We recommend using 1 puck light for every 6-10 inches of cabinet or shelf space. If you’re lighting 11-18 inches of space, use 2-3 puck lights. For 19-26 inches, you’ll need 3-4 puck lights. For 27-34 inches, 4-5 puck lights. For 35-42 inches, 5-7 puck lights. For 43-50 inches, 6-8 puck lights, and so on. Just measure your space and divide it up accordingly!

This will ensure that the light levels are consistent for the entire length of your shelf or cabinet, without causing awkward shadows.

(Puck lights will even work to provide functional light coverage when you’re lighting an irregular or oddly shaped space. You can’t do that with larger linear fixtures.)

For accent or display lighting… 

The world of lighting, LED specifically, can get overwhelming for those that are not directly in the space. From lumens, to watts, efficacy, and more; jargon and terms aren’t doing you any good if you don’t know what they mean.

Not only is it just about LED terms, but also general concepts, facts, and methods of LED lighting technology and the fundamentals that are important to understand to use LED to it’s fullest potential.

In this post, we’ve gather the 7+ “must read” LED lighting articles you should read if you want to understand LED lighting a bit more and be much better off when you dive into the industry and technology. Whether you are a facility manager, electrical contractor, or building owner; all of these articles we’ve gathered will certainly give some value and we hope you enjoy them all

If you’re in the midst of a renovation or simply rearranging your floor plan, then you’ve likely come across the need to add or relocate a light fixture. Maybe your new dining room table is a little wider than the old one, you’re adding a kitchen island with pendant lights, or you’ve finally convinced your significant other to let you get that pool table you’ve always wanted. In any case, you need to move or add a light fixture – but how and when?

First, it should be noted that, contrary to how it may seem, most light fixtures are not connected to a joist or even drilled into wood. Instead, hanging light fixtures and ceiling lights alike are located between joists and supported by electrical boxes that grip a wide surface area of the sheetrock that makes up your ceiling to support the weight of the fixture below; for heavier fixtures, like large chandeliers or ceiling fans, there are larger, even joist-secured boxes that will need to be used.

If you’re moving a light fixture, it is important to note that there are certain limitations as to where the fixture itself can go. If you wish to relocate the fixture to a place where a joist exists just above, then you’re likely going to have to use a swag hook and chain to anchor the fixture in place, as a box under a joist is not an option. That said, if you’re moving the housing for the fixture itself, you’ll need to know which direction the joists above run, then choose to move it either through the same joist cavity or drill through a joist to run the current wiring to the new housing. Other things to consider include which switch controls the light and where it is located, as it is a safe bet that a wire will have already crossed all joists above (at some point). This can prevent your electrician from drilling needlessly by allowing them to fish the wire back to the earlier point. If your switch is further away than the destination, you can bet they’ll have to do some drilling. Jumping through, between, and around the joists in the ceiling represents the largest obstacle your electrician (and light fixture) will face.

Once your location is set, all that is left is to get your electrician out to assess and perform the work for moving your box. If you’re planning on doing one large fixture over a pool table, island, or entire room, then you’ll want to take into account the power output of the fixture compared to what that circuit can safely allow for as well as the weight of the fixture. A typical rule of thumb is that anything under about 35 pounds can be handled by a standard drywall box, but something more (or with a fan) will need extra stabilization. Surprisingly, if you’re running numerous small pendant lights, the electrician may have an even easier time running the circuit and ensuring that your lights are up and running in no time. Just be sure to discuss the fixtures you have in mind with your electrician before you purchase them to know what they believe your limitations are!

Whenever you need electrical work done around your Des Moines home, contact the experienced professionals at Electrical Gurus. We are proud to offer the finest licensed local electricians in the area and are always more than happy to help out on your household projects.

High temperatures cause conductors to expand and hence increase in length. The converse is true for low temperature conditions. The change in length varies from one conductor to another depending on its thermal expansivity. The length of copper conductors, for instance, changes by 5 feet per 1000 feet of length when the conductor temperature changes from 100 – 0°, while aluminum changes by about 7 feet. The length increases with increase in temperature and reduces with reduction in temperature.

This increase or decrease in length is of great concern when installing power transmission lines between poles and towers, or when installing other power connectors. There must be an allowance for this change in length since it can cause catastrophes if it’s not there.

Weather changes are associated with increase and decrease in temperature and thus affect power transmission lines and other conductors. However, change in temperature is only one factor that affects power lines. Below are the changes that occur to power lines and other conductors as a result of weather changes:

The amount of heat dissipated from power conductors is reduced during hot and calm weather conditions. Basically, if the temperature of air around the cable is low, more heat is lost from the cable to the air. If the air is already hot, the exchange of heat is lesser. This low heat dissipation causes the lines to overheat. However, the rise in conductor temperature (overheating) worsens when cables are transmitting too much power than required. The first effect of this increased conductor temperature is snagging, which is the downward bulging of the cable between two poles, caused by the increase in the length of cables.

Snagging is largest during extreme hot weather (largest increase in temperature) conditions experienced in summer. The increase in length results to downward bulging of the cable due to the effect of gravity. Excessive sagging is dangerous if it goes below the accepted height clearance – cables could come into contact with trees, buildings and other structures underneath, causing electrocution and fires.

Excessive sagging represent an added weight on the power line and this increase may cause the line to fail or to pull down weak poles and towers. The effects can be small but gradual and so the poles and towers will finally come down or require some adjustment/replacement after some time, which is costly. This sagging can also cause the lines to short out. Excessive sagging is also costly since it leads to increased electrical resistance. This means that a sagged power line transmits lesser current than it normally does, thus causing under-feeding of electrical equipment and industries. It is also costly and time consuming to rectify a sag.