LED cove lighting is a great way to add accent lighting or color to any room, and LED strip lights are the perfect product for the job. LED strip lights can be used for any type of RGB LED strip lights, you can choose from a ton of dynamic color-changing and single-color modes with adjustable brightness and speed control. variable color temperature strips are also available and can be used with a compatible controller and remote. Installing LED cove lighting is easy, and we’ve provided basic instructions for a standard L cove, recessed ceiling/tray ceiling cove, or crown molding cove in a 16-by-16-foot room. We recommend that you have a certified electrician wire your strip lights to power.

Tools and Optional Materials:

The way you install the strips or even the number of strips used might vary depending on the room size or the style, shape, and size of your cove. The steps and materials needed for this particular installation could be used in a room with a standard L cove, crown molding cove, or recessed ceiling/tray ceiling cove. The photos below show several different cove types.

DIY “L” Cove

Valence Cove

Crown Molding Cove

8) If desired, use a double-sided 3M foam pad to mount the amplifier in the middle of strips 1 and 3. Cut the foam pad, and use it for both amplifiers.

9) Repeat steps 6-8 for strips 2 and 4.

10) If you are experienced, connect your power supply to power. Otherwise, hire a certified electrician to set up power for your new LED cove lighting.

How much electricity is your household using? Chances are, you skim over your electric bill each month and if the price doesn’t seem out of the ordinary, you move on. This is what most of us do. It’s become the norm. But have you ever thought about what electrical usage and energy bills are like in other states and countries?

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that the national average is 909 kilowatt hours (kWh)/month, with monthly electric costs of $110.20. The EIA also breaks down the average electric usage by state. You can download the full spreadsheet with all state data here.

Keep in mind that the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) doesn’t necessarily dictate the costs, so the state paying the most may not be the state actually using the most electricity. Electric costs vary state-by-state. The average monthly price tag that emerges from your electrical usage depends on how hot/cold and urban/rural your home state is, as well as what the area costs are. For instance, even though Louisiana has the highest monthly consumption (1,273 kWh), Hawaii, (the state that uses the second-least amount of electricity) pays the most at $203 per month. Furthermore, Maine, the state that uses the least amount of electricity each month (531 kWh), still pays more on average for electric than New Mexico ($75 per month). However, Maine does pay a similar average price ($77.77), so their low energy conservation plays to their benefit.

Wondering where our home state of Texas fits in? Well, we are the 5th highest electric consumers in the country, using 1,174 kWh/month and paying around $133.33 on our monthly electric bills. Nationally, that puts Texas just above average in our electric use.

In terms of our country’s impact globally, overall the United States has the second highest household energy consumption in the world, with homes using over 11,698 kWh per year. This is two to three times more than European households and about twenty times more than Nigerian homes. Moreover, each American individually uses about 4,500 kWh each year, which is about five times the average for all people who have electricity in their homes around the world. But of course, these disparities are affected by differences in physical house size, local electricity prices, appliances, the amount of sunshine, and access to alternative fuels for heating and cooking.

This month, it could be an interesting experiment to compare your energy bill to the averages to see how you stack up! If you’re paying way above the average for your state/country, it might be a good idea to see how you can save more energy throughout the year. Luckily, our site is filled with blogs with tips and tricks for spending less on electric!

Sources:

U.S. Energy Information Administration

Shrink That Footprint

Outdoor lighting can be one of the easiest improvements that you can make to the exterior of your home, and it can make a huge impact. Not only will outdoor lights improve the way your home looks at night, but it can also increase the value of your home. If you wish to sell your home in the future, you will be able to add your exterior lights to the list of amenities that your home can offer potential buyers.

Some of the most popular places to add landscape lighting are along paths or walkways, and around patios or decks. Los Angeles homeowners often place outdoor lighting at different points throughout their flower gardens, too, which creates a beautiful setting for any summer evening. By placing small outdoor lights throughout the yard, it gives the impression of twinkling stars right in your own back yard. Landscape lights can be installed in many unexpected places, such as your own vegetable garden!

The Electric Connection, a licensed, bonded and insured local electrician in Los Angeles, can be a big help when it comes to deciding what type and style of outdoor lighting to use. They can also recommend where to place your lighting, and how far apart the lights should be. It’s always best to have this type of electrical lighting done by a licensed electrician.

Strategically placed outdoor lighting can be just the thing to help you make better use of your deck or patio, whether you’re spending time outdoors at night simply enjoying a quiet evening at home, or if you’re hosting a big party or a neighborhood get-together.

When it comes to the types and styles of landscape lighting choices that are available, there’s no need to worry because you’ll discover that there are plenty of options to choose from. For help and suggestions, you can find us on our website at TheElectricConnection.com. You can also give us a call to chat with us about your outdoor lighting options during our regular office hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. We’ll be happy to set up a free landscape lighting estimate for you whenever you’re ready to get started.

Electricians are often seen as professionals whose only skill set is to fix something that isn’t working, however there are many times when we can also advise on design. Our experience includes helping a many previous clients add accent lighting to their homes with the goal of creating truly beautiful and enjoyable spaces.

Accent lighting is any lighting feature that draws attention to an area or brightens up a space. Accent lighting can include any type of lighting from small pot-lights or a subtle spotlight. Accent lighting is not intended to fill an entire space with light, but just enough to put more emphasis on a piece of artwork or create a nice mood when the main room lights are turned off.

Accent lighting has a great benefit, in that it can be installed almost anywhere. If you have positioned a piece of artwork above your fireplace, you can add a couple of small accent lights to draw guests’ attention to the beautiful piece. If you have a long hallway that seems drab and dull, adding small pot lights or led lights can help guide the way and provide visual interest in the space.

Apart from the aesthetics, accent lighting can also save you money. Accent lighting can use low-voltage lights and LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs which take very little electricity to power. If it is a bright day you can turn off your main light switches and let the accent lighting do the rest of the work to light up the areas that aren’t being reached by the sunlight. If it is late at night and you want to create a nice relaxing atmosphere, using only the accent lighting will do just that. This saves you money on your monthly electrical bill, as you are not wasting money to power lighting that is not being used efficiently.

Accent lighting can be easily installed in most homes. Depending on the complexity and electrical requirement of the lighting, it can be tied into most electrical circuits around your home. When using low voltage lighting you don’t need to worry about overloading the circuit and causing your electrical breaker to trip. Have one of our Expert Electricians review your circuit where you would like to install the lighting and we can help you understand everything involved in the installation.

As we move in to the summer, now is a great time to have accent lighting installed indoors or outdoors. Save money and add aesthetics to any area in your home. Contact your local Expert Electric at 604-681-8338 and we can help you get starting on making your home efficient and beautiful.