Who doesn’t love recessed lighting? It is never out of style to have lighting subtly tucked into the ceiling, leading many homeowners to use recessed lighting in numerous rooms. We love recessed lighting at Electrical Gurus, and have installed plenty of them for Des Moines home and business owners over the years; however, there are instances when recessed lighting isn’t enough on its own or should be avoided altogether. Your local electricians are here to share when you should consider reining in your recessed lighting.

Providing a space with ambient lighting, as shown in our previous blog, is a crucial component when creating inviting, warm and properly illuminated spaces in your home. Too much of a good thing is definitely possible with recessed lighting, and it should never be used in place of all other light sources. Not only will your spaces lack task lighting, but you will be effectively illuminating your space from directly above, requiring far more light (and energy) to brighten the space; odds are, even with the lights cranked up, you’ll still have a dull, cavelike look to walls and corners with only directly downward light. Accent your recessed lighting with outward or upward ambient or accent lighting to create a more balanced lighting display.

Often, we see a single recessed light over a vanity, which can lead to a displeasing lighting effect. Just as with your home’s furniture, using only a direct overhead light creates unsightly shadows and does not properly illuminate the face. Using an overhead light on your vanity is great, but should always be accompanied by frontward facing lights to properly see your face.

Placing recessed lighting in tall ceilings is an odd concept. The primary benefit that recessed lighting provides is space efficiency, as the cans are placed above the ceiling, hiding the house wiring and electrical components. In a tall ceiling, not only is this unnecessary, but the light has to start from an even higher point. By the time the light reaches the room below, it is spread out and weaker, leading homeowners to use far more energy to brighten their rooms. Additionally, the shadows around the lighting cans will be especially prominent, leading to an ultimately darkened room. Instead, utilize hanging lights, fixtures, wall-mounted sconces, or even ground level lamps to brighten your taller rooms.

While it may sound like we’re beating up on recessed lighting, that is only because it is one of the most versatile lighting sources, which leads people to incorrectly believe that it is perfect in any room or as the only light source. As part of a comprehensive lighting strategy, recessed lighting is nearly unmatched in its widespread application and ease-of-use, just be sure to remember these helpful tips from your friendly, local Des Moines electricians at Electrical Gurus. Give us a call for help in planning out and installing your home’s ideal lighting solutions today!

Get in touch with our Des Moines electricians today!

It can be extremely frustrating to rearrange your home based on where your outlets are. Trying to strategically place furniture so you don’t block outlets is futile. This applies to your kitchen as well. Maybe you have to unplug the toaster to plug in the coffee maker. There never seems to be enough outlets. It isn’t safe to run electrical cords all over your home and it is certainly not attractive. So what can you do?

Well, you can move, which is probably not really feasible nor is it a very good idea to put your home on the market because you don’t have anywhere to plug in your coffeemaker. Before you make any rash decisions, call an electrician. Glendale homeowners do not despair! Call The Electric Connection to help solve your outlet shortage.

You will likely need an electrical inspection to determine whether your home can support more outlets or if you will need a panel upgrade. Don’t worry about trying to determine this yourself. This is what your electrician is there for. If an upgrade is needed, this is a task a qualified professional can handle for you.

In some cases, you may want to upgrade your outlets. This is a really good option for people who own older homes and the wiring may be fraying or outdated. You can have an inspection to determine whether or not you need a whole-home upgrade completed by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will want to ensure their home is safe and this is one way to do that. During the assessment, you can talk with the electrician about adding outlets.

We all rely on power, and we want it where we can get to it safely and easily. Because of the safety hazards associated with electricity, you will want to leave this job to the professionals at The Electric Connection. We’re ready to serve you!

If you have recently purchased a home or are in the home-buying process, you know there are a series of inspections that are required or recommended. One of those inspections may be an electrical inspection by a certified electrician in Glendale. The inspection is designed to give you an inside peek at what lies behind the walls of a home. If you have lived in your home for some time and have never had an electrical inspection, it may be a good idea to have one done. The team at The Electric Connection can help you get that scheduled.

If you have never seen an electrical inspection or are unsure as to what they encompass, this information will help you understand a bit more.

A Glendale electrician will inspect the electric panel, the breakers and look at the wiring that is visible in the panel. The electrician may also remove a light switch cover plate and have a look to see what the wiring looks like. If you have any exposed wiring in the attic or basement, make sure you point it out for the electrician. Glendale homeowners who have exposed wiring will want to have it taken care.

Once the inspection is complete, the electrician will write up a report about the findings. If there are things that are hazardous, they will be outlined and explained. Electric hazards should be resolved as soon as possible. Your electrician will also note things that are not necessarily hazardous yet, but should be taken care of at your earliest convenience. Any code violations will be pointed out. In some cases, failure to have a house brought up to code leaves you vulnerable should there be a fire or injury caused by wiring that is not up to code.

Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your electrical inspection whether you are buying, selling or plan on staying in your house for years to come.

Knowing when to install a new circuit in your home or business may seem like a daunting task. After all, you’re no electrician, and figuring out the details seems stressful! To which we at Kolb say, “No Problem!” There are specific cases and situations where installing a new circuit is really necessary, and all said it’s pretty clear when you need one. That is, if you know what you’re looking for.

Need a new circuit installation for your home or business? Contact our specialists today!

We’ll skip the science lesson and spare you the details of Ohm’s Law (though it’s fairly interesting reading), and other laws that apply to circuits. What you need to know is that a circuit is a dedicated device that houses electricity reserved for a specific task. Like a circuit for running your fridge, or to plug in your dryer.

A circuit operates in a loop, delivering electricity to the object in need of power, and then returning the electricity to the source (your electrical panel) when on or off. So, why would you need a new circuit? There are two primary cases:

If your circuit is not operating properly, it’s obviously time to seek a replacement. Not doing so can create some serious issues, the least of which is your appliances not running. A busted circuit can present serious dangers to your home, and should be addressed immediately. You can spot one by:

The other common time to get a new circuit installed is when you plan to add new, improved or newly existing appliances to your home. Many common use electrical machines require a lot of power, and plugging them into an existing circuit shared with other items will likely result in breaker flips.

Why? because a circuit is designed to supply a very specific amount of power, via your breaker. If you exceed the limit the breaker places on your circuit, the breaker will flip and refuse to allow the supply. This is why refrigerators, air conditioning, washing and drying machines and microwaves are often given a dedicated circuit.

Kolb has proudly served our area for years, and brings the best service and experience in the industry available. Our certified electricians can offer all of the skill, knowledge and tech needed to get your electrical project done right. At Kolb, your needs are our number one priority. Contact us today to learn more about circuits, and whether or not you may need a new one!