As a homeowner, you’re constantly on the lookout for cost-reducing tricks that will save you money on your monthly electric bills. If you open your electrical bill only to continually stress about the total you see staring back at you, it may be time to take some steps to reduce your energy costs. At Hoffman Electrical, we do our best to provide residents of Hillsborough and Pinellas County with advice that will save them money all year long!

LED sign lighting provides years of illumination and low energy costs. sign modules that consume 50mA of power each. Required materials differ depending on sign size, module size, length of wire between modules, current draw, and lumen output.

Materials:

1. First, measure your sign. Although we recommend spacing module rows 3 inches apart, it’s ultimately up to you. If you want a brighter sign, place them closer together and vice versa for a dimmer sign. With the recommended 3-inch spacing, a 4-foot square sign would need 150 modules (15 rows of 10). Again, the quantity of modules needed  is based on many factors and can differ.

These LED sign modules are available in custom lengths of up to 20 modules per strand. Order 60 feet (4 feet x 15 rows) of stranded modules, and cut the strand after every 10 modules. Each strand can be cut to make two rows.

2. Next you’ll need to order a power supply that’s rated for the combined wattage of all sign modules. To ensure that you don’t overwork the power supply, confirm that the total wattage of your modules is at least 20 percent less than the power supply’s rated wattage.

An easy way to calculate this is to multiply the total wattage of your combined lighting by 1.2. In the 4-foot sign diagram, there are 150 modules with a current draw of 50 milliamps (mA) each. Since current draw is given in milliamps, multiply that number by voltage and move the decimal 3 places to the left to get wattage. This module consumes 50 mA and has 12 VDC operation, so it consumes 0.6 watts (50 x 12 = 600). Next, multiply 0.6 by 150 to get a combined wattage of 90 and multiply that number by 1.2 (90 x 1.2 = 108) to determine which power supply you’ll need. Since the result was 108, you will need at least a 120-watt power supply.

3. Next on the list is wire to connect all your sign module stands to the power supply. For a 4-foot sign, you’ll need 4 feet of 18-gauge two-conductor wire to serve as your main line plus enough to cover the distance between your power supply and where it will be wired into an electrical system. You’ll also need dual-channel T-tap wire splice connectors for an easy connection to your main line.

Before you begin working on your sign, turn off power to the area.

4. If there isn’t one already, drill a hole in the back of your sign as an exit point for your wire.

5. Use a tape measure or ruler to plot your row spacing. Leave space on one side of the sign for your module-to-main-line connections. Mount the sign modules using their double-sided adhesive and/or screw holes.

6. Insert the end wires of each sign module row into the T-tap splice connector, and clamp the other end of the connector onto the main line. The splice connectors eliminate the need to strip wire insulation.

7. Use double-sided foam tape to secure each T-tap splice connector to the inside of your sign.

8. Reattach your sign’s front cover.

9. Connect the main line to your power supply, wire the supply into your electrical system, and restore power to the area.

For technical 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.

This weekend many people around the country set their clocks back to adhere to daylight savings time (DST).     How did this tradition start, and why do we follow daylight savings time?

Although daylight savings has only been used for about 100 years, ancient civilizations had been known to use a similar system.  Ancient people would adjust their daily schedules to the sun’s schedule.  Benjamin Franklin is often credited with bringing daylight savings time into the modern limelight.  He suggested, in a essay, although jokingly, that Parisians could economize candle usage by getting people out of bed earlier in the morning, making use of the natural morning light instead.

Both George Vernon Hudson and William Willett had also suggested a system similar to daylight savings.  Both men suggested setting clocks either forward or back to coincide with daylight hours.  Willet actually suggested eight time changes a year moving clocks in 20 minute increments.  This plan was introduced to the British House of Commons in February 1908, with the first bill drafted in 1909, however, the idea was never made into a law.

Daylight Savings in Europe

Germany was the first country to implement DST in 1916 in an effort to save fuel for the war.  The innovative idea caught on and countries around the world used DST during the war, but many reverted back to standard time after WWI.  U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted year-round DST in the United States, called “War Time” during World War II from February 9, 1942 to September 30, 1945.

Modern DST in the U.S.

In the United States, DST caused widespread confusion from 1945 to because states and localities were free to choose when and if they would observe DST.  In 1966 Congress passed into law the Uniform Time Act which stated DST would begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. However, states still had the ability to be exempt from DST by passing a local ordinance.

Daylight Saving today

The following facts may surprise you!

Many Famous Individuals Were Electricians First

That’s right. The electrical field has attracted many brilliant individuals who later went on to make their mark on the world stage. Before Sun Records discovered Elvis, he had trained as an electrician. Just before joining The Beatles, George Harrison was an electrician’s apprentice. Think Mr. Bean, the British comedian, is all fun and games? In his other life, this actor, whose given name is Rowan Atkinson, holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s College, Oxford. Even Alfred Hitchcock, Master of Suspense, studied electrical engineering beginning at age fifteen.

Basic physical fitness is not a prerequisite for every job. However, electricians do need to maintain some level of physical ability in order to climb ladders, lift and carry heavy equipment, move through small crawl spaces, break through walls and dig holes. Sound like superhuman tasks? Indeed. To keep up with this type of activity, day-in and day-out, electricians must be both strong and flexible. In addition, their work demands tolerance of all weather conditions. Whether freezing, hot and humid, strong winds, or a rainy downpour that they’re facing that day, electricians have to be ready, and healthy enough to work, whatever occurs.

A master electrician studies, both in a classroom and on the job, for a minimum of eight years. He or she is the very best at the craft of bringing power to homes, places of business, and industrial locations, and has mentored with other masters, worked in the field, and taken numerous classes to get to achieve a level of expertise. Medical doctors, through attending college, medical school, and a residency, also train for at least eight years. So your electrician, in the field of electrical engineering, is as trained an expert as the individual to whom you entrust your health and well-being.

Master electricians are highly-skilled individuals who keep your home, business, and even public spaces safe and operational. Whether your project requires commercial, residential, or industrial-level service, our team is fully equipped to install, repair, or maintain. Call us!

What’s in it for you? Excellent question! You want to work for an AMAZING company and we can promise you a new career that you’ll love and is filled with:

1. Our customers must win! We do everything imaginable to help ensure that our customers are 100% satisfied and absolutely love our services. If they don’t, we do whatever is necessary to make them wildly happy that they did business with us–so much so that they insist on telling their friends and family!

2. Our employees must win! We realize that the only way to have happy customers is to have a happy team of people serving them! We do everything imaginable to support our people, lift them up to make them better, and help ensure that they’re successful. And for doing a great job, they receive tremendous financial rewards–as well as incredible career satisfaction. Just imagine working in a field where you get to HELP people every day!

3. Our company must win! We believe if we’ve absolutely done everything possible to make sure our customers win and our employees win, the company will naturally win. And we must win to be financially successful in order to help more customers and provide more opportunity for our employees and their families.

Now, if that’s the type of company that you’d like to work for–and we hope it is–please apply. We would love a chance to talk with you–and get to know you better. Let’s make sure we’re an ideal fit for each other. Thanks for taking time to read our post!

Apply online at www.CustomElectricalia.com then click the employment tab or click here.  You can also call to make an appointment to apply in person. 515-669-3418 . 100% Confidential Application Process. Custom Electrical Services is an equal opportunity employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Required education:

Electrician Career and not an electrician job?  Your in the right place.  We have some of the best electrician journeyman positions and electrician apprentice positions available.

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