The days are getting shorter, the leaves are piling up higher and there’s a hint of pumpkin spice in the air. This can mean only one thing – Fall is near. This change in weather patterns and temperature will undoubtedly bring new challenges to electrical safety around the household. In order to stay safe and get the most out of your fall electrical services, please take advantage of the following 5 Expert Electric tips for Fall:

Although nobody enjoys the packing and storage of their Spring and Summer electrical household items, it’s a necessary chore that helps significantly protect the household from unnecessary electrical hazards. When packing up these electrical items, it’s imperative that they are stored safely and strategically in order to protect them from severe weather conditions. This includes warm weather tools such as lawn mowers, trimmers or any other electrical devices. It is also important to drain these household items of any leftover gas or fuel.

For outdoor projects that require electrical equipment, it is necessary to ensure that the equipment is weatherproof. Any lawn mowers, leaf blowers or other equipment should be able to withstand the cold weather, rain or snow that often comes with Fall. If you’re unsure whether or not your electrical tools are weatherproof, feel free to contact our team of electricians at Expert Electric.

Dry leaves are often overlooked as an electrical danger. To ensure your household’s safety in Fall, keep all dry leaves away from any electrical equipment including lighting, cords and outlets. Make this part of your household routine and get into the habit of cleaning up all the dry leaves.

It’s best to get an early start on this tip and get it out of the way before the cold weather and rain roll in. Set aside a couple of hours on the weekend to inspect all outdoor electrical wiring and cords to ensure they are damage-free. Even a small rip or tear in an electrical cord can make any devices susceptible to danger.

Since you will already be setting aside some time to inspect your electrical wiring and cords, take a few hours to also review all outdoor electrical equipment for any damage. This includes pools, hot tubs, saunas and more. Ensure that all of the equipment is operating properly and that any damage is fully addressed and handled before severe weather conditions roll through.

Have any questions about fall safety tips or electrical services? Expert Electric has all the answers! Please visit out contact page for a local number near you or fill out one of our online forms.  The Expert Electric team of licensed electricians is here to ensure all of your fall electrical projects are handled safely and efficiently.

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Aluminum LED profile housings allow you to create customized light fixtures with LED strip lights. Our Klus brand LED channels are available in many different styles, including recessed-, or flexible, O-shaped, and more. Available in 1- and 2-meter lengths, the channels can be easily cut for any application from under-cabinet lighting and bookshelf lighting to showcase lighting and transition strip lighting. They’re available with a variety of lens options, such as clear, frosted, and etched that complete the profiles. We’ve put together a step-by-step guide for using these channels to create your own light fixtures. Please note that your specific channel might vary from the one used in this tutorial.

Materials needed:

1. With a pair of clippers, carefully clip through the clear plastic heat shrink as shown in figures A-C. You will want to take your time and be careful not to cut the strip’s wires while removing it.

2. Lay the LED strip into the channel, and position it along the bottom so that the ends of the strip and the channel are lined up (fig. A). Now, remove the paper from the strip’s adhesive backing (fig. B), and adhere the strip to the LED channel—starting at the lined end and working your way to the other end of the strip. Be sure to leave roughly 1/4-inch free at the end of the channel so that you can install the end cap as shown in figure C.

3. If one of your end caps doesn’t come with a pre-drilled hole, you will need to drill your own to allow the wires of the LED strip light to come through. In this case, we used a Dremel tool, but other options are viable as well. Regardless of the tool you choose, it is helpful to mark the end cap where you would like the wires to come through. Start the hole small, and increase the size as necessary.

4. Place the end cap on the wired side of the strip by threading the wires through the end cap as shown in figure A. Insert the end cap into the end of the light bar, and push firmly until it is fully in place (fig. B).

5. On the open end of the bar, slightly peel up the end of the LED strip (fig. A); this is necessary to install the end cap. Now measure your channel lens, and trim off the excess with clippers (fig. B). Be careful when trimming to avoid cracking the plastic. Excess material can be lightly sanded off. Once the lens has been cut to the proper length, slide it into the channel, and install the end cap as shown in figures C and D.

6. That’s it! Your customized LED light fixture is complete and ready for installation, which we will cover in the next step.

7. Mounting this LED profile is as easy as applying double-sided tape to the back of it and sticking it to your intended surface. Be sure to cut the tape to fit the back of the LED profile and to leave the tape backing on the side not attached to the channel until you are ready to mount it.

For most LED profiles, mounting clips are available for a more permanent installation.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.