Although there are many options out there for heating your home, electric heating options have become one of the most popular solutions in many areas of the country. It is generally clean, low-maintenance heating that gives off no soot or fumes associated with combustible heat sources. It is also much less expensive to install in both existing homes and new construction. Once installed, however, electrical heating can be more expensive than gas or other heat sources.

Often in addition to a central heating system, electrical heat sources are placed in homes to provide additional heat to areas that need it. This can by done by any homeowner, and generally requires no help from an electrician unless there’s the need to have additional electrical outlets installed. While this type of heating can be somewhat efficient if used properly, unchecked small heaters can lead to excessive energy usage. To prevent this, you should only use portable heaters if they have a built-in thermostat. You can also find heaters that will turn themselves on and off according to a schedule. These advanced features are more expensive, but can be very convenient.

The various types of electric heaters include:

Storage heaters are fairly large heating units, which are mounted to a wall and must typically be installed by an electrician. These heaters are unique, in that they generate heat during off-peak times so that your electrical bills remain low. They will then release that stored heat during the day. In order for this type of heater to work efficiently, special off-peak meters must be installed and agreements with your utility company must be made. This is one of the cheapest types of electrical heating to have installed, but it can be more expensive than other central heating options.

You can find a variety of fan heaters in nearly every store that you visit during the winter. This relatively cheap, portable solution can provide fast, portable heat to a small area. This makes them ideal for providing additional heat to areas that need it. Convector heaters are bigger than fan heaters, but provide more long lasting, even heat. While they take longer to heat up, they make little to no noise, which makes them much more appealing than heaters with noisy fans. There are many options available, most of which do not require the assistance of a licensed electrician.

Under floor heating is an excellent solution in many ways. If you are building a new home, this may be an especially great option for you. Because it can be very invasive, however, under floor heating is not recommended for pre-existing structures. Heat is generated and distributed through a network of electrical heating cables that are placed under your floors.

Another home or office heating methods that’s gaining popularity today is the electric fireplace. Because they require less maintenance than traditional wood or gas fireplaces, many people are choosing this aesthetically pleasing heating option. These fires provide various levels of heat, as well as a visually pleasing fire effect. Regardless of the electrical heating solution that you choose, make sure that you look into the different options and choose the one that is best suited for your needs. If you have any doubts or questions about the use and installation of an electrical heat source, get in touch with an electrician in Los Angeles, such as The Electric Connection. We are a licensed, bonded and insured Los Angeles electrician. We will be more than happy to discuss the different types of electrical heat sources that are available, as well as what the installation requirements would be.

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Businesses as we all know, are always thinking about the bottom line. From ways to increase revenues to ways to decrease expenses, it’s all critical stuff for any company to pay attention to.

That’s exactly why we are creating this post on energy saving tips for businesses and companies alike. And while not every business in every building will be able to implement every single tip on this list, there should be numerous ones that will be highly relevant to your business.

Saving energy will allow you to reduce overhead expenses, enhance your public view as a “going green” company (which you could use as a marketing play), or even just have better piece of mind knowing your buildings are just that much greener.

Without further ado, here is the first on the list (out of 25)…

1. Upgrade to a LED lighting system. The benefits of LED technology far surpass any other lighting technology commonly used in buildings or fluorescent, metal halide, HPS, etc). reducing the amount of energy that is going to power those lights as well.

4. Install sky lights. How about all of that natural light that is going to waste otherwise? By installing sky lights in areas where natural lighting would otherwise not get to (e.g hallways and inner rooms), you open yourself up to some huge savings by not having to have nearly as many lights on during the daytime.

5. Switch to green web hosting. This is a huge one for those companies who have lots of traffic and do a lot of business through their website. spam email has a carbon footprint? Although this won’t save your company any money, it will definitely reduce the carbon footprint associated with your company.

14. Only purchase ENERGY STAR equipment. By purchasing office equipment that is ENERGY STAR qualified, you are buying into products that are proven to be more energy efficient than those that aren’t.

15. Switch over to laptops. Desktops are always plugged in, and that can mean a lot of energy consumption. By switching to laptops, you will use 1/4th the energy associated with powering your computers.

16. Update your insulation. Those nasty drafts aren’t only uncomfortable to your employees and / or visitors, but they are also wasting a lot of energy. If you can, consider updating your insulation to stop the escape of that warm (or cold) air you are paying to output.

17. Update your windows. While you are at it, updating your windows to ones that don’t have any leaks in them will stop those drafts too. Both of these go hand in hand, and together will reduce a lot of temperature control going to waste.

18. Hold a virtual meeting. If you have days designated for meetings and not much else, then why power your entire building (and make everyone drive) if you could easily have everyone stay at home? Your employees will probably appreciate it, and you are going to save a lot of energy for that day. Technology these days makes it a whole lot easier to save on energy for business and buildings alike.

19. Take advantage of tax credits. All of this effort on saving energy will not only save you in overhead costs, but it could also phantom load is basically energy that is being consumed through a product that is entirely off. The simple solution is to unplug everything when it is not in use. Alternatively, you could shut off the power to an entire room or area when it’s not in use to ensure no phantom load waste is occurring.

23. Reduce hot water usage. By installing efficient faucets, you will reduce the amount of water that is wasted. And if you do heat that water, reducing the waste of it will reduce the amount of energy you use to heat that water.

It is no secret power is becoming more expensive. It is a premium service, but it is something we have all come to depend on a great deal. Our lives without power is an unfathomable thought. Our dependency on the power grid is a little scary. Government powers realize we are headed towards disaster if we don’t come up with some other ways of providing the power we need to our homes and businesses. Alternative power is something that has been talked about for decades, but in the last few years it is something that has become increasingly popular with residents all across the country. The team at The Electric Connection understands the need to get on board the renewable energy train and are here to help.

Many homeowners are taking the leap into alternative energy. Having solar panels installed or giving the wind turbines a shot is something almost any homeowner can do. However, they will still need the services of an electrician in Southern California to equip their home with the necessary devices and equipment to harness the energy from the sun or wind. From there, the energy will be transformed to electricity for the home. This will require some additional wiring and what not that must be completed by a certified electrician.

There is certainly going to be an initial investment when you make the switch, but the savings in the months to years to come is going to offset the cost. You will also have the peace of mind knowing you have a backup power source and are not completely reliant on the main power grid. The fact you are doing something good for the environment is also a big bonus. If you are taking the initiative and adding alternative power to your home, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your installation appointment.

A common lighting technology in the commercial space is metal halide, at least in the past it was. At an ever increasing rate, businesses are actively searching for a more efficient lighting system that will allow them to cut energy consumption and in turn; reduce overhead expenses.

When companies or facility managers start their search, they often search for the wrong answer. Here are some common questions that we are asked:

“How many watts does it take to replace a 1000w metal halide light?”

“How can I replace my metal halide light?”

“Is it even possible to replace my metal halide fixture with another technology?”

This post specifically will be covering the first question, as for the other two: be sure to subscribe to our email list to know when new posts go live, we are always pushing out informational content to answer your questions just like these ones!

So.. How many watts does it take to replace a 1000 watt metal halide fixture?

It’s simple a simple concept, yet not at the same time. In short, it’s impossible to know just from that question alone. The reason for this is simple too: you can’t base your decisions off of watts alone. Instead, you need to be basing your decisions off of lumens.

What is a LED equivalent to a 1000w metal halide you can easily find fixtures that output at over 100+ lumens / watt. Especially when you go with quality products from reputable companies, you can reach higher than a 150 l/w output. This will allow you to cut your wattage usage per fixture by 2-3 and sometimes 4 times which will prove to save substantial amounts of energy when you start talking about replacing multiple fixtures.

So we’ve explained what it takes to replace your 1000w metal halide fixture, but what does “replacing” consist of?

Replacing can consist of two things: write in to one of our professionals with your questions.