If you’re longing for a bulb that’s going to save energy and that lasts, this LED bulb replacement guide is a great place to get a feel for the type you might need. Other than finding a bulb that fits the socket, has the correct voltage, and meets wattage requirements, there’s no list of rules as to what bulb you should use in a certain fixture. This guide shows that even the same type of fixtures can require or accept different bulb types. LED replacement bulbs are available in a variety of wattages, intensities, voltages, and with different base types; they can even emit different colors of light. You have the freedom to choose a bulb that fits your needs, and there are plenty of available options.

Clicking each picture below will direct you to a page of similar bulbs. Keep in mind, this post just touches the surface of available LED bulbs. If you don’t see what you need, use our site to see hundreds of lighting options.

Track light fixtures are found in many homes and allow for aimable illumination exactly where it’s needed. These fixtures almost always contain MR11 spotlight bulbs. In addition to track lights, these bulbs are often used in recessed, pendant, display case, and desk light fixtures. MR16 and MR11 LED replacement bulbs have GU10 or GX5.3 bi-pin bases and are available in a wide variety of styles with many LED configurations.

From movies candle-lit dinners, lighting is one of the most important factors in everything we do.  Science and technology teams around the world have put an amazing amount of effort into developing the sturdiest, longest-lasting lights for any application you can think of.  Color, saturation, brightness, and even beam shape are all important when it comes to picking the right light for the situation.  The best part?  Mood lighting is a careful art that’s pretty easy to pull off once you know which settings work best.  Romantic lighting is especially simple and can set the stage so long as you have the right room and the right lights.

It could be our culture that has led us to see certain settings as romantic.  But there are also a few scientific aspects of lighting that genuinely make a setting more romantic.  While it may be that decades of amber-colored lights or the flicker of candlelight have fashioned our notions of what makes for romantic lighting, there’s also the effect of the light itself to consider.

Light with a low color temperature (below 3000K, or ‘yellow’ light) produces a very interesting effect on surfaces.  These lights, which are standard for most incandescent lamps, soften features and improve appearances.  If you want to look good, use an incandescent lamp.  While not ideal for getting ready in the morning, a standard light gives that warm and cozy feeling we all enjoy from standard incandescent bulbs.

The next step is to keep the lights dimmer than normal.  Dimmer lighting creates a closer, more intimate feeling to any room.  But there is a trick to this.  Don’t simply remove a few light bulbs from the dining room, you need to use an actual dimmer.  Uneven lighting is jarring and distracting.  Removing lamps or relying on recessed lights that have been dimmed can ruin the effect.  Recessed lighting that’s been dimmed can create cave-lighting (when there are unintended dark corners along the upper part of the wall).  Uneven lighting isn’t cozy, it’s distracting.  Use a dimmer switch.  Just be sure to match your dimmer to the type of lights you’re using.  If you plan to use LED lamps, make sure the dimmer is compatible with your brand of LEDs.

When we say to keep lighting even, we don’t mean equal throughout the room.  Even lighting in this case is designed to highlight focus areas.  Think about how restaurants stagger their lighting, with islands of light at each table and muted lights everywhere else.  If you want the greatest effect, use a fixture that focuses a soft light where you’ll be spending your time while ambient lighting casts a light glow everywhere else.

A romantic setting demands more than just the right lighting.  Pair the lighting with a favorite meal or entertainment.  Some background music will set things off nicely, but only if you select something that matches the mood.  You may enjoy electronic dubstep, but when the lights are lower something quiet and soothing is the way to go.

For the best in quality electrical repair work and installations, contact the professionals at Custom Electric!  Be sure to check back here each week for helpful advice, news, and guides or follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Categories: Holiday Lighting« Why You Should Use a Surge Protector  |  What is a Circuit Panel? »

With Valentine’s Day edging past and Random Acts of Kindness Day coming up this February 17th, have you given any thought to how helpful your recent actions have been to your bottom line?

Lighting accounts for approximately 5-10 percent of total energy use. Simply turning off the lights in unoccupied rooms can save a great deal. Multiply that savings times thousands of households, and you’re taking part in a huge random act of kindness for planet earth.  

One of the simplest energy savings tips is caring for your water heater by wrapping it up in an insulated blanket, and it can help you save $20 for gas and $50 for electric heaters annually. Setting it to 120 degrees also boosts energy savings and improves safety.

When temperatures are extreme, be thoughtful about your thermostat settings. Adjust accordingly: 68 degrees in the winter, 78 degrees in the summer. Turning your thermostat down 10-15 degrees for 8 hours a day can save you up to 10 percent on heating and cooling costs. Upgrade to a programmable thermostat to make it a simple, automated task.

Another one of the simplest energy saving tips - turn off computers and other devices when not in use. Leaving your PC constantly running could be unkind to your wallet – to the tune of over $100 a year.

Many of the devices we use daily ruthlessly consume electricity, even when they’re switched off. This vampire power consumption can be curtailed with the help of point-of-use surge protection. Rather than unplugging each item individually, with the flip of a button, power to every device plugged into a surge protector is simply and easily terminated. A perfectly humane way to cut off unnecessary power consumption.

Surge protection can also safeguard your checkbook from the hazards of excess energy. Whole house surge protection adds an integral layer of security against budget-busting power surges that can quickly zap your expensive electronics. Be considerate of your wallet. The cost of replacing a single large home appliance such as a TV or hot water heater could cost you twice the expense of an investment in whole house surge protection. Find out how much professionally installed surge protection can save you from getting zapped with a free in-home quote from Mr. Electric®.    

Looking for a few more energy saving tips to protect your pocketbook? Treat your home and your budget to a little kindness with the loving care of Mr. Electric today.

The hot water heater represents one of the greatest hazards in the modern home, yet far too many homeowners have never read their heater’s owner’s manual. Common dangers associated with these household appliances include severe burns from scalding water, electric shock hazards, explosions, and fire.

Because most water heaters reside in closets, basements and garages, and are for the most part hidden from our daily lives, many aren’t as aware as they should be of the maintenance and precautions which are necessary for safety. Many homeowners don’t know, for instance, that they should drain and flush a hot water heater every six months, to prevent sediment buildup. Others are unaware that hydrogen gas can build up inside electrically heated hot water systems when they remain inactive for two weeks or more. Hydrogen buildup requires carefully performed procedures to safely remove this flammable gas from hot water pipes. Many don’t know how and why water softening systems shorten the lives of water heaters, or that every electric hot water heater should be properly grounded with the correct gauge of copper wire.

Correct safety and maintenance measures covered in a water heater’s manual are extremely important for household safety, so every homeowner should study this to learn how to properly maintain their hot water systems. It’s also extremely important to understand the electrical dangers these appliances represent. Because a hot water heater contains electrical heating elements immersed in water, these elements can deteriorate with age and short out electrically to the water heater’s metal casing. When this happens, it’s possible to receive a severe and perhaps fatal shock when touching the hot water heater’s housing or connecting pipes. If you do not have the necessary skills to work safely around high voltage electrical conditions, you should always call a professional electrician any time you suspect a problem with your hot water heater or when you have any other electrical concerns.

When any questions about electrical safety arise, please call Bryant Electric Service at 512-402-8587. Our electricians are trained and equipped to identify any type of hazardous electrical condition, and to determine the proper repair procedures.