If you are thinking you missed the boat to get a ceiling fan installed for the summer, you didn’t. Ceiling fans are excellent fixtures for the winter time as well and can actually help save you money on your heating bill. I know, I know, you are probably wondering how a fan will keep you warm in the winter, but it truly can. Your electrician in Burbank will explain. If you would like to learn more about ceiling fans, give The Electric Connection a call and somebody will be happy to talk with you more about it or any other Burbank electrical needs you may have.

Ceiling fans are designed to circulate the air in a house. Yes, they are great for summer because they do stir up the air and create a slight breeze to cool you down. They also move around the air to prevent it from getting stagnant and stuffy, making you feel hotter and more uncomfortable. In the winter, the concept is essentially the same, but the moving air is warm. Heat rises. So all of that warm air coming out of the vents in your floor is rising to the ceiling where you can’t feel it and appreciate it.

Ceiling fans are equipped with a switch to control the direction in which the blades turn. During the summer, you want the blades turning counter-clockwise. This blows air down into a room and gives you that breeze you so desire. In the winter, the blades should turn clockwise. This pulls up the cooler air in the room and pushes down the hot air towards the outer edges of the area. This prevents you from feeling that breeze the fan generates. This keeps the warm air in the room and the thermostat, which is typically on a wall, will register the room is warm enough and will not be forced to kick on the furnace. This is where the energy savings comes in. If you are ready to schedule your ceiling fan installation, give The Electric Connection a call today.

Over the years standards for building homes have improved to offer more safety and reliability. Unfortunately, there are still homes out there with old electrical wiring in them that could cause electrical hazards. These old wiring types (knob and tub wiring) should be replaced as they can result in extensive damage to your home over time if not properly taken care of. Know what to look for in your home and upgrade your wiring.

There are several common signs that can indicate your home’s wiring may be old and out-dated. If you notice these issues occurring in your home, it may be time to contact an electrician and have a home electrical inspection. Common signs are:

Knob and wiring tubing can be found in homes built around 50 years ago. If properly maintained, knob and wire tubing can be safely used in your home. But often over the years the wiring can begin to crack and break down leading to exposed wires. Because of the age of the wiring it often will not reach current code and can prevent your home from being insured in some cases. Overtime knob and wire tubing can heat up and requires sufficient air space around the wiring. Any contact with insulation or wood can result in a fire.

In some cases you could experience some of the issues listed above and you don’t have knob and wire tubing. In many cases, when a home was originally built it was brought up to correct standards and has potential hazards all over. If you are unsure of the status of your home’s electrical wiring or you are experiencing some of the signs listed above, we highly recommend that you have you’re home inspected. An electrical inspection can catch potential hazards and also lead to better electrical efficiency.

To schedule a home inspection, contact your local Expert Electric at 604-681-8338.

In my 27 years, I have heard these questions a lot: “Why is it so hard to find the top electrician for my electrical repairs? There are so many choices and my problem seems so easy, any electrician should be able to do it. Does it matter who I call? Aren’t all electricians the same? How do I find an expert electric man?” – Nick Shaeffer

The answer is no – not all Twitter, Google Plus.

LED fixtures, such as

With energy consumption that is less than half of what 150-watt LED parking lot light that is a direct replacement for 400-watt metal-halide (MH) fixtures. That’s 250 watts less for the same amount of light!

The average price of electricity per kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 12 cents. To figure out the monthly cost of running 25 LED parking lot lights for 11 hours per day, use this formula: (combined wattage x monthly hours of use)/1,000 x price per kWh. For 25 LED lights, (3,750 x 330)/1,000 x .12) the total would be $148.50 per month or $1,782 per year.

When the same formula is used for 400-watt MH fixtures, the monthly cost is $396, and yearly cost would be $4,752. So, in this situation, switching to LED fixtures would save approximately $3,000 per year. When coupled with the savings on maintenance, LED fixtures can save $6,470 per year. At that rate, the cost of 25 $340 LED fixtures would be recouped within two years.

Left: LED wall packs; Right: HID wall packs

Unlike LED fixtures that light up instantly, HID parking lot lights require a warmup period of up to 10 minutes before they reach full brightness. They also can’t be turned immediately back on after being switched off; this is called restrike time, and it can take up to 15 minutes before they can be turned on again. Attempting to power on the lights before the bulbs have cooled can damage a fixture’s components and cause the HID bulb to fail sooner.

HID lamps consist of a ballast and a quartz tube that contains gas, metal salts, and two tungsten electrodes. In order to create light, an electric arc passes from one electrode to the other through a gas (most commonly mercury, metal halide, or sodium). The mercury used in this process is dangerous if enough is inhaled or released into the environment. If an HID bulb bursts, all contents should be put into a sealed container or sealed bag and taken to a recycling center or hazardous waste facility. If HID fixtures are used indoors, wall packs and canopy lights, are used indoors, the possibility of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure should be taken into consideration. HID bulbs emit a substantial amount of UV radiation, but an outer glass envelope prevents the radiation from escaping. However—according to the FDA—”If the outer bulb breaks and the inner tube continues to operate unshielded, intense UV radiation is emitted. UV exposure at this level can cause eye and skin burns, as well as blurred or double vision, headaches, and nausea.” The UV light from an HID bulb with a broken envelope can also lead to discoloration of items and fabric. LEDs emit little to no UV radiation.

In short, LED lights are a better alternative to HID parking lot lights. They offer a great deal in the way of savings, longevity, maintenance reduction, brightness, color, and safety. While it may take a short amount of time to recoup the price of switching to LEDs, all of their qualities make it easy to see why so many businesses have started the process.

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.