When you bought your home, one of the things you probably didn’t even look at was the electric panel. If the lights work and the appliances in the home work, there doesn’t really seem to be any point in looking at the panel. Plus, how would you know what you were looking at? If you have recently purchased your home or live in a home that is older than 20 years, you may want to take a peek at your electric panel to determine what brand you have. There are a few brands you do not want in your home because they have been proven to be hazardous. An electrician in Glendale can inspect the panel for you to tell you what you are dealing with and your options. The team at The Electric Connection has a trained staff of electricians that will tell you everything you need to know.

Pushmatic or Bulldog

These systems are older and replacement parts are no longer being produced. This is a problem in itself. Another issue is the panels require regular maintenance. If they are not regularly maintained, the breakers become difficult to use.

Zinsco

This was a popular brand several decades ago, but it has since been discovered the breakers in the panels were just not enough to handle today’s high electric demands. A Glendale electrician can take a look and see if this is what you have. The breakers do not regulate the electricity flowing and can result in burnt wires, which is a fire hazard.

Federal Pacific

This was a brand that was very popular in the 1950s and was used throughout the 1990s. The breakers do not trip when they are supposed to, which is a serious fire hazard.

If you see one of these names on your electric panel, call your electrician. Glendale homeowners may have nothing to worry about, but it is always best to explore your options and know just what it is you are dealing with. Call The Electric Connection today and schedule your electric panel inspection.

Is your utility company planning on installing a smart meter on your home? You're not alone. These meters have been implemented in a number of regions across the United States, as well as in other countries in North America, Europe and Oceania. Read on to find out more about why these smart devices are growing in popularity and what you need to know about them.

Three Advantages for You

Smart meters have several big advantages over your traditional electricity meter. For one thing, they send their data to the utility company automatically, so there's no need for a meter reader to come by once a month. That also means they can turn your service on and off remotely, so you don't have to sit around and wait all day to get the power switched on after you move into a new home.

To take advantage of the remote reading capability, smart meters calculate your usage frequently, between every fifteen minutes and one hour, so you get a much better idea of when you use the most electricity. Additionally, most smart meters let you access a granular breakdown of all the data they collect about your energy usage, so you can make informed decisions about how and when to use your appliances. If you notice a big spike during the daytime, for example, you can turn the air conditioner down a notch or two, or cut down on the number of televisions you have on. It's easy to save electricity if you break down your consumption device by device, and a smart meter gives you the ability to get started.

Real Time Feedback

The smart meter also helps your utility company respond quickly to any outages and fine-tune its production. Since the company gets feedback about your consumption within an hour, it will know automatically if your power goes out and can see what other houses are having problems. That way, the company can get a jump-start on addressing the outage and act quickly to alleviate any accompanying safety concerns, like a downed wire.

What's more, the meter tells the company exactly when people are using power, so it can adjust its supply accordingly. From there, utilities have the option of instituting time-of-day pricing, selling electricity at cheaper rates during nights and weekends. This allows utilities to balance out their production schedules and use fewer auxiliary plants during the day, which reduces fossil fuel consumption and helps keep prices lower overall.

Spreading Across the Country

As more people discover the benefits of smart meters, their adoption is poised to increase across the country. Next time your utility provider upgrades its equipment, chances are you will get a smart meter installed if you don't have one already. If you have further questions about smart meters, how they work and what information they collect, contact your local electrician today.

If you are not an electrician, you probably don’t pay a great deal of attention to the gray boxes inside or outside the home. Those rectangle boxes are filled with wires and breakers and for the average person, it is a lot of chaos that doesn’t mean a whole lot except that it has something to do with the electricity that goes to the home. When things go wrong with the electric panel, only a trained electrician in Beverly Hills, like those at The Electric Connection, should service the panel. The panel is the hub of the electricity that comes in from the main power grid and distributes it throughout your house.

Most panels will last for decades without any issues. However, there have been several brands and models that have been made in the 90s that are substandard. There are actually some serious safety issues with the panels. It isn’t something you are expected to know, but you can rely on a Beverly Hills electrician to inspect the current panel and let you know if you have one that has been recalled. While the electrician is there, a thorough inspection of the panel can also be performed. This will identify any issues that may be happening.

Another reason to service the electric panel is for an upgrade. Upgrades should only be completed by a certified electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners who need more power to a specific room or need to add a large appliance like a refrigerator, electric car charger or a new air conditioning unit will need to have their panel serviced and possibly upgraded. This is something an electrician can take care of. If you are unsure about the condition of your electric panel or want to have an upgrade performed, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your appointment.