With the unseasonably cool temperatures gripping the entire country right now, you are probably considering the purchase of a space heater to help ward off the chill. There are several different kinds of heaters on the market today. As you can imagine, some are better than others. An electrician in Los Angeles is here to explain the most common types of space heaters available. You can call The Electric Connection for more information.

Oil-filled radiators are one of the safer types of space heaters. Oil is heated and rotated through the radiator releasing heat into the room. They are silent due to the lack of a fan. They can heat a small room. Fortunately, they do not get overly hot and will not cause scalding burns if you happen to touch them. However, they produce enough heat that you will want to follow the standard guidelines of keeping the heater at least 3 feet away from walls or furniture.

Ceramic-element heaters are rather small, but produce a great deal of heat. They are typically safer than their counterpart, the coil-based convection heaters. Different fan settings will help control the amount of heat produced. One of these heaters could heat a small room or used at a desk.

Infrared space heaters are new to the market and do cost more, but they are much more energy efficient. They can heat a large room and in some cases an entire home if it is relatively small and well-insulated.

As far as the cost to your Los Angeles electrical bill, space heaters are not as bad as many assume. It will depend on the type of heater you use and how many kilowatts the heater uses. If you are looking to make a long-term investment, the infrared heaters are a good option and will ultimately save you money in the long run with a lower heating bill. If you have more questions about space heaters, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Halloween night is when ghouls and goblins hit the streets, but beware -- there are vampires already lurking inside your home. Energy vampires, that is, or electronic appliances that drain power even when turned off. If you aren't careful this wasted energy (also known as phantom loads) can turn your electricity bill into something out of a horror movie.

Energy vampires can lurk in every room. Some of your devices are designed to draw power even while off by going into standby mode, in order to receive remote control transmissions or keep digital clocks running. Portable devices that use rechargeable batteries, like laptops and phones, will also consume electricity as long as they are plugged in, even after they are fully charged. Big screen TVs with “instant on” features are also notorious energy suckers.

Any one appliance might only draw a small amount of power, but when you consider how many TVs, computers, stereos, kitchen devices and other electronic items are found in the average American home, the totals start to add up quickly. Coffee makers, electric toothbrushes, fax machines and modems all seem so innocent until it's time to write the monthly check to your power company.

In total, households in the United States consume more than $10 billion in vampire electricity annually, or about $100 per household, according to Energy Star, an energy efficiency program established by the Environmental Protection Agency. That comes to as much as 10 percent of overall home energy use. In addition to higher bills, this waste also harms the environment. Phantom loads account for about 100 billion kilowatt hours per year nationwide, adding considerably to carbon dioxide and other pollution released into the atmosphere.

That's not all: in rare cases, appliances drawing standby power can actually catch fire, especially older models that happen to be kept in damp environments.

It may not be possible to eliminate vampire energy entirely, since some devices such as answering machines, security systems and programmable thermostats rely on a continuous stream of power to perform their basic functions. However, by following a few tips you can reduce the amount of power you waste, saving money and lowering your ecological footprint at the same time:

Take the time for these basic measures and make sure the only vampires and phantoms you encounter this Halloween are the ones that knock on the door to say “trick or treat!”

Often times people put off having their electrical work done because they assume that it is going to be a very expensive process. They run extension cords here and there, and try to make the best of things, hoping eventually to have the cash to revamp the system, have a system upgrade or two done and some electrical rewiring, maybe even whole house rewiring. However, it really isn’t necessary to take that inconvenient, perhaps even hazardous, approach. You can consult with a professional electrician in Glendale CA and find a better way to restore your electrical system to maximum functionality and safety.

Choose a reputable electrical contracting company, one that’s been around a while and has lots of experience, like the Electric Connection. They’ve been working in the area for more than three decades, and have a solid reputation built on the successful completion of a broad range of commercial and residential electrical projects. Invest a little bit in scheduling a consultation visit, and get a good grasp of exactly what is going on with your residential electrical system and make a full list of what the problems are. Your electrician Glendale CA Electric Connection technician will be happy to help you organize that list by which repairs should be considered high priority and which can wait a little while.

Then, you and your Glendale electrician can devise a service plan that works with your budget, breaking down that list into manageable pieces, such as specific electrical upgrade projects, panel upgrades, and electrical rewiring projects. The Electric Connection offers a variety of specials and discount coupons, so when making your electrical system maintenance and repair plans, be sure to factor those in, planning tasks at times that will allow you to take advantage of those savings. Then, piece by piece, project by project, you’ll improve the safety and function of your electrical system, and soon be able to put away those extension cords and other makeshift implements.

The Electric Connection places a high priority on superior customer service. They want to help you get the electrical system you need for your home to be as safe as possible. They offer a free home electrical safety assessment with every job they do. They offer a wealth of troubleshooting, maintenance and repair tips on their web site. They even offer free electrical help over the telephone, as well as free over the phone estimates based upon your description of the electrical symptoms you are seeing or the work that you are seeking a Glendale Electrician for.

Furthermore, the offer a lifetime guarantee on all of their work. They expect that an electrician in Glendale CA that comes from the Electric Connection will behave in a professional manner at all times, working efficiently for the benefit of their customers. If you schedule an electrical service call with one of their electricians, if your technician arrive even just one short minute late, that electrical call is yours for free. This demanding standard is a clear demonstration of the high standards the company has for their employees, and you can trust that they hire the best.

Don’t take chances with something as potentially dangerous as electrical problems. Broken wires behind walls can cause fires. Shorts in electrical wiring can damage expensive electronics. It is possible to restore your electrical system to full function and safety, and even to make the improvements that you’ve been wishfully thinking about in an affordable manner. It just takes a little planning and prioritizing, which is exactly the type of quality customer service that a Glendale electrician from the Electric Connection specializes in.

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As Des Moines’ Top Rated Local® electrician, it is a high priority for us to be available day and night. While uncommon, electrical emergencies do take place after business hours, and we strive to be available for any emergency electrician needs that Des Moines homeowners have. We get it: emergencies don’t sleep or take a day off, and we will gladly come out in the middle of the night or on a holiday to keep your family and home safe. If you suspect that you are experiencing an electrical emergency, please call us immediately at 515-446-7040.

Homeowners vary greatly in their willingness to label something as an emergency. For some, a tripped circuit breaker could feel like an emergency, while others wait until sparking or popping sounds are heard to draw the line. Regardless of how you define a dire situation, it never hurts to call an emergency electrician if you suspect that an issue may be dangerous for you to approach or repair on your own, if your home or family may be in danger, or if you’re just unsure about what the issue may be. After all, talking with a local electrician about the issue is going to be much more reliable and specific to your case’s needs than a simple Google search. Your electrician may find that you do infact have an emergency that a qualified professional needs to take care of right away, and that would make the call well worth it.

We never recommend attempting to do electrical work yourself, especially if that work means consulting a search engine for a quick how-to. Often electrical problems are complicated, and require a professional to safely find the root of the issue. If you ever have an electrical emergency in the middle of the night, please do not try to take matters into your own hands or save it until morning. Electrical issues can quickly lead to injury, damages to your home, or worse, and it really isn’t worth the risk. In Des Moines, this means calling the emergency electricians at Electrical Gurus for day or night electrical services.