Electric blankets can provide some much needed warmth and comfort during the long winter months. Nothing beats a personal heat source on your bed, staving off the nighttime chills. Electric blankets can even help you save money by allowing you to keep your thermostat turned down a few notches. However, these blankets can also be a fire hazard, particularly if they are old or damaged. Read on to learn more about how to stay safe if you choose to use an electric blanket this winter.

Bringing Electrical Work to Your Bed

If you do decide to use an electric blanket, make sure you carefully follow all the instructions regarding use, care and storage so you maintain it in good condition. Most electric blankets are designed to be rolled or hung up when not in use, since folding or bunching them can damage the heating wires. Once a blanket becomes damaged or stops working properly, it's time to dispose of it so you don't risk a fire. Blankets that are more than three years old should be checked carefully, and once they hit a decade of service, it's time to retire them even if they still appear to be in good shape.

You also need to inspect the blanket's cord and verify that it isn't worn, frayed or otherwise damaged. It's generally a bad idea to run the cord under the mattress or under a carpet, which can speed up its deterioration, but you also need to prevent children or pets from chewing on it or playing with it. The best option is often to store the blanket out of harm's way during the day when it's not in use.

Weighing the Benefits and Risks

Even a well-functioning electric blanket can be a hazard if you aren't careful with it. Some authorities even recommend using electric blankets to pre-heat the bed, then stowing them before you actually climb in. When you have an active electric blanket on the bed, you need to also make sure you don't leave any heat sensitive materials above or below it.

Additionally, pregnant women and people suffering from certain illnesses need to be careful that they don't allow an electric blanket to overheat their bodies. Excessive heat can harm developing fetuses, as well as people who have diseases like diabetes. Safer options for supplemental heat sources include a hot water bottle tucked under the blanket, or an electric space heater to warm up an otherwise chilly room.

Expert Treatment for Your Electrical Work

For help evaluating the safety of your wiring or any other electrical work, call an expert electrician today.

With the spring weather upon us, it is time to get outside and really enjoy the outdoors. Although it stays lighter longer, the evenings are still warm and beckoning, even though it is a bit dark. For early birds, getting up with the sun is exciting and invigorating. This is the time they like to go out and get the paper, water the blooming flowers or just sit outside and enjoy the sounds of nature when they are not masked by the hustle and bustle of life. If you have been out and about in the early mornings or late at night, you have probably noticed your outdoor lighting. Is it looking a little boring or maybe just a little too dark? An electrician in Burbank, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you revamp the outdoor lighting and make your yard much more inviting and safe.

When you step out your front door, you want to be able to see around the yard and if your car is in the driveway, being able to get a good clear view. This can be achieved with new lighting installed by your electrician. Burbank homeowners will appreciate the safety that comes with adequate and attractive lighting around these areas.

In the backyard or on your porch or patio, you will want enough light to read the morning paper, do a crossword or to talk with someone while looking at their face. It also allows you to see where you are going and whether or not the chairs are wet with dew. A little lighting installed by a Burbank electrician can completely change the way a space looks and feels. You will be inclined to spend more time outdoors when you know you can see clearly. Give The Electric Connection a call today and see what changes and upgrades you can make to your outdoor lighting.

Temperatures are still mild enough that you likely aren’t thinking about the implications of snow and ice just yet, but now is actually the perfect time to start considering it, and deciding what you’re going to do about it when it hits.

A driveway heating system will help you with the inconvenience of shoveling snow and the safety concerns involved with walking on icy surfaces, but what about your roof? Winters are particularly harder on roofs than any other season, especially if you have an asphalt or shingle roof.

The buildup of ice and snow adds weight to your roof that it is not designed to handle. Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against inclement weather, but it can only take so much pressure. The ice that forms in the winter creates ice dams—formed from melted snow refreezing and creating a blockage—as well as gutter ice.

Gutter ice can cause gutters to become too heavy and rip away from your home. Not only does this mean you’ll have to repair and/or replace your gutters, you may also have to contend with the property damage that this could very well leave behind.

Even without ice as a factor, snow itself poses a risk to your roof. This is especially true if you have a flat roof, or an older home with a weakened roof structure already. The problem is that as the snow builds up, it creates too much weight, and your roof can crack or even collapse under all the strain.

The solution to this problem is having roof heating cables installed. These cables do just what the name implies: they keep your roof warm so that snow and ice never have a chance to buildup. Rather, it melts upon impact and drains from your gutters and downspouts just as rainwater would.

Microwave ovens revolutionized kitchens across America when they came on the market in the 1970’s. Since then these technological marvels have come a long way, with more features, compact sizing, and greater cooking power than ever before. With greater power comes greater power usage, but if your microwave is tripping the breaker in your home, it’s a sign that the appliance is overloading the electrical circuit. The questions is, why, and what can be done to solve the problem?