Do you have enough smoke alarms in your home? The odds are probably not if we’re going by statistical averages, and if you’re here reading along then you also are probably thinking about installing more. Which is good! But you might also be thinking about wiring them yourself, and that might not be the best option you have. Why? Today the certified professionals at Hoffman Electrical are here to help you understand.

Many people think that in order to save money on your electrical bill, you must accept some discomforts or inconveniences. But that is not the case! You don’t need to deal with the unbearable heat in the summer instead of turning on your air conditioner. You don’t need to unplug all of your appliances after every use to save a few dollars.  We have put together a few key recommendations to get you started on your electrical bill savings without having to give up the comfort and conveniences in your home.

Home Energy Audit

The best way to start your savings is to have a local electrician perform a home energy audit. Your electrician will go through your house examining your electrical wiring, distribution, lighting, electric-powered home equipment and systems in order to increase the efficiency of your home and ultimately save you money on your electrical bill. Some auditors may even go as far as to understand your daily habits that may be costing you more money. For instance, did you know that doing a full load of dishes in the dishwasher rather than washing them by hand actually saves you money?

Once you have had your home audited, make sure to check out Live SmartBC for any rebates you may be eligible for. BC residents have the privilege of gaining rebates for increasing the efficiency of their home; don’t let this savings go to waste!

Install Ceiling Fans

Another great way to save money on your electrical bill is to install ceiling fans. Apart from your air conditioner, ceiling fans push air downwards, blowing the cool air directly onto your body rather than cooling the whole room. On top of that, ceiling fans need very little maintenance (other than a little dusting or bulb changes), which can save you a lot of money in the long run. You may be thinking, that’s great but what about in the winter when I’m trying to heat my house? Surprisingly, ceiling fans are a great energy saving tool for the winter months too! Heat rises. So by running your fan on a low speed, you can circulate the warm air that has risen and create a more evenly heated room and shortening the time it takes your heater to work. This saves you money both in the summer and the winter.

Replace Air Filters

Lastly, you can save money on small changes like replacing your air filters regularly. A lot of times, this is a task many of us forget about but it can make a significant difference in your potential savings. When dirt builds up on your filter it prevents the airflow from working as efficiently. Your air system now needs to work harder in order to maintain the same level of airflow and because of that, increasing your electrical bill. By regularly maintaining your air filters (once a month), you will not only save money, but your family will be breathing in the cleanest air.

These are just a few ways to save on your electrical bills. Our highly qualified team of professionals at Expert Electric is excited to help you get started on your potential savings. Call today for further assistance or a free quote on some of our money-saving services.  604-681-8338

/foot)

Strips with more LEDs per foot will consume more power.

In short, if maximum energy efficiency is what’s most important to you, choose a light strip with smaller LEDs and fewer LEDs.

In order to ensure your LED power supply doesn’t overheat and fail prematurely, we use this general rule of thumb:

Make sure the total wattage of your LED strip lighting is at least 20 percent less than the power supply’s rated wattage.

For example, if you have an LED strip light that requires 80 watts of power to run, you’ll need a power supply that’s rated for at least 96 watts.

The vast majority of our strips include wattage per foot right on their product pages.

power supplies range from six watts to 1,500 watts for compatibility with a wide variety of LED strip lights.

Let’s take a look at an example:

It’s important to verify that the voltage of the power supply you choose is compatible with the voltage of your LED strip lighting. Also, be sure that the power supply’s input voltage matches that of the location it will be installed in. If you have an LED strip with 12-volt DC operation that you wish to use in a 120-volt AC home wiring system, you’ll need a power supply that includes 120 volts in its input range and has 12-volt DC output.

Another factor to take into account for longer runs is voltage drop. A significant voltage drop is present after a certain distance of LED strip. After this distance, there will not be enough voltage present to light the next length of strip. This varies depending on the type of strip and length being used. Usually, a single-density strip (nine or less LEDs per foot) will need to run back to a power source every 32 13/16 feet (10 meters). A high-density strip (18 or more LEDs per foot) will need to run back to a power source every 16 3/8 feet (5 meters). Please refer to “Max Run” in the specifications table of the strip light to determine how many can be run continuously without a parallel run back to power.

3) the 4) if you want your strip to be dimmable

power supply calculator on the product pages of all of our LED strip lights!

There are a few steps involved:

Step 1: Select your strip and the length you need.

Step 3: Click the green “Power Supply Calculator” tab, and select your product by choosing it from the list OR by pasting the exact part number in the search bar.

Step 4: Enter the number of strips at the desired length you’ve selected and voila! You’ll see a list of all compatible power supplies with the best match at the top of the list!

When dealing with electronics, safety is paramount, and you want everything to work like it’s supposed to. So if you’re still not sure which power supply to use for your LED strip lighting project, just reach out to our technical support team or customer service department at 866-590-3533. Our teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.