As a facility manager or building owner, it is nearly impossible to know everything about everything in your building. But it is vital to know something about everything, and that goes for your facilities lighting system too. Whether you manage a warehouse, factory, or other industrial sized building or space, the lighting is a huge factor of many things including safety, productivity, and consistency in the work in your facility.

So while you don’t need to know every facility managers and building owners should know about there lighting system and how lighting can make all the difference in various amounts of ways.

1. Not all lights are created equal. This is an obvious one, not all lighting technologies are created the same and all output at different levels. Firstly you have lighting technologies that are less efficient than others. Such as metal halide and HPS which are 2-3 times less efficient than LED technology is. Then you also have efficiency based on a “product to product” basis. For example; while LED is the clear winner in efficiency over metal halide (and really any other lighting technology), one LED product from one company isn’t going to be the same as the next company’s LED product. This is where you really need to dig deep and find the company that offers the most efficient lighting products over all other companies.

Key takeaway? First, understand that LED is the most efficient in a general sense, but also understand that each company and product varies on its own personal efficiency and you should always do your homework before going with one LED product over another!

2. New lighting system upgrade costs can be reduced with rebates. This is only a true statement when you are buying commercially qualified lighting products that are DesignLights Consortium qualified. return on investment overtime by decreased energy costs associated with running your lights. Obviously this ROI period will vary depending on how long you run your lights per day on average, but especially in big facilities they almost always are used often and thus, provide a good and even quick payback period.

4. Create safer environments with a proper lighting system. With low quality light output, you create an unsafe environment that can cause various issues. Lighting fixtures that aren’t outputting the proper amount of light after a few years into there life is all caused reasoning to retrofit over fully replace.

Are you looking for a way to dodge the cold this winter but still enjoy the outdoors? Then why not consider a hot tub! The experts at Kolb Electric can wire a hot tub for your home easily. But there are some things you need to know before beginning installation. There are specific limitations and home wiring necessities before you can relax in your new hot tub.

Got more questions? Contact the experts at Kolb Electric today!

If you’re looking to complete a hot tub installation in MD, VA. or DC, you should first understand the electrical requirements. Most hot tubs need a dedicated 240V, GFCI circuit to safely provide them with the power they need to run. To meet your hot tub’s electrical needs, you need to make sure your home is running on at least a 100 amp electrical service. Most homes built in the past 50 years or so meet this requirement, and many homes built more recently even exceed this, with 150 – 200 amp service. However, if you live in a historic home in the area, you may need to upgrade your electrical service before any hot tub wiring can be done. A licensed electrician from Kolb Electric can perform what’s known as a “heavy up” to get your home’s electrical service standards up to par for a hot tub installation in MD, VA, or DC.

If your home is ready for hot tub wiring, it helps to understand some of the guidelines that are outlined in the National Electrical Code (NEC), specifically ones dealing with hot tub installations. For instance, it is a violation of the NEC to install a hot tub under power lines. Additionally, you should avoid installing low-voltage lighting within 10 feet of your hot tub.

For all your hot tub wiring needs in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, contact the electricians at Kolb Electric today—877-287-1179877-287-1179 or click here!

The average household in Virginia pays $125 per month for electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association. In Maryland, that number is $136 per month and in DC, it’s around $90. For commercial properties, the figure is even higher. But at Kolb Electric, we know that there are simple steps you can take to lower your electric bill—and we’re going to share a few key tips.

1. Check for gaps in windows and doors. Perhaps the easiest thing you can do to reduce your energy usage, and thus your electric bill, is to check your home at the beginning of each season for gaps around the windows and doors. It’s important to do this every six months or so, since your home can settle and shift slightly over time. It only takes a small gap for energy to escape.

2. Turn down your water heater. The standard setting on most electric water heaters is 140 degrees. Turning the heat down to 120 degrees can save you $60 or more each year in water heating costs. Save more by replacing your water tank with a tankless system.

3. Repair leaky ducts. If your ducts have holes in them or if they have come partially unattached, then you’re paying to cool and heat air that is never getting to your living spaces.

4. Have your HVAC and electrical systems serviced annually. Keeping all electrical systems, as well as HVAC products, well-maintained can not only extend their lifespans and help ensure your safety, but can save you money on your electric (and gas) bill too. Your system has to work harder and use more energy to push through an accumulation of dirt and debris. Regular electrical maintenance can also prevent the need for costly repairs.

5. Check your electric meter against your monthly statement. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of checking your electric usage on the meter and comparing it to your statement. This allows you to easily determine whether your monthly energy bill is accurate and provides you with the information you need to monitor your usage so you can use electricity smarter in the future. Click here to learn how to read an electric meter.

At Kolb Electric, we don’t want you to pay any more than necessary for your electric usage. For more tips on how to reduce your electric bill and/or to schedule you annual service appointment today, call us at 877 287-1179. Our licensed electricians have been helping Mid-Atlantic homeowners with their electrical needs since 1925.

What is Radiant Floor Heating and what are the advantages of it?? We get asked that often.

Radiant floor heating is the best heating system a house can have and one that you don’t realize it is there! Just imagine: no radiators clanking in the night and no vents whooshing like a jet preparing for take off!! No dust – collecting ductwork that runs up your allergist”s bills. That’s the advantage of radiant floor heating. It is an even blanket of heat, right where you want it. It’s also a highly efficient way to heat a house, increasing comfort as it reduces energy costs.

This is how radiant heat works – In a radiant setup, the warmth is supplied by hot-water tubes or electric wires buried underneath the floor. As the invisible waves of thermal radiation rise from below, they warm up any objects they strike, which radiate that captured heat in turn. Though the air temperature remains relatively constant, you stay comfortable because the surrounding surfaces aren’t stealing warmth from your body.

Contrast that with what happens in a conventional forced-air heating system, the kind found in most homes. Air blows out of the registers at a well-baked 120 degrees, rises to the top of the room where it quickly sheds heat, then drops back down as it cools. The air in the room becomes uncomfortably stratified: Your head can be bathed in warmth while your toes lie in the frozen zone. Then there’s the problem of cycling. “You turn on the furnace, it quickly takes you to 68 or 70, and then shuts off. The result is a phenomenon he calls “the cold 70,” which is what you feel right after the hot air stops pumping from the registers. Those jarring ups and downs are absent with radiant floors, which may reach 85 degrees, tops, on a frigid day. The warm air still rises, but it does so evenly over the entire floor, so the coolest air stays up at the ceiling.