Every summer, more and more homes experience outages in their electric systems. As a top Dallas Electrician, my electricians and I see the effects of these outages every day. They can be devastating, and cause a lot of damage.  In fact, the insurance industry pays out over $1 billion in damages annually in claims caused by outages and power surge damage. Most outages are caused by the weather, but there are different kinds of weather can cause an outage. This even includes weather that doesn’t produce lighting damage like the massive ice storms we saw during Super Bowl week this year that left hundreds of thousands without power (and, more importantly, without heat!) during one of the worst winter storms in years. Summer storms can produce devastating tornadoes that can knock out power for miles around the area they touch down in, and many hurricanes begin to build in the summer and early fall, causing catastrophic results even outside of the disaster zone. Hurricane Ike left over two million people without power when it hit southeast Texas in 2008, and not all of them were in the impact zone.

Not every outage comes from something as dramatic as a hurricane or tornado.  A lightning strike, even as far as half a mile away, can potentially cause damage to your delicate electrical equipment and appliances. Often, large-scale outages can occur when lightning strikes a transformer.

Outages don’t just occur because of bad weather:  many outages are caused by power equipment switching to accommodate the heavy load people put on the power grid.  Our power grid is already having trouble with its current load, and the problem only grows as more and more people use more and more electricity.  Summer in Dallas and Fort Worth is the perfect examples.  It’s when people are running their air conditioners constantly. This puts an incredible load on local and state power grids.  This leads to government agencies putting out warnings almost every summer about potential power outages, threatening brownouts and blackouts unless people conserve energy.

These outages aren’t damaging in themselves, but they leave open the possibility for electrical power surge damage.  You’ve probably noticed that when the power comes back on after an outage, it often flickers on and off quickly as the power grid attempts to get the electricity flowing back into your lines.  This stop-and-start action creates surges that can easily damage unprotected electronics or appliances.  Having a nice TV damaged like this is a very expensive hassle, and you can imagine how much more expensive and uncomfortable it could be if the surge takes out your air conditioner and refrigerator!

So, what can you do to keep power outages and power surges from affecting you?

Some of these options can even help you save money on your electric bill without the hassle of gas, fumes, or noise pollution.

Install the service panel at a convenient location that is also secured so that only authorized people have access to it. The electrical panel is sized according to the environment as well. In many commercial wiring schematics, where each tenant has separate cabling and metering, the panel should provide for this. All panels and metering are typically installed in one location with an outline of which components are related to each apartment, floor or condo. There should be adequate electrical outlets to avoid using extension cords. It is important to ensure the layout and spacing complies with the relevant electrical standards.

A tenant may carry out renovations and wish to add electrical outlets to other locations not served by the initial outlets. Before making the modifications, the tenant should confirm that the panel and conductors have the capacity to handle extra outlets, lights or additional loads. This can be confirmed by the building owner, a qualified electrician, or electrical contractor who carried out the initial wiring. If the wiring is not adequate, additional cabling and protection may be required.

Electrical Safety in a commercial building is usually very critical to any building owner or caretaker, as well as business owners or tenants. They must ensure the safety of the people working on the premises as well as the visitors and customers. To minimize the risk of accidents and injuries, the building owner should make sure that the electrical wiring is up to date. This includes regular maintenance. Three phase power should comply with all electrical and building codes for that area. In particular, the people responsible must focus on ensuring that:

A comprehensive inspection of a commercial installation of electrical wiring should be carried out every 5 years by a qualified electrician. However, it is important to have regular inspections in between that identify defects and enable prompt repairs. A building owner must ensure the safety of the tenants, employees, and visitors while also guaranteeing uninterruptible supply to the premises.

“SOLID” was the word Ken used to describe himself.  He is a man of character who always finishes what he starts and keeps his word.  A true humanitarian and dedicated businessman, Lebersfeld accepts this award with humble gratitude.

He continues to work six days a week, providing a “solid” foundation for his employees, as well as his younger siblings and cousins who work at Capitol Lighting.  They know–if there is a problem, whether personal or business–Ken would be there wholeheartedly and in full force.  He does nothing half-way.  And, perhaps that is why he is at the helm and has become the strong-hold of a family lighting business that has strived to be the best for over 90 years.

Although a lot of people know what surge protection is, some people don't have the slightest clue. This article will explain what surge protection is and help you understand why it's important.

What Exactly Is Surge Protection?

Surge protection is what protects your electronic devices and appliances from spikes in electrical voltage. A surge protector will basically limit the amount of electric voltage that is allowed to reach the electronic device or appliance by blocking or grounding unwanted voltages.

Different Types of Surge Protectors

Surge protectors come in two different forms. You are probably pretty familiar with a power strip surge protector, but there is another popular type of surge protector that is designed for your circuit breaker panel. When selecting a surge protector, make sure that you chose a higher level of joules. This is because you have more protection as you enter the higher numbers of joules.

Benefits of Surge Protection

When it come to surge protection, there are an abundance of benefits, including the following:

Additional Outlets – First off, if you use a power strip surge protector, you are provided with a number of additional outlets that you can use to plug in more devices and/or appliances into a single outlet. Saves Energy – Also with the power strip, you can save on energy usage. This is because there is an on/off switch on the power strip that allows you to switch off all plugged-in devices so that they are pulling electricity when they are not being used. Protects Devices – If there is a major storm in the area, then a surge protector (for the circuit or the power strip type) can help keep plugged-in devices and appliances from shorting out should there be an excessive amount of voltage being transmitted or a power surge, such as from a lightning strike. Increased Warranties – As a general rule, if you have your electronic items plugged into a surge protector and they are damaged despite the protection that the surge protector should have offered, your device or appliance will typically be replaced.

knuckle-mount LED flood light is designed for subdivision sign lighting, billboard lighting, building facade lighting, architectural wall washing, outdoor displays, and security lighting. This energy-efficient LED light consumes 70 watts of power and replaces 320-watt metal-halide (MH) fixtures.

Using eight groups of nine LEDs behind individual projector lenses, the flood light fixture emits 6,800 lumens of natural white illumination in a focused 80-degree beam pattern. This dark bronze LED light is constructed of a durable die cast aluminum housing and a shatter-resistant polycarbonate outer lens. An adjustable knuckle-mount bracket allows for aimable illumination, and the weatherproof fixture can be easily installed in outdoor junction boxes that have 1/2-inch threaded hubs.