Electric Car Owners Need Beverly Hills Electrician

As our society moves to more environmentally friendly cars the need for charging stations is increasing.  While most of these stations can simply be plugged into an outlet in the garage, there are some who will need the services of an experienced Beverly Hills electrician in order to maximize their fuel-efficient vehicles.

120-volt vs. 240-volt Charging Stations

Although electric cars can be charged with a station that runs on 120 volts, it takes longer to get a full charge. To help you understand it a little better, read on. A standard appliance like your microwave operates on a 120-volt circuit. A 240-volt circuit runs larger appliances like your dryer or air conditioning unit. Electric car chargers work double time when connected to 240 volts. If you drive your car a great deal, you will benefit from having a charger that is fast enough to keep up with your busy schedule.

Can Your Home Support a 240-volt Charger?

Before the decision to install one of these higher powered outlets can be made, an electrician in Beverly Hills will need to do a home inspection to determine whether your home electrical panel can support the requirements of a 240-volt charger. A charger of this magnitude requires a dedicated 30 to 40 amp circuit breaker. Homes that have been built in the last 10 to 20 years should be just fine. Older homes may need further modification, which may include an upgrade to the electrical panel. H Electric will help you determine what you need to install one of these fast chargers.

Upgrading Your Current Garage Outlet

H Electric can help you get your car charged in half the time by installing one of these dedicated circuits in your garage or wherever you normally plug in your charging station. If you are interested in finding out more about this option for your plug-in electric call, give your Beverly Hills electrician a call.

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Electrician Beverly Hills – Top 5 Energy Hogs

Saving energy around the house is important. Not only will it save you money on your electric bill, but also saving energy use is one of the best ways to “go green” and help support a healthy environment. There are many ways you can save energy—in fact, if you talk to your electrician Beverly Hills, H Electric, you will come up with many great ways to do just this. However, for many people, just understanding electricity and how it works is one of the best ways to cut back on energy use. Discover the top five items in most homes that use the most energy. Perhaps this list will give you some ideas on how you can cut back energy to save money and the earth!

  • Refrigerators/Freezers – Though they are more energy efficient now than in the past, they are high on the list of energy consuming appliances. Additionally, some homes have more than one of these energy-hungry appliances.
  • Dehumidifier – If you live in a humid climate you may be familiar with this appliance. Running one of these 24 hours a day will add a lot of energy use to your monthly total.
  • Water Heater – Taking a hot shower not only uses water, it also consumes a lot of energy in heating the water.
  • Cooling System – An air conditioner may be a must in some places; however, it comes at a cost. Many people find their energy bills skyrocket in summer when the air must be run.
  • Heating System – Some heating systems are gas-based. Those that are not will run your electric bill sky high!

There are many things around the house that use electricity. Starting with this list, you can help to cut back your usage. Also, talk to an electrician in Beverly Hills—there may be other simple ways you can help reduce your usage as well.

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Beverly Hills Electrician – Incandescent, Halogen and CFL Light Bulbs

Light bulbs – It used to be that you went to the store, grabbed your 60 watt bulb and you were on your way. However, there are now more options than ever. Some bulbs are better for the environment than others, and others will save on your energy bill. Understanding the difference between the different types of bulbs will save you money and is not as hard as you might think. Additionally, if you find you still have questions, getting in touch with your Beverly Hills electrician at H Electric can help you understand what options may be best for you.

Incandescent Bulbs

These are the typical “old fashioned” bulbs. They produce light by heating a tungsten filament with electrical current. They are the cheapest to produce, but do have the worst energy efficiency rating. However, for “small jobs” it can sometimes be the more economical way to go.

Halogen Bulbs

These work in much the same way as incandescent bulbs; however, they are designed to be more energy efficient. However, halogen bulbs have a gas inside that causes the vaporized tungsten to remain in the filament instead of depositing inside the bulb. This helps the bulb last longer and burn hotter than a traditional bulb.

CFL (Compact Florescent Lamps)

This type of light works completely differently. The fluorescent gas inside the bulb creates ultraviolet light when electricity hits it. The coating of the lamp turns this ultraviolet light into a visible spectrum. CFL’s are the most energy efficient of the three types of bulbs.

As you can see, each of the types of bulbs has benefits and drawbacks. Understanding what options are available will help you make the best decision for you. IF you have further questions, contact your favorite electrician in Beverly Hills—the technicians at H electric are always here to help you with any type of electricity question you may have.

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Electricity-Saving Tips for Small Businesses by an Electrician in Beverly Hills

As a small business owner, you want to save money any way possible—however, you do not want to cut corners and take away from the services you offer your customers. Therefore, one of the best things you can do is to tighten your belt and save money on your utilities and other expenses. Trimming your electric bill is one of the easiest things you can do, and will make a big impact on your bottom line. Consider these simple tips, provide by an electrician in Beverly Hills.

  • Reduce your heating and cooling costs by utilizing natural sunlight. In winter, let sunlight in your office to provide warmth. In summer, you may want to utilize sunshades and keep the sun from overheating and causing you to run the air conditioner more than necessary.
  • Consider purchasing energy efficient computers and appliances. While this may have an up-front cost, the trade-off in long-term electrical savings often makes it worthwhile.
  • Unplug items when not in use. A computer that is plugged in, but turned off, is still using “phantom” electricity. You may be able to use a power strip to make this even easier.
  • Close off unused space. There is no need to heat, cool and light unused office space. Close off these spaces and cut your energy bills.
  • Make it a team effort. Cutting your electricity bill will be much easier if you get the other employees on the same page. Make this a priority and bring it up at the next staff meeting. Remember, you are not just saving money, but reducing your company’s carbon footprint.

As you can see, there are many ways to save money on your company’s electric bill. If you need further advice on electrical matters, call H Electric, the electrician Beverly Hills residents and business owners trust for everything electric.

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Diodes are a very common, effective and simple semiconductor. To fully understand a diode, you must first have a very basic knowledge of the semiconductor. Semiconductors are devices that are slightly less conductive than conductors and more conductive than non-conductors. This is typically accomplished by manipulating the level of impurities within a particular material. These materials are commonly used within circuitry as a strategy to accomplish a variety of different goals.

What Do Diodes Do?

Diodes are quite commonly used to convert alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). A diode is composed of an anode and a cathode, which connect externally. Whenever Alternating Current is passing through a diode, positive voltage is applied to the anode and negative voltage is applied to the cathode. Whenever you reverse the polarity, the diode will cause the electricity to stop flowing through, thereby only allowing the electricity to flow in a single direction. This is how AC is converted to DC.

Diode Types

  • Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)  – One of the most commonly recognized diode is the LED. Whether you find them in your flashlights, or use them in the fixtures installed by your electrician Beverly Hills, LEDs have a strong presence in our everyday lives. You can find them in almost everything, including both large and small appliances.
  • Solid State Diodes – Many years ago, tube diodes were one of the most commonly found types of diodes in our electronic devices. As technology moved forward, tube diodes were steadily replaced with solid-state diodes. Solid-state diodes are much smaller, longer lasting and more resistant to breakage. To seal the deal, they also generate much less heat than tubes do.

Regardless of the number of electrical devices that you use every day, you can be sure that almost every single one of them uses a number of diodes to manipulate the flow of electricity within it. If you have any more questions about Diodes or any other electrical topic, don’t hesitate to contact the H Electric team.

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Pool Safety Tips from an Electrician in Beverly Hills

As the weather turns from frosty winter to warm spring and eventually summer, more and more Californians will begin to uncover the swimming pool and prepare it for swimming. One of the biggest issues as you prepare for summer is safety. While the first things that comes into mind is water safety, but another consideration is electrical safety. As you get ready for your summer fun, keep these swimming pool electricity safety tips in mind.

  • Know where the electrical switches and breaker panels are located for all pool equipment as well as how you switch them off in an emergency situation.
  • Do not swim during or immediately after a thunderstorm.
  • Contact an electrician Beverly Hills to inspect and upgrade your pool equipment to meet local codes.
  • Check to make certain all electrical wires and boxes are at minimum five feet from all water.
  • Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) on all circuits required by local ordinance. A good electrician in Beverly Hills will be able to easily complete this task.
  • Regularly test the GFCIs to make certain they are protecting as required. Those GFCIs that are used infrequently should be tested before use. Make sure you rest the device after testing, and always wear shoes when conducting the test.
  • When possible, choose battery-operated appliances for use around the pool.
  • Post an emergency plan that is easily seen by those using the pool.
  • If you are installing a pool from the ground up, try to position it in safe zone from overhead power lines and junction boxes.

These are just a few of the ways you can help make your pool a safer place, at least in terms of electricity. If you need some help preparing your pool for safe use this summer, contact the expert electricians at H Electric and allow us to help you ensure a safe swim.

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Help From Your Electrician Beverly Hills With Lighting Up Landscaping

Bringing the outside in and maximizing the beauty of your exterior gardens and landscaping are popular trends that are here to stay. With the increased usage of environmentally friendly double and triple glazed sliding doors and windows, the most experienced Beverly Hills electrician service providers have become accomplished at both designing and installing landscape lighting. This type of lighting invites your guests outside and accommodates your outdoor entertaining events. At the same time, landscape lighting proudly displays your gardens and landscaping to family and friends.

There is no denying that people are relaxed and contented when enjoying the great outdoors. Even when we are not outside, we still want to see the outside. Rooms and houses with good lighting and high visualization of outside views are in demand. Using our electrician Beverly Hills-based services at H Electric to install low-voltage landscape lighting is a cost effective way to ensure that your family and guests will appreciate both the inside and outside of your home.

In effect, a good exterior lighting design increases the home’s interior depth, and it lends a calming ambiance to the entire house. Landscape lighting around the front of the house and along the boundaries not only creates an illuminating definition to your home and the property, but it also welcomes in your guests. At the same time, low voltage landscape lighting is an excellent deterrent for any would-be intruders.

Today, designers put as much emphasis on the exterior of the home as they do on the interior. A strategic exterior lighting design adds both value and appeal to every residence. At H Electric we can help you out with your interior and exterior lighting needs, and any other electrical services that you might need. You can visit our website at ElectricianBeverlyHills.net. Please feel free to call our experts for a lighting estimate, and let us help brighten up your home and your spirits!

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Beverly Hills Electrician – Does Your Home Need Electrical Upgrades?

Due to improvements in materials and construction practices, the average life-span of your home is now right around 35 years. Because of this, many of the older homes in and around our communities were actually built before most of the appliances and other electronic devices that we use daily even existed. Because we have steadily increased the amount of electricity that we use on a day-to-day basis, many of these older homes are just not quite equipped to handle this larger electrical demand. When this is the case, it is important to talk with an electrician in Beverly Hills about whether or not it is time to perform an electrical upgrade.

The following items are signs that you may need an electrical system upgrade:

  • You do not have GFCI outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and other areas that have frequent moisture.
  • Your lights flicker in some rooms.
  • Your breakers trip constantly.
  • You still have a fusebox (and your fuses blow often)
  • You hear crackling noises coming from your electrical panel.
  • You need more electrical outlets
  • You’ve recently added a new large appliance, such as a sauna or hot tub
  • Your homeowner’s insurance has required you to make an upgrade
  • You use multiple extension cords to provide power to devices
  • You need a 240v circuit
  • Appliances appear to run on less than full panel
  • You need a whole house surge protector
  • You have two-pronged plugs
  • Your electrical service conductors are overheating

If you are experiencing one or more of the above items, then it could be a warning sign that you need to upgrade or replace your electrical panel. If you are concerned about your electrical system, or have any questions about electrical panel upgrades, give us a call at H Electric. You can also find much more information about this and other electrical topics at www.electricianbeverlyhills.net.

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Electrician Beverly Hills – How do Breaker Panels Give You Safety?

In order to provide you with the amount of electricity that you need every day, your breaker panel should be able to provide at least 100 amps of power. In older homes, it was common for an electrical panel to have the capacity of only 60 amps. This is not sufficient for most homeowners’ everyday needs. If you live in a home where many electrical devices are in use at any given time, you should have an electrical panel with at least a 200 amp capacity to ensure that your power needs are being met at all times.

You can get a rough estimate of how much power your needs by glancing at the devices that you will be using. Each device has a number rating listed on it somewhere. You can add up these number ratings to get a pretty good idea of how much electrical capacity you need in order to power them all. You should check the ratings on devices that you use frequently, such as microwaves, refrigerators, coffee pots, crock pots, televisions, computers, you dish washer, washer and dryer, and air conditioner.

Your breaker panel serves as both the initial entry for electricity in your home and as a safeguard against unsafe levels of electrical current. If you have an outdated or undersized electrical panel, then you need to have an electrician in Beverly Hills come assess and possibly upgrade your electrical panel. Having an undersized electrical panel can place you in a situation that is both very annoying and potentially unsafe. At the least, you will trip more breakers, leading to more trips out to flip it back to the on position. As the worst, you could experience overheating which could lead to an electrical fire.

If you experience frequent breaker trips, or have concerns about your electrical system, fuse box or breaker panel, get in touch with H Electric right away.

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Beverly Hills Electrician – What Is a Fuse Box?

Your fuse box is the metal box that is installed either inside or outside of your home. It was installed by an electrician in Beverly Hills whenever your home was constructed, and has a hinged door to protect the components inside. If your home was built before 1960, it was likely built with a fuse box. If it was constructed after 1960, then it likely has a breaker panel instead.

Whether it contains breakers or fuses, this box is the primary entry point for electricity into your home. It takes the electricity from the utility company and distributes it through the circuits in your home. Whenever there is an electrical overload, then the fuse attached to that particular circuit is designed to fail. This will cause the power to stop flowing to all of the devices in that circuit. In most cases, the box also contains a switch that will shut off power to your entire home.

Whenever you blow a fuse, you will need to very carefully replace the fuse with an identically sized replacement. The inside of your box contains a number of threaded sockets, called Edison sockets. This is where your fuses screw in. When replacing a fuse, start by unplugging everything on that circuit. Then go to your fusebox, shut off the main power and remove the blown fuse. You can then replace it with a fuse with matching amps.

If your fuses blow frequently, or if you just don’t want to deal with fuses anymore, get in touch with our team at H Electric (electricianbeverlyhills.net). Homes that still use fuse boxes often have undersized electrical systems, which require upgrading in order to handle the amount of electricity that you require on a day to day basis. As a Beverly Hills electrician, it is our pleasure to examine your system and provide you with our professional recommendation.

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