A common lighting technology in the commercial space is metal halide, at least in the past it was. At an ever increasing rate, businesses are actively searching for a more efficient lighting system that will allow them to cut energy consumption and in turn; reduce overhead expenses.

When companies or facility managers start their search, they often search for the wrong answer. Here are some common questions that we are asked:

“How many watts does it take to replace a 1000w metal halide light?”

“How can I replace my metal halide light?”

“Is it even possible to replace my metal halide fixture with another technology?”

This post specifically will be covering the first question, as for the other two: be sure to subscribe to our email list to know when new posts go live, we are always pushing out informational content to answer your questions just like these ones!

So.. How many watts does it take to replace a 1000 watt metal halide fixture?

It’s simple a simple concept, yet not at the same time. In short, it’s impossible to know just from that question alone. The reason for this is simple too: you can’t base your decisions off of watts alone. Instead, you need to be basing your decisions off of lumens.

What is a LED equivalent to a 1000w metal halide you can easily find fixtures that output at over 100+ lumens / watt. Especially when you go with quality products from reputable companies, you can reach higher than a 150 l/w output. This will allow you to cut your wattage usage per fixture by 2-3 and sometimes 4 times which will prove to save substantial amounts of energy when you start talking about replacing multiple fixtures.

So we’ve explained what it takes to replace your 1000w metal halide fixture, but what does “replacing” consist of?

Replacing can consist of two things: write in to one of our professionals with your questions.

For many people the basement is a place of escape and for others it is simply a place for storage. With all the room underneath you, you don’t want it to go to waste. Renovating your basement can greatly increase the value of your home if it is unfinished or in need of an update. One important point to remember is the electrical wiring hiding behind the walls.

If you bought your home and it was already finished, that work could have been done many years ago and you might be thinking it is time to update fixtures, paint, and maybe evening moving a wall. When you begin pulling things apart, be careful for loose or old wires. If the electrical work was not done right, there could be loose electrical wires that were not tied in properly.  The wiring can also be old and out of date. If you are moving walls or replacing fixtures and you are worried about the age of the wiring, have a licenced electrician come to inspect your wiring. If you are going to go through the effort of redoing your basement you want to make sure it is done right.

For those who have an unfinished basement you have a clean slate to work from. Once you start putting up the framing for rooms, you can start on the electrical rough in. This is the foundation for the electrical wires, which includes drilling holes in the framing and running the wires to where they need to go. If this is not done correctly it could leave you with a significant headache once your drywall is up and you have to punch a hole in the brand new wall.

When you are planning out your new layout, make not of where each outlet, light switch, and light fixture will be placed. This will help you plan out the electrical rough-in. If you have reached this point in your basement renovation and don’t know where to go from there – contact Expert Electric. Our electricians can help you with the planning and running the wires through your basement.

Most electrical panels are located in the basement. Prior to your renovation, you probably could easily access the panel. When you are putting up framing and drywall, be sure to leave enough room around the panel for it to easily open. You also want to make sure not to cover it with furniture that could prevent you from accessing it quickly. In the event that you need to turn on a tripped breaker or even turn off a circuit in an emergency, you don’t want to be struggling with furniture to get the panel open.

Before you renovate your basement, have a plan and be prepared.

Cities like Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pueblo are constantly expanding and urbanizing—you can always spot a new neighborhood development on your commute to work. New homes are sprouting up all the time, and people are buying. However, sometimes new isn’t always better (or cheaper). There are a lot of great, older homes throughout Colorado cities, and are often a better choice when it comes to real-estate investments. If you currently own an older home, or you are considering purchasing an older home, you’re going to want to check for these common electrical problems that could cause issues in the future in terms of both safety and money.

Generally, homes that were built after 1940 are in the clear—they are usually safe and the electrical systems were installed up to code. Homes built prior to the 1940s should be evaluated, however, as many of the electrical wiring could have deteriorated or may not be able to power a home in this era of modern day technology and appliances. Regardless of when your home was built, it might be a good idea to have an electrician come out and evaluate the wiring systems in your home and ensure that your family will be safe. Here are some things that you can look for yourself when it comes to old wiring in old homes:

Old Cables

Metal cased, fabric covered, or frayed wires are signs that your wiring is outdated and unsafe. Many times during the early 1900s, electrical wiring was “protected” by metal jackets or canvas-like cloth, which can cause problems if the insulation in your walls has been damaged or aged, or even if the metal electrical cords were placed on inadequate grounding. If the wires get exposed, or start to fray in these two locations (next to insulation or on top of a poor electrical foundation) this could be a serious fire hazard waiting to happen. You know you need to call an electrician and get your wiring replaced when you can see any scorch marks on switches or outlets, when you see torn, damaged, or missing insulation, or when you see exposed wires that could potentially cause a fire.

ZINSCO and FPE Panels

Zinsco Panels

While popular around the 1970s, Zinsco panels are almost obsolete today. However, older homes can still have these panels as a part of their home’s electrical system. Not every Zinsco panel needs to get replaced, but it would still be a good idea to get it inspected, as these panels have circuit breakers that have been known to melt into the main bus bar and cause a fire.

FPE Panels

Federal Pacific Electric panels were distributed throughout thousands of homes in the 1950s to the 1980s, and have an unfortunate reputation of being extremely hazardous to the safety of you and your home. These panels have been known for their inability to trip the circuit breaker when the circuit is overloaded or short. When the breaker doesn’t trip, it instantly puts your home at a fire risk because the circuit is taking on much more than it can handle and has no way to shut itself off.

If you recognize either two of these logos on your electric panels in your home, call an electrician immediately to get them inspected.

Old Fuse Boxes—Below 100 Amps of Power

Houses built before the late 1940s and early 1950s were not expected to handle the amount of electricity that we use in modern time. That being said, the homes were installed with a circuit box that can only power 60 amp service (four fuses), or sometimes even 30 amp service (two fuses). This means that your older home may not be able to power all of the appliances and electronics that you have in your house. If your breaker is tripping constantly, or your electric bill is through the roof, this may be a sign that your older home needs an electrical inspection to update the amp-service. Older electrical panels are also at risk of starting a fire. If you are unsure whether or not your home is experiencing this, call an electrician to be safe, and they will be able to give their expert opinion on whether or not you need to upgrade your electrical panel in your older house.

These are just a few signals of outdated electrical work in an older home, but each one is a serious risk to the safety of you and your family. If you have an older house, be sure to get it checked out and evaluated for safety. The same goes for those who are looking to buy an older home in the Colorado area, as the electrical work could be outdated and dangerous.

Super Bright LEDs employs skilled engineers and experts to test LED lights before they’re sold. Our in-house test lab is stocked with numerous pieces of equipment that provide important specifications about each product, such as brightness, color temperature, and operating temperature. Testing methods include the use of integrating spheres, spectrometers, Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) cameras, and an environmental chamber. In addition to this equipment, our technicians perform burn-in tests and durability tests that can last anywhere from two weeks to several months.

CCT, and

Our state-of-the-art environmental testing chamber utilizes a 30-cubic-foot enclosure to reproduce the full ranges of temperature and relative humidity found within commercial and industrial LED lighting applications. Data collection (photometric & electrical) occurs while a device-under-test cycles through specified environmental extremes. Chamber temperature ranges from negative 35° C (negative 31° F)  to 200° C (392° F), and humidity ranges from 10 to 95 percent.

To ensure that our products will perform under normal and extreme conditions—and to have a little fun—our technicians put them through a round of applicable tests. A selection of LED lights is time tested in the environment that each product is designed for. For example, waterproof boat lights are submerged in water, and weather-resistant landscape lights are installed outside. Depending on the type of product and its impact/weather rating, our technicians might drop, run over, freeze, burn, or even saw it in half to test the product’s durability.

BRIGHTEN UP YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE UTMOST IN HOME LIGHTING DESIGN

With Troy Lighting you will find an exciting mix of trend-setting designs and popular classics at incredible prices. Troy Lighting and Troy Landscape Lighting provide entire families of matching chandeliers and ceiling pendants, and outdoor lanterns and wall lights to create a unifying lighting theme.  With nearly 100 complete collections of bath lighting products, along with exterior and interior lighting, Troy Lighting offers excellence in illumination for home and office environments from traditional to modern.

Shop 1-800lighting.com to save on the season’s best light fixture designs and accessories, including exciting new pendant lights  and LED outdoor wall lighting from Troy.

Experience pure illumination with the latest energy conserving designs…

Troy Lighting is known for distinguished Hand-Forged Iron and Hand-Applied finishes.  A company that takes great pride in engineering and inspection to ensure top quality light fixtures for interior and exterior lighting applications.  LED outdoor wall lighting and landscape light fixtures are exceptionally beautiful and eco-friendly; Indoor wall lighting and exciting new pendant lights are available with Energy Smart compact fluorescent illumination and energy-efficient halogen.

Since 1963, Troy Lighting has been a trusted lighting leader. The company continues to maintain consumer confidence with outstanding service and impressive lighting designs.

A THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE OF PENDANTS….

Chianti

Medocino

Conduit

Uni

Fabulous wall lighting for indoors and outdoors…

Jensen

Relativity

Highland Park Energy Smart CFL outdoor wall lights

LED outdoor wall lighting designs include:

Hive

Troy Lighting goes above and beyond to provide outdoor and landscape light fixtures that are Dark-Sky friendly and in keeping with California’s Title 24 guidelines to help protect the nighttime sky view and save on energy costs.  Troy Landscape Lighting’s new “Environmental” series provides decorative outdoor lighting effects with the utmost in energy-efficiency and intelligent design.

View the latest hanging pendant lights, bath vanity wall lighting,  and LED outdoor wall light fixtures from Troy.  Everywhere you see the light, let it be “Troy to the World” this holiday season.

As part of the Littman Group, Troy Lighting and Troy Landscape Lighting join elite brands CSL (Creative Systems Lighting), Hudson Valley Lighting and Corbett Lighting, to bring the brightest new lighting designs of the season.  See all the best interior and exterior light fixture designs at 1800lighting.com.  Enjoy the best price guarantee and holiday specials throughout Capitol Lighting showrooms in New Jersey and Florida.