Electrician Beverly Hills – Putting Out an Electrical Fire

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

Most of us have the knowledge, equipment and skills to put out a fire that starts in our homes. That being said, there are many different types of fire, and you should be familiar with the proper way to put them out. Though it can work in many situations, a standard fire extinguisher is not ideal for taking care of all types of fire. An electrical fire, for example, requires special treatment to ensure that it is extinguished quickly and safely. You should do as much as you can to improve electrical safety in your home. It’s still possible, however, for something to go wrong, causing a fire.

What steps do you need to do if you come across an electrical fire?

  • Call 911 – The first thing that you should do, with any fire, is call 911 to have them dispatch the fire department. Although a fire may seem small, it can very quickly get out of hand. It’s better that they show up as you’re finishing up, than when it’s too late. If it is an electrical fire, let the dispatcher know so that they can be ready.
  • Shut Off the Power – Take a moment to shut off the electricity at the main breaker. You should not do this if your hands are wet, or if the fire is close to your breaker box.
  • Use an Appropriate Fire Extinguisher – Use a multi-purpose ABC or class-C fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire. You should not use any other type of fire extinguisher to attempt to put out an electrical fire. Because of this, do not use any fire extinguisher if you do not know what type it is. You can also throw baking soda on the fire, if you do not have an appropriate extinguisher.
  • Leave – If you have trouble extinguishing the fire quickly, leave the area as quickly as you can and wait for emergency help.

It is very important to know how to extinguish an electrical fire. You can avoid most electrical fires, however, with the help of an electrician in Beverly Hills. Take important steps such as having regular electrical safety inspections, not overloading outlets and looking into trouble spots in a timely manner. Call H Electric at any time if you need help with any of your electrical issues.

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Beverly Hills Electrician – Importance of Home Electrical Safety

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

All across the country, millions of people are being careless while using appliance and their electrical systems. Without realizing it, they are using electricity in a way that can expose themselves to electrical shock and fire hazards. This includes overloading electrical sockets, leaving unattended appliances on and letting the tumble dryer run overnight. One good way to prevent electrical mishaps is to turn off all appliances after you are done using them. You should also make it a point to check for any faulty wiring or damaged electrical components.

Why Is Electrical Safety Important?

The United States had an estimated 46,500 home structure fires resulting from electrical malfunction or failure. These fires caused 1,520 civilian injuries, 420 civilian deaths and over $1.5 billion in property damage. Because of recent increases in electrical fires, there has been an increased push for electrical safety education and ways to improve the overall electrical safety of our communities.

Appliances

Any appliances that have damaged cords should be removed or replaced. If you think that an appliance may work after being repaired, consult an electrician in Beverly Hills first. This is much preferred to doing it yourself, unless you are an electrician. You should also turn off all appliances before leaving your home. Unattended ovens, heaters and stoves can cause fires while you are not watching them. You should also ensure that you provide the proper amount of space around and between appliances to help prevent overheating. Extension cords should only be used as a temporary solution and only in dry areas.

By following the above tips about appliance safety, and being aware of your electrical surroundings, you can prevent many of the mishaps that lead to electrical shock and fires. If you have any other questions or concerns about the electrical safety of your home, give us a call at H Electric. We also have further information at www.electricianbeverlyhills.net.

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Ask Your Electrician Beverly Hills – Get to Know your Circuit Breakers and Fuses

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

It can be obnoxious whenever the electrical components in your home shut off unexpectedly. Whether you lose the lights, your oven stops working or your heating and air unit turns off, it can be a great disruption to your everyday activities. Luckily, many of these minor outages are caused by a problem that is very simple to fix. What I am referring to is a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse. Whether your home is equipped with an older fusebox and fuses, or a modern breaker panel, this is always the first place that you should go whenever you experience issues with your electricity.

To start, you should consult with an electrician in Beverly Hills if your home is still equipped with a fuse box. These systems are old and outdated. Because of this, they are often not built to handle the amount of electricity that you require on a daily basis. This will result in more frequent outages that can lead to more significant problems when people try to bypass fuses or replace them with oversized replacements.

If you do not know where your breaker panel is, take a few minutes to locate it the next time you have a chance. This way, you know exactly where to go the next time you lose power. When you’re there, open up your breaker panel and look to see if any of your breakers have been tripped. They will either sit in the middle, or in the “off” position. To reset your breaker, simply push it all the way to the “off” position and then flip it back to the “on” position. In many cases, this will completely fix the problem that you are having. If it does not, or if the breaker continues to trip, give us a call at H Electric. You can find all of our contact information at www.electricianbeverlyhills.net.

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Your Beverly Hills Electrician Explains: Popular Portable Generator Uses

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

Although their use doesn’t require the same level of integration and installation that a home backup generator requires, portable generators are very handy for a variety of situations. In fact, you might be surprised how many areas of the country do not have readily available electricity. This is especially true if you want to enjoy the great outdoors, without losing your access to electrical power. Whenever you need a significant amount of electrical power in an area that has no electrical outlets, a portable generator is by far the most practical option. Here are a few great uses for portable generators:

Camping Trips

If you like to get away, but don’t like to leave all of the comforts of home behind, bringing a portable generator along may be exactly what you need. It will let you charge phones and operate appliances that you may otherwise have left behind.

Tailgating

Depending on your tailgate location, an electrical hookup may not be too easy to find. The solution? Bringing your own! Just stick your portable generator in the back of your truck and you’ll have plenty of power for your television, satellite dish and all the other things that you need for your tailgate.

Emergencies

Although they are not designed for this purpose, a portable generator is great for an emergency. To remain safe, the generator must stay outside of your home. However, it is fairly simple to run a few power lines indoors to keep things like basic lighting and refrigerator running. The most important thing to remember when using a portable generator during a power outage is that you cannot use it indoors. Doing so could lead to the release of combustion gases into your home. This can be very dangerous, even deadly.

Portable generators are a great way to have access to electricity when you’re on the go and they do not need to be installed by an electrician in Beverly Hills. If you have any questions about portable or standalone backup generators, give us a call at H Electric. We’re more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.

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4 Simple Electrical Upgrades

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

You often think of many things when it comes to making changes to your home. You might buy new furniture, paint your walls or redecorate. You may add landscaping or other outdoor enhancements. One thing that many people forget, however, are the electrical upgrades that you can make with the help of a Beverly Hills Electrician. Experts from companies such as H Electric have many options for updating and refreshing your home that you may not have considered. Here are five quick and popular electrical upgrades that you can have them help you with.
Install Ceiling Fans
One of the greatest ways to reduce cooling costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter is by using ceiling fans. During the winter, you should run your fans clockwise so that they push air up towards your ceiling. This will help circulate warm air that has risen without creating a wind-chill effect. During the summer, you should run them counter-clockwise to make the room feel a couple degrees cooler. When used properly, you can save up to 40% on your energy usage due to cooling. Ceiling fans can be found in a variety of sizes and styles, making it easy to find one that works for you.
Update Interior Lighting
One of the things that is most frequently upgraded in a home is the interior lighting. New homes are typically outfitted with plain, boring fixtures that don’t match what people actually want to see. Many of them also do not produce the kind of light that you actually want in a room either. The solution is simple: have an electrician Beverly Hills help you choose and install new fixtures in the rooms that need them. This is a great time to look into recessed lighting, indirect lighting, chandeliers and other options. By having a certified electrician do the upgrade, you can rest assured that everything was done safely and completely.
The Benefits of Landscape Lighting
Although you can do many of your smaller landscape lighting jobs yourself, there are also many benefits to having it installed by a professional electrician in Beverly Hills CA. When your landscape lighting is professionally installed, you can be sure that your fixtures are high quality and the installation is meant to last. This means that there are no wires running through your flowerbeds, or unsightly boxes on or near your electrical outlets. Lighting installed by a qualified electrician in Beverly Hills is sure to look good, be low maintenance and stand the test of time.
Install a Whole House Surge Protector
Although they are becoming more common, many people are unaware of the availability of whole house surge protectors. Installing a whole house surge protector is a great way to provide an extra layer of protection for you valuable appliances and electronics. Because most electrical devices use some sort of smart chips or other delicate electronics, they are much more susceptible to even small surges than in the past. Using a whole house surge protector system in conjunction with individual surge protectors will provide you protection from large, catastrophic power surges as well as smaller surges that will do incremental damage to your electronics. To learn more about whole house surge protectors, call H Electric, your electrician Beverly Hills CA.
There is an almost unlimited amount of upgrades and changes that you can have done to your home that involve your electrical system. Make yourself a list. It could include things such as having electrical outlets replaced (or moved), smoke detectors replaced, or bath fan installation. If you live in an older home, you may have an outdated wiring system, meaning you need a whole home rewire. Regardless of what you have done, rest assured that your Beverly Hills electrician is there to help you get the job done right.

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Beverly Hills Electrician with Home Wiring and Rewiring Expertise

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

Older homes, as eye catching and attractive as vintage homes can be, are often lacking when it comes to the electrical system. This is especially true when trying to run the stuff of modern life via these older systems. It is simply more electrical demand than they were originally equipped to handle. Choosing an electrician in Beverly Hills CA that is well experienced at helping older electrical systems evolve into the modern, efficient electrical systems of today is the best way to ensure that you can meet all of your electrical needs in a safe and cost conscious manner.

There are, naturally, many electrician Beverly Hills CA options to choose from, but your best bet is an electrician from a locally respected and well established company accustomed to working in the homes of the region. That’s because a Beverly Hills electrician is familiar with the electrical standards and home construction in the region during the different periods of the area’s development, and has a proven track record of smart solutions to these specific types of electrical challenges. H Electric is one of the local companies that specialized in work of this sort – wiring, rewiring, electrical upgrades, and integrating the newest concepts in electrical technology into existing systems.

Sometimes, in order to make an electrical system safe and functional a whole home rewiring must be done, as is the case with the aluminum wiring that was commonly used in homes during the WW II era. All the copper was going to the war effort during that period of time, so many of the homes built during that era have aluminum electrical systems, or at least parts of the system – those that haven’t been replaced through the years – still use aluminum. Mobile homes used primarily aluminum wiring well into the 1980’s. A lot of those homes still survive today, serving as the foundation of a larger home, with additions and remodeling through the years making it not so mobile anymore. An electrician in Beverly Hills from H Electric knows what to look for when it comes to electrical systems from bygone eras.

Older electrical systems weren’t created with the same focus on energy efficiency as we have today. Most homes run a lot of electrical appliances and high demand electronics, but people want to do it in a way that consumes as little energy as possible for environmental and utility bill related reasons. Having an expert from a well established local company like H Electric, a member of the Better Business Bureau with an A rating, handle your wiring and rewiring needs is a smart way to make sure your system is at its best. Not only does H Electric handle electrical wiring repairs, but they also handle a full range of electrical installations.

Choosing a Beverly Hills electrician with the local experience necessary to gauge the probability of there being aluminum wiring hidden for decades behind walls or some other archaic and unsafe electrical leftovers lurking in less obvious places can be a matter of safety. Sometimes, if there’s never really an obvious problem, those relics can pass unnoticed for a long time, silently aging and decomposing until one day, the wire insulation crumbles and completes its transformation into dust. High demand appliances or electronics could run that wire hot, even melting it until it sparks and starts a fire.

H Electric offers a lifetime guarantee on all of its work, and can be counted upon to have a skilled, detail-oriented electrician in Beverly Hills CA respond to your service call promptly. Your fully insured, bonded, and licensed electrician will arrive ready to meet the work goals of the day in a professional, respectful, and efficient manner. They offer free over the phone estimates, and a wealth of free tips on electrical system maintenance and repair. If you’re in need of an electrician in Beverly Hills CA, you can do a simple web search for electrician Beverly Hills CA and you’ll easily find their website. This electrical contracting company would be just the right choice for your next electrical project!

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Updating the Electrical in Your Home – Ask Your Beverly Hills Electrician

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

When it comes to updating the electrical components in our home, the majority of us have no idea where to start. There is nothing wrong with this. Electrical fixtures and appliances have become so commonplace in our lives that we often take them for granted. In many ways, we do not even notice that many of these devices are even there. When it comes time to update them, however, we are lucky to have a Beverly Hills electrician to help remind us of what needs to be updated, and to help do the work for us.

Bathrooms and Bedrooms

A great place to start when updating your electrical components is your bedrooms and bathrooms. Do you need an outlets replaced? Is there anywhere that you would like to have outlets installed? This is a great time for an electrician in Beverly Hills CA, such as H Electric, to do this. In addition to your electrical outlets, you should also consider changing any interior lighting fixtures, or having ceiling fans installed. This can help to change and freshen up a room. For your bathrooms, you may need to have bath fans replaced or installed, depending on whether or not they are already present.

Living Areas

Each living area is different. These areas are also subject to frequent redecorating and reorganizing, which can lead to unique challenges in regard to your current electrical system. If there is a certain way that you would like to organize things, make sure that you have the electrical support that you need. Have an electrician Beverly Hills CA prefers, H Electric, to install any custom lighting, surge protectors and electrical outlets that you require. This way, you can always organize your furniture exactly how you want it.

The Kitchen

Does your kitchen function exactly how you would like it? Chances are, there are a few things that you would like to change. As with the other major areas of your home, having electrical outlets replaced or installed can make a huge change in your kitchen. You may just want to put your coffee pot in a new position on your countertops. If you have grander plans in mind, however, such as a complete kitchen overhaul, you may need to move several outlets, lighting and more. Whatever the scope of your project, H Electric, a professional electrician in Beverly Hills CA, is ready to help.

In addition to these major areas, there are several other electrical components that you should consider updating. If you haven’t had it done recently, consider having your smoke detectors tested and replaced as necessary. This is also a great time to look into whole house surge protectors, and other upgrades to your electrical system. Upgrades of this nature can improve the value of your home, the quality of your electricity and the safety of your electronics.

Whether you live in a relatively new home, or a home that is much older, there are probably some electrical components that you would like to change or update. You may even be having issues with some of the electrical components in your home. While you may have learned to live with a light switch that only works some of the time, or a finicky electrical outlet, these could be signs of a large issue. Take a few minutes to call a technician in order to get their professional opinion. If it seems like a serious issue, or just an annoyance that you would like corrected, they can send someone out to do some more extensive electrical troubleshooting. They will then provide you with a professional recommendation. If you ever need any electrical work, or have any questions about your electrical system, don’t hesitate to call H Electric, a trustworthy and fully licensed Beverly Hills electrician.

 

 

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Save Electricity and Money with CFLs

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

CFLs are those new, small fluorescent light bulbs that screw into most regular light fixtures. You can use them to replace regular (incandescent) bulbs to save money and electricity. I’m an electrician in the Beverly Hills where our Department of Water and Power gets over 60% of its electricity from fossil fuels, especially coal. That’s slightly below the U.S. average — 65% of electricity from fossil fuels. So, any time you replace a regular incandescent bulb with a CFL, it’s one small step towards reducing fossil fuel use.

CFLs come in all different shapes, but basically they’re a small fluorescent tube bent this way and that or twisted into a spiral. They remind me of a soft ice cream cone. “CFL” stands for “Compact Fluorescent Lamp.” They’re more compact than the long fluorescent tubes of our childhoods. They’re lamps, which is electrician-speak for “light bulb.”

And they’re green — they save 75% of the energy that traditional incandescents use. Another way to say it is that CFLs creates the same amount of light with 25% of the electricity of a regular bulb.

CFLs Save Money and Electricity

Though they cost more than a regular incandescent, they last a lot longer — 13 times longer. So even though each CFL costs more per bulb (about $4 for a CFL), they will also save you about $4 per bulb as you won’t have to replace them so often.

Your electric bill will show more significant savings. Lighting costs about $20 out of $100 monthly electric bill. Because CFLs use one-quarter of the electricity of a regular incandescent, if you replace all the bulbs in your house with CFLs, you’ll save about $15 each month on a $100 electric bill.

A Cold Fluorescent Light?

CFLs are green, but not blue. Many people dislike the eerie bluish light of the old-fashioned long fluorescent tubes. CFLs can create all different colors of light, including warm tones. A recent study by the magazine Popular Mechanics found that when people didn’t know which type of bulb was involved, they preferred the light of the CFL over the light from incandescent bulbs. CFLs also don’t buzz as the long tubes did.

The Mercury Downside

CFLs have one downside — they each contain a small amount of mercury, which is a toxin. If a bulb breaks, you’ll need to take care to clean every bit up and to not touch the pieces. You’ll need to recycle spent bulbs or dispose of them as you would paint or other hazardous waste. However, they’re so long-lasting that this will come up on the order of years, rather than months.

The First Step to Saving Money and Energy

OK, now that you have a basic understanding of CFLs, how can you do something simple to save money and energy? The next time you go to the store, pick up a four-pack of CFLs. Choose four lights in your home or business that you use often and replace the incandescent bulbs with your new CFLs. In my home, I unscrewed the light bulbs in our outdoor flood lights and screwed in CFLs. Pick up a four-pack of CFLs and help America cut down on fossil fuels while saving on your electric bill.

#1 Keyword: Beverly Hills electrician

Summary: CFLs are those new, small fluorescent light bulbs that screw into most regular light fixtures. You can buy ones that cast a pleasant warm light and use them to replace regular (incandescent) bulbs throughout your home or business to save money and electricity. The average homeowner can save about 15% on their electric bill with CFLs and an additional amount on buying bulbs. Just take one simple step, and if you have any questions you can ask your electrician in Beverly Hills.

 

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Updating Your Home Electrical Using Local Beverly Hills Electricians

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Esteban Gallego

When updating or remodeling your current home, you should always consult with electrical contractors who are trained and licensed to work on your home. For instance, you are in need of an electrical repair on your home electrical wiring, you can consult with a Beverly Hills electrician. Your Beverly Hills electrician will not only be able to replace or repair your home electrical wiring, but they will also be able to perform many other electrical service tasks for you.

Whenever you require any type of electrical installation in your home, you should consult with a licensed electrician in Beverly Hills CA prior to the start of the project. There is most likely no electrical job to big or too small for your local Beverly Hills electrician to complete. An electrician’s job requires electrical safety checks, as well as making sure that all electrical codes are followed while an electrical job is being completed.

Some of the electrical services that your Beverly Hills electrician might perform would be the installation and/or replacement of electrical outlets. If you do not need this type of electrical task performed and you need a bigger job such as an electrical panel upgrade, your Beverly Hills CA electrician at H Electric will be able to guide you on the path of getting the job done right, and saving money along the way at the same time.

A very important electrical job that some people find themselves forgetting about is the installation or replacement of smoke detectors in their homes or offices. Once you make sure that your smoke detectors are in good working order, you’ll also want to see that your appliances and electronics are protected from power surges. To help keep your belongings safe, a good electrician in Beverly Hills will recommend the use of surge protectors. A surge protector helps to keep personal items such as your computers, televisions and stereo’s safe whenever an electrical surge takes place.

When you are trying to save money on your home or office electricity, one way to help save money is to use florescent light bulbs instead of the standard light bulbs. A light bulb that draws too much power or that is left on after leaving a room can cause your electric bill to run up, costing you money over time. If you are remodeling and you’re looking to update your home lighting, speak with your Beverly Hills electrical contractor about your concerns regarding lowering your lighting electrical bills before you get started.

H Electric in Beverly Hills CA will help you to make sure that all of your electrical choices are both efficient and worthwhile. You can never be too safe when it comes to the installation of your home or business electrical wiring, and your Beverly Hills electrician, H Electric, will always follow the most recent electrical codes when updating your home lighting or electrical system.

There are a number of electrical contractors in the Beverly Hills CA area; however, when you’re searching for electrician Beverly Hills CA, you’ll be very happy that you’ve found the highly professional and qualified electricians at H Electric.

Whenever you need electrical installations, electrical repairs, or updates such as recessed lighting, ceiling fans, new GFIs, a new electrical circuit, an electrical spa hook up, landscape lighting, or even a complete house rewire, no matter what type of electrical job you need at your home or business, your local Beverly Hills electrician, H Electric, is ready to take care of it for you.

Call H Electric in Beverly Hills CA, your licensed Beverly Hills electrician, for all of your electrical service and repair needs.

 

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Beverly Hills Electrician Asks How Does Your House Rank for Safety?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Esteban Gallego

Around 1:00 a.m. I suddenly sat up in bed, overwhelmed by an urgent need to get up and go into the kitchen. I opened the door and headed down the hall – into a wall of smoke. When I reached the kitchen I discovered the flames shooting from our electric stove. A lunch box had already ignited and ash was beginning to form on the cupboards. My instincts saved our home and possibly our lives that night.

What disturbed me most was that the smoke alarm had not gone off and we had just replaced the batteries a couple of months earlier. I learned after the fact that those inexpensive wall mounted alarms have a relatively short life, and ours had expired. Needless to say, all of our smoke detectors were replaced the next day.

H Electric, a Beverly Hills electrician for over twenty years, encourages residents to review their homes for electrical safety. According to the United State Fire Administration (USFA), electrical fires cause over 28,000 home fires each year in the US, killing over 300 people and injuring another 1,100.

Top Causes of Home Fires

Faulty Electrical Wiring. According to the USFA, over half of the home fires occur as a result of faulty wiring. In some cases, the electrical wiring was old and frayed or the breaker box had become defective. In other cases, the wiring had been improperly installed by homeowners who opted to do their own electrical repairs and panel upgrades in lieu of using a licensed electrician. Beverly Hills CA requires electrical permits and inspections for a reason; lives depend upon proper electric installation.

Faulty Outlets. Do you have an irritating outlet that only works occasionally? Don’t just ignore it – let a licensed Beverly Hills electrician replace the outlet and check the attached electrical wiring. Not only will you benefit from having a working outlet, you could eliminate a possible threat of fire in your home or office.

Another cause for concern is “modified” two-prong electrical outlets that have been swapped out with three-prong outlets without any changes in the wiring. Some homeowners believe that all you need to do to upgrade your outlets is to insert a new one from the hardware store. This is not the case, however, since the electrical wiring for the two types is different. A licensed electrician from Beverly Hills can replace those outlets for you and make certain your home doesn’t have any faulty “modified” versions.

Improper Use of Extension Cords. At the time many Beverly Hills CA homes were built there were significantly fewer electrical devices. Now a variety of electrical appliances fill the kitchen, the old televisions have been replaced by entire home entertainment systems, and every member of the family has a computer of some type. Throw in a few stereos, computer games and the traditional lamps, and most of the older homes simply don’t have the outlet and electrical breaker capacity that’s necessary. Don’t take chances when trying to make up for the lack of your electrical capacity by attaching additional outlet extensions and draping electric cords around the house. Find out how electrical upgrades completed by a Beverly Hills CA electrician can make your home safer by increasing your entire electrical capacity.

Additional Safety Tips

Here are some other safety tips from an electrician in Beverly Hills.

  • Install smoke detectors on each floor of the home – and then test them regularly!
  • Replace any broken electrical outlets and switches
  • If your circuit breakers pop off frequently, have an electrician from Beverly Hills check out your electric system to ascertain the cause.
  • Make certain all switches and outlets are properly covered.

If you have questions about the electrical safety of your home and you need a Beverly Hills electrician, give H Electric a call today.

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