GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupters. This specific type of outlet can help prevent most electrocutions, and are even required in homes near sinks such as those in the kitchen or bathroom. GFCI outlets measure the current flowing out of the outlet and back. If the values vary, even slightly, the outlet with shut down any transfer of electricity. This has saved thousands of lives over the last 40 years. It’s very easy and quick to have an electrician go through your home and replace standard outlets with life-saving GFCI outlets.

If you’ve ever had children, you know how important outlet covers are in the home. While they may not be necessary all the time in a home with only adults, there are many other reasons besides children that these covers come in handy. Outlet covers are simply pieces of plastic that fit into outlets to protect anything from making contact with the available electric current. These covers protect children from putting their fingers in outlets, dogs and cats from licking them, and help prevent the rare accident as well. Pick some up at your local hardware store.

If you’ve ever opened up a light switch panel, you’ve probably seen simple situations that have three wires. One wire is the hot wire which carries electricity to the outlet. The other hot wire is only hot when the switch is activated and carries the electricity to a light or appliance. The third wire is the ground wire. More often than not, especially in older houses, this third ground wire may not be attached to anything. It’s important to make sure this ground wire is properly installed to the switch to avoid things shorting out or electrical fires.

Perhaps your house was originally built without air conditioning or you have added a full laundry room onto your home that wasn’t there when the house was built. If that’s the case, you may have outgrown your home’s electrical panel without realizing it. Adding high energy use appliances can easy place an extra toll on your electrical panel. The best way to know this is if your lights flicker when you start an appliance or you have a breaker regularly flip. It’s time to call an electrician if you think this may be the case.

Add the perfect custom finish to the front of your home with outdoor hanging lanterns and wall lanterns.

When using two outdoor lanterns, they should measure about 1/4 the height of the front door(s). When you are using only one lanterns, 1/3 of your door height is appropriate.

Outdoor hanging lanterns should be centered over your front door(s), high enough so that the doors may open and close freely. If you have a picture window or archway above the front door, center the fixture so that it may be seen from inside your home.

Wall lanterns surrounding the front doors should be proportional to your home, when in doubt, size up! Remember, fixtures appear smaller from curbside viewing than most people would imagine.

Wall lanterns are also appropriate for rear and side entrances and by garage doors – same rule of thumb for sizing applies for these areas.

Path Lighting should be placed 6′ apart to ensure adequate beam spread.

Be sure to make your space functional! Task lighting is an important piece of the design; it will provide guidance and illumination in the necessary areas to ensure safety.

Focused illumination on key holes and security pads allows for easy access when you are entering and leaving your home at night. Outdoor LED wall lights or recessed spotlights work well in these areas.

Add path lighting to walkways every 6’ to provide adequate beam spread. This will create curb appeal ambiance and visibility when walking at night. Don’t forget to add light near the house numbers – this can help in emergency situations and for deliveries!

After the sun goes down be sure your home has the same curb appeal as it does during the daytime by adding outdoor and uplighting to the landscape.

Illuminating trees or other elements from below will create soft focal points in the landscaping after the sun goes down. Use a flashlight to test where you’d like the light to hit, then mount the fixtures accordingly. Be sure to mount fixtures out of grass for ease of mowing and other landscaping tasks.

Be sure to view your outdoor lighting after dark before signing off on a project; it’s easy to make necessary adjustments to refine your outdoor lighting design.

To avoid being “that neighbor”, be sure to eliminate glare and make sure your outdoor light fixtures do not create “light trespass” into your neighbor’s property.

Clearance Sale –Up to 70% off of Overstock, Brand Name Lighting

Shop clearance lighting and get up to 70% off of overstock, brand name lighting at Capitol Lighting retail showrooms and 1800lighting.com! Throughout the year our top brands are making available exclusively to Capitol hundreds of top selling overstock and clearance lighting. We are thrilled to be offering these items to our Capitol Lighting customers at discounts as steep as 70 percent off! Quantities are limited on all items tagged as clearance lighting and are available while supplies last. Find clearance lighting at unbeatable prices every day in our showrooms and online and save big on brand name lighting from top manufacturers. No need to sacrifice quality for cost when you shop clearance lighting at 1800lighting.com.

Shop ceiling fans, outdoor lighting and so much more in our clearance section online. Overstock and clearance lighting is sold as FINAL SALE and are not eligible for return.

See complete Product Return Information for Details.

You Can Be Liable for Unlicensed Electrical Work

07/30/15

Revamping your home's electrical work can be a big headache. You need to find a qualified electrician and write what could be a hefty check for work that might require opening holes in your walls and temporarily making a mess of your home. The last thing you want after a big electrical project is to have to tear it all out and redo the job all over again. That could be the scenario you face, however, if you cut corners and don't hire a licensed electrician to take on the task. Fly-by-night contractors might be cheaper at the outset, but they can cost you big time in the end if they don't follow the local building code, leaving you liable for the faults in your home wiring.

Fanning the Building Code Fires

Some contractors might complain about having to follow local code, but it's in place for a reason – it helps ensure that any work done on your home is performed safely and effectively. Local code standards are particularly important when it comes to electrical work, because faulty wiring and connections can lead to short circuits or even an electrical fire, putting your family at risk.

That's why technicians who do electrical work are required to maintain a license, secure permits and schedule inspections for many home projects. Unfortunately, there are electricians who are tempted to skip the code requirements in order to avoid the time and expense of compliance. They might quote you a lower price, but shoddy workmanship can leave you on the hook for a lot more money overall.

Limit Your Exposure to Liability

If your local government figures out that you are working on an electrical project, they can send an inspector to check it out. If the work isn't up to code, you'll have to remedy the problem before you pass inspection. And if your electrician isn't licensed, you have little recourse to correct the faulty electrical work besides paying out of pocket for someone else to redo the entire thing. Worse, if your electrical system does cause a fire that leads to injury or death, you could be civilly liable for huge sums.

Licensed electricians, on the other hand, have more incentive to follow the rules to begin with, since they could lose their certification if they don't. Furthermore, you may have an easier time recouping your investment in the event of unsafe or incomplete work if you can prove that you did your due diligence and hired a licensed electrician.

Good Work Done Right

To avoid code and permitting issues, hire only licensed technicians for your electrical work and ask them to show you all the relevant permits. Protect yourself and your home by holding out for competent contractors so you know the work is done right the first time.

In the past several years, the technology behind our lights has grown tremendously. Although incandescent bulbs were the standard for a number of years, more energy efficient alternatives like Compact Fluorescents (CFL) and Light Emitting Diodes (LED) have become more readily available, affordable and very popular. Because people have been looking for ways to reduce their electrical bills, and lower their overall impact on the environment, LED lighting has become a particularly popular alternative as it has become easier to find. This has resulted in LED lighting companies to manufacture and distribute more LED lights than in the past.

Should You Switch?

The reasons to switch to LEDs are numerous for both homeowners and small businesses. One of the biggest draws to LED lights is its lifespan. Most LED lights will burn for somewhere around 100,000 hours. This translates into roughly 11 years. Whenever you are dealing with this type of lifespan, you will probably end up calling an electrician in Los Angeles to come change out the light fixture before you ever have to change the bulb. LEDs not only last longer, but they also use much less electricity than both incandescent and CFL bulbs. They also produce less heat, resulting in a long-lasting, low-energy, low temperature operation.

Are They Expensive?

One of the few negatives that LED bulbs have is that they have a higher up-front cost than many other options. Although they boast the longer life span, reduced energy consumption and low heat, LED lighting is still more expensive than CFL and Incandescent bulbs. For this reason, many people choose other types of bulbs over them.  Those that go with the LEDs typically find out that they will pay for themselves through reduced energy usage. As always, don’t hesitate to contact The Electric Connection with any questions about LEDs, light fixtures or any other electrical topics. We’re always glad to help.

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