The next time you call your local residential electrician to come fix any electrical problems you have in your home, you may want to ask him or her about outdoor lighting. According to the American Lighting Association, exterior lighting can not only enhance the beauty of a home,  it can also provide safety and security. Here are some things to keep in mind if you're considering installing outdoor lighting.

Call a professional

Electrical work can be tricky and dangerous. Don't embark on a lighting project without the help of a professional. Ask a qualified electrician to do an assessment of your home at night. An expert will be able to pinpoint the darkest spots around your home and explain how you should light them.

Focus on the front door

One place you'll want to install outdoor lighting is your front door. Not only will this help you and your family at night, it will also allow you to clearly see anyone who rings your bell in the evening.

Illuminate your walkway

Consider illuminating the path leading up to the door to protect your guests (or family) from tripping as they walk to and from your home in the evening.

Get a timer

Talk to your electrician about having a timer installed to control your outdoor lights. This will ensure that if you come home late from work, your lights will be on and waiting for you. You can also use a timer to turn the lights on and off to give the impression of an occupied home when you’re away on vacation.

Consider lights in the pool

If you own a pool, talk to an electrician about installing lights inside it. This will help keep your loved ones safe during nighttime swims. Also, if you have a fountain, you may want to illuminate it as well to better show it off during the evening.

Light up your deck

Lighting your deck or porch will extend the hours you can spend there and create another option for entertaining guests.

When you’re purchasing LED strip lights, there are numerous details and specifications upon which to base your decision. Color, length, and intensity are some of the major deciding factors, but there are many unthought-of product aspects that further customize light strips and what they’ll require when it’s time to install them. For example, a decision between 24-volt strip lights could change the products needed for your project.

While it depends on a light strip’s current draw, LED type, and number of LEDs, 24-volt LED strip lights tend to have longer maximum runs than 12-volt strips. This is because higher voltage carries more power. All strips have a maximum run, which is the length of continuous strip that can be powered without experiencing voltage drop. Voltage drop happens when the supplied energy of a power source is reduced as electric current flows through wire (or any other pieces of equipment that do not supply voltage on a circuit). If a run of strip is too long, reduced energy across the strip will lessen its intensity near the end.

Because they can handle more power, many 24-volt LED strip lights tend to have brighter LEDs, dual-row LED configurations, or single-row configurations of more LEDs. In these instances, maximum run might be the same as a 12-volt strip. However, keep in mind that these are more powerful strips with more LEDs or higher LED intensities. An identical 12-volt LED strip light would have a shorter maximum run.

Make sure to check any light strip’s specifications or description for its maximum run.

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.

CRI) of 82 to show the true colors of objects and surroundings.

A rocker switch allows for two levels of light, but the fixture can also be dimmed with an electronic low-voltage (ELV) dimmer. Up to 10 under-cabinet fixtures can be joined in a series with our interconnect cables. The low-profile white aluminum fixture has 120V AC operation and is designed to last 30,000 hours—three times longer than equivalent fluorescent fixtures.

Summer’s coming, which means it’s almost time to fire up the air conditioner if you want to stay comfortable in your home. But running an air conditioner can be expensive! Around this time, many people start looking for ways to save cooling costs. Some of the most popular methods include:

Other, more complicated ways people save money on their energy bills include adding insulation and planting trees. And while those are definitely effective and will save you money in the long term, there is an even easier way to save money on your energy bills that you might not have thought of—installing a ceiling fan!

You probably already know that warm air rises and cool air sinks. During the summer, running your ceiling fan counterclockwise will push air down, moving the cool air around and creating a breeze that will help you feel cooler, even if you turn the thermostat up a few degrees.  Some ceiling fans can make a room feel up to eight degrees cooler! During the summer, every degree you turn your thermostat up can save you from 3-5 percent on your cooling bills, so every bit helps.

Having multiple fans running at once can help even more by improving airflow through your entire home, so install them wherever you need them! Ceiling fans tend to be inexpensive and the comfort and savings they provide can’t be beat.

Don’t forget: running your air conditioner doesn’t actually cool your home—it only makes you ­feel­ cooler. Therefore, you should always shut the fan off before you leave the room!

You may already know that ceiling fans can help you cool off in the summer, but did you know they can also help keep you warmer in the winter? It’s true! Flip the switch on your ceiling fan so your fan will rotate clockwise. This creates a gentle updraft that pushes warm air up against the ceiling and down along the walls to the bottom of the room, making it feel warmer and helping you save up to 15 percent on your heating bills!

The same things apply to fans in the winter as the summer—multiple fans will increase the effect, but you should only run them when your home is occupied.

Ceiling fans are a great investment for anyone looking to save money and stay more comfortable in their homes all year long. If you’re looking for ceiling fan installation in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric today!