One of the main stays in Industrial and Commercial Lighting has been the Metal Halide Bulb. It is common in Indoor Fixtures, such as High Bays, Canopy Lights, Garage Lights and Low Bays. It is

So you have a Metal Halide (or even High Pressure Sodium) light, and you want to convert to LED. You’ve done your research, you’ve been inundated with marketing materials that tell you what is the most important thing to consider (coincidentally it probably is something they think is important). And now you are left to make a decision. New or retrofit? What new versus retrofit. We sell both. Our retrofits perform as well if not better than new fixtures, but not all retrofit kits can make that claim. However, if your fixtures are old, leak, and have seen their better days, then by all means replace them. It does not make sense to buy a new fixture that includes a retrofit kit inside of it like some vendors will try and sell you. The engineering of some of the new fixtures are fantastic. However, the real reason you would want to consider retrofitting is because you have a significant investment in fixtures. Why not keep that investment? Retrofitting is extremely cost effective, especially our Look for the DLC Premium Symbol, it’s different than the DLC Standard symbol. And that gives you the quick notification that the light you are looking at is the most efficient.

And why does that matter. It’s simple. It will save you a lot more money. Let me do three comparisons for you. First a retrofit kit designed at 97 lumens per watt to replace a 400W Metal Halide bulb, a second at 102 lumens per watt and ours at 155 lumens per watt. Lets keep everything else the same. Cost of electricity, hours of use. The only thing different you will notice is the watts consumed and the lumens produced. For the record, our retrofit kit uses the least amount of energy in this test BUT also produces the most amount of light. We will use 12 hours a day operating time and .12 kw.h electricity cost

Calculation 1: 97 lumens per watt retrofit head, 135 watts, 13164 lumens

Savings per fixture per year over 400 watt Metal Halide: $170.82

Calculation 2: 102 lumens per watt retrofit head, 143 watts, 14600 lumens

Savings per fixture per year over 400 watt Metal Halide: $166.62

OK, so between the competitor options, you are neck and neck, the difference is so minimal you can make your decision based on whose website you like more

Calculation 3: 155 lumens per watt retrofit head, 100 watts, 15,776 lumens (this is our LED Retrofit Kit)

Savings per fixture per year over 400 watt Metal Halide: $189.22

So there is clearly a $18.40 savings over the first LED retrofit option and a $22.60 savings per fixture over the second LED Retrofit option. And, we produce more light!

We have 3 mini LED Retrofit Kits, 30W, 45W and 60W designed to replace up to 250W Metal Halide. We have 3 standard sized retrofit kits, 75W, 100W and 120W designed to replace from 250 Watt to 400 Watt Metal Halide. We have 2 Large Retrofit Kits, 150W and 200W, designed to provide more light than a 400W Metal Halide up to 750W Metal Halide. And we have 3 Extra Large retrofit kits, 280W, 320W and 350W, designed to replace 1000W Metal Halide.

Spring brings plenty of wild storms to the area and hopefully with those thunderstorms, there will be lots of rain. When the dark clouds form, you can prepare for thunder and lightning and the possibility of a power outage. During a thunderstorm, there are some things you need to do to stay safe. Although lightning striking a person is rare, it does happen more often than you would think. Lightning can also come through phone and data lines into your house. An electrician in Burbank has some tips for you when it comes to staying safe in the next thunderstorm. You can always call The Electric Connection if you have any more questions.

If you are at home, take the following steps.

*Unplug any electrical appliances you won’t need *Do not take a shower or bath during a thunderstorm

You can have a whole home surge protector installed by a Burbank electrician to prevent the need to unplug appliances. The surge protector will prevent power surges from damaging appliances.

If you are outside, seek shelter if possible. Sitting in a car is safer than standing in the open. If you are in a boat or at the lake, get away from the water. Do not take shelter in anything that could be damaged by high winds. Do not go back outside for at least 30 minutes after you hear the last boom of thunder.

Teach the entire family what to do should a thunderstorm roll in and you are not home. Consider having a surge protector or back up generator installed by an electrician. Burbank residents can count on the team at The Electric Connection to answer any questions and complete a professional installation.

Whole-home surge protectors are designed to protect your home from dangerous lightning strikes that could knock out power or fry your electronics, potentially resulting in thousands of dollars in damages.  Recently, however, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding whole-home surge protectors, claiming they’re a waste of money and don’t do what they claim to be able to do. So what’s the real story here? Are whole home surge protectors worth it?

We’ll start by talking about what surge protectors are not designed for: protecting your home from all sources of increased voltage. Power surges most commonly originate inside your home as a result of different appliances turning on and off. Depending on your home’s electrical service (100amp vs 200amp or whatever you may have), you’ve probably seen this in the form of flickering lights when your air conditioner cycles on.

Whole-home surge protectors do protect your home from power surges that originate outside, commonly caused by lightning strikes but also resulting from any interruptions to the power: downed wires or utility poles, wind damage, utility repairs, etc.

There are a few different ways power surges can occur. Lightning strikes, which people tend to be most worried about, are actually pretty uncommon—conditions need to be perfect, and the strike needs to occur less than one mile away from your home. Despite their rarity, lightning strikes can send a 200,000-amp jolt through your home and are definitely not to be taken lightly.

The majority of external power surges occur when the magnetic field created by wires conducting electricity collapses, which sends large voltages down the wires and eventually, into homes and buildings.

Effectively defending your home from power surges requires a two-step approach: first, outfitting it with a whole-home surge protector, then using surge-protected outlets and power strips indoors. Both types of surge protectors act essentially like pressure relief valves, diverting excess energy away and restoring normal operation once levels regulate.

Whole-home surge protectors are usually wired to a service panel and are designed to stop surges of at least 40,000 amps, though larger ones can be installed. Pairing them with individual plug-in surge protectors should do a good job of catching any potentially damaging energy that may get into your home.

Like many safety-related things, whole-home surge protectors are appliances you buy and hope to never actually use. But all it takes is a single downed line or big lightning strike to cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to your home—not worth the risk!

If you want to protect your home from dangerous jolts of electricity by installing a whole-home surge protector, call Kolb Electric today!

The holidays are nearly here, which means it's time to string up the lights. And while it doesn't take an electrician to get that job done, it doesn't hurt to think like an electrician - especially when it comes to safety.

Whenever you're using electricity, heat-producing lighting and power cords, it's a good idea to observe some basic precautions to avoid accidental shock, burns, fire and tripping hazards. This and every holiday decorating season, observe these simple tips for a safe and festive experience:

Inspect and Test

Before putting up any electrical holiday decorations, take time to thoroughly inspect them for damage. If you find frayed wires or signs of melted plastic, don't use those decorations - throw them away and replace them. If they appear to be in good condition, test them before hanging them up. There's nothing more frustrating than stringing up a strand of lights only to find out it's a dud!

Upgrade Your Lights

If your lights are showing signs of wear or you just feel it's time for an upgrade, consider switching to LEDs if you haven't already. LEDs are not only brighter and more energy efficient, they're safer because they produce almost no heat.

No Dry Trees

If you have a live tree, be sure to give it plenty of water. A dry tree can burn quickly, and any significant source of heat could pose a serious fire risk. Be especially careful to hydrate your tree if you're using lights, and never allow candles in the area of your tree stand.

Careful With the Cords

Be deliberate about where you run all cords and wires, including strands of lights. Never run cords across walking paths, as this can create an unsafe tripping hazard. You should also never run cords under rugs or through doorways, as this can cause damage that could lead to electrical shock or fire.

Stay on Your Feet

If you need a ladder to hang your lights, have a friend hold the ladder and act as a spotter. Wear non-slip shoes and make sure your ladder is locked into position on a level surface before climbing.

Right Lights for the Job

Most strands of lights are rated for either indoor or outdoor use. Indoor lights are not designed to withstand all-weather conditions, and in the worst-case scenario, using them outdoors can lead to electrical shock or a fire.

Any homeowner can observe these smart tips, but they might not address all of your holiday decorating challenges. If you find that you need new outlets installed to make your lighting scheme a reality, reach out to your licensed, local electricians while there's still time to decorate!

Surge protection is part and parcel of every electrical system and many devices such as HDTV’s and computers are plugged into surge protection devices. However, it’s not necessary to have individual devices to protect the different appliances or equipment in your home. It’s possible to get a centralised surge system installed into your property’s main electrical panel; this turns your home into a single large surge protector.

This kind of a system offers a significant amount of convenience. Most homes nowadays have a large number of appliances and equipment ranging from washing machines, dishwashers, electric stoves, ovens, refrigerators, HVAC systems, home PCs, printers, scanners, pool equipment, hot water systems, outdoor lighting, irrigation system, home entertainment and music system and more.

Based on the number of equipment and appliances you want to protect, a centralised surge protector can be much more affordable than just getting individual surge protectors installed. This also extends protection to all the other larger appliances in your home, that don’t already have any surge protection adapters. The different types of surges that can occur are:

The long and short of it is that surges can occur at any point of time and this is what makes it important to have a centralised system that will provide protection to all the equipment and appliances in your home.

If you notice the lights in your home flickering, that is generally caused by an electrical surge. Typically, these types of surges won’t burn out your appliances and devices, but they do have a negative impact on the longevity of this equipment. When it comes to getting surge protectors installed, the high-cost of the damage caused by electrical surges to our electronic equipment and appliances should be the topmost priority.

Current day home appliances such as ovens, dishwashers, refrigerators etc. are becoming increasingly sophisticated and operate on smart technology. They have a large number of closely intertwined, sensitive components; an imbalance or impact to one of them has the potential to impact the rest of the components too. This holds true for larger systems such as the hot water and HVAC systems too.

Even when these systems aren’t being used, major electrical surges can cause heavy damage to them and will shave years off of their operational lives. Without you realising it, this can result in thousands of dollars of losses in the duration you live in that home. In some cases, a massive power surge can cause irreversible damage to your HVAC or hot water system, and replacement becomes the only option you are left with.

Keeping all these aspects in view, it becomes extremely important to ensure that you have a high-grade, reliable surge protection system installed in your home. We at Allround Electrical can provide excellent electrical upgrade maintenance solutions to commercial and residential customers.

We will survey the space, make note of all the equipment and appliances on your property and will provide solutions that are best-suited to your needs. For more information, contact our friendly team at this number – 1300 169 263. Alternatively, you can also write to us at this email address.

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