Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were to lose power in your home? For most people, the inconvenience would be enormous. Food spoils, temperature control is an issue, security devices fail and you may even lose access to certain methods of communications. A certified Pasadena electrician can help you prevent these issues by installing a residential generator.

What is a Residential Generator?

A residential generator safeguards your home from the perils of power failure. It is on standby until the time you need it. It operates on natural gas or propane energy and kicks in when the main source of electricity is interrupted. It is a good investment for those who would not be able to handle an extended period of time without electricity. An electrician in Pasadena, such as one from The Electric Connection, can explain more about the benefits.

How Does the Generator Activate When Needed?

The generator is installed by a Pasadena electrical contractor through an electrical transfer switch. The switch “watches” the home’s energy source. When there is an interruption, the switch signals the generator, which in turn activates. When the main power is reconnected, the switch once again signals the generator—this time to shut off. The switch makes certain there is never more than once source of power to your home.

Choosing a Generator

Searching the web for electrician Pasadena to find someone to talk about your generator needs is the best way to go about choosing a generator. It is important to remember that generators come in different sizes, so depending on the square footage of your home, you may need a larger or smaller generator than someone else needs.

If you think a generator may be the right choice to solve your home’s power problem, call The Electric Connection or visit us at ElectricConnection.com  to talk to a Pasadena electrician about your options today.

Electricians have been using copper for electrical wiring since the 1820s. It may surprise you to know that since then, we’ve never found, or needed, a replacement! Copper has numerous properties that make it ideal for electrical wiring. In fact, we can likely expect copper to continue to be used far into the future.

Ductile and Malleable—ductility and malleability are two very useful properties of metals. Something that is ductile can be hammered into a thin wire easily, and something malleable can be manipulated and bent into shapes easily. These properties make copper wires inexpensive to produce and easy to install.

Excellent conductivity—copper’s electrical conductivity is far superior to other types of non-precious metals, which allows it to carry greater amounts of current with a smaller diameter wire.

Non-corrosive—one of the biggest benefits of copper wiring is that it is non-corrosive, able to survive in harsh environments with almost no risk of wear and tear. It’s not uncommon to see copper wires last for 40 years or more!

All of these properties make copper the gold (or should we say copper!) standard in the electrical industry. For both commercial and domestic purposes, copper is considered the go-to material for wiring. In fact, most modern buildings being constructed today are designed to accept copper wiring. The prevalence of copper wiring makes rewiring a lot easier as well.

During the 1960s and 70s, aluminum wiring was used in many homes as a cheaper alternative to copper. Unfortunately, problems were discovered with aluminum wiring. The biggest danger associated with aluminum wiring is that it can react to materials used in outlets, light fixtures, and splices, where it can oxidize, deteriorate, overheat, and catch fire. The CPSC estimates that about 2 million homes were built with aluminum wiring between 1965 and 1973—and many of these homes are located in the MD, VA, and DC area.

The other problem with aluminum wiring is its high electrical resistance, which makes it more difficult for current to flow. As a result, you experience greater losses with aluminum wiring than you would with copper.

More than any other material, copper has stood the test of time for use in residential and commercial applications. If you’ve been thinking about rewiring your home and want to use the best materials possible, call Kolb Electric today!

Pendant lights are popular among many home designs. These versatile ceiling pendants unequivocally fit the bill in a variety of zones where points of light and design converge. Adding ceiling pendants over the kitchen island has been a design element we’ve seen and loved for a while, but interior designers and trendsetters are taking it a step further. We are starting to see designs incorporating unique, stylish pendants over dining tables, above the bath vanity, over the dressing table, by your favorite reading chair and over chic desks.

Whether your lighting design taste sways toward sparkling crystal or rustic farmhouse, selecting the correct size and number of pendants is key to creating a space that is both functional and beautiful.

Thinking back to the Big Freeze in February might make you shiver.  Many of Dallas’ residents were stuck indoors for days on end, unable to even get out of their driveways.  But perhaps the worst parts of the early February freeze were the rolling blackouts that some residents suffered.

According to Oncor, the power delivery company in North Texas, 1.3 million residents were affected by these blackouts.  Luminant, the biggest power provider in the state, lost 11 coal and natural gas generators on February 2.  This trickled all the way down to North Texas residents, and even fire stations and police stations were stuck without power.

Losing power during a cold snap can be quite an an inconvenience.  If you’re without power for an extended period of time, you might have to incur extra costs, or even face the danger of driving on icy roads by going out to eat, or even be driven out of your home to a hotel room to stay warm for the night.  In the office, or even at home, a sudden power outage can cause you to lose precious data on your computer as well.  So what can you do to prevent these things from affecting you in the future?  Install an emergency power system.

An uninterruptable power supply (or UPS) provides emergency power to your home in the event of a power outage.  Designed to provide instant backup power, a UPS uses batteries or diesel generators to keep you up and running.  There are a variety of types of uninterruptable power supplies, and a Dallas Electrician can help find the one that will fit your home or office, and can install it safely for you.

So, before you’re left in the dark or cold again, talk to a local electrician in Dallas about the different emergency power systems available for you, and which one will best fit your needs.  They will be able to assess your situation and make sure your power system is safely installed.  Then, the next time North Texas suffers from rolling blackouts, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing your family and home is safe from the heat or cold.