There are some home repairs you don’t want to tackle. Here are several red flags to look for when you’re buying a home.

common plumbing problems. Water damage is the homeowner’s mortal enemy. Water causes foundation problems, rot and mold. Want to move into that mess? Probably not.

To see if your potential purchase has suffered the consequences of water damage, start outside and

When you see water damage near an electrical outlet or a light fixture, you may have stumbled onto a fire risk. But outlets aren’t the only place to look for potential electrical problems.

Look for flickering and blinking, which signals a poor connection somewhere along the circuit. Check to see if both halves of electrical outlets are functioning. Make sure bathrooms, kitchens, garages and outdoors have professional electrician should determine whether the home’s circuits or fuses provide adequate power and service. The electrician can look for burned wiring, improper connections, dead-end wiring or ungrounded switches and outlets.

Your home inspector is a font of knowledge! Have the inspector check the air quality of the home to see if any mold spores are present — if water leakage or other common plumbing problems have been an issue, mold may be, too.

The inspector can ensure that the heating and cooling systems are properly installed. The inspector can also determine how old the HVAC system is and ensure that its been maintained

Your inspector will also determine the type of pipe that supplies water to the house—old lead and galvanized steel pipes are going to need replacing.

If the house you’re considering fails these tests, it may be best to move onto the next. If you still think it’s the right house for you, despite the presence of common plumbing problems or the need for an electrical overhaul, negotiate a lower price or ask the seller to pay for needed fixes.

Questions? Thoughts? Leave a note in the Comments section orschedule service today.

Bulbs, Fans and Dryers

Among the highlights of the show were hyper-efficient LED bulbs manufactured by a company called Stack Lighting. But LED isn’t a new technology, you say? True, but the Stack models automatically change their brightness to account for other light sources and human activity, resulting in what the company claims is a 60 to 80 percent savings in energy compared to standard LEDs.

Another firm, aptly named Big Ass Fans, claims to sell the most efficient ceiling fans in the world. Just like the LEDs, they have smart features that turn the fans on and off when humans enter and leave the room, in addition to boasting high-efficiency motors.

Major appliances showed up at the fair as well. Whirlpool had a dryer on display that the company claims uses 73 percent less energy than standard models because it reuses its hot air instead of dispersing it outside through the vent.

DVR, RAM and Windows

Not impressed yet? The CES Green Guide describes some of the other environmentally-friendly devices and gadgets at the show:

Hefty Price Tags

Like most cutting-edge technologies, the sticker prices of the equipment were sky-high. However, the purchasing costs should come down over time as more people adopt the technologies.

 “You’ll see the price come down, you’ll see more entrants in the market," Carolyn Weiner, a Pacific Gas and Electric employee who specializes in energy efficiency incentives, told PRI. "It’s good that these companies are out there, because they’re starting to show that the technology exists.”

However, Weiner noted that companies often shy away from hawking the efficiency benefits of their products. It turns out that consumers’ attitudes and motivations regarding energy efficiency aren’t always straightforward, even if the prospect of saving money seems simple enough.

“They’re still looking at energy efficiency as 'I’m losing something,’” Weiner said to PRI. “More companies are leading with security, comfort, ease of use, which is the type of message that consumers want to hear right now.”

Your home may not be safe for you to live in. Wiring is one of the leading causes of home fires every year and in many cases; it is completely preventable. Homes that were built before 1950 were probably built with the common electrical wiring at the time—insulated cloth wiring. Today, we know that method isn’t safe. The cloth frays and deteriorates overtime, which can leave wires bare. Bare wires that touch or touch insulation can create a small spark. A small spark is all it takes to cause major devastation. If you are not sure what kind of wiring you have, give a Glendale electrician, like those at The Electric Connection, a call today.

Just because your home was built before 1950, it does not necessarily mean it has cloth wiring. There may have been wiring upgrades done over the years. The best way to determine whether or not it is the old style wiring is by having an electrical inspection by a qualified electrician. Glendale homeowners will get the full story about the wiring hidden behind their walls. An experienced electrician will know what to look for and be able to tell you what you need to do to make your home safe.

It isn’t only an electric spark you need to be concerned with when dealing with cloth insulated wiring. There is also an increased risk of electric shock. Your appliances and gadgets are also at risk of being damaged with wiring that is not properly insulated. Many of the older, cloth insulated wiring jobs were not properly ground 60 years ago. This is another area of concern for homeowners. All of these issues and concerns will be addressed by the electrician during the inspection. The electrician will outline what needs to happen to bring your home up to today’s standards. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your electric inspection.

We’ve recently added a new explosion-proof light for use in granaries, paint booths, mills, mines, oil refineries, auto shops, marine vessels, shipyards, and other hazardous locations.

This LED light is listed as UL1598 for wet locations and UL1598A for outdoor marine applications. It is classified as UL844 and meets National Electric Code—NFPA 70, article 500—requirements in the U.S. for Class 1 Division 1 (groups C and D), Class 1 Division 2 (groups A, B, C, and D), and Class 2 Division 2 (groups F and G) hazardous locations. The light fixture meets IECEx Zone 1, 2, 21, and 22 requirements for safe operation around combustible gas and dust.

Designed to replace 320-watt metal-halide (MH) fixtures with comparable output—the 100-watt LED explosion-proof light emits 13,000 lumens of natural white illumination. This weatherproof LED fixture operates within a 100-277V AC range and is built to last five times longer than MH lights.

The durably constructed light has a vibration-resistant anodized aluminum housing that prevents the release of sparks from internal components. The die cast housing is also powder coated for corrosion resistance and has a removable back plate for access to the constant-current driver, which is sealed with a silicone gasket. LEDs are protected by a tempered glass lens.

A conduit is required for installation, and the fixture has two openings for input and output connections. The LED explosion-proof light can be pole mounted or mounted to a wall, floor, or ceiling with its included bracket. A five-year warranty protects against any manufacturer defects or malfunctions.