Someone would think that a bulb is a bulb is a bulb; well that isn’t really the case. Anyone who has bought a light bulb will know that there is a large variety to choose from. These bulbs don’t vary only in terms of their illuminating power, size and application, but in type as well. It can be quite a challenge to choose the right light bulb for your home.

However, it’s important to understand that something which is in vogue need not always be the best solution for your home, your energy bills or even the environment. You should be aware of the different types of bulbs available in the market and what their properties are.

This will help you make a more well-informed choice and will help you save on energy costs too. When you are choosing bulbs for your home the factors you should keep in view are the upfront cost, light output, the settings and fixtures the bulbs can be used in, energy efficiency and how environment-friendly they are.

When it comes to home lighting in Australia, there are 4 different types of bulbs you can choose from. Let’s take a look at their features and how they stand up against each other in terms of efficiency, cost & environment-friendliness. Just as home design trends come and go, so also is there a change in home lighting trends.

The upfront costs for these bulbs are very low (it’s also why they are so popular), but they are expensive to run. These bulbs produce a warm light and are a good option for lesser used areas like a laundry or bathroom. The Government doesn’t really recommend using these for general home lighting as they are inefficient and because their running costs are higher. In fact, the Government is also making every effort to phase out these bulbs. They are doing this by introducing MEPS (minimum energy performance standards) for all lighting products.

These bulbs use tungsten elements and have higher efficiency levels compared to incandescent ones; they are longer lasting too. Unfortunately, there are many disadvantages to halogen lights. Typically, these lights are best used to light smaller areas that require focused lighting. However, most people tend to use them to light larger spaces and they end up consuming much more electricity than they should. The Government is phasing out certain types of halogen lights too.

These are a very popular choice and many homeowners use them. They are energy-efficient, have a lifespan that’s 4-10 times longer than that of any incandescent bulb and are available in cool/neutral/warm tones. They are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but are far cheaper to run in the long term.

Today, these are proving to be a highly efficient alternative to CFLs or incandescent bulbs. Their initial cost is significantly higher, but they offer 80% energy efficiency and last for a number of years. Since they last for so long, they are easy to maintain and are a good home lighting choice.

For any additional information about the different types of bulbs and advice on which type will be best suited for your usage and home, call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263 and speak with our experts. We can provide you the best electrical solutions at the most reasonable pricing. You can also drop us a line via email or use this contact form and we will revert without delay.

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LED light bulbs and fixtures are the best alternatives for many reasons.

LED lights are available in several shades of white. These shades are referred to as a bulb’s correlated color temperature (National Institute of General Medical Sciences, states that, “Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment.”

According to writes, “Several studies have documented the importance of light in reducing depression, decreasing fatigue, improving alertness, modulating circadian rhythms, and treating conditions such as hyperbilirubinemia among infants. Further, the presence of windows in the workplace and access to daylight have been linked with increased satisfaction with the work environment.” Windows are the best method of accessing daylight, but cool white LED lights along with the right color temperatures at the right times, can have the same effect on the body.

Warmer color temperatures lead to the release of melatonin, which causes drowsiness. This is appropriate during bedtime hours, but causes problems for those who need to stay awake, such as overnight nurses and doctors. Introducing natural or cool white light to hallways, operating rooms, and nurse stations can help hospital staff, especially overnight workers, feel more alert and energetic.

EPA has a list of cleanup procedures, such as having everyone leave the room, opening a doors or windows, shutting off heat and air-conditioning systems, and other specific instructions.

Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs also emit low doses of UV radiation that can damage not only facility materials but can also damage skin and eyes. According to a CBSLA.com discusses the results of another study that had similar findings. In this article, it is said that, “. . . exposure to the (fluorescent) bulbs could lead to premature aging and cancer.”

Continued UV exposure is also harmful to the eyes. A LED lights won’t flicker or emit any color spikes. Color fluctuations and flicker can cause negative effects, such as headaches and dizziness. When used for hospital lighting, LED bulbs and fixtures can improve overall health and eliminate the possibility of additional health risks posed by fluorescent and incandescent bulbs.

Seeing colors as they truly are is critical in health care environments. Inaccurate color rendering of skin or blood could lead to a misdiagnosis or failure to see signs of infection or jaundice. The spectral graph below can be helpful in understanding the advantage of high-CRI light sources. Lights with a low CRI will show fewer colors while high-CRI lights cover more of the spectrum. A light source’s ability to show more colors increases its accuracy in revealing the true colors of people, objects, and surroundings.

FreemanWhite, a health-care-focused design firm reports, “. . .light fixtures with a high CRI . . .  help caregivers assess rashes, lesions, and skin pigmentation.” They go on to say, “In the interest of avoiding liability claims, better lighting quality can enhance a caregiver’s ability to diagnose correctly, identify reactions, prevent secondary infections, and minimize readmissions.” High-CRI LED lights can also help prevent medication errors.

Another method of LED hospital lighting control is the use of occupancy sensors. These sensors will save money beyond those that result from reduced energy consumption. Sensors will also extend the life span of bulbs and fixtures even further by turning them off when no one is in the area. These sensors are best suited for low-traffic areas.

It’s beginning to get dark earlier and earlier; depending on the month, after the autumnal equinox (September 22nd), we’re losing between 1-2.5 minutes of daylight each day leading to the winter solstice just before Christmas. This means that letting the dog out each night is going to require more and more squinting, taking out the trash becomes perilous, and dealing with evening snows becomes even more annoying. We at Electrical Gurus recommend you consider investing in exterior house wiring and backyard illumination now, while the temperature is still relatively warm and it isn’t yet dark before dinnertime.

By investing in backyard lighting, you stand to gain a large measure of safety for your family and guests alike. Motion-sensing backyard lighting can save you a sprained ankle, a fall on the ice, or even just a stubbed toe as you navigate your backyard space throughout the winter months. Year round, however, motion sensing light increases the safety of your home as a whole, as it can help to ward off intruders and invasive critters, such as raccoons, from nearing your home. While you will likely get the most use out of your exterior lights during the winter months, they are a great thing to have year round.

Its nice to watch the snow falling just outside the windows, as your family enjoys hot chocolate inside. By having lights for your outdoor space, you make the spectacle even better. It doesn’t always snow in Des Moines, surprisingly, and warmer winter days aren’t uncommon; these warm winter days should be taken advantage of, which is hard to do if it is dark at 5pm. With easily accessible outdoor lighting, your family can enjoy outdoor living areas, you can dust off the grill for a winter burger, and open up possibilities for a nice fire on a brisk night.

Investing in pleasant-looking lighting is a great way to add value to your home, especially in winter months. Nothing takes a home from looking plain to extraordinary in the evening hours quicker than some well-placed lighting. Whether you utilize uplighting to illuminate trees or your home’s exterior or landscaping lights to illuminate the lawn, these lights provide utility and bring value to your home. Exterior lighting can take your home to the next level of visual appeal, but does require help from a skilled electrician to do well. Get in touch with us today to learn what it will take to get your home’s exterior looking great at all hours.

Regardless of what you’re looking to gain by lighting up your home’s exterior, be sure to call Electrical Gurus for help with your electrical installation. Our highly-qualified electricians are happy to offer their experience in helping Des Moines homeowners with with internal and exterior electrical services. If you partner with our expert electricians, adding some lighting to your home’s exterior can increase its safety, usability, and give you a large boost to curb appeal.

Get in touch with our Des Moines electricians today!

Maciej Winiarcyzk using more than two thousand digital photographs just over a month ago.

I have never had the privilege of seeing the northern lights in real life, but my sister lives in northern Canada and has told me about them. (She’s a pretty credible source: She even named her daughter Aurora.) After asking her, “What ARE the northern lights,” several times, I now understand the aurora borealis to be a visual effect of the collision of solar wind and magnetospheric charged particles with the thermosphere. Can you see why I had to ask what the northern lights were more than once? The northern lights are most spectacular near the North Pole and during spring and autumn equinoxes. (And, by the way, no. The northern lights are not Santa’s off-season hobby.) But the northern lights, if there are some geomagnetic storms a-brewin’, can be seen closer to home, too, visible occasionally as far south as Chicago or New York.

Anyway, this guy Winiarcyzk is an astronomy enthusiast who lives in Caithness, which is at the tippy top of Scotland. There’s isn’t much light pollution way up there, so it’s a good place for such a sky-minded person to live and enjoy his hobby. Wonderfully, with this time lapse video of the northern lights, we get to enjoy his hobby, too.

Take a look. Have you ever seen anything more lovely occurring in nature? You know, with all this solar wind, magnetospheric particles, thermospheres, and geomagnetic storms, it sure seems like there is a lot more going on in nature than we can readily sense.

A modern convenience often taken for granted, electric power, can be found everywhere. To route electricity from the power station to your wall outlet requires many steps. Residential house wiring includes a variety of wiring and control devices to ensure safe and reliable service.

Electricity in the home is distributed by means of branch circuits. Furthermore, each branch circuit is supplied via a circuit breaker sized per the expected load on the circuit. A typical lighting and receptacle circuit will be rated at 15A. Because of their size, larger loads like ovens, clothes dryers, and air conditioning units are given dedicated circuit breakers.

A typical home can have dozens of 15A circuits, and several 20A, 30A, or even 50A circuits. Yet the total of all these breakers is much more than the size of the main breaker. However, this is intentional. It’s highly unlikely that every circuit will be fully loaded at any one time, so a demand factor is taken into account to keep the main breaker at a reasonable size.

A wood-framed home will typically use solid copper non-metallic sheathed cable for the majority of wiring applications. Solid conductors are easy to terminate and cheaper than equivalent stranded wire. The AWG size of the wire is determined by the expected load on the circuit and by the size of the breaker protecting it. You should never connect a wire to a breaker that is too large to protect it, as an overloaded wire can easily catch fire.