It seams that as the year progresses each season comes with its own positives and negatives. We have been fortunate to have a very beautiful spring so far, and looks like we will be in for a very hot summer. This means that we should all be getting out our sunscreen and turning up our air conditioning units. But if you want to save money on your energy bill this spring and summer, check out some of these tips that can help you cool down on a budget. 

When it is hot outdoors and the warm air is trying to come in, you don’t want to start creating your own warm air inside. Turning on the oven or stove in your kitchen will start to give off additional heat that you then attempt to reduce through the thermostat control. You can avoid this battle of temperatures through proper meal planning and using the BBQ. This will help you to keep the thermostat where it is without using additional electricity to fight energy use!

At night it tends to cool down, but a hot bedroom can lead to a restless sleep. These dark hours are an opportunity for you to save money by eliminating those additional cooling devices. To keep yourself as cool as possible at night without out electrical devices, use cotton sheets. Cotton provides breathability and allows the heat to escape. Seasonal bedding like this is an energy smart decision. Use flannel/fleece for winter, and cotton for summer.

Instead of powering up your AC unit to cool your entire home, try using small, oscillating fans in strategic places to keep you cool. If you are sitting on your couch in the living room then this is the only room that needs to be cooled. Turn a fan toward you and enjoy. It is much cheaper to power one or two small fans than an entire AC unit.

This is a simple fix that can certainly help those with large windows in your home. While your summer view may be beautiful, the sunrays will beam in an heat up your living space. Close your blinds to keep it out and you will notice a significant decrease in temperature. At night when the sunsets you can open them back up and even open the windows to let the cooler breeze through. This way you can still enjoy a nice evening and take advantage of your views.

While we love electricity as it has allowed us to live comfortable lives, we should use it wisely as it can increase our monthly bills. If you are interested in installing energy efficient light bulbs, AC units, or improving your home electrical bills, contact Expert Electric at 604-681-8338. Our licenced electricians can identify where you can save your money the most.

September is National Preparedness Month—just in time for peak hurricane season in Maryland. Severe thunderstorms and floods are also common to the area and with winter approaching, it’s always a good idea to prepare for the possibility of heavy snowstorms. National Preparedness Month is a time to educate yourself on how you can prepare for sever weather so that if an emergency does occur, you aren’t left in the dark.

Every home and business should have a plan in the event of an emergency. Do you know what to do if cell phone towers stop working or the electricity goes out? While no one can prevent a weather emergency from happening, there are a number of things you can do to get prepared for any disaster. National Preparedness Month is a great time to:

At Kolb Electric, we support National Preparedness Month and want to help you and your family be ready for whatever weather emergency Mother Nature can throw at us! We install standby generators and surge protectors to keep Maryland, Northern Virginia, Washington, DC home and businesses safe and running even during a storm. For help preparing your home or building for a weather emergency, call us at 877 287-1179 or contact us online today!

Most of us will not be leaders with the ability to speak and the bravery to act as Martin Luther King, Jr., but we can change the world for the better in small ways.  Even one bulb at a time…

The world of illumination is changing quickly and advancing into a new frontier with light sources that are more durable, more energy-efficient and better for the natural environment.  While we still have a choice, future lighting installations with LED (light emitting diode) lamps will provide the best light for your home or office space.

To make the best choice, there are a few lighting facts you should know.  All LEDs are not created equal, so read on to educate yourself and make a change to LED with confidence.

Learn what light sources are available and the limitations and benefits of each light source, so that you may choose the best one for each application.

•The right lighting will always help you look better, feel better and perform to the best of your ability.

•The right lighting will always be energy-efficient.

•The right lighting will always work well with the natural environment, making the most of sunlight streaming in during the day and delivering illumination in the most eco-friendly manner.

•The right lighting will last.  Choose good quality bulbs and light fixtures that are guaranteed to provide excellent illumination, equipped with fine finishes and components that are durable.

1.  KNOW YOUR BRIGHTNESS LEVELS IN LUMENS

New bulb cartons are required to prominently display the brightness level (measured in lumens (lm)).  In the past we have determined bulb brightness in terms of energy consumption in watts (W), but now we must learn to think in lumens (lm).  Here is a quick conversion chart to help get you started:

Lumens            Old Incandescent                                             LED

2600 lm————→150W——————————–→25-28 W

1600 lm———— →100W——————————–→16-20 W

1100 lm————→75W———————————-→9-13 W

800 lm————-→60W———————————-→8-12 W

450 lm————-→40W———————————-→6-9 W

2.  CHECK OUT COLOR QUALITY:   Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) and Color Rendering Index (CRI))

•CCT is measured in Kelvin’s (K) and is an important factor determining the quality of light for your specific application: Warm White or Soft White is about  2700-3500 Kelvin’s (K) and Bright White light is about 4000 K+

•CRI is measured on a scale of 0-100 and is an important measure of the degree to which your light source will show the true colors of all that is being illuminated.  Color rendering for decorative indoor lighting applications should be between 85-100.

3.  FACTOR IN DIMMING CAPABILITY

Most dimmers work by reducing the amount of electricity sent to the bulb.  But with LED the correlation between brightness and energy consumption is much different than with incandescent illumination.

Because of this difference, LEDs are not always compatible with traditional dimmer switches.  You either have to replace your switch with one that is compatible with LED or look for replacement LED bulbs that are compatible with standard incandescent dimmers.

4.  FIND SUITABLE BULB-TO-LIGHT FIXTURE MATCH-UPS

The reflector and fixture type will play a significant role in determining the light output from the light source (bulb).  Look at colored lenses and fitters, as well as shades and shielding to determine how they will help steer and direct your desired level of illumination.

When looking to replace an incandescent bulb with an LED bulb in a lighting fixture where the bulb will be totally enclosed, be sure to check that your LED is specifically made for an enclosed or recessed light fixture.  LED bulbs run cooler than others, but they do produce heat. To protect the quality of the LED chip and the performance of your LED light source, LED fixtures are specifically engineered to provide adequate heat-sinking.

5.  BEWARE OF THE LOWEST “BINNER” and COMPARE PRICE VS. QUALITY

“Binning” is the process by which LED chips are sorted.

Prior to being marketed in fixtures or light bulbs, LED chips are sorted into bins according to their light output (lumen output) and color temperature.  There are clear standards set to measure the lumen output of each LED chip.  LEDs chosen from bins with higher lumen output are of better quality.

Color temperature is determined by matching up each LED according to a chromatic line grid for a specific color temperature.   LEDs chosen from larger bins contain more color variation and are not as bright.

Due to the process of “binning,” LED chips vary in their quality—especially in relation to their lumen output and color, so it is important to purchase LED light bulbs and LED light fixtures from a reputable dealer.

Philips medium base LED

Philips LED reflector, perfect for landscape and outdoor lighting applications

Dimmable LED from Philips

Kolour One LED bulb offers full 180 degree illumination

Look for all new LED bulbs from Philips, Kolour One, Satco and Bulbrite, now available at 1800lighting.com

We offer hundreds of products that are designed for

(CRI) to show the true colors of products or material being displayed. CRI refers to how accurately a light source reveals the true colors of objects, people, and surroundings and involves a distinct testing method with comparisons to incandescent light or daylight. A light source with a CRI close to 100 shows colors very similarly to how incandescent light or daylight shows those same colors.

Many LED lights are also available in a wide variety of colors or shades of white, and LED controllers with wireless remotes allow for customized lighting, dimming, and color modes. These reliable LED lights are built to last and come with a minimum two-year warranty.

Performing safe commercial electrical work is always our electricians number one priority.  You need to know all work is performed to code and performed in the safest manner possible.  Our commercial electricians will make sure your employees and your customers are safe.  In the event the commercial electrical work cannot be performed safely with non certified people near by they will rope off the section and make sure no one is in any danger of injury.  Our commercial electricians follow all company safety rules as well as OSHA rules and regulations.  Our electricians receive OSHA certification from a 3rd party such as ABC of Iowa as well as in house safety briefings.  You can see in the photo of our commercial electricians performing electrical work, the lift is properly set up and placed in a safe manner.  The commercial electricians have on a hard hats as well as the properly fitted and rated fall safety equipment, the section around them is also zoned off in the event that something were to fall from the lift or work zone.

Need some commercial electrical work done at your store or business but need to remain open?  No problem at all!  Our commercial electricians can safely work around your employees and customers while you keep operating your business.  Today the crew was able to perform some work at your local big box home improvement store Lowes.  Special equipment was needed to perform the work needed.  The crew was able to get all equipment in place as needed as well as perform the electrical repair and installation in a safe manner.  

Custom Electrical Services can help your home as well as your business 24 hours per day!  We have trained commercial electricians that are able to get your business up and running in no time.  Our commercial electricians arrive in what we like to call a warehouse on wheels.  Their state of the art service vans come fully stocked will all the major parts and if for some reason they don’t have the part needed on their service van we have a fully stocked warehouse in Clive.  We also have access to all the major supply houses in the Des Moines Metro 24 hours per day.  If our commercial electricians need to go get a part there is never an additional charge to you!

Custom Electrical Services is a proud member of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce, West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, and Norwalk Chamber of Commerce.  Custom Electrical Services can be contacted 24 hours per day for commercial and residential electrical work at 515-669-3418 or via their contact page for non emergency items here.

Categories: commercial electrical« Shining Light On The People Who Brighten Your Homes Everyday!  |  Veterans Day »