You may think of a fan as something you would only use in the summer time. It stirs the air and provides a nice cool breeze. You probably already know it is cheaper to run several ceiling fans then it is to lower the thermostat on the air conditioner a couple of degrees. But, did you know, a ceiling fan can also help reduce the workload of your furnace in the winter? An electrician in Santa Monica will explain why a ceiling fan is a valuable addition to any home no matter what the weather is like. The Electric Connection has been installing fans for happy customers for years.

Just like in the summer, the fan rotates the air around. In the summer, it rotates the cooler air ensuring a room is at a somewhat even temperature. This tells the thermostat the room is cool enough and the air conditioner does not need to turn on. In the winter, it is essentially the same idea. Hot air rises. If you are sitting in your chair or lying on the couch, you may feel a bit cool. When you stand up, you can feel the change in temperature. The trick is to push that hot air down to where you are relaxing without adjusting the furnace up a couple of degrees. All this does is create more warm air to rise to the ceiling.

During winter months, the ceiling fan blades should be reversed to run in a clockwise motion. This creates a downdraft. All that warm air will be circulated throughout the room thus taking some of the work off the furnace and saving you money. If you do not have a fan, but would like to have one installed, call your electrician. Santa Monica residents can call The Electric Connection to have one or more ceiling fans installed.

A bit of mathematics at the end of the week. The

The first table shows three different installations. The old one is equipped with T8 fluorescent lamps that are at the end of their lifetime and dirty. That is why the luminous flux is so low for the 60W tube. In this situation, the need for a replacement is present. The choice is between a fluorescent tube, a LED tube or a completely new installation with controls. Controls reduce the average power consumption to 1/3 and less of the original load. We can estimate the new fixtures will consume 12W only when connected to controls that detect presence in the hall and reduce the lighting level in areas that are not in use. Each light point will be replaced. It is (often) possible to reduce the number of fixtures with a new installation. The example is concentrating on a one-by-one replacement to make it easier to understand.

The table above shows the sum of all costs for running and maintaining the installation each year and in total. The Retrofit Solution reaches an ROI after 2 years already. The New Installation with controls is going to turn back the high investment after 10 years. Both LED solutions do better than the conventional one, save energy and CO2 emissions. Let’s go green with LED light sources!

Whether it be holiday or cold weather-related, winter presents your home with a surprising number of risks for electrical fire. The safety of our consumers comes as a top priority, both while we’re on the job, and when we’re not! In an effort to help keep your person and property safe this winter season, we’ve compiled a list of the most common winter hazards, how to handle them, and what to do if something goes wrong.

With chillier days comes some familiar and handy tools. But be careful, as mishandling these can lead to an electrical fire.

If you are dealing with, or suspect the imminent possibility of an electrical fire, contact the fire department immediately! The best response is to stay calm and get help.

If you notice any problems with your wiring or electrical outlets, contact us right away to repair or replace them!