We’re thrilled to offer new LED Skylights! Designed for dental office lighting, hospital lighting, classroom lighting, waiting rooms, basements, or other applications with suspended grid ceilings, the decorative LED light panels are an innovative alternative to window skylights. They feature vivid sky designs that are printed directly on panel lenses. Using Even-Glow® technology and diffused optical lenses, these panel lights deliver smooth, flawless illumination without visible bulbs or hot spots. The 2-by-2-foot and 2-by-4-foot panels are available in dimmable and non-dimmable versions. Dimmable panels offer an alternative ceiling and wall surface-mount option in addition to suspended grid ceiling mounting.

LEDs in the panel lights are designed to last three times longer than fluorescent tube light bulbs without the notorious hum or flicker they produce. Each LED panel light has a slim aluminum alloy frame. Non-dimmable panels are equipped with a UL-Recognized constant-current driver. Dimmable panels have an internal 0-10-volt dimmable constant-current driver. Dimming can be achieved with a 0-10-volt switch or by using the light’s power-cycle feature to activate set brightness levels. The energy-efficient panel lights operate within a wide 100-277V AC range.

Sun Beams

Jet Set

Summer Sky

Balloon 1

Balloon 2

If you are looking to remodel, expand or sell your home, there's a good chance you will have a close encounter with your local building code. These laws can be extensive, confusing and change frequently. The code is there for your safety, but it can still be frustrating to deal with. Older homes in particular are likely to have outdated technology that wouldn't pass a current inspection. Before embarking on a project, take time to understand what the laws are and how they can affect you.

What Is Building Code?

Just about anything you want to do to your home beyond cosmetic changes probably has a corresponding law. Building code covers a number of standards mostly related to safety, including but not limited to HVAC, the electric system, plumbing, the structural integrity of the building and fire safety. If you own a rental unit, there are probably additional standards that you are required to meet before accepting tenants.

Of course, specific housing codes vary by municipality, although most are based on models like the International Residential Code and the National Electric Code. Go to your city or town  website or visit the building department for more information. You can also look up many city and municipality codes from around the country on a website called Municode.

Is My Old Electric Wiring Safe?

The electric code is one of the most important pieces of building code, because failing to comply can endanger your home and property. Some common violations include improperly sized connections, overfilling outlet boxes, not properly grounding and not spacing outlets correctly.

Many code problems require only a simply fix, but others can be a much bigger undertaking. For example, old houses may conduct electricity on knob and tube wiring, which became obsolete in the 1940s. This type of wiring can put your home at risk and isn't equipped to handle high power loads typical in modern homes. If you still have knob and tube, you may discover an expensive upgrade is necessary when it's time to sell the house.

The laws governing electric systems are complex and confusing to many homeowners. The national code on which most cities base their own laws is 1,000 pages long -- far more than the average home DIY-er is able to digest. You could inadvertently run afoul of the law by doing something as simple as replacing a light fixture without upgrading the wiring to the most recent standards. It’s wise to consult a qualified electrician before undertaking a project  so you don’t find yourself in over your head – and on the wrong side of the law.

What if I'm Out of Compliance? 

If you have an older home that doesn't meet the current laws, don't panic. Usually older buildings are grandfathered in when the codes are updated. However, if you want to modify or replace parts of the house, you might be required to do additional work to bring any outdated aspects into compliance.

Do your research so you understand when you need to pull a permit or bring in a city inspector. Talk to local officials up front so they can help you understand how to proceed. When in doubt, hire a qualified professional experienced in local housing laws to let you know where you are up to code and in what areas you fall short.

Your local Mister Sparky® electricians are always here to help. We can advise you on bringing your home into compliance with local laws and do the work for you. Give us a call for more information.

constant-current LED driver or constant-current driver is used to regulate the amount of current that is supplied to an LED or LED array to maximize LED lifetime. If current is not regulated, LED brightness can fluctuate and life span can be shortened. The constant-current driver is used for LEDs or light fixtures that require a stable output current and operate within a range of voltages. Most finished LED products already have a constant-current driver or resistors to regulate current. If you’re building an LED fixture or replacing a constant-current driver, it’s important to verify that the output current and voltage of the driver is compatible with the LEDs’ current and voltage. If your LED product already has a constant-current driver or uses resistors in the LED array, you might need a constant-voltage power supply.

If your LEDs are dimmable and you want to change their brightness, choose a Magnitude Dimmable Power Supplies. These dimmable power supplies work by varying the power on the AC input side of the power supply by means of a TRIAC dimmer. This change in power on the AC input side will vary the voltage on the DC output side and control the intensity of the LEDs. TRIAC dimmers are common hardware store and household dimmers, which include brand names such as Lutron and Leviton.

Pulse-Width Modulation Dimming: Pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming can be used to control dimmable power supplies such as Mean Well LPF Series. This type of dimming control adjusts the output current based on the duty cycle. As the duty cycle increases, current will increase and the LEDs will be brighter. Conversely, if the duty cycle decreases, the current will decrease and the LEDs will be dimmer. Pulse-width modulation for these drivers is based on a 10-volt signal level with a frequency between 100Hz-3KHz. The MLD-5A are compatible for this application.

Resistive Dimming: Resistive dimming can be used to control dimmable power supplies such as 12-Volt Mean Well HLG-40-240 Series or 12-Volt Mean Well HLG-600 Series or here.

The efficiency of a power supply or driver indicates the percentage of power that goes toward making your LED product function. An efficiency of 80 percent or higher is recommended for operating LEDs. 

When choosing a driver or power supply, the size of an LED product’s housing or area of installation is important. If you wish to put a constant-current LED driver inside of a product, the driver must be small enough to fit in the product’s housing. Similarly, if the driver or power supply is used outside of the product’s housing, it should fit the area of installation. Drivers and power supplies are available in a variety of sizes to suit your needs.

A Class 2 driver or power supply is in accordance with limited power levels defined by the National Electric Code (NEC) and fulfills the requirements of Standard UL 1310. Output is limited to 60 volts DC and 100 watts. Because power sources with this rating have limited output, it might not be possible to power as many LEDs or lights as those that don’t have a Class 2 rating. However, these power supplies and drivers provide protection from fire and electric shock.

A Class II rating refers to a double insulation layer between AC input and DC output wires. These drivers and power supplies do not require a ground connection.

In many parts of the country, like Los Angeles where I do electrical work, electric vehicles (EVs) are being delivered to anxiously waiting customers. Deliveries are also starting in other West Coast cities as well as cities along the Eastern Seaboard. In the center of the country, not so much. In many cases, these areas will start receiving deliveries towards the end of 2011.

Let’s say electric car deliveries have already started in your area and you own of these new-fangled vehicles — a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt. How do you recharge the battery? In my last post, I talked about the simple and inexpensive option, Level 1 charging. This is using a charging cord that comes as standard equipment with your electric vehicle, similar to the one your cell phone comes with. You’ll need an electrician to make sure that you’ve got the right kind of outlet in your garage or carport (GFI outlet on a dedicated circuit). Your electrician will also need to check whether your electrical panel needs upgrading for sufficient capacity. Once it’s a go, plug your charging cord into the outlet and wait … a long time. For the Chevy Volt, 10 hours, and the Nissan Leaf, 20 hours — empty to full.

Even though Level 1 charging is slow, drivers who have short commutes may be satisfied with it because, if they work it right, they won’t start at empty. They’ll have charge left in their batteries and will simply top off at night.

Here’s how it can work. The range of the Nissan Leaf is about 100 miles. Americans drive an average of 33 miles a day. Drivers who drive the average 33 miles will use only one-third of the battery in a day. If they religiously plug in when arriving home, they will be able to top off at night in about seven hours and leave with a full charge in the morning.

In addition, the pressure to be fully charged when leaving home will ease as chargers are increasingly installed in public places. Chargers are already available in Los Angeles train stations, the main airport (L.A.X.), the L.A. Convention Center, and other public places. One can easily find the network of existing public chargers on-line. In addition, malls will begin installing chargers as an inducement for shoppers and workplaces as an employment benefit. In time, you’ll be able to recharge your battery while you shop or work. But we’re not there yet.

For hybrids, like the Chevy Volt, the issue of leaving home fully charged is less pressing. The Chevy Volt can drive for about 35 miles on a fully-charged battery. Once the battery hits empty, it, like other hybrids, the Volt turns to burning gas in a conventional internal combustion engine. This isn’t good for gas usage, but on the other hand, the driver may suffer less from “range anxiety.”

While you may be able to make Level 1 charging work, you also have the option of faster charging by installing a special Level 2 charger in your garage or carport. More on Level 2 Charging in later posts or find out more by clicking here.

For more about my company, The Electric Connection — all the stuff you wanted to know but were afraid to ask — . If you’re interested coupons for electrical work, for example, $50 off installation of a Whole House Surge Protector in the L.A. area, click on our coupon page.