A hefty amount of our readers here on the MyLEDLightingGuide’s official blog consists of facility managers (along with contractors, government employees, and other decision makers). This post is made specifically for the facility managers and building owners out there to help keep you up to date and fresh on the latest news and opportunities for you and your buildings.

This list of 14 blogs will consist of some popular and most likely already heard of publications, along with a few lesser known places that you still may find extremely interesting. Picking a few from this list is definitely the first step to keeping up to date and staying ahead with your work.

There will be a brief description along with a URL for each blog / magazine listed, and it should give you a good idea or not if that facility management resource will benefit you more-so or not than others listed here. Now, let’s get started with this list…

2. Buildings.com

Another very popular publication which covers a lot of useful topics and products that any building decision maker should be aware of to create a more efficient and overall better workplace. They also have many courses and webinar on topics like life cycle costs, energy management, lighting, security, and more.

4. Maintenance World

As the name suggests, this blog leans on the side of maintenance based topics. Although, they often talk about topics that are important to any facility manager, such as cooling an industrial sized area. That is just a glimpse of the type of stuff this blog publishes, so reading more on what they offer may be important to seeing if this blog is worth your time or not!

6. FM World

FM World seems to put a lot of their attention on news, but all are topics that are probably very relevant to you and your tasks as a FM. They also (like many other of these blogs on this list) offer many different white papers which carry tons of valuable information in them. Along with professional interviews, webinars, and other pieces of content they are very well rounded in the variety of things that they offer.

8. The Built Environment

They don’t only talk about the environment and green buildings, but surprisingly they publish a lot about facility managers and how to become a better one in general. You can thank Michel Theriault for this great resource, as he is the brains behind it all. He also offers services such as consulting and training for FM staff, so if a budget allows and you want to become a better FM; that’s always an option!

10. Building Automation Monthly

Phil Zito is the creator and sole person behind Building Automation Monthly. He writes about and educates on the topics solely regarding building automation systems. No time for reading? Phil offers a Podcast which covers many different great topics as well. So, next time you are driving or taking a flight you might want to listen in to his podcast!

12. The fmguru blog

Although this blog doesn’t seem to be updated as often as many others on this list; their past and current posts are a good read. They are definitely insightful and thought provoking on the tasks and purposes of a facility manager.

14. i-FM.net

Like their headline says, “if you’re in FM, you need to be on i-FM.” They offer tons of content through news, interviews, top 50 list of great and relevant companies, and overall great resources.

Missed any that you think is worthy of being added? Be sure to comment them down below, this list is always being updated!

Final Words

There you have it, 14 (and growing) facility manager blogs, magazines, and resources that will hopefully make you an informed, up to date, and more educated facility manager overall. Our #1 tip for you is to pick two or three from this list that really peak your interest, and make it a ritual to check in on them often for the latest content that they offer.

Again, if we missed one that you think should be added; feel free to comment it down below for consideration!

Want more of our topics for facility managers? Here are some:

Where we live, power outages are all too common, and it’s not a problem you should have to just wait out. Many people in our neighborhood have portable generators to keep some parts of the home powered on during a short outage.

However, a portable generator is tedious to refill and hook up. Nothing beats the peace of mind, efficiency, and ease-of-use that comes with owning a whole-house generator. Here’s what you should know about this type of system.

Many homeowners still have portable generators, or else they have generators designed for use with several appliances and systems at once, but without an automatic transfer switch. It’s possible to upgrade many generators to have a transfer switch, and they come standard with an automatic standby generator.

The transfer switch monitors the power in your home. When your home no longer has an electrical current running into it, the transfer switch kicks in within seconds.

Some generators run on diesel or propane, which means you need to refill it from time to time. It could stop working unexpectedly, and the tank for these generators is quite bulky. We always recommend natural gas automatic standby generators, which use the gas lines already on your property.

Finally, you should keep in mind that your generator will not work perfectly forever. Luckily, today’s generators have self-testing features that alert you to problems before you need backup power. Still, it’s important to have regular maintenance to prevent your automatic standby generator from breaking down suddenly in the middle of a winter storm.

Call qualified technicians for routine generator maintenance on a regular schedule. You can work out a plan with your technician to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, even after the lights go out.

This problem is similar to the heating appliance issue we started with.  Overloaded outlets are more than just a circuit-tripping annoyance, they can also become a danger quickly!  If you’re electrical panel is doing its job properly, the circuit breaker will trip before there’s a problem, but relying on a safety measure is not a safe practice.

Overloaded outlets are simply circuits that have too many things plugged into them.  This can happen by:

All of these practices can overload your outlets by putting too much demand on the circuit.  In a best case scenario, the circuit breaker trips.  The worst case leads to excess heat at the outlet, melting plugs and sockets or excess heat on the circuit which melts insulation from wiring in the walls, leading to a house fire.

Of course, even if you follow all of these protections, things can happen that are outside of your control.  That’s when your best defense is a strong safety net.  Early detection and warning for house fires is the best way to survive in an emergency.  The sooner you’re aware that there is a fire, the higher your likelihood of survival.  For the best defense:

As our #1 international customer base, Canada is enjoying brighter times ahead with the most outstanding light fixtures and lamps from Capitol Lighting’s 1800lighting.com.

Capitol Lighting provides Canadian customers with friendly, reliable service and custom quality illumination.

Here is what we offer…

• Capitol Lighting maintains partnerships with the most trusted lighting manufacturers throughout the US, and remains a family owned and operated business backed by 90 years of experience in the lighting industry.

• When you purchase from Capitol Lighting, you buy with confidence.  All of our products are backed by our 110% best price guarantee.

• From traditional to futuristic compositions, 1800lighting.com offers a world-class selection of chandeliers, wall decor, decorative accessories, track lighting and portable lamps for your residential or commercial space.

• Experience the latest in LED and energy-efficient illumination, as well as eco-friendly lamps and lighting products.

• Choose from a tremendous assortment of items including, exquisite foyer fixtures, decorative table and floor lamps, desk lamps and task lamps, superb outdoor and landscape lighting, ceiling fans and light kits, and automated lighting controls.

Capitol Lighting provides the best service and care, along with custom quality illumination for your residential or commercial environment.

We keep in touch with you…

• Within one full business day of placing your order, you will receive an initial order status email providing you with the initial “estimated” shipping dates for each item on your order.  These shipping dates are estimated based on the availability of the item(s) in our warehouses in New Jersey and Florida, as well as the warehouses of our Manufacturers.

• If an item you have purchased is made to order or is on back order with the Manufacturer, your order status email will reflect this along with an estimated shipping date.

• Until your order has fully shipped and is complete, you will receive Order Status Update emails if/when the estimated shipping date changes or we receive new information about the product that impacts your order.

• Using the shipping calculator tool in the shopping cart is fast and easy—you can even get FedEx rates to your door (inclusive of duty and taxes)!

• 110% best price guarantee

• Friendly, reliable service

• Dedication to top quality design and composition

Go to Capitol Lighting’s info page for details and get started on furnishing your home and/or office environment with the best illumination from 1800lighting.com.

Shipping to Canada:

• 1800lighting is pleased to ship directly to our Canadian customers.

• Standard Ground Shipping-FedEx/UPS items: All items will ship from warehouses around the US directly to your door via FedEx or UPS and their Canadian partners.  All our shipments will comply with Canada Customs regulations and pricing will include all duties and your local GST+PST or HST.

• To simplify the process, in the shopping cart our shipping calculator will calculate all related charges based on your postal code, connecting directly with FedEx to provide the most accurate delivery charges.  Please note:  We pass on our preferred shipping rates and do not mark up our shipping fees in any way.

• Shipping Lead Times:  If your purchase or project is time sensitive, it is strongly suggested that you contact a representative at 1.800.544.4846 or email ShippingToCanada@1800lighting.com to inquire about what expedited shipping services may be available.

There was a time during childhood when, at a friend’s house, the best thing to do was to play with the dimmer switch. At the time, this was the coolest thing in the world. When you had nothing like it at home, you got to enjoy the little things. It was so great; you could dim the lights for a movie or turn them up when you wanted to socialize. Whatever the occasion was, these would set the mood. It was great! It was time to convert more home switches from flicks to dimmers.

If you have never tried to do anything electrical yourself, it can be a wild ride. First you need to find the right hardware. Take a quick trip to the hardware store and find someone who can help. That’s always easier than doing these things alone. The experts can explain how dimmer switches work and how they can save money. None of that matters for this project; you just need the switches changed to relive a personal childhood pleasantry. Finally you find a model with a cover that will look fabulous in your home.

The Moment at Hand

Soon, you are ready to head back and take things apart. It’s easy to get the faces off, but then comes time for the technical parts. It takes a steady hand to work with electronics, but none of that matters if you forget something important. What may happen next is unexpected: a jolt of electricity sends a reminder that the breaker panel has not yet been turned off downstairs. It hurts, but it is nothing serious. It’s time to call in an expert.

When it comes to electricity, no matter how small the job, it’s best to let the trained professional do it. Otherwise you may just wind up hurting yourself.