myriad of accessories, appliances and tools that have become commonplace in modern homes can sure be a hassle. Many homeowners find themselves routinely swapping plugs, or using devices like a power strip. While these can suffice in many situations, and offer a (relatively) effective solution, many make the mistake of relying on a power strip too much.

The only thing Kolb Electric takes more seriously than perfect service is safety! We don’t want to see you caught up in an electrical emergency, and to make sure you don’t we’ve built a short list of power strip safety tips. We also have some alternative, and overall superior, suggestions as well!

When deciding to use a power strip, keep these points in mind:

As we said, power strips are fine. In moderation, and as long as you observe proper power strip safety. But there’s a better solution! You aren’t simply stuck with however many outlets are currently installed in your home. Additional outlets can provide a safe, dependable and long-term solution to your electricity needs! The process is quick and simple in the hands of a professional, and will have you set to handle all of our modern lifestyles.

No matter what you require for your home, the experts at Kolb can provide the electrical access you need! We’ve been handling electricity, wiring and appliances for years, providing our consumers with only the absolute best in service, skill and technology. Contact Kolb today to learn more about our services, or to set an appointment!

In our previous blog, the professionals at Electrical Gurus gave out some ways tips for increasing the safety of holiday decorations throughout the holiday season. Today, we’ll share even more ways to safely and effectively decorate your home this holiday season.

Even if the lights are unplugged when you’re hanging them (which is advised), be sure to never use nails, screws, or tacks to hang your Christmas lights; instead, opt for clips for interior and exterior applications. This will keep your wires from accidentally becoming nicked or frayed during or after the hanging process, which can get dangerous quickly.

Never use extension cords that don’t feature ground or are not rated for outdoor usage outdoors to avoid electrocution risk. Furthermore, it is especially advisable to only plug lights into GFCI outlets, especially if they are plugged into the exterior of your home. These outlets will essentially shut themselves off in the event of a short, which is crucial to avoiding safety concerns.

Always use timers for decorations and lights to prevent yourself from forgetting to turn them on or off. Lights should never be left on when nobody is home, which is why it is advisable to turn them off during daytime hours when the family is out-and-about. Timers keep your home safe by preventing power from flowing through the lights during the day, automatically activating them in the evening hours.

Large decorations, cords, and lights should all be kept well away from tripping hazards. Of special note is extension cords, which should never be allowed to cross walkways without proper coverage. Ideally, extension cords shouldn’t be run along open space in any way. If someone trips over one decoration, then odds are all attached decorations are at risk for getting dislodged or damaged.

If your home has the proper circuit breakers, there is little risk of a fire starting from overloading an outlet; that doesn’t mean it is wise to plug in numerous strands of lights into a single outlet. Spread the burden of lights and decorations across numerous breakers whenever possible to avoid taxing your electrical panel too much in certain areas. If your home is not equipped with a circuit breaker and still uses outdated fuses, please give us a call right away to talk about upgrading your panel.

We hope you’re safe this holiday season, but if you happen to overload your circuit breakers or have a concern about the lighting of your holiday decorations, be sure to give us a call right away. The electricians at Electrical Gurus want to help to keep every Des Moines family happy and healthy throughout the holiday season.

We can always find ways to save a few extra dollars, but sometimes it can be little difficult to pinpoint exactly where those savings are to be had. You may look at the budget over and over and still keep coming up with the same bottom line. An electrician in Santa Monica can help you discover a few ways you could cut your electric bill without dramatically changing your lifestyle. If you ever have any questions or concerns about these tips, you can call The Electric Connection to ask more questions.

1-Get rid of any of those remaining incandescent light bulbs. They are costing you money. You can shave 20 percent off your electric bill simply by relying on CFL and LED bulbs that are much more energy efficient. They tend to be a bit brighter as well.

2-Have a ceiling fan installed in a central room of your house. This will help circulate hot and cold air produced by your furnace or air conditioner. Ceiling fans run on a fraction of the electricity of a heating or air conditioning unit. It is a good idea to have the fan installed by someone familiar with Santa Monica electrical codes.

3-Ask every member of the household to shave off 2 minutes from their average shower time. This can save a lot of money on your electric bill by reducing the demand put on the hot water heater. You could also turn down the thermostat of the water heater by about 5 to 10 degrees and save even more money.

4-Unplug any appliances, computers and electronics when they are not in use. When you leave for the day or go to bed at night, unplugging your electronics can save you money on wasted phantom power.

Give The Electric Connection a call today to have your ceiling fan installed or to learn more about energy savings.

Unite to Light, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing low-cost solar lighting to global communities without electricity, and were humbled to learn just how much lighting is taken for granted. Recently, Mark and Valerie Malangko sent us a note of thanks along with heartwarming photos as the lights were handed out to the students at St. Augustine’s Secondary and Technical School, one by one.

We are proud to have played a small part in this huge effort to bring light to deserving students across the globe, and we thank all of our customers that celebrated with us by contributing to this terrific cause.

Learn about the Pegasus Lighting Bring the Light Campaign at www.unite-to-light.org.