When it comes to lighting areas where color accuracy is crucial, such as portrait studios, retail stores, hospitals, medical and commercial offices, display cases, and warehouses, a high color-rendering index (CRI) is key. CRI refers to how accurately a light source reveals the true colors of objects, people, and surroundings and involves a distinct testing method with comparisons to incandescent light or daylight.

The spectral graph below can be helpful in understanding the advantage of high-CRI light sources. Lights with a low CRI will show fewer colors while high-CRI lights cover more of the spectrum. A light source’s ability to show more colors increases its accuracy in revealing the true colors of people, objects, and surroundings.

can light, linear light, or other high-CRI bulb or fixture. Lights with a CRI of 80 or higher are considered to show colors most accurately. The photo below shows how different CRIs can affect colors and skin tone.

Halloween is no doubt one of the most festive times of the year and decorating for the season is a fun and cherished pastime enjoyed by many families. Unfortunately, as almost all Dallas Electrician, ElectricMan Inc. would like for you and your family to enjoy the ghoulish festivities while practicing electrical safety, so here are a few tips for making the most out of decorating for this exciting time of year.

The Hazards of Halloween Decor

When people talk about Halloween decorations, they’re often thinking about lots of lights combined with smoke machines, spiderwebs and paper decorations, all of which can be cheaply made. The down side of these homemade special effects is that many of these decorations are made of highly flammable material which, if left unattended and in close proximity to electrical lighting, can be anything but fun.

Another problem that often arises from Halloween decorating comes from using electrical lighting and components with electrical wiring that has become cracked and damaged over time. Any cracks in the insulation or damage to the wires can prove frightening and sometimes even deadly. Furthermore, heavy usage of lighting and decorations that require electricity can put a strain on extension cords, power strips and electrical outlets in your home, straining your home’s circuits.

Tips for Safe Decorating

You don’t have to leave the Halloween spirit behind to celebrate safely. Follow these easy-to-remember safety tips when Halloween decorating with your family for the ultimate ghoulish celebration:

Museums have a hard line to walk, exhibiting items for public education and enjoyment while protecting those same collections from damage. Today’s museum also carry the additional weight of safeguarding the future of the environment – as well as their financial future – against the dangers of unnecessary energy consumption. What advancements have been made in preservation lighting technology to help accomplish these goals?

Light, including all three types: ultraviolet (UV), infrared, and visible light, causes permanent and irreversible damage to museum pieces. Cumulative and dependent on the intensity and duration of exposure, light affects chemical composition, physical structure, and, the appearance of a collection. There is no conservation treatment that can repair it. Light damage is forever.

Only complete darkness ensures conservation, since exposure to light in any form naturally breaks down items. However, keeping pieces locked away in the dark defeats the mission of the museum – sharing those works with the public. It is thus a museum’s dilemma to find a suitable solution that balances the best of both worlds, in addition to considering energy costs and the environmental impact of its lighting selection.  

In your search for preservation lighting, you will find that a great deal of lighting solutions involve UV (ultraviolet light), the most energetic and destructive form of light. These include natural light, fluorescents, HID, and tungsten halogen lighting. Fortunately, the effects of UV can be controlled with simple filters, offering a greater variety of lighting options. UV filters are hard plastic tubes or soft sleeves wrapped around bulbs/light sources, which filter and block up to 98 percent of UV light, preventing its damaging effects. NOTE: UV filters lose efficiency over time and must be replaced every eight-10 years.

Specific, detailed recommendations for preservation lighting levels based on your collection type can be found from various sources, including the Library of Congress, National Park Service, UNESCO, and more.

Although thunderstorms are a rarity during the cooler months and you don’t have to worry about lightning causing a power surge, there are other factors that can cause an electrical surge in your home. Power surges happen all the time and are not only the result of a lightning striking nearby. You may not realize this, but your home is constantly exposed to small surges every single day. Each time your heater kicks on or your refrigerator goes into defrost, it draws additional power. Once the additional power isn’t needed, there is a bit of a surge. Your probably don’t even notice it happening, but your sensitive electrical equipment like your computer or gaming console are certainly effected. The Electric Connection has the Beverly Hills electrician you need to protect your valuable equipment from small and large power surges.

Whole-home surge protectors are an option you can choose to have installed now to prevent small or large power surges from damaging computers and other sensitive electrical equipment. An electrician will install the protector directly to the electric panel. This is an ideal option because your entire home will be protected instead of just the few items you have plugged into a power strip. It should be noted that power strips are not always enough to protect equipment from large power surges. However, when combined with a whole-home surge protector, you can rest assured your expensive computers, gaming consoles and screen TVs will all be protected.

The initial cost of the surge protector is minimal and is almost always much cheaper than the replacement cost of a single appliance. Because the surge protector will need to be installed directly in the electrical panel, you will need to call an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners can rely on the friendly and knowledgeable staff at The Electric Connection to get the job done right.

Many people don’t even think twice about the fan in the bathroom. It seems like a standard fixture that should be a part of every home. When it isn’t, it is seen as more of an inconvenience than a necessity. The fan isn’t just for looks or an accessory. It is a vital piece of equipment that can keep your home safe from the damages of mold and mildew. If you don’t currently have a working fan in the bathroom, it is an easy fix with the help of an electrician. Burbank homeowners can call The Electric Connection to set up a bath fan installation.

Bath fans are not what they used to be. They are elaborate additions to a modern bathroom. Many include heat lamps that help replace the warm, moist air they are removing from the room. The fans are very quiet and are available in different speeds, depending on how big the room is. You can buy a fan at almost any home improvement store. An electrician in Burbank suggests you do some investigating to find the best fan for your bathroom. They are relatively inexpensive, which is pretty amazing considering how much money they can save you on repair costs from moisture damage.

A fan is a key component in your home. Each time you shower in the bathroom, you are putting a great deal of moisture in the air. This moisture clings to the ceiling, the floor and even the drywall. Your Burbank electrician explains that this repeated exposure to moisture can result in mildew and mold. Most people know mold is extremely dangerous and can end up costing thousands of dollars in remediation costs. Don’t let your home go another day without proper ventilation. Call The Electric Connection today and schedule your bath fan installation.