If you are sick, you call a doctor. If you air conditioner stops working, you call an HVAC repairman. We are fortunate to live in a world where we are only a phone call away from help. We are not expected to fix things ourselves. In fact, the economy relies on us calling in professionals who have went to school and made a living repairing things and making our lives a little easier. What about an electrician? When should you call an electrician, like those at The Electric Connection.

Here are a list of jobs that would require you to give your electrician a call.

This is not a comprehensive list, but it does include some of the more common reasons you would need to hire an electrician. If you have a job that is listed here or have any questions about what kind of electrical work you may need, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your consultation.

LED sign lighting provides years of illumination and low energy costs. sign modules that consume 50mA of power each. Required materials differ depending on sign size, module size, length of wire between modules, current draw, and lumen output.

Materials:

1. First, measure your sign. Although we recommend spacing module rows 3 inches apart, it’s ultimately up to you. If you want a brighter sign, place them closer together and vice versa for a dimmer sign. With the recommended 3-inch spacing, a 4-foot square sign would need 150 modules (15 rows of 10). Again, the quantity of modules needed  is based on many factors and can differ.

These LED sign modules are available in custom lengths of up to 20 modules per strand. Order 60 feet (4 feet x 15 rows) of stranded modules, and cut the strand after every 10 modules. Each strand can be cut to make two rows.

2. Next you’ll need to order a power supply that’s rated for the combined wattage of all sign modules. To ensure that you don’t overwork the power supply, confirm that the total wattage of your modules is at least 20 percent less than the power supply’s rated wattage.

An easy way to calculate this is to multiply the total wattage of your combined lighting by 1.2. In the 4-foot sign diagram, there are 150 modules with a current draw of 50 milliamps (mA) each. Since current draw is given in milliamps, multiply that number by voltage and move the decimal 3 places to the left to get wattage. This module consumes 50 mA and has 12 VDC operation, so it consumes 0.6 watts (50 x 12 = 600). Next, multiply 0.6 by 150 to get a combined wattage of 90 and multiply that number by 1.2 (90 x 1.2 = 108) to determine which power supply you’ll need. Since the result was 108, you will need at least a 120-watt power supply.

3. Next on the list is wire to connect all your sign module stands to the power supply. For a 4-foot sign, you’ll need 4 feet of 18-gauge two-conductor wire to serve as your main line plus enough to cover the distance between your power supply and where it will be wired into an electrical system. You’ll also need dual-channel T-tap wire splice connectors for an easy connection to your main line.

Before you begin working on your sign, turn off power to the area.

4. If there isn’t one already, drill a hole in the back of your sign as an exit point for your wire.

5. Use a tape measure or ruler to plot your row spacing. Leave space on one side of the sign for your module-to-main-line connections. Mount the sign modules using their double-sided adhesive and/or screw holes.

6. Insert the end wires of each sign module row into the T-tap splice connector, and clamp the other end of the connector onto the main line. The splice connectors eliminate the need to strip wire insulation.

7. Use double-sided foam tape to secure each T-tap splice connector to the inside of your sign.

8. Reattach your sign’s front cover.

9. Connect the main line to your power supply, wire the supply into your electrical system, and restore power to the area.

For technical questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support 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.

Florida residents, it happens to all of us more often than we’d like. A storm, hurricane, or other catastrophe causes our lights to flicker and the power to go out. Power loss doesn’t just affect the lights—food can begin to spoil in your refrigerator and freezer, cell phone batteries die and are unable to be recharged, furnaces can’t keep your home and your family warm, and hot water to bathe, cook, and clean becomes limited. The list goes on and on. The next time a storm knocks out your power—again—you may find yourself thinking about investing in a standby generator to help you weather the storm.

There are many benefits of installing a standby generator in your Tampa or St. Petersburg home. Unlike a portable backup generator, a standby generator is doing just that—standing by, awaiting its turn to provide power to you and your family. Differences between the two power generators include: