Now is the time to evaluate your outdoor and landscape lighting needs in preparation for the summer season.  Follow our step-by-step landscape lighting design plan and get the job done right.

Learn how to get luxurious landscape lighting effects and make your home shine by Memorial Day 2014…

Step One:  Review the perimeters of your home, including surrounding outdoor property—front yards, back yards, side yards—to see which features you would like to accentuate, such as fountains, sculpture, or flower boxes. Choose a few areas that will stand out and add a luxurious element to your home at night.

Step Two:  Scout out areas where you will need security lighting—leading up to and at all home entryways.  Take note of areas where path lighting, step lighting, and task lighting are needed.

LED strip lighting under steps, railings and benches provides excellent security lighting and may be custom-tailored to your decor. LED light strips are especially suitable for outdoor areas, as they are long-lasting and extremely durable, radiate very little heat, and use up to 80 percent less electricity than standard light sources.

Step Three:  If you have existing outdoor lighting—review your property at night to see where you can upgrade your lighting design.  Check that everything is in working order and adequate illumination is provided at all significant locations.

• Where there are large areas blanketed in darkness, consider installing a floodlight equipped with energy-efficient lamps and lighting controls.

• Equally important is to check for areas that are excessively bright. Overly bright outdoor lighting, including path lighting and patio lighting, creates glare and can actually make it harder to see at night and diminish safety and security.

Your landscape lighting should be soothing and comfortable.  Make sure that  landscape and outdoor fixtures do not cast light into your neighbors’ property.  Keep “light trespass” from invading your own home at night.

Step Four:  If you like to entertain outdoors—see that your property is safely lit for guests—pay attention to elevation levels and unusual dips or risings; boundaries defining rock gardens, Koi ponds, and small shrubs should be clearly visible.  Make sure you have enough ambient illumination for safe navigation, as well as sufficient task lighting for cooking and food preparation.

Step Five:  Lighting techniques, such as shadowing, silhouetting and cross lighting add artistry and depth to your landscape at night.  But do not overdo it.  Depending on the size of your property, select one to three key areas that will expand and complement your overall landscape lighting presentation.

• Conceal lights behind and below a statue or small tree to highlight form and create definition.

• Show off a sculpted garden,  a textured rock wall or a unique architectural feature of your home that will stand out at night.

Light responsibly.  Keep an eye on the safety.  Having top-quality outdoor lighting makes for the best “Neighborhood Watch Program.”

Light conservatively.  The most wonderful aspect of outdoor and landscape lighting is that you only need a few well-chosen light sources to deliver a great deal of illumination and an overall luxuriant feel to your home.  Compared to other home improvement projects, top quality landscape lighting adds substantially to the value of your property.

Light efficiently.  You will save money in the long run, if you invest in automated lighting systems and LED landscape lighting now.  For maintenance-free, durable, long-lasting illumination—buy your LED landscape lighting and automated control systems from a reputable dealer.

Top-quality LED landscape lighting fixture are built to last with finishes guaranteed to withstand harsh weather conditions; many come with life-time product warranties.

Find qualified lighting professionals and electricians.  Professional lighting consultants will help you design your landscape lighting to exact specifications with outdoor fixtures that are UL-listed for outdoor use; electricians, familiar with updated LED lighting systems, should be licensed and aware of current electrical codes and ordinances in your town or city.

Order your fixtures early, set the job up now with energy-efficient security lighting and luxurious landscape illumination to ensure you will be ready for summer holiday celebrations.

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In recent years, homeowners throughout the country have becoming increasingly reliant on appliances and electronic devices. Many don’t realize this, but that means that the electrical demands we are placing on our homes are much higher than they used to be, and our homes may not be well-equipped to handle it.

You may use small, portable surge protectors or power strips in your home to plug in things like your TV, or computer equipment. However, this is typically not sufficient enough to really protect your home and electronics against the dangers of power surges. Fortunately, there is a solution—whole-house surge protection.

As we mentioned above, you may utilize power strips to plug electronics such as your laptop or entertainment equipment into. This isn’t necessarily a bad idea, as it does serve a purpose. However, the more demand you place on these, the higher risk there is for your electronic equipment.

Whole-house surge protection helps guard your electronics and appliances against a large power surge. Remember, a power surge can do more than just cause your lighting to go out or kill the battery in your laptop. It can damage your HVAC system and any other large appliance that’s hooked up to your home’s electrical system. Systems do not even have to be operating or turned on at the time for a power surge to damage them.

If you want full protection for your home and electrical system, then you need the right type of surge protector. No matter what type you choose, it’s important to have it professionally installed to ensure that it works properly and really does protect your electrical system when needed.

As electricians, energy efficiency is always at the forefront of our mission. Since heating and cooling account for nearly half your utility costs, we believe that it is our duty to help customers integrate efficient home practices that cut costs but not comfort. Now that the spring season is in full swing, make sure your home is a respite by installing ceiling fans throughout your home. Ceiling fans boast numerous benefits, all of which you will thoroughly enjoy throughout every season. With temperatures soon to be on the rise, you’ll want to act quickly before it’s sweltering.

There’s a common misconception that ceiling fans cool rooms, however, the truth is that they actually cool skin. Therefore, if you were to leave a fan on in a room where nobody is present, you would only waste energy. To get the most out of your ceiling fan, you need to actually be in the room for the wind chill effect to work.

When a light switch or electrical outlet doesn’t function correctly, a professional electrician can trace this back to a variety of causes. First, it’s possible this non-functioning device was never connected to the wiring in your building. Secondly, the circuit affected by a switch or outlet may not be completed because of another component. For example, a switch may control an outlet which is unoccupied by a lamp or any other electrical device. Also, an outlet may be connected to a switch which is in the off position. A third cause might be related to a defective breaker, or a breaker which was tripped or turned off, but never switched back on. However, a fourth possibility may relate to a much larger problem.

Sometimes, a switch or outlet fails when it is damaged by arcing. If the arcing was caused by a connection to aluminum wiring, great potential hazards exist. If your home or building was constructed or renovated before 1972, or during the late sixties, it may contain aluminum wiring. Aluminum wiring was used legally during those years, but outlawed for installation in new homes, commercial buildings, remodels and renovations after it was identified with conditions which could lead to electrical fires.

Although aluminum wiring itself is generally no more hazardous than copper, its splices and connections with other metals present a real hazard because they can become corroded and begin arcing. Because arcing in these connections can lead to a fire within surrounding materials, aluminum wire was discontinued. However, many homes still contain aluminum wiring, and research conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reveals that buildings with aluminum wiring pose a fire risk which is 55 times greater than the risks with similar structures wired with copper. So, if you discover an electrical outlet or switch which doesn’t appear to be functioning correctly, it’s possible this outlet or switch was damaged by a connection with aluminum wiring.

If you have safety questions about this type of problem, or any electrical concerns regarding your residence or commercial building, please contact Bryant Electric Service at 512-402-8587. Our licensed electricians are trained and equipped to perform professional safety inspections, and they can repair any type of electrical problem.

Are you sick and tired of paying an arm and a leg for your electricity bills? Congress is considering legislation that could bring you some relief. A bill was introduced to the House of Representatives this summer that would update the Title I Home and Property Improvement Loan Program, which helps consumers make efficiency upgrades to their homes. The new bill is intended to help homeowners invest in solar energy to power their home electrical work. Read on to learn more about this legislation and how it can help you.

Upgrading Your Electrical Work

The Title I home loan program has been around since 1934, aimed at helping homeowners with capital for home improvement upgrades. Currently, Title I is working through the Federal Housing Authority's Power Saver program, designed to promote clean energy and fight climate change. Home energy efficiency upgrades like photovoltaic solar panels, therefore, are a natural fit for the program.

The legislation currently in front of Congress, called the “Solar and Water Efficient Homes Act,” would update the Title I guidelines to better accommodate modern technologies, as well as increase the number of loans that are available and reduce the bureaucratic red tape that has bogged down the program in the past.

Bringing the Capital to You

Upgrading your home can require significant costs that are beyond the reach to many low and middle income families, so the Title I program provides capital that allows homeowners to realize energy savings immediately. Those who are eligible can get loans of up to $25,000 to make a variety of efficiency upgrades to their electrical work, most notably by installing solar panels. The program will also help homeowners purchase new HVAC systems, beef up their home insulation, buy new water heaters and even install geothermal heating systems.

“Title I loans have helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners improve their homes,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California), one of the bill's sponsors, said in a press release. “It’s time we make it easier for homeowners to invest in energy efficiency upgrades and improve water conservation, creating good local jobs, and helping the environment.” The legislation also hopes to spur job creation by encouraging consumers to spend more money on home services labor and equipment.

Efficiency Arrives at Your Home

When it's time to boost your home efficiency, Title I is there to lend a helping hand – and if Congress passes the Solar and Water Efficient Homes Act, the incentives will be even stronger. If you want to learn more about the Title I loan program, or need any repairs done on your home electrical work, contact a qualified electrician today.