Most of the wirings in the house are capable of supporting only a specific amount of electricity, and when the flow of electricity exceeds that amount, the threats of a fire breaking out becomes real. But due to these circuit breakers, one can easily cut off the supply of electricity and wait for the right authorities to arrive and look into the matter.

Working Mechanism
Circuit breakers are tiny little buttons on a larger flat board that has been installed on the wall. The board is known as the distribution board and contains Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs). These MCBs are responsible for cutting off the supply of electricity if the flow from the power plant exceeds the normal amount.

Inside the MCBs, there is a point of contact between the two wires i.e. one wire that is supplying the electricity from the power plant and other wire that is supplying the regulated electricity to house. The live wire is wrapped around an electromagnet. Also, the MCBs contain a pivot and spring. the electromagnets are not strong enough to pull the live wire, breaking the contact when the voltage of electricity is manageable. As compared to that, when the electrical flow is at its highest, the electromagnet becomes strong to an extent to pull back the live wire thus breaking the contact between the live wire and the power plant wire. The pulling back of the live wire releases the spring that gets lodged in the contact point and prevents the wires from contacting until the problem has been solved.

The fault is then manually repaired, and the whole structure is brought back to its normal position.

Types of Circuit Breakers
There are different circuit breaker types but the three most commonly used circuit breakers are a Magnetic circuit breaker, thermal circuit breaker, and a hybrid circuit breaker.

Magnetic circuit breaker discontinues the electrical flow by using an electromagnet; the thermal circuit breaker hinders the electrical flow by using heat produced by the excessive amount of electricity to break the circuit, and lastly, the hybrid circuit breaker is the combination of the magnetic and the thermal circuit breaker.

There are other circuit breaker types too, but they are expensive due to which the circuit breakers mentioned above are used in most cases.

On the other hand, there are many benefits of pre-wiring a house that can play its role in changing anyone’s decision for the betterment.

Home Security
The option of pre-wiring allows the residents of that particular building project to have the gadgets concerning the home security to be installed at any time of the year. The cable installation for various home security devices and the installation of the movement monitoring cameras beforehand will allow you to enjoy a sense of security provided by the security devices right before you move in the property.

Wireless Monitoring From a Remote Location
The idea of pre-wiring a house while the construction is on-going, can save you from a lot of unnecessary trouble. The advanced times have opened many doors, one of which is monitoring the functionality of your house equipment and temperature regulating devices through your smartphone from a remote location. Through this way, you can counter any problem beforehand or regulate the functionality of the Air Conditions for your pets or old relatives residing in your house while you are away on your vacation.

Entertainment Hub
The pre-wiring of your house can make your property a popular destination for your friends and family. The cable installation of the home theaters, LCDs, music systems, and other entertainment electronics will open a lot of doors for you to install such electronics anywhere and at any time of the year.

Even if you are not looking forward to the installation of any of the mentioned electronic devices, or don’t want to have a modern security system, the pre-wiring of your house should be a sound option for you because it will increase the rate of your property on the real estate market.

A smart home has all the wiring, circuits, lighting, etc. of the house set up to a main control system. Many houses are being built these days that are connected to a single control system; which automatically lets the appliances to do their work by setting up sensors and timers, without requiring any physical labor.

But while smart homes are a thing of the future, setting up the central computer control system and working on the electric wiring of the house, is not. Safety is the first thing you need to take care of when it comes to handling electricity, and the only way you can be completely safe is to hire a smart home electrician to install all the upgrades for you.

The central system monitors all the electric appliances, lighting, and switches, and turns them on and off based on your proximity to them or the timer settings that you’ve set up.

There are many levels to install electric cables in a smart home, and a professional electrician can help you all the way through. Some of the services that a smart home electrician provides are multi-room audio/video installation, lighting control system, control and automation of appliances, shutters, power sockets and much more.

If you are looking to hire a smart home electrician for your home, then hire one of BK electric services electricians and let go off all your electrical problems. We will make sure to set up your smart home just the way you want, eliminating the possibility of any danger or threat.

But you can’t install low voltage lighting all by yourself, can you? You need to know all the basics and safety precautions about electricity in Los Angeles, and not everyone is equipped with that knowledge. So how do you install these low voltage lighting? By hiring a professional electrician, of course!

Handling electrical problems isn’t an easy task. You need professional help. And hiring an electrician is the only way you can make sure the lighting and wiring are done correctly and safely, be it a newly constructed house or an old one up for the remodeling.

At BK electric services, we provide all kinds of electrical lighting services. Whether it is interior or exterior, residential or commercial; our low voltage electricians can do all that you require. We provide a wide variety of low voltage services that range from fixing the lights to rewiring your home, and to installing security systems and cable lines and much more.

Whether you are building a new home or remodeling, you will need to hire an electrician to rewire and install all the upgrades to make sure that everything is done right and carefully. You cannot compromise on your and other people’s safety while dealing with electrical problems; therefore, hiring an electrician is the best option.

So, if you are thinking about installing low voltage lighting in your Los Angeles house, then make sure to give a skilled, professional electrician a call so he can do all the work for you and make sure it is done neatly and safely!

Electric work in the newly built homes and other buildings is not a DIY job at all. It is better to search for a Professional electrician to work for you because not only the right functioning of electric appliances of the whole building depends on the electric work, but also home and personal safety.

This article provides some simple tips to choose a better electrician to work on your new development work.

You can ask your neighbors and friends about a good electrician they know. You can also post on the social media and other online forums to seek help about locating a good electrician. Through this, you will get honest reviews from the reliable people about an electrician available near your area.

Going through the first step will provide you access to a few names and contacts of electricians. However, you should not rush towards choosing one already. The next step is to call multiple guys and ask for a quote. Discuss with them about the details of the work to be done at your place. An experienced electrician will satisfy you by providing technical information in an understandable way. Moreover, an experienced electrician will provide you with different options to execute your electric project better.

Experience is one thing, but a professional license means that the person possesses latest knowledge and training to work with the modern electric apparatus. Moreover, licensed electric professionals know efficient practices and tools that should be employed for durability of electric work and the safety of the place.

Although independent electricians will cost you a bit lesser, choosing an electrician who is employed in a reputable electric company is better. This gives you confidence that the company that has hired him has evaluated him and trusts him to work under their name.

Ask the electrician whether he has the public liability insurance. This will save you from a lot of legal and financial complexities if the electricians meets an accident while working on your project.

Professional electricians enlist themselves on local business listings. These bodies help professionals to connect with the people seeking their services easily. Contacting a business bureau near you will save you a lot of time and resources that you invest in searching for a reliable electrician.

The Santa Monica Pier, built in 1909, is a famed boardwalk, attracting tourists from all over the world. The Pier is also the site of the Looff Hippodrome and that carousel is a National Historic Landmark. The Angels Attic dollhouse and toy museum resides nearby. There are 3 main shopping districts within Santa Monica, Montana Avenue to the north, Downtown making up the core, and Main Street rounding out at the south. Montana is characterized by a string of luxury boutiques, upscale restaurants, and small offices. Main Street is famed for its more eclectic tastes, offering specialty clothing stores and other such retail.

If one is looking for hiking opportunities, the city features known landmarks, such as the Santa Monica Steps and Palisades Park. The former is a long steep staircase that leads from San Vicente down into Santa Monica Canyon. The latter is a stretch of bluffs overlooking the Pacific and is a local favorite to view the Pier and the ocean. The park features an interesting camera obscura.

Our Electrical Services provided to the Santa Monica Electrician community and our electrical services are skilled and licensed. We are here to keep you out of the dark. Call us now we offer 24-7 emergency services. Call us anytime to schedule your appointment; our team will work around your busy schedule in order to provide you with the best electrical services in Santa Monica.

Posted in Blog

You’ll want to turn off your lights and unplug your electronics. If and when the power goes on, the sudden surge may overload your appliances and other electronics and cause some serious damage. Once the power goes back up, feel free to plug anything back in. If you have a carbon monoxide detector, don’t worry. Those tend to have a backup battery for situations just like these.

If the power is out for longer than 2 hours, go ahead and trash any foods whose temperatures are higher than 40°F. Perishable items need to stay cooled and if they sit out in room temperature for more than 4 hours, check their temperature. Food in your freezer will stay good for up to 24 hours or 48 hours if full. Don’t open the freezer door unnecessarily.

Power outages can occur at any time and occur more often when your home is drawing too much power, especially in these heat waves that Los Angeles seems to keep having. In case the power does go, you’ll have to seek out a Laundromat or make like an Amish and wash your clothes by hand. But to prevent another power outage, wash your clothes in cold water if possible, since it requires more power to heat water. Only wash full loads and clean the dryer’s lint trap after each use. Your machine works harder if the lint trap is clogged. The same advice applies to your dishwasher, minus the lint trap. Once the wash cycle is done, allow your dishes to air dry.

You’ll want to replace any incandescent light bulbs with their more energy efficient brethren, compact fluorescent lights. They draw less power and give out a brighter light. Also, if you want to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, use generators, pressure washers, grills, and such outside.

Posted in Blog

Whilst we would not expect homeowners or business managers to be experts there are a few tell tale signs that you may have an electrical problem that needs addressing.

We recommend if you spot any of these that you do not ignore them and if in doubt call an electrician in Los Angeles as soon as possible.

You Get A Shock When You Touch An Appliance

Electric shocks should be taken seriously. In the home they are a sign that an appliance has a fault and this can be extremely dangerous.

There could be a number of different faults that If you touch an appliance and you get an electric shock then we recommend you stop using the appliance and get it repaired before using it again.

Sparks and Burning

One of the easiest ways to identify a potentially hazardous appliance is if an appliance sparks or creates a burning odour when plugged in.

Sparks and burning odours should be treated in the same way as electric shocks. If you experience them you should turn off affected appliances and get an electrician in Los Angeles.

Circuit Breaker Trips Frequently

Your circuit breaker is designed to prevent fires. When overloaded they automatically break the circuit and safeguard the connected appliances. If the circuit breaker is being tripped regularly then this could be the sign that there is an underlying hazard that is causing the problem.

These are just three tips that can help you identify issues that need to be addressed within your home or place of business.

If you are ever in doubt the safest thing to do is seek professional assistance, you can do this by finding an electrician in Los Angeles such as BK Electric.

Posted in Uncategorized

A power outage can be a real inconvenience to the public but to the vulnerable or those with a business it can have serious consequences. Therefore as an electrician Los Angeles we thought we would look at the options you have to prepare for the lights going off.

In some larger cities across the world power cuts are common, but in Los Angeles power outages are not too common and the frequency depends a lot on the weather.

Causes of Power Outages

In Los Angeles Strong storms and earthquakes tend to be the most likely causes of an earthquake although as  an electrician Los Angeles there is not much you can do when such events occur.

This can be influenced by the electrical infrastructure. As it is an older city Los Angeles different than many California cities in that many of the power lines are above ground. This makes them more vulnerable to power disruption should adverse events occur. There are projects ongoing to move power lines underground but this may take time to fully implement.

Advice From Electrician Los Angeles On How You Can Prepare For Power Outages

Stock Up On Supplies

The low-tech way to prepare for a power outage is to have a “survival” bag prepared to give you the things you will need to minimise the impact.

This should include torches, batteries, matches, cooler bags to store food from the fridge and freezer. As well as non perishable food and drink so you have a supply should the outage become prolonged.

Self-powered radios and flashlights employ a hand crank to get the device going, so it’s a good alternative to have if you happen to run out of batteries. Radios will help you stay informed of what’s happening. Try to keep up to date with what is happening in the case of storms or earthquakes.

Here is a link to a sample power outage checklist

Hook Up A Back Up Generator

One of the ways you can prepare is to purchase and install a back up generator in your home or commercial property. This can be activated when the main power goes out and used to power the most important parts of your home or business.

Depending on your budget these can support a varying amount of usage. An electrician Los Angeles will be able to advise the kind you need.

Generators vary in size and cost depending on the number and ampacity of electrical circuits to be supported in the building. These generators can be stationary or portable and it is important that they are correctly installed with an isolation switch set up.

Keeping your business running could be a huge advantage when the power goes out. Not only can you keep equipment running and stock stored safely, you might be able to stay open when maybe your competitors cannot.

We hope these tips help you prepare for power outages and the steps you can take to put back ups in place. If you need an electrician Los Angeles or  have any questions about generators and isolation switch for your home or business, give us a call.

We are committed to ensuring you get the highest level of service. We provide you with a high level of service from start to finish. This includes giving advice and support for putting together the project, through to a professional service on site and a high standard of delivery.

Dedication To Service As Electricians In Los Angeles

We are dedicated to provide customers with innovation, supreme and indispensable services, resulting in continuing relationships, satisfied customers and growth.

We understand how important it is that you feel safe and confident when you hire an electrician in Los Angeles. This is a position of trust and there are two main ways that we can ensure that our customers can call us with confidence.

The first is that we are fully bonded, licensed and ensured electricians in Los Angeles. This shows we have the skills and qualifications required to do the right job.

The second aspect is that we have the experiences of our customers. We have testimonials on our site from delighted customers.

You can find our testimonials on our site however we here is a sample.

***** 5 Stars – Great company to work with. I was in need of some electrical work and considering different providers. After making several calls and I found BK. Their staff were extremely friendly and easy to work with. I was able to work out the specifics of my job and a quotation within minutes…and they were able to get me an appointment very quickly. Once on the job, the installation team was very friendly and helpful. They also made recommendations that improved the overall project. Plus I found them to be very flexible as new ideas for additional work came up. Overall a fantastic job…I would highly recommend them.

Thanks Again!
Tom –
Redondo Beach, CA

Posted in Electrician Los Angeles

Electricity can cause serious injury and even death, it is estimated that there are 30,000 non fatal injuries caused per year in the United States by electricity. Although a much smaller number fatalities can also occur. In fact around 60 people per year die from electrocution in the United States.

If you were to factor in the injuries and fatalities as a result of electricity related home fires these statistics will be even higher!

The good news is that most of these can be prevented by using professional and licensed electricians and ensuring that electrical appliances are well maintained and serviced regularly.

Here are some easy to implement checks that you can put in place to protect you and your family in the home.

Check Electrical Cords For Damage

Damaged cords can expose the wiring which can then be a live electrical hazard. This should be avoided at all costs so make sure you check electrical cords before you use the appliance and replace if necessary.

Keep Electrical Cords Away From High Traffic Areas

It can be tempting to use extension cords to maximize the reach of your electrical sockets, particularly if they are in difficult to reach areas. However If you have cords crossing walkways then they could become damaged and cause an electrical hazard. They are also a trip hazard, and apart from the danger of a fall straining the cords can loosen the wires.

Damaged Extension Cords Should Be Replaced

Extension cords can get some rough treatment and become damaged. Whilst it can be tempting to try and patch up an extension cord with tape, this does not solve the problem. It is better to throw out the old cord and replace it with a new one.

Pull Out Plugs From The Socket By The Head Not The Cord

One of the main stresses on wiring can be when plugging or unplugging an appliance. If you pull out plugs from the wire then it can loosen the wires. The safest way is to use the plug head. This will also help your plug/wire last longer.

Ensure Sockets Near Water Have GFCI Protection

Water and electricity do not mix. Therefore you need to protect your home where there is potential they could come into contact. GFCI interrupters detect when there is potential for current to leak, therefore it is important to use them whenever there is potential of the appliance coming into contact with water. They should be tested regularly.

Child Proof Your Electrical Sockets.

When children are present outlets should be covered to ensure that children cannot put their small hands in the sockets. This can be done using tape temporarily or for those with children more permanent solutions and covers are available.

If In Doubt Call An Electrician

If your electrical sockets or circuit box is hot, smoking or emit a burning smell then do not take any risks and call an electrician immediately.

Unplug Your Electrical Devices During A Thunderstorm

Although you can buy surge protectors to protect your home and appliances these are not designed for the surge from a lightning bolt. Therefore it is safest to unplug all devices until the storm passes.

These are just a few tips that can help reduce the risk to your home and family from the dangers of electricity.

We hope you have found them useful, if you ever have any doubts about the safety of the electrical circuit wiring in your home give us a call.

Posted in Uncategorized

There is however a slight problem when it comes to electrical maintenance.

Whilst some parts of the house may be easy to inspect and assess any remedial work to be completed others are less accessible. So whilst it may be easy to check for a blocked gutter or cracked tile, other areas such as the wiring of your house may not be practical to check as regularly.

Issues may be found during building work or other maintenance, but they may not be picked up at all until there is a serious issue. Without knowing what you are looking for issues may also be difficult to spot. So it is important that any work done is done professionally by a licensed contractor.

One of these types of issue and one which BK electrics supports as part of our service offering is the electrical rewiring in the household or commercial property.

When You May Need To Rewire Your Home

Ensuring that you have suitable electrical wiring and installation is an important part of maintaining your home. If you live in an older home it may be worth reviewing the electrical wiring in your home particularly if your home was built before 1950.

This is because before 1950 electrical insulation was made of cloth which over time becomes fragile. This can lead to it becoming, brittle, cracked and it may eventually just fall off leaving exposed wiring throughout your house.

This is dangerous as touching one of these wires can cause an electric shock which could seriously injure or even lead to death. By reviewing your wiring you can easily avoid this potential risk and ensure that your home electrics are safe.

Rewiring Is Not A Simple Job

Once you make the decision to rewire your home this can be a costly, time consuming and potentially dangerous job if you choose to do it yourself.

Also as the wiring is done before the drywall is put up and painted if there are any issues once this is done then it can be costly to have to redo this work.

Therefore we would strongly recommend hiring a licensed electrical contractor to assess and carry out any major rewiring work in your home.

It is better to get something done right the first time by a professional than try and do it yourself and then have to call in a profession for the remedial work.

Video Of A Rewire

Although this video about wiring in the home, and finally if you have any questions or are thinking about getting your home rewired then you can give BK Electric a call.

Posted in Electrical Safety Tips, Electrical Upgrades Panels/Circuit Breaker box

This means getting the right contractors in place to put together your vision from start to finish.

When hiring an electrician our customers want to know that the work will be done as agreed. That means to the agreed specifications, on time and on budget.

No matter how big or small, commercial or domestic the job, when we speak to customers about the job they are looking to do we do not use sub-contractors. In fact one of the most common questions we get asked is “will you be using sub-contractors for our job?”

At B.K the answer is always no and we are passionate that our Los Angeles electricians work for us and we are committed to not using sub-contractors for any of our work.

But Why Does It Matter?

We believe this matters as we are passionate at providing the best service, but using only our workers we know they are fully licensed Los Angeles electricians that know the service standards expected.

If a contractor uses sub-contractor then there is the potential that things could be missed or that the level of service does not match the contractor’s usual standards.

By only using BK Electric electricians we can ensure that our commitment to high level service and an excellent result is shared across everyone that works for us.

This allows us to continue to stand behind all of our work and commit to the highest levels of service and quality of work.

Posted in Electrician Los Angeles

One way of lighting your home is to use recessed lighting. This is a style of lighting that involves installing a light fixture into the ceiling. The housing of this fixture is held securely between the ceiling joists or hollow spaces if being retrofitted.

Recessed Lights Design Feature

Recessed lights provide a streamlined design and create space as they do not take up as much space as a traditional light fitting. Recessed lights increase the amount of light in a room as they are higher up and the direction of their light is not obstructed by shades or fitting features.

However depending on the design they can be used to direct a light to spotlight an area of the room, often using two to three lighting fixtures at different angles.

Recessed Lighting Standards

As with all electrical installations there are standards and safety factors to consider.

There are four categories for recessed housing,  rated new, Non-IC rated new, IC rated remodel, and Non-IC rated remodel.  The design of the lights are designed to be safe by preventing flammable material from coming into the light, which is particularly important as the light creates heat.

Things To Consider When Installing Recessed Lighting

Due to the safety aspects of installing new fixtures into a home, you have to consider how they will integrate into your home’s structure. When looking to install recessed lighting, you should be aware of whether there is any insulation in or near the space you’ve chosen for your lighting fixture.

What type of housing you need depends on whether the house is in construction or in the midst of a remodel and whether the insulation is direct contact with the house.

If you are looking to install recessed lightling BK Electric Services can help you decide this and guide you through the installation process.

Posted in Recessed Lights | Tagged recessed lighting

Hiring a contractor can be daunting so we have come up with a checklist for you to use
Checklist For Hiring An Electrician

1. Is your electrician fully licensed, bonded and insured?
2. Does your electrician offer a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee?
3. Is your electrician easy to reach by phone or email?
4. Does your electrician answer your questions and make you feel comfortable and explain everything you need to know about your scheduled project.
5. Does your electrician respect your property?
6. The best electrician often comes from a referral

At BK Electric we pride ourselves in delivering an unrivalled level of service, committed to providing quality workmanship along with a professional and friendly electrical service to homeowners.

Our highly trained and licensed electricians are always courteous and friendly and will leave the area of work in a clean and tidy condition. We are confident you will not find a better or more reliable electrical installation and repair service and we offer a wide range of expertise.

Customer satisfaction is our priority and we pride ourselves on our personal service to all clients ensuring our established reputation for quality workmanship and friendly reliable service is maintained. Much of our work is repeat business from existing clients who have found our level of customer support to be invaluable. If you would like to read some of the testimonials please click here.

You can rely on us for an exceptional level of friendly service from the first point of contact to the final certification of completion.

If you have any electrical questions just give us a call.

Posted in Blog, Electrical Safety Tips.