The hot water heater represents one of the greatest hazards in the modern home, yet far too many homeowners have never read their heater’s owner’s manual. Common dangers associated with these household appliances include severe burns from scalding water, electric shock hazards, explosions, and fire.

Because most water heaters reside in closets, basements and garages, and are for the most part hidden from our daily lives, many aren’t as aware as they should be of the maintenance and precautions which are necessary for safety. Many homeowners don’t know, for instance, that they should drain and flush a hot water heater every six months, to prevent sediment buildup. Others are unaware that hydrogen gas can build up inside electrically heated hot water systems when they remain inactive for two weeks or more. Hydrogen buildup requires carefully performed procedures to safely remove this flammable gas from hot water pipes. Many don’t know how and why water softening systems shorten the lives of water heaters, or that every electric hot water heater should be properly grounded with the correct gauge of copper wire.

Correct safety and maintenance measures covered in a water heater’s manual are extremely important for household safety, so every homeowner should study this to learn how to properly maintain their hot water systems. It’s also extremely important to understand the electrical dangers these appliances represent. Because a hot water heater contains electrical heating elements immersed in water, these elements can deteriorate with age and short out electrically to the water heater’s metal casing. When this happens, it’s possible to receive a severe and perhaps fatal shock when touching the hot water heater’s housing or connecting pipes. If you do not have the necessary skills to work safely around high voltage electrical conditions, you should always call a professional electrician any time you suspect a problem with your hot water heater or when you have any other electrical concerns.

When any questions about electrical safety arise, please call Bryant Electric Service at 512-402-8587. Our electricians are trained and equipped to identify any type of hazardous electrical condition, and to determine the proper repair procedures.

Lighting fixtures can be a great addition to your household especially if you’re looking to improve your home’s appeal. Dim or flickering lights can be frustrating to deal with and can cause a real headache. Turning the lights on to only find yourself surprised with weak light bulbs can be inconvenient. And when it comes to your kitchen and bathroom, lighting fixtures are so beneficial since they see the most usage in your home. With poor lighting efficiency, you will see a decline in functionality for either room. Lighting is always going to be a key component for your home and that is why it is important to take care of lighting issues. When you’re looking make upgrades for your home, lighting fixtures should be at the top of the list.

Track lighting is a great option for homeowners who are looking to increase both the appeal and visibility of their bathroom or kitchen. Since track lighting is fairly easy to install, it can become an immediate update to increase the degree of illumination for your home. Track lighting will also allow you to point lamps in any direction, increasing the level of customization of lighting fixtures that you can take advantage of.

One of the lesser lit areas of your bathroom or kitchen is probably around your cabinets. It can be frustrating trying to find spices or even towels without enough lighting surrounding it. A helpful lighting installation is adding one under the cabinets. This is the best solution to this problem and in the meantime, adds an ambiance to the kitchen and bathroom areas of your home.

Feeling classy? Finding unrivaled lighting fixture.

Any wire that is referred to as “live” or “hot” is one that is carrying electrical current. If you come into contact with a live wire, it can result in electrical shock, because the body will function as a ground and the electricity will flow across the path of least resistance (your body) to reach the ground. If there are exposed electrical wires near you, whether in your home our outdoors, you must exercise caution. Always assume that any downed electrical wire is live.

Live wires in your home are normally color coded, according to the region that you live in. This means that the live wire in your electrical system could be black, brown or red. This lets you know that the wire that you are looking at could possibly be energized with electrical current. In your home, this live line is always balanced out with a “neutral” wire. The electricity will enter your appliance from the live wire and exit through the neutral wire.

Because of the way that electricity flows through a circuit, it is important to remember that both live and neutral wires can be energized with electrical current. In order to increase the safety of many appliances, it is common for an electrician in Glendale to install a polarized outlet, where one hole in the socket is larger than the other. These holes correspond to properly sized prongs in your power cords to ensure that you are providing live power to the correct part of the circuit. To further improve safety, some outlets also include a ground connection, giving any excess electricity a safe path from your electrical system into the ground. This connection can greatly lower your risk of electrical shock.

If you have any questions about grounded electrical systems, live wires or any other electrical issues, head on over to our website at www.theelectricconnection.com/.The Electric Connection is always more than happy to help.

If you have never heard of or seen the outlets that are in new homes or office buildings, you are missing out on something that could potentially save you or a family member’s life. A GFCI outlet is an added layer of safety when it comes to dealing with two things that never mix well—water and electricity. No matter how cautious you are, there is always the chance of an accident happening that will mix the two and create a life-threatening situation. Your electrician in Glendale, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you protect your family by installing GFCI outlets.

GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. The outlets are designed to trip the breaker the instant the flow of electricity is interrupted. If you were to accidentally drop the mixer in the sink or spill a cup of water on it while you were using it, the outlet would trip the breaker and cut the flow of electricity. This prevents you from getting an electric shock. This would be the case if you were in the bathroom using a hairdryer or any other appliance. The outlets also work on cords that may be damaged and at risk of causing an electric shock.

The outlets will replace any current outlets you have in the kitchen or bathroom. You may have seen these before. They have small reset buttons usually in the middle between the top and bottom outlets. Because the outlets will need to be wired, the job will need to be completed by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will feel better about using their electric appliances in areas that are prone to accidents that involve electricity and water mixing. If you would like to learn more about GFCI outlets or are ready to make an appointment to have an electrician upgrade your current outlets, give The Electric Connection a call today.

One of the easiest ways to dress up your space and update the style is by changing your chandelier. Before you run out the door in search of the perfect chandelier, make sure you know the dimensions of your space. An appropriately sized chandelier should serve as a beautifying focal point that fits seamlessly into your overall design scheme.

For a room without furniture: Add the length and width of your room in feet, and then convert that number to inches. For example, a room that is 12 feet by 14 feet (12 + 14 = 26) would require a chandelier this is approximately 26 inches wide.

For a room with furniture: If you already have a dining room table in the space, the width of your chandelier should be about a foot smaller than the width of your table. This will leave a 6-inch clearance from the outer edge of the chandelier to the table’s edge.

The bottom of your chandelier should rest at least 30-34 inches above the tabletop. Adjust according to personal preference, fixture style and ceiling height. It is okay to hang your chandelier a bit higher in dining rooms with cathedral ceilings.

Chandelier height should be about three inches for each foot of ceiling height, so for a room with a standard 8-foot ceiling (3 x 8 = 24), choose a chandelier with an approximate height of 24 inches.