Electric blankets can provide some much needed warmth and comfort during the long winter months. Nothing beats a personal heat source on your bed, staving off the nighttime chills. Electric blankets can even help you save money by allowing you to keep your thermostat turned down a few notches. However, these blankets can also be a fire hazard, particularly if they are old or damaged. Read on to learn more about how to stay safe if you choose to use an electric blanket this winter.

Bringing Electrical Work to Your Bed

If you do decide to use an electric blanket, make sure you carefully follow all the instructions regarding use, care and storage so you maintain it in good condition. Most electric blankets are designed to be rolled or hung up when not in use, since folding or bunching them can damage the heating wires. Once a blanket becomes damaged or stops working properly, it's time to dispose of it so you don't risk a fire. Blankets that are more than three years old should be checked carefully, and once they hit a decade of service, it's time to retire them even if they still appear to be in good shape.

You also need to inspect the blanket's cord and verify that it isn't worn, frayed or otherwise damaged. It's generally a bad idea to run the cord under the mattress or under a carpet, which can speed up its deterioration, but you also need to prevent children or pets from chewing on it or playing with it. The best option is often to store the blanket out of harm's way during the day when it's not in use.

Weighing the Benefits and Risks

Even a well-functioning electric blanket can be a hazard if you aren't careful with it. Some authorities even recommend using electric blankets to pre-heat the bed, then stowing them before you actually climb in. When you have an active electric blanket on the bed, you need to also make sure you don't leave any heat sensitive materials above or below it.

Additionally, pregnant women and people suffering from certain illnesses need to be careful that they don't allow an electric blanket to overheat their bodies. Excessive heat can harm developing fetuses, as well as people who have diseases like diabetes. Safer options for supplemental heat sources include a hot water bottle tucked under the blanket, or an electric space heater to warm up an otherwise chilly room.

Expert Treatment for Your Electrical Work

For help evaluating the safety of your wiring or any other electrical work, call an expert electrician today.

Are your customers getting hot under the collar about rising energy costs? If so, suggest they buy a ceiling fan.

Although ceiling fans do consume electricity, experts say the amount of money homeowners can save on air conditioning greatly outweighs the cost of running the fan itself.

“Ceiling fans provide year-round comfort and efficiency,” says Barb Wright, a ceiling fan product manager at Westinghouse Lighting.

Wright says the cost of operating a ceiling fan varies based on how often they’re turned on and how much the electric company charges, but on average, she says a standard ceiling fan costs less to operate than an incandescent light bulb.

Experts say ceiling fans reduce energy in two ways.

First, fans circulate the air in the room, preventing hot air from accumulating at the ceiling.

“A ceiling fan helps equalize the temperature throughout the room, so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the room cool,” says Scot Wetmore, marketing director at Dan’s Fan City, a ceiling fan retailer with more than 50 stores in the United States.

When people are in the room, Wetmore says ceiling fans have the added benefit of making people feel cooler.

“Ceiling fans cool by evaporation, like a wind chill factor,” he says, adding that fans will make it feel like it’s about 6 degrees cooler in your home than it actually is, allowing you to set your thermostat 6 degrees higher. According to Progress Energy, an energy company that services North and South Carolina and Florida, homeowners can save 7 to 10 percent off their cooling costs for each degree above 78.

And ceiling fans don’t just save money in the summer. Ceiling fans run counterclockwise in the summer, but many ceiling fans are equipped with reverse switches which allow you to run the fan clockwise in the winter, thereby reducing heating bills, too.

“[Changing the direction of the fan] makes the air column go up toward the ceiling, and what it does is it drives air currents up on the ceiling to the wall and down the wall, and that helps redistribute heat from the ceiling. So it helps lower your heating bills by re-circulating the heat,” Wetmore explains.

If a ceiling fan also includes a light fixture, Wright says customers can maximize their energy savings by replacing the incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

Wright says homeowners should also consider buying Energy Star-rated ceiling fans. “They are about 50 percent more efficient than conventional fan/light units with an estimated energy savings of $15 to $20 per year,” Wright says.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Web site, Energy Star-rated ceiling fans move air up to 20 percent more efficiently than conventional models due to advanced blade and motor design, and Energy Star-rated ceiling fans that have light fixtures are about 50 percent more efficient and produce about 75 percent less heat.

Several ceiling fan manufacturers make ceiling fans that meet the government’s Energy Star requirements, including Casablanca, Kichler, Minka Aire and Savoy House.

Click here to shop hundreds of decorative and functional ceiling fans at Capitol Lighting’s 1800lighting.com and start saving on energy today!

Turkey day is upon us, when relatives and friends descend from near and far to gobble stuffing, watch NFL football and reflect on the things they are thankful for. In the spirit of the holiday, make sure that by the end of the day you can still be grateful for your family's continued health and prosperity by following these Thanksgiving safety tips.

Careful with the Deep Fried Turkey 

Who needs a roaster? Adventuresome chefs who want to create a memorable Thanksgiving are turning to the deep fryer to cook the turkey. The process involves gallons of hot oil, so take precautions if you decide to use this method to prepare your bird:

With some prudence and awareness, you can enjoy your crispy bird safely. 

Beware Open Flames

Candles are a great way to provide atmosphere, but make sure they aren't close to any curtains or other flammable materials, and aren't in danger of getting knocked over. Never leave a burning candle unattended. The same goes for your gas burners. 

Clean up Your Clutter

Your guests might not be familiar with the idiosyncrasies of your house, like the children's cars scattered about the living room. Make sure any power cords and extensions cords aren't crossing the floor or walkway and posing potential trip hazards. 

Mind the Children

We expect adults to practice common sense, but children may not be so prudent. If you aren't used to having kids around, be aware that knives, candles, hot foods, liquids, matches and stoves might all prove irresistible to a curious youngster. Keep anything dangerous out of reach, and make sure the kids are supervised.

“SOLID” was the word Ken used to describe himself.  He is a man of character who always finishes what he starts and keeps his word.  A true humanitarian and dedicated businessman, Lebersfeld accepts this award with humble gratitude.

He continues to work six days a week, providing a “solid” foundation for his employees, as well as his younger siblings and cousins who work at Capitol Lighting.  They know–if there is a problem, whether personal or business–Ken would be there wholeheartedly and in full force.  He does nothing half-way.  And, perhaps that is why he is at the helm and has become the strong-hold of a family lighting business that has strived to be the best for over 90 years.

One of the most important factors to consider when designing an outdoor kitchen is the lighting. Outdoor kitchen lighting needs to serve a variety of purposes, including but not limited to: task lighting so the grill master can see what they’re doing, ambient lighting for people to see, and walkway lighting to shine the way from the house to the outdoor kitchen. In this blog, we’ll be going over the best types of lighting for various goals your kitchen needs to accomplish.

Remember: whatever type of lighting you choose for various areas, it should always be rated for use in outdoor environments. Even if you have a solid roof or cover above your outdoor kitchen, you want to make sure your lights can function safely in wet or damp environments.

One of the most important elements of outdoor kitchen lighting design is task lighting around the grill. This is mostly a food safety issues: the grill master needs to be able to see whether the food is cooked properly before he or she can serve it!

Grill task lighting can be accomplished with either Halogen or LED bulbs. The most important thing is that you get a nice, bright white light—this will help you see most clearly and ensure that the food coming off the grill tastes good, is presented well, and most importantly, is safe to eat.

In addition to lighting the grill, you want to make sure all cabinets are appropriately lit. This can also be done with LEDs, which can be installed under lips in the cabinet so you won’t be able to see the lights themselves—just the glow they cast. Such lighting can enhance the aesthetics of your outdoor kitchen area while making it easier to see what you’re doing while cooking.

Once the grill lighting has been figured out, the next thing to do is make sure your eating areas are properly lit! The main goals for lighting eating areas should be as follows:

The best type of lighting for outdoor eating areas is LED, which is highly efficient and durable. When it comes to keeping insects away, meanwhile, one of the best things to do is install a ceiling fan, which can be wired with lights and will discourage insects over a wide area.

Last but not least, it’s important to make sure you have adequate lighting along any pathways from your home to your outdoor kitchen. Walkway lighting can be accomplished with any type of low-voltage lighting, but we prefer LED for this task—they’re efficient, long-lasting, and get the job done better than any other type of lighting.

The right lighting can make all the difference when it comes to your outdoor kitchen. For outdoor kitchen lighting, or any type of low voltage outdoor lighting in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric today!