When you think of backup generators for homes, do you usually imagine houses on the East Coast during frigid winters or when enormous storms and hurricanes strike? Unfortunately, here in Southern California, we have some pretty good reasons to have generators installed for our homes as well.
Last summer, Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley experienced extreme heat levels and a record-breaking demand for electricity. Homes use more electrical power than ever before, and when this was combined with the heat, it resulted in multiple power outages that lasted for hours and sometimes longer.
We’ve had a longer cold spell here in Southern California than we often get. Of course, it’s nothing compared to the awful deep freeze that recently struck the Midwest. But it’s still cold to us, and if you use an electric-powered heating system like a heat pump or an electric furnace, you can expect to see an uptick on your electrical bills. That’s normal: just check electrical usage with previous bills to see that the rise in costs corresponds to more use.
If you are shopping for a new home or are planning to sell your current one, you may have heard about how important it is for the house to be “up to code” or “code compliant.” What does this actually mean, and how do you find out if the house meets the code? 
The electrical panel of your home, a.k.a. the circuit breaker panel, is the hub of your electrical system. It’s where the incoming electricity is routed to the different circuits. The breakers are designed to shut off circuits in case of a voltage overload. If you have an old circuit breaker panel, you should make sure you aren’t overdue for having it upgraded.
With all the storms that have struck the East Coast and the Southeastern U.S. over the past few years, whole-house generators have become more vital than ever for keeping houses powered and families comfortable and safe.
Long, long before there was electrical air conditioning, there were fans. The action of a fan doesn’t by itself make the air cooler. What it does is remove the heat envelope from around people and evaporates perspiration, which allows the human body to release more heat. People feel cooler, even though the air itself hasn’t changed temperature.
Putting up holiday lighting in December is a time-honored tradition that can range from a few strings of white lights to brighten up the house front from the street, to complex, professional designs aimed to win contests and which are often visible from low-earth orbit.
