Do you think much about the electric outlets in your home? Odds are, probably not. But did you know that outdated outlets can lead to serious electrical problems, even including property loss and personal harm? The certified master electricians at Kolb Electric come to you today, bringing the things you need to know about the electric outlets in your home!

It’s important to understand that while you may not be seeing it, there are tons of things going on in your walls at all times. And beyond that, technology is always growing (at an alarming rate, in fact!), demanding more and more from your home in the way of electricity, compatibility and staying up to date. Older outlets can create a lot of potential harm, including:

An outlet upgrade project may seem like an inconvenience, but really it’s no trouble at all for a practiced electrician. The process is simple, takes little time, and prevents possible problems (it may even fix a few problems you didn’t know you had!). When it comes to upgrading, there are a few options you might consider, depending on your needs. Consider:

Thinking it might be time for an outlet upgrade? We think so too! Contact Kolb today for a professional solution for all of your electrical needs. Our certified electricians boast some of the greatest skill and expertise in the industry, and we would be proud to handle your outlet project!

When your saying goodbye to guests in the evening, you don’t want to send them out in the dark to fumble their way back to their vehicle. Without proper outdoor lighting your front yard can be riddled with hazards at night. Installing outdoor and landscape lighting can add safety in a number of ways as well as add pleasing aesthetics to your home at night.

Outdoor lighting can add functionality in a number of ways – it can illuminate potential tripping hazards, deter criminals, and add a pleasing look to your home at night. The trick is to have the lights positioned correctly to have the desired effects. When placing your outdoor lighting keep these areas in mind:

Installation of outdoor lighting can be different depending on the type of landscape lighting you choose. If you are using solar powered or battery powered you will not require any additional electrical work. If you are looking to install electrical lamps and fixtures on the outside your home or along a pathway it will require the wire to run underground, because of the high voltage, to the home’s electrical system. If you are unsure of how your new outdoor lighting connects to your home, or want to prepare to install new lighting, have an expert electrician do the installation for you.

Three common sources of outdoor lighting are fluorescent lamps, metal halide, and LED lighting. Fluorescent lamps are designed to run efficiently, but can have trouble starting in certain temperatures. Metal halide are highly efficient within a temperature range, but require approximately a minute to warm up – not ideal for motion lights. LED lighting is a popular choice because they are highly efficient, require no warm up time, and the bulb lasts longest, but this all comes at a higher cost.

Outdoor and landscape lighting is very important and something every homeowner should keep in mind. With so many options out there, it can be difficult to know where to start and what will work.

This modern living/dining area designed by This award-winning kitchen designed by The last thing you want in home lighting design is for your house to look like you just stepped into the lighting aisle at Home Depot.

Honestly, there is no hard and fast rule about how much is too much.  Generally we’d say to be careful not to over-do it in open areas that flow into other rooms (like kitchen/dining/family rooms). Space the lights appropriately and alternate between recessed & pendant lighting. The last thing you want is for your home to look like a lighting store.

The bottom line is that there really is no one way to do lighting, and at the end of the day if it makes you happy, then it’s perfect.  Experiment with your style and create Pinterest boards to develop your look.

Do you find it effortless to incorporate a wide variety of styles into your home design or do you struggle with the need to keep it consistent?  We’d love to hear about it!

Bulbs, Fans and Dryers

Among the highlights of the show were hyper-efficient LED bulbs manufactured by a company called Stack Lighting. But LED isn’t a new technology, you say? True, but the Stack models automatically change their brightness to account for other light sources and human activity, resulting in what the company claims is a 60 to 80 percent savings in energy compared to standard LEDs.

Another firm, aptly named Big Ass Fans, claims to sell the most efficient ceiling fans in the world. Just like the LEDs, they have smart features that turn the fans on and off when humans enter and leave the room, in addition to boasting high-efficiency motors.

Major appliances showed up at the fair as well. Whirlpool had a dryer on display that the company claims uses 73 percent less energy than standard models because it reuses its hot air instead of dispersing it outside through the vent.

DVR, RAM and Windows

Not impressed yet? The CES Green Guide describes some of the other environmentally-friendly devices and gadgets at the show:

Hefty Price Tags

Like most cutting-edge technologies, the sticker prices of the equipment were sky-high. However, the purchasing costs should come down over time as more people adopt the technologies.

 “You’ll see the price come down, you’ll see more entrants in the market," Carolyn Weiner, a Pacific Gas and Electric employee who specializes in energy efficiency incentives, told PRI. "It’s good that these companies are out there, because they’re starting to show that the technology exists.”

However, Weiner noted that companies often shy away from hawking the efficiency benefits of their products. It turns out that consumers’ attitudes and motivations regarding energy efficiency aren’t always straightforward, even if the prospect of saving money seems simple enough.

“They’re still looking at energy efficiency as 'I’m losing something,’” Weiner said to PRI. “More companies are leading with security, comfort, ease of use, which is the type of message that consumers want to hear right now.”