Our dependence on electricity is truly astonishing. In every room of your home you’ll find multiple ways electricity is used that we often take for granted. If not handled with care, electricity can pose serious threats of electric shock and burn. One way that these types of accidents can occur is when babies and children are able to roam freely and get their hands on electrical devices. Consider ways of childproofing your house from potential electrical hazards before a serious accident occurs. Our well-trained team at Expert Electric has compiled a list of measures so that you can get started.

To identify any electrical hazards in your home, start by going room by room. For a more thorough approach, get down on your hands and knees to view the potential hazards from a child’s perspective. At this lower vantage point you are looking at all the electrical outlets, power strip bars and power cords. Be sure to look behind furniture and up on any side tables, dressers or counter tops. Make a list of electrical hazards that you have identified and get to work addressing those issues.

Childproofing your electrical outlets will be one of the most basic and simplest solutions. There are usually multiple outlets in each room and they seem to be attracted to them. Outlets are very tempting little spots on the wall for children to stick random objects into. To prevent this dangerous behavior from happening, install electrical outlet caps or safety plates over the top of unused outlets. This will block children from sticking their fingers and other items into the holes, which can cause the electrical current from flowing to the child. All unused outlets that are accessible to children should be covered.

Power bars are commonly used around the home to power numerous electrical devices located in the same room, such as a television system or computer setup. In these areas, multiple cords are often found tangled up in a pile and are all plugged into one power strip on the floor or in a cabinet. Childproofing a power strip can easily be done to protect your child from dangerous electrical shock or burn. Purchase and install power strip covers on child-accessible power bars. These covers wrap around the power bar and have a hole for the cords to exit. This helps to prevent children from tampering with and pulling out cords. At times gaps may occur in the covers hole, duct tape these areas to prevent little fingers from entering into the cover.

Securing electrical cords will be an important safety measure. If a child can pull on an electrical cord to dislodge the prongs it can create an opportunity for electrical shock. Alternatively, the connected electrical device could fall down due to the tugging and cause an injury to the child’s head. Secure these types of hazards by tucking electrical cables safely out of reach or plugging them in different areas of the room not accessible to children. If the cords are too long, shorten them by rolling up the cord into your hand and tying with a zip tie. Any cords that run along the floor can be a tripping hazard and should be secured with strong tape or a rubber cord cover that can be purchased in any length.

We want to help you have piece of mind about your home and rest easy knowing you’re safe from electrical accidents. For more ideas or questions that you have regarding childproofing your home for electrical hazards, contact our trained and courteous technicians at Expert Electric. Call us today at 604-681-8338.

Medical News Today published an article on the effect of room lighting on decision making. Invoking crime dramas in which suspects are interrogated under bright lights, the report suggests that people tend to feel emotions more intensely in brighter light. This finding is significant not just for retailers but for anyone who consciously uses light in their spaces for a desired effect.

Medical News Today’s story is based on research conducted by academics from the University of Toronto Scarborough and Northwestern University and published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology. As you can guess, based on the journal that published the research, findings about how people act under different lighting conditions has important implications for how people act as CONSUMERS.

Here’s how the study went: A bunch of test subjects were asked to rate an eclectic mix of things, from the spiciness of chicken wings to the aggressiveness of a fictional character. Subjects were also asked to assess the flavor of two kinds of juice, the emotional tenor of certain words, and the attractiveness of a person. The scientists changed lighting levels as they observed their participants’ reactions to these stimuli. As the scientists suspected, lighting levels had an impact on how the participants felt about the things they were rating.

According to Medical News Today, previous studies have established that “people are more optimistic about the stock market, report higher well-being and are more helpful during sunny days, whereas being exposed to gloomy days for long periods of time can result in depressive feelings.”

But, then, the researchers ask, why do suicide rates peak during late spring and early summer months? This new study complicates the common belief that more light equals more happiness.

The researchers have concluded that brighter light levels do not necessarily make people happier. Instead, brighter light levels intensify both positive AND negative emotions. In the brighter room, during the experiment, participants felt more positive emotions in related to positive words and more negative emotions about negative words. They found people more attractive in the brighter room AND felt the fictional character to be more aggressive.

How many light bulbs have you changed in your lifetime? It’s a simple action, and often one that we don’t put much thought into, but what if the simple act of changing a light bulb could make a profound impact on the environment, and the well-being of future generations?  As experienced Plano Electricians, we at ElectricMan Inc. have made it our mission to help bring knowledge of Alternative Lighting Solutions, electrical efficiency, and environmental responsibility to the forefront of everyone’s minds. The reality is that even small changes can yield huge benefits when it comes to energy savings. According to www.EnergyStar.gov:

“If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a light bulb that’s earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to those from about 800,000 cars.”

Think about the changes that you can make by simply replacing the outdated incandescent bulbs in your home as they burn out with one of the Alternative Lighting Solutions below. Here are some details on a couple of the most popular Alternative Lighting Solutions available.

Compact Fluorescent Lamp: Modern CFL bulbs for use in homes consist of a curved fluorescent tube and electronic ballast in a single unit, designed as a direct replacement for standard blubs. They use 3-4 times less power than comparable incandescent bulbs. These are great options to replace your standard light bulbs, but they do have a few small drawbacks. According to an article by PopularMechanics.com, while CFL’s do have a much longer lifespan than standard bulbs, they often lose some of their brightness long before their expected lifespan is up, and this is increased in fixtures that don’t allow for efficient cooling of the ballast located in the base of the bulb. Another documented fact about CFL bulbs is that they do contain mercury, which means that they must be disposed of properly by taking them your local approved recycling center. You wouldn’t throw a battery out with the daily trash would you? So you shouldn’t throw these out either.

Light Emitting Diodes: LED’s are a form of “solid state” lighting that have become available recently to homeowners as an incandescent and CFL replacement. Using small light emitting diodes mounted directly to circuit boards, these are highly efficient, and have fewer parts prone to failure, allowing for an expected realistic lifespan of 20,000 to 30,000 hours, when operated at recommended temperatures. While initial costs for these bulbs are higher than incandescent and CFL options, long term energy savings are where this alternative lighting option truly shines, with the average LED bulb using approximately 12-17% of the energy that it takes to run an incandescent bulb of similar output, the end result is a bulb that costs drastically less to power over time.

As a point of comparison, here is a simple chart of the energy usage of LED and CFL bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs, and the output associated with them:

Lighting technology has changed a lot in the past decade, and it is pretty amazing to see what could be on the horizon for future lighting innovations. Take this for example. While most homes will never need this amount of output, it’s pretty impressive to see that something the size of a Christmas tree light, like this plasma bulb, can put out more light, more efficiently, than the giant bulbs that we use in street lamps!

The great thing about these changes is that they aren’t something that requires a huge change in your lifestyle, so they are some of the easiest ways possible to help the environment, and lower electric bills while you are at it!

1. Look for Energy Smart products and ENERGY STAR labels

2.  Invest in the best ceiling fans to provide cooling in summer and better warm air circulation during the cold, winter months.

3.  Opt for the latest automated systems, lighting controls and cool new switches.

4.  Accessorize with LED nightlights in hallways and bathrooms.

5.  Play it safe.  Keep clutter to a minimum and task light to a maximum.

Show off your fashion-forward, good sense—get rid of inefficient, old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs.  Why wait until January to comply with new lighting codes and requirements? Get a jump-start on making your home and office environments more energy-efficient now.  Replace old bulbs with new energy-efficient halogen, CFL (compact fluorescent) and LED (light emitting diode) bulbs.

Check out the latest energy-saving solutions in home lighting and accessories:

Under-cabinet LED strip lights and tape lighting.

LED Christmas lights and novelty lamps.

Tabletop candlelight and energy saving low lights.

Energy Smart outdoor lights.

ENERGY STAR-qualified ceiling fans.

BE CEILING FAN SAVVY

“The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) annual survey of consumer preferences indicates that ceiling fans are one of the Top 10 most likely products to include in new construction.” –www.enlightenmentmag.com/ceiling-fans/ceiling-fans-come-of-age

Ceiling fans—especially those with ENERGY STAR-qualified AC motors and the latest DC fan motors* –will provide significant cost savings on monthly electric bills when used in conjunction with your heating and cooling systems:

•In warmer climates, you may lower your air-conditioning thermostat a few degrees and maintain the same cooling comfort by adding an energy-efficient fan.

•In cooler climates, you can save on heating costs and electric bills by lowering the thermostat and operating ceiling fans in the reverse mode to push warmer air down from the ceiling.

* “Saving an additional 70 percent in energy has made the DC motor ceiling fan the biggest advance in this industry,” according to Jeff Dross, Corporate Director of Education and Industry Trends, to enlightenment Magazine (August 8, 2013).

The latest ceiling fans and decorative portable fans include Traditional, Retro, Rustic and Futuristic designs.  Get expert advice and personalized attention:  Professional lighting consultants at Capitol Lighting will help you to custom-design ceiling fans and lighting control systems for your home or office space.

Experience illustrious energy-saving illumination and comfortable eco-friendly air circulation with the most affordable, energy-saving light fixtures and ceiling fans.

INVEST IN THE BEST ENERGY-EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE LIGHTING

New Kichler landscape lighting products are the go-to choice for energy-efficient landscape lighting that is luxurious and affordable.  Cost-saving outdoor light fixtures accommodate LED lamps, as well as CFL and halogen.

Creative concepts in landscape lighting include Kichler’s TaskWork LED Tape Lighting.  Available in an outdoor/wet version, these LED lights are sleek and ultra-low profile.  They are versatile, easy to install and affordable.  This highly flexible, 24-volt tape is fully dimmable and comes in a variety of color options and convenient lengths up to 20 feet.

Kichler-The Premium Choice in Landscape Lighting TM  , offers decorative path lights, accent lights, specialty items, transformers, LED lamps and accessories for residential and commercial lighting applications.

For more information on LED lamps, energy-efficient landscape lighting and cost-saving light fixture applications, visit with a professional lighting consultant at Capitol Lighting or check out the latest energy-efficient landscape lighting, ceiling fans and light fixtures at 1800lighting.com.

May your days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be in the right light.