Well, the stormy season is upon us with thunder and lightning all around…..are you prepared?  Do you have whole-house protection from lightning strikes and power surges?  With the continued uncertainty of Texas weather, it’s important to be protected year round!  Here at ElectricMan, a licensed Dallas Electrician, we offer whole-house surge protection, as well as Green-friendly electric service alternatives.  Just give us a call for more information!

-Your team here at ElectricMan

(972) 792-7270

www.electricmaninc.com

We get a lot of calls for fluorescent light repair here at Expert Electric. But before calling, always remember that if your fluorescent light fixture is burnt out or flickering, first change the bulbs (fluorescent tubes) to see if this corrects the problem and also save yourself some money. If you are not comfortable changing the bulbs due to location or any other safety concern, we would be very happy to help you. If your fluorescent fixture still does not light up after changing the bulbs then the problem is most likely faulty ballast, or less commonly a possible wiring issue.

Fluorescent light is the product of two components: the lamp and the ballast. The role of the ballast is to boost voltage for short duration; the ballast will then maintain a constant applied limited current to properly operate the lamp. You must use the proper ballast for each type of fluorescent bulb. Bulb types are T12, T8, and HO. While it is tempting to install higher efficiency fluorescent lamps (like T12s or T8s), we must pay special attention to the type of ballast installed in the light fixture or those bulbs will not operate properly.

The ballast technology has improved a lot in the last 15 years.  If you are not upgrading your ballast you won’t see the potential energy savings that efficient fluorescent lighting can provide. The new electronic ballasts operate differently from older electro-magnetic ballasts. They don’t just save you money but out-perform magnetic technology in several ways.

Higher Efficiency: New electronic ballasts provide you with more light and cost less to operate, saving you money and helping the environment. Dimming is also easier with electronic ballasts.

More Control: Electronic ballasts can be manufactured to under drive or overdrive the lamps they support, producing more or less light. This allows you to adjust which areas need more light and which need less light. The lighting pattern can now be changed due to work patterns and specific lighting requirements.

Dimmer Switches: Dimming is also easier with electronic ballasts. Preset your dimmer and it can cut your light by 50% and this will save you money as well.

Less Heat Emission: Electronic solid-state ballasts produce less heat than electromagnetic type ballast. What this means is if you are operating cooling equipment, such as food coolers or air conditioning during summer the electronic ballasts will help you save on cooling costs.

The best part is that with the higher frequency electronic ballasts, there is no flicker or buzz. There are many benefits to high efficient ballasts and we recommend you take advantage of them.

Over time, things can go wrong with any electrical system. It’s part of the nature of wiring:  wires deteriorate and connections can break down.  But what if the problem that develops is because of something that happened when the electrical system was installed, something you didn’t have any control over?

There’s nothing so treacherous to the safety of your home as faulty wiring. Mistakes in the initial wiring of your home can lead to serious safety hazards and property damage.

So what can you do about faulty wiring?  A licensed Dallas electrician can help you find the problem areas in your wiring and repair them, but we generally don’t get called in until the faulty wiring causes a serious problem.  Nobody really has the time or money to deal with these problems, so it’s better to not have to suffer through them in the first place. The best way to do that is to be aware of the electrical warning signs that your wiring might be faulty.

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.

People opt for an electric panel upgrade for many reasons, many of them linked to the increasing electrical demands of modern households. In today’s world, we need more power than ever as the devices we use become more sophisticated. With the growing importance of the technology around us, having an electrical panel that can support it all is critical. Beyond maintaining the standards of living we desire for ourselves and our loved ones, an electric panel upgrade is also necessary when it comes to safety.