The Do’s and Don’ts of Hiring an Electrical Contractor in Westwood

Knowing you need help with an electrical project in your existing home or in a home you are having built is one thing; finding the right person to do the work for you can be something completely different. We all want to make sure you have someone of quality doing good work for us, but how are you to know the person you select is truly the best person for the job? The only way for you to make sure today is to do your homework and know what to look for. Following a few simple suggestions can help you to better understand how to go about hiring an electrical contractor in Westwood that you can rely on.

Do Choose a Contractor That Responds Well

With all the contractor listings on the Internet, you may find yourself making lots of phone calls or sending email messages to find out about services. You may also find several of these contractors that are lax in responding or in customer service. You do not want to wait around for days on end, hoping for contractors to call you back or contact you. Even worse, you don’t want to make appointments with someone that never shows up. Look at contractors that give you immediate response and are courteous and respectful to you and of your time.

Don’t Choose an Unlicensed or Uninsured Contractor

The electrical contractor in Westwood that you ultimately select must be someone that is properly licensed and insured. Anyone that cannot provide you with their license number or proof of insurance should come off your list of those you are considering. There are too many risks involved if you hire someone that offers you a cheap rate because they do not have proper insurance. You want someone that does work by the book, follows local codes and gets proper permits.

One Contractor in Westwood to Call

To assure you get an electrical contractor in Westwood that will do the best job for you whether it is large or small, call us at Hoffer Electric. We always put the needs of our residential and commercial customers first, so you will always get a quick response and reliable work at a fair rate from us. Phone our office at (323) 922-5205 to speak with us and set up a meeting so we can discuss the electrical work you need to be done as well as how we can help you.

Hoffer Electric: Install Landscape Lighting and Increase Home Value

There are several ways you can increase the value of your property and adding landscape lighting is one of them. In addition, doing so not only makes your home beautiful, but it also creates a sight that your neighbors will admire. As a result, a home with a well-planned and executed landscape design can increase the value by up to 20%. Hiring a Los Angeles Hoffer electric electrician to install your landscape lighting makes your home safer, cozier, and more appealing. Here are some tips from professionals:

Plan your landscape lighting

Firstly, the first thing to do is to create a landscape lighting plan by creating an illustration of your own yard or garden. To make things easier, use a DIY landscape design template.

Next, identify which locations where you want lighting based on your outdoor activities. Then, mark the locations where you need lighting after dark. Next is to determine the type of lighting you need.

For focal points, you may need spotlights or maybe lights with special architectural features for an aesthetic appeal. You can also use ambiance lighting for sitting areas or hardscape lights for structures like pools or pergola; then classify these lighting fixtures into categories.

Consider using multiple layers

Instead of grouping a lot of fixtures to create a bright spotlight, a professional electrician from Los Angeles recommend that you position a number of spotlights with varying angles towards the object you want to illuminate. This creates layers and silhouettes for a more dramatic effect.

Layout the components that you need

For light fixtures on your pathways light fixtures that you install on the ground, set them between 8 and 10 feet apart. Layout a low voltage cable along your concrete walkway making sure that you follow the line of the light fixtures.

If your lighting system consumes a total of 200-watt or less, use a 14-gauge cable or a 12-gauge cable for systems that use over 200 watts. If you encounter an obstacle in laying out the cable, string the cable around or under it.

Test the lighting

Finally, test each fixture for the voltage level using a digital voltage meter. An extremely low reading is an indication of a poor connection somewhere in your system or that there are too many lights in the circuit. You can do small voltage adjustments by using a transformer’s voltage controls.

Once you have tested all the lights and are all at proper readings, it’s time to clean up the area around each of the fixtures. Your job is now complete. For any issues you cannot resolve, it’s recommended to consult an professional electrician in Los Angeles to help you out.

We have what you need

Landscape lighting will instantly add to your home’s curb appeal. A few lights that are well-placed transforms a dark backyard into an inviting entertainment area. Additionally, landscape lighting accents the features in your garden or yard. As important, provide safety lighting around stairs, sitting areas, and paths.

To ensure that the installation of the lightings is both safe and professionally done, you need the services of our experts at Hoffer Electric. Call us now at (818) 999-4190 if you’re from Culver City, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Bel Air, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Woodland Hills, Tarzana or Manhattan Beach to discuss your lighting needs.

The Troubleshooting Skills of an Electrician in Santa Monica

We all experience it as a homeowner – the light in the hallway that constantly goes out, the dim lighting in the bedroom, or the blown circuits you get every time your kid plugs in one of their video games. These nagging problems are part of owning a home for sure, but that does not mean you have to put up with them day after day. If you are having issues big or small with your appliances, electricity, or lighting, trying to figure them out on your own can be fruitless. You are much better off turning to someone with expert troubleshooting skills like us at Hoffer Electric, the electrician in Santa Monica you can trust.

An Electrician Who Knows What to Look For

When you have one of our electricians come to your home for a service call, you are getting someone that is expert in the work they do. Our electricians are all highly trained and experienced, and we work to make sure everyone on our staff is up-to-date on all the latest technology and wiring so that they can diagnose problems well. Whether it is an issue with your circuits, breakers, or wiring, we can figure out what is wrong for you.

Avoid Dangerous Situations with a Qualified Electrician

Hiring an electrician in Santa Monica can help you avoid potentially dangerous and harmful situations. Problems with electrical work in your home can lead to sparks and shorts that can begin fires, endangering you and your family. Trying to troubleshoot electrical problems on your own without proper knowledge will also put you in danger. You and the people you love could be exposed to situations where you can get shocked or burned. Getting a professional to look at problems is a much safer solution for you.

We Have an Electrician to Help You

The next time you need electrical troubleshooting, call for an expert electrician in Santa Monica here at Hoffer Electric. With over fifty years of experience helping customers, you know you will get an electrician that can analyze the situation correctly. Give us a call at (323) 922-5205 so you can set up a service call and take care of those electrical issues in your home once and for all. Alternatively, you can send us an email to dbhoffer@socal.rr.com or a message with your details using our online contact form.

Solution on Circuit Breaker by Dale Hoffer, Electrician in Los Angeles

It could be quite annoying when your circuit breaker keeps tripping; leaving you to always having to go back to the panel to reset it. A circuit breaker is an essential safety mechanism that shuts off the electric current when there is an electrical problem. It is the safest way to protect your property from electrical fires. When your circuit breaker trips too often, it’s recommended to call an electrician in Los Angeles to find out the causes of the problem; but you can also do a little investigating to see if it’s something you can take care of.

For overloaded circuit breakers

When too many devices are plugged in, circuit breakers shut off the main panel box’s circuit. This prevents overheating; thus, reducing the risk of fire. You can avoid overloading by simply turning off some devices connected to the overloaded circuit. This eases the load.

You can also unplug electrical appliances that you’re not using to get rid of phantom loads. When using extension cords, never add the number of electrical devices you plug in.

The best way to deal with too many devices is to install new outlets in your home or add another circuit. You can have this solution handled by a licensed an electrician in Los Angeles.

Problem with short circuits?

If you observe that using a particular appliance causes your circuit breaker to trip, try plugging this into an outlet in another room. If the circuit breaker for that rooms still trips, then the problem lies in the device as it could have a short.

Have a repairman fix the appliance to avoid the risk of getting an electrical shock. A short circuit might also occur in an outlet or a wall switch. For instance, if the circuit breaker trips each time you turn on a certain light or plug a device into a specific outlet, this indicates where the issue is.

For your own safety, call a professional to inspect the problem and repair it. In the meantime, discontinue using the outlet or switch until you have resolved the problem.

Ground faults or outdated electrical systems

A short circuit also happens when a hot wire comes in contact with a grounding wire. This time, however, faulty or damaged equipment results in ground faults. If you think that there is a ground fault, call a professional electrician in Los Angeles to deal with the problem.

Professionals handle the inspection of the wirings and make the necessary repairs. It’s almost a certainty that the electrical wirings in older homes cannot handle the demands of modern conveniences. The most practical solution to circuit breakers that trip is to update the whole electrical system.

We have what you need

If you can’t pinpoint what is the problem, let one of our experts at Hoffer Electric deal with it. When it comes to electrical issues, it is recommended to not DIY; as the handling of electrical components in your home could be very dangerous.

We handle different kinds of electrical problems, especially the ones that cause tripping in your circuit breakers. Call us at (323) 922-5205 Our electrician in Los Angeles help clients from Culver City, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Bel Air, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, and Manhattan Beach fix electrical issues.

List of Services Every Licensed Electrician in Los Angeles Should Offer

All too often today you read reviews about contractors or workers that never return phone calls, texts, email messages, or fail to show up for the job you need them for. Every user wants to know that when they call an electrician, they will get a courteous response right away; or if they leave a message, it will be returned. Finding an electrician in Los Angeles is not necessarily a hard task; but finding one that gathers these and other positive traits is kind of tricky.

Any electrician you consider hiring needs to be a company that is certified by the State of California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). They should also be licensed, insured, and bonded. You put yourself, your employees, your business at risk if you go with a company that is not properly licensed to do electrical work. Hiring a licensed company ensures that you have electricians on the premises that have the proper training and experience to do the job safely and correctly. A company that is insured is just as important as it helps to protect you in the event of any accidents.

Airport Hangars and Machine Shops are two particular examples of places that really can’t afford to have subpar electricity and cannot be handled by unlicensed electrician in Los Angeles. Machine shops rely on electricity for (practically) every aspect of their business. Airport hangars need electricity to manage their security as well as everything else that goes into a hangar. The same pros that work on an airplane hangar can bring that same level of craft to your home’s recessed and track lighting, aluminum repair, and so much more.

Only Certified Electricians can Install a Charging Station Properly

Owning one of the new Tesla electric vehicles that have become so popular lately is an incredible opportunity. You get to drive a beautiful, unique vehicle that relies solely on electric power. You’re also helping to save the environment while getting a high-quality ride. There are many public areas in the Los Angeles area that feature charging stations you can use. While you are at work or out running errands, you need to have the ability to charge your vehicle at home each day in order to maximize the batteries and get the best use of your vehicle. A home station is just what you need, and you want to make sure you get a certified electrician to help you with installation for a Tesla home charging station.

There are different methods you can use to charge your vehicle at your home. The first choice is to basically use your vehicle as a “plug-in” and charge the car simply by using the existing electricity of your home in your garage or outdoor areas. This method can charge your vehicle, but it can take a long time to achieve the level of charge you want each day. A better alternative is to purchase a charging station you can use at your home that is designed specifically for the Tesla. This will provide you with a faster and more effective charging method.

If you are spending the money on a special vehicle and then on the appropriate charging station for your Tesla, you want to make sure the charging station is installed correctly at your home. You would hate to try to do the work yourself or get someone that is not familiar with the stations to install it for you and find it is done incorrectly, so it does not work properly. Improper installation can put your equipment at risk and even pose a potential electrical hazard to you and your home, creating safety issues.

Do You Need a Backup Generator?

The weather patterns across the country today seem vastly different than what they were years ago. All areas of the country now experience more extreme weather at different times of the year, leaving you more vulnerable than ever to potential power outages in the summer and winter months. When this happens to you, you can find yourself without power for several hours or even several days. All of the events that you see and hear about today may lead you to ask if back up generators can be a wise investment for you and your home or business.

When you lose power because of things like floods, heavy rain storms or high winds, you know that there are going to be others in your area that experience the same problems. As hard as the local utility companies may work, it may take them some time to get to your area and restore power. This can mean going without things like electricity, water and gas for a while. With backup generators, you are able to keep your household running so that you can power your important appliances to keep food fresh and have water running.

While having the proper power to keep your home safely functioning is very important, for a business that is going through a power outage it can be a devastating time. Every day you are unable to open because you are without power means you are losing money. If you own and operate a business that relies on things like refrigeration, it can end up costing you a great deal as you will have to throw away goods. A recent NBC article portrayed how many business building affected by hurricane Florence used generators to power essential functions and stay operational.

The Importance of a 24 Hour service

You may never expect to have problems with your electricity or electrical work, but issues are bound to crop up, and often at the most inopportune times. It could happen on a Sunday morning when you are just getting to start that special dinner with dozens of guests coming over. Maybe it is in the middle of the night, interrupting the use of important medical equipment you have for a sick family member or newborn. At times like this, you need to know there is accompany available to help you at a moment’s notice. You want a 24-hour electrician in los Angeles to help you.

Many services are only available from 9 to 5 or have answering services take calls and then do not get back to you for many hours, causing delays that can be difficult for you. You want a service you know you can call at any time and get the advice and assistance that matters.

An emergency electrician in Los Angeles is a necessary service. In such big city, you want to contact a pro when you have big electrical problems at home. It could be that you have lost power to your home for an unexplained reason. Perhaps you heard disturbing sounds coming from your electrical panel, and you have concerns about a potential fire. While calling 911 in the event of smoke or a fire is always the best decision to make, if there is something wrong with your utility you want the problem addressed as quickly as possible. An emergency electrician can get out to you as soon as possible, even in the middle of the night.

The Electrician in Los Angeles That Stood the Test of Time

1967 – That’s when Ben Hoffer founded Hoffer Electric. In the last 40 plus years, electricity has changed in ways that most people couldn’t even have begun to dream of. What looked like science fiction in 1967 is just a common part of life these days. In that time, Hoffer Electric has seen electric services change, but their commitment to doing right by their customers hasn’t, as Ben’s son Dale Hoffer keeps on running the family business to this day.

Hoffer Electric is a family owned company. They don’t just work on the electricity of companies around Southern California; they live there, too. According to their positive reviews on Yelp, they are known for treating everyone’s electricity job like they were doing it for friends or family. Thus, they’ve managed to foster a real sense of community with their clients.

Many electricians say they’ll give free estimates, but then they end up proving anything but. A “free estimate” isn’t really free if you have to put some money down or spend some before the electrician gives it to you. By that same token, a free estimate is worthless if the electrician springs surprise fees on the homeowner when it comes time to complete the bill. Hoffer Electric offers a true free estimate and also makes it easy to fill out. All you have to do is type in your email, name, phone number, and a brief description of what you need or call (323) 922-5205 and (818) 999-4190.

Hoffer Electric’s Residential Electrician for Setting Up Your Home Office

Tired of hiring office space or working for the company you’re employed in? Would like to start working remotely? There are many benefits to this such as growth potential and cost savings but before starting working at home, ensure that your office is adequately set up. Doing so will improve productivity and help cultivate office ethics, here is what Hoffer Electric’s residential electrician can do for you to help with this:

Installing wireless internet CPE

One of the most important electrical components for working remotely at home is the fast internet to meet the demanding needs of doing work online. Apart from that, you also need large amounts of data bundles so it only makes sense to get an affordable home wireless internet provider.

Some of these ISPs cost an arm and a leg to install their CPE; you can try to minimize costs by buying the needed material yourself. Once you have done that, ask a residential electrician to mount it.

Adding power sockets for office equipment

There is a lot of office equipment you might need including printers, shredders, computer, the Wi-Fi router, and so forth. All of this equipment requires additional power sockets and instead of using extension cords that create safety hazards, find an electrician to add the number of sockets.

A qualified electrician can add power sockets wherever you need them where the office equipment will be placed. If you are using cable internet, an electrician can mount the relevant sockets where they need to be.

Back-up power supply

You might experience power cuts at any given moment due to faulty electrical wiring on a citywide scale. Alternatively, your own electrical distribution board might have faulty wiring and cause the main switch to trip.

When the power goes off before saving the work, that can be a problem. You can solve this problem by getting a back-up power supply unit such as a generator or UPS. An residential electrician in Simi Valley can figure out the best solution tailor-made for you.

Making the working space conducive

There are certain elements that contribute to a conducive working environment including the temperature and lighting. These elements have a direct impact on productivity and retaining concentration when working.

You can ask a professional residential electrician to install recessed lighting in Simi Valley to get enough light to work. Work without getting distracted by getting an AC unit where you can set the temperature to the perfect one.

Reach out to Hoffer Electric to get the necessary electrical wiring done

Call us on (323) 922-5205 or (818) 999-4190 to get your home office set up according to the specific requirements you request by a residential electrician. We can handle any electrical requirements that may arise when migrating to working at home. Our skills range over a variety of electrical trades; the job you need? We can get it done.

Reasons Why a Licensed Electrician in Los Angeles Makes a Difference

The adage of “good help is hard to find” certainly rings true for many of us today. When something goes wrong with your home or business, and you need repair work done, finding a licensed person to do the job for you has become quite a chore. Even though there seems to be a large listing of services offering work like contracting, plumbing, or electrical work, you can never seem to get the company that is reliable or does good work for you. Following the three R’s – references, recommendations, and Yelp reviews – can help ensure that you choose the right licensed electrician in Los Angeles.

References are important. And there is nothing wrong with asking a service to provide you with references. That way you make sure that they satisfied other clients with their work. Recommendations are always important as well. So ask your friends and neighbors who they have sued for electrical work to see who you can contact. Finally, read online reviews provided on websites and forums so you can see what other customers are saying about a particular service.

A Residential Electrician to Install New Ceiling Fans

You love your home, but there are many spots in the house where the lighting you have in the room seems inadequate or dated. You struggle to see things well, but there just does not seem to be anything you can do to make things better. Now may be the right time for you to think about an upgrade and choosing to go with ceiling fans in different rooms in your house can be the answer. Calling a residential electrician to install new ceiling fans for you can give you the lighting you need and make sure the job is done correctly.

A Licensed Electrician in Los Angeles for Proper Installation

Installing a ceiling fan may not seem like that big of a deal at first, but if you do not have the proper wiring done in the area already, you will want to make sure you contact an electrician to help you. A licensed and experienced electrician can come into your home, check the areas where you want to have your ceiling fans, and provide you with the best options regarding what needs to be done. You can get the correct wiring job, and even get an upgrade to your electrical panel if necessary to handle the extra power so you can be sure everything is safe.

A fan installed improperly poses a risk to your home and family. If the wiring is not correct, there is the potential for a short or fire. Getting the right person to do the job for you will make sure that the fan works right and is completely safe.

Make Your Project Successful with the Help of a Commercial Electrician

Deciding to renovate your business location is a big step on your part. You have known you needed to expand and make your facilities better so your employees have the space they need to work well and so that your customers or clients are more comfortable, but now that you are ready to undertake the project you need to make sure you hire all the right people to do the work for you.

Getting contractors in place is important, but if you are making additions or changing the space significantly so you can add new, more modern equipment, you may want an electrician to come in and do work for you as well. A commercial electrician can help make your renovation project more successful for you.

Licensing is Critical

There may be many contractors out there today that tell you they can handle the electrical work for you. But if you really want to be sure that they do it correctly, you want to have a licensed expert handle it for you. Contractors need to be properly licensed to do electrical work. This is done to make sure the job is performed correctly and safely. A licensed electrician is going to have the deep knowledge of electrical systems of all kinds so they will be aware of any special challenges they may face in the work that needs to be done. They will also be able to make use of the latest tools. Equipment and technology needed to make sure the job gets done right the first time so nothing needs to be re-done right away, costing you more money in the long run.

You want to do all you can to make sure everything is up to code, safe and functioning properly always. If there are ever any questions about wiring, electrical panels, circuits, lighting or other electrical components, you need to know that you have someone you can trust to come in, perform the necessary work and have everything in proper order for you.

To make sure you have a quality electrical contractor in Los Angeles that you can trust, you want to hire us here at Hoffer Electric. They have served the Los Angeles area since 1967. And can provide you with all the residential, commercial and industrial electrical work that you may need. Call (323) 922-5205 to schedule a service and get a free estimate for the work needed. Get the electrical service you can trust and rely on in the Los Angeles area.

Call Dale Hoffer, The Residential Electrician Expert

With the abundance of information due to websites and YouTube video tutorials, many people might lead people to believe they should do everything themselves. In electrical systems, one mistake can result in catastrophe and this is why you should try by all means to avoid DIY activities of this trade. Call the residential electrician at Hoffer Electric because there are other reasons that make DIY electrical troubleshooting dangerous and end up being more expensive. Here are a few of them:

Buying and using the wrong equipment

A misdiagnosis of the actual problem can lead to buying and installing the wrong components. You can also make a mistake on the specifications of the components and cause the supply to be too weak to power your system.

Some of these parts and equipment are not refundable so buying the wrong components can lead to a lot of wasted money. Using the wrong equipment might also compromise the quality of the system exponentially.

Risk of starting an electrical fire

Individuals that are inexperienced in electrical system troubleshooting will be doing more of trial and error. The only problem is that it is the lives of the occupants living in the house that is on the balance.

By misdiagnosing a problem, you might even start an electrical that might burn the whole house down. To avoid all of this risk, get a 24/7 electrician that will respond at any time of day and even at midnight to diagnose and fix the problem.

Wiring the circuit wrongly

If troubleshooting your own electrical problems requires unwiring the circuit or taking some systems apart, it might be hard putting them back the way they were. When rewiring the circuit, it is easy to make a mistake; putting the lives of you and your family at risk.

To troubleshoot the electrical problems you’re facing, find an electrician to do it for you. Professional electricians will not make that mistake of wiring the circuit wrongly, making the system safe to use.

Exacerbating the problems by producing inaccurate troubleshooting result

When an unqualified individual attempts electrical troubleshooting, he might make a minor a major issue before he even notices. Reaching inaccurate conclusions can make the problem worse; requiring even more funds because of the further damage done to the equipment.

Instead of attempting DIY electrical troubleshooting as an electrical repair company to do it for you. Choosing to do this will save considerable amounts of money in the long run; the electrical system will last longer.

Call Dale Hoffer to troubleshoot your electrical problems

You can count on us to get your electrical systems checked out to determine its safety. We promise to deliver quality service and very accurate troubleshooting results. All you have to do is pick up the phone and call us on (323) 922-5205 or (818) 999-4190 to get a residential electrician in Simi Valley. We will troubleshoot your whole systems and render them safe again.