You may not think about it often, but the power coming into your home travels a long way before it gets to your refrigerator, air conditioner, or any of the other appliances in your home. On the way, electrical current encounters fluxuations and interference from things like other appliances, machinery, and low quality wiring. That “Dirty” power can cause inefficiency and disturbance in your appliances, making things like the motors in your refrigerator and air conditioner, the circuits in your television, and all of your other electrical gadgets work harder than they need to, and wear out faster than they should.

A Power Conditioner will take the electrical current coming into your home and “clean” it, using filters to isolate power outlets and remove interference. This provides the correct voltage level to sensitive electrical equipment, allowing it to work safely and efficiently at the correct voltage.

Because power conditioners help your appliances run more efficiently, they can also lower the overall cost of running these appliances, and extend their lifespan. For more information about home power conditioners or for help on any electrical project in your home, please reach out to Dallas Electrician, ElectricMan Inc. by phone at 972-792-7270, or through the contact form on our website at www.electricmaninc.com

By: Sarah Trocolli

Father of electricity Nikola Tesla was known for being brilliant, quirky and driven in his pursuits to understand electricity, and after many experiments, Tesla eventually laid the ground work for the modern day Alternating Current electric supply system. As a tribute to Tesla and all the dads around the world, Mr. Electric® presents a few kid-friendly experiments exploring the basics of electricity for a fun Father’s Day activity. The kids can explore electrons, static electricity, voltaic batteries and other simple components of electricity – all under the safe supervision of their dads.

Level of difficulty: Easy

What you need: A dark room, fluorescent light bulb and a comb or woolen scarf.

What to do: Run the comb through your hair or through the wool scarf at least 20 times to let the electrons build on the comb. Then turn out the lights and hold the comb to the bottom of your florescent light bulb and watch the electrons charge the bulb. This is great for learning about electrons, and it can be a fun magic trick! For further explanation, click here.

Level of difficulty: Easy

What you need: Cornstarch, vegetable oil, mixing bowl, large spoon, balloon, and a measuring cup.

What to do: Blow up the balloon, tie it and then rub it on your hair. Mix a fourth cup of cornstarch and a fourth cup of vegetable oil into a mixing bowl, and then put the mixture on a spoon. Hold the spoon with the mixture on it near the balloon and watch the mixture gravitate towards the balloon. This experiment looks like a gooey monster stretching to touch the balloon, and it is a fun way to learn about static electricity! For further explanation, click here.  

Level of difficulty: Moderate

What you need: Distilled white vinegar, five pieces of copper wire, five galvanized nails, ice tray and one LED light

What to do: Wrap five nails with five pieces of copper wire and place them separately in the ice cube tray filled with vinegar. Create a circuit by placing the end of the copper wire not wrapped around the nail into the ice cube tray next to it until each section has one nail and one copper wire in it, and then place the LED light in the tray. You have just created a Voltaic battery! For further explanation, click here.

Level of difficulty: Challenging

What you need: Eight D-sized batteries, mason jar or other clear glass, electrical tape, pie pan, scissors, toilet paper tube, mechanical pencil refills and two sets of small alligator clips.

What to do: Connect the batteries positive to negative to create train of batteries. Place the toilet paper tube in the center of the pie pan and using electrical tape, attach the alligator clips and mechanical pencil refills to the tube. Place the mason jar/glass over the tube and connect the other end of the clips to the batteries. After the batteries have a few minutes to charge the circuit the mechanical refills will begin to glow and you will have a DIY light bulb. This is a great way to show that household items can be used in an innovative way. Exercise caution, as this experiment exerts heat and can cause the glass to become very warm. For further instruction, click here.

We hope these electrical experiments provide an enjoyable experience for dads and kids to spend quality time together while learning lots and having fun. Thank you to all the fathers who enlighten children and empower the thinkers of tomorrow. Happy Father’s Day from everyone at Mr. Electric!

Luxurious lighting styles are in the eye of the beholder. It can be an over-the-top glamorous chandelier with ornate details to a simple and clean glass globe lighting pendant with a singular, classic antique bulb. Whatever luxury lighting means to you, it can be attained without breaking the bank if you carefully shop and compare.

Traditional Luxury

The foyer might be a best place to start your luxury lighting quest, as it’s where you greet your guests. Consider large-in-scale pendants, which make a statement in what could otherwise be a plain space.

The Socorro lighting collection by Sea Gull Lighting is influenced by a classic, barbed Quatrefoil shape. Its rustic look is created by both Cerused Oak and Stardust finishes. Pictured here is the six-light foyer pendant.

Modern Luxury

As many homeowners use their kitchen as a central gathering place, here, too, presents an opportunity to showcase your idea of luxury lighting. Imagine family and friends clustered around a kitchen island, where a carefully placed pendant—or two or three—could become a conversation piece. Here, these stunning, modern Lexi three-light pendants from Feiss draw the eye upward to its textured crystals floating within a laser cut frame. A White Shantung silk shade sits within the crystal drum while a glass diffuser softens the light.

Contemporary Luxury

You might think an opulent chandelier or a cluster of colorful pendants are expensive, but there are many affordable versions that will still add a “wow” factor.  If your dining room is used for special occasions, you might consider something bold. The Carondelet four-light chandelier from Sea Gull Lighting features a cascade of faceted, linear glass crystals delivering the ultimate sparkle. Hanging them in a pair is an affordable way to make a luxurious and indelible impact.

Glamorous Luxury

With the eggplant color paint, plush silver rug and other modern furnishings, this living room is the perfect backdrop for the Marquise Collection by Feiss. Designed to follow the cut of a marquise diamond, the lighting collection has a delicate, exposed metal frame adorned with a silver leaf application—then it’s finished with a string of hand-applied beading to capture the light. Shown here are the Marquise three-light pendant and one-light wall sconce.

Hollywood Regency Luxury

The Hollywood Regency style is very popular, as it harkens back to era when heroes such as Greta Garbo and Douglas Fairbanks graced the Silver Screen, and the nation’s total wealth more than doubled. Note how the Burdeen sconces by Feiss flanking the window and soaking tub enhance this spa-like look with their glass etched backplates and three candelabra lights. There’s also a one-light Burdeen sconce that’s even more affordable.

Mountain Luxe

Mountain Luxe design could be easily defined as mountain lodge meets high rise penthouse—creating a perfect place to nestle by the fireplace while sipping a hot toddy. The unusual coupling of dark and light fashioned into a lovely round silhouette in this six-light Colorado Springs semi-flush ceiling fixture by Feiss embodies Mountain Luxe with its clear glass crystals floating in metal rings, which are then threaded onto a chain and strung into its drum shade.

PRO TIP: Be it traditional to transitional or contemporary to modern, to achieve the luxury look you want in your home seek out affordably-priced, high quality looks that emulate more expensive designs. Think “Get the Look” feature stories that run in magazines such as Glamour where high priced clothing is compared to low priced clothing with the same aesthetic. It works!