Electrical ballast replacements are a common project in both residential homes and commercial buildings. An electrical ballast is a device used to regulate electrical currents so that they do not reach uncontrollable levels. A common application of electrical ballasts is those found in any type of light structure such as fluorescent or neon lighting systems. Depending on the size of the replacement project, a licensed electrician isn’t always necessary; however, if you don’t have the proper tools or experience, it is a good idea to consult with a licensed electrician before attempting the replacement. To simplify the procedure, here are the answers to three common questions about electrical ballast replacement.

Similar to replacing a light bulb, if you have any type of neon or fluorescent light, you will eventually need to replace the electrical ballast in the lighting structure. Replacing the electrical ballast is a more reasonable solution than replacing the entire neon or fluorescent light structure. You will know when it’s time to replace the electrical ballast because the light will begin flickering or will stop working entirely.

Yes, you can perform a ballast replacement yourself. While ballast replacement can be a simple procedure, if not done properly you can cause damage to your replacement bulb but also the fixture. Before performing the replacement yourself, make sure you are confident and understand all the steps involved or you could end up with expensive bills you were trying to avoid. If you require assistance or have any questions about electrical ballast replacement, contact our team of licensed electricians at Expert Electric. We would be happy to help.

Thankfully, an electrical ballast replacement does not require a fully stocked tool shed in order to be completed. For most electrical ballast replacements, a few simple tools will do the trick. Depending on the type and size of your replacement, your replacement may require a simple screwdriver, nut driver, drill, pliers and wire stripper. This is in addition to the new electrical ballast which you will be replacing.

For more information on electrical ballast replacement, please contact the licensed electricians at Expert Electric. You can reach us at 604-681-8338 or you can book an appointment online through our website. For 24/7 immediate response emergency service, please fill out a form on our website so that we can get in touch with you as soon as possible. We offer various types of electrician services including electric water heaters, surge protectors, ceiling fan installation and we service all throughout the Greater Vancouver area and Lower Mainland.

Fuses and circuit breakers are part of any home or business that has electricity. These devices are extremely important to your safety, but what exactly are they?

It can be easy to take the technology around us for granted, and that includes the collection of strange switches in that metal box in the basement you never mess around with. You might have heard something about a “tripped circuit” or a “blown fuse,” possibly around the time the air conditioner shut off when someone plugged in a new appliance. But you might not be clear on what exactly these terms mean. Read on as we uncover the mysteries surrounding fuses and circuit breakers.

Circuit breakers and fuses (which can sometimes be found instead of breakers) are safety mechanisms put in place to ensure you don’t exceed certain current limits. If the wiring in a building has too much electrical current moving through it, these devices stop the flow of electricity until you address the problem.

At Kolb Electric, some of our favorite projects we do involve lighting design and installation. Well done outdoor lighting design is one of the most impressive projects you can undertake, and when done properly, it can add curb appeal and value as well as safety and utility to your home. There are a number of important design considerations to make to ensure your outdoor lighting is as effective as possible, including:

Think about your indoor living – outdoor lighting should graze your home’s exterior and go up—not in. When installing outdoor lighting, it’s important to make sure none of your lights shine directly into any windows in your home, creating an annoying and disruptive spotlight effect.

Keep entranceways visible – you especially don’t want spotlights in any entranceways in your home. Spotlights shine directly into your and your guests’ eyes, and can cause them to miss steps while approaching. You don’t want your lighting to interfere with anyone trying to walk through your front door. If it does, the lighting isn’t making your space any safer—it’s making it worse!

Maintain balance with coach lights – coach lights, which are wall sconce lights you see outdoors in many homes, should be incorporated into outdoor lighting in a way that enhances the whole light scheme’s design. This may involve dimming the coach lights so the whole design looks elegant and balanced and the elements don’t compete.

Maximize the spread of light – one of the most important things to consider when designing an outdoor lighting scheme is making sure the light is evenly spread across the exterior of your home. You don’t want any dark spots that will look awkward and may present a security risk. The right outdoor lighting designers can even help get around issues such as decks and porch overhangs blocking light to a second floor.

Light walkways correctly – path lighting is one area where outdoor lighting can go very right or very wrong. If you use high quality path lights with a large light spread, it’s easy to get the perfect look with just a few fixtures. One mistake many people make is using too many fixtures, which can end up creating a walkway that looks like an airport runway!

Use lighting to enhance your landscaping – using outdoor lighting effectively involves finding ways to highlight specific features of your home, from low-growing flowers and bushes to trees and anything else you want to showcase.

The outdoor lighting designers at Kolb Electric will take these and many other considerations into account when designing the perfect outdoor lighting setup for your home. If you’re ready to get started, call us today!

Although any light will help alleviate the strain on your eyes while looking at a screen, there is a right and wrong type and location for the light to have the best effect. As mentioned earlier, bias lighting is placed behind your screen to establish a brighter field of view so that your eyes aren’t constantly trying to find a balance between light and dark. Bias lighting illuminates a room without creating glare or reflections on your screen, shining directly in your eyes, or affecting how you see contrast and colors. Other sources of light, such as ceiling lights or lamps, can do all of the above.

If light is shining onto your screen, there’s going to be a noticeable difference in how the picture appears. Colors won’t be as vivid, and the screen might be hazy. In an attempt to remedy the situation, you could adjust the brightness and contrast. However, these adjustments will decrease the life span of the bulb or LEDs in your screen. The adjustments will also result in increased energy consumption along with a higher electric bill.

Adding light behind your screen instead of in front of it will eliminate any color or contrast issues. Dark scenes or colors will look richer against a white illuminated background. The picture below demonstrates how dark colors are lost against a dark background.

howtogeek.com, “. . .  you want a bulb temperature that is as close as possible (if not identical) to the reference point used in the industry that both manufactures the screens you’re looking at as well as creates content for said screens and that’s 6500K.” He goes on to say that, “The bulbs (be they CFL or LED) inside your HDTV or monitor are calibrated to 6500K, the film and digital video shot is color corrected to have a 6500K white reference point, and the editing suites where content is edited and worked on have 6500K bias light.”

So what exactly does 6500K mean? Correlated color temperature (CRI). 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 daylight or incandescent light shows those same colors. To get the best picture, you’ll want bias lighting with a CRI as close as possible to 100.

We carry LED strip lights that are great TV backlighting options and will help you achieve the best picture on your screen.

Our variable color temperature controller and remote. The strip also has a CRI of 91, which will show screen colors accurately. This strip can be purchased in 3.28- or 16.4-foot lengths that can be cut and connected where needed with strip light connectors.

Another great option is our 6500K LED strip with LC2 connector. It has a CRI of 79 and is available in 1.64-, 3.28-, and 16.4-foot lengths. The peel-and-stick strip can be cut and connected where needed with compatible strip light connectors.

A kit in cool white is also available and is a convenient bias lighting solution. It has a 6500K color temperature, 79 CRI, and includes everything needed for installation—power supply, dimmer, remote, connectors, etc.

The strip lights listed above have peel-and-stick adhesive backings and can be cut or ordered in lengths to fit every screen size; strips are marked with designated cut lines. If you don’t order a kit, you will need a power supply and can purchase a controller with remote for dimming.

An easy installation method is to use a continuous length of strip around the back of your screen. For a cleaner look, you can cut the strips at all four corners of your screen. If you plan on cutting your LED strip lights, you will need 4 connectors (already included with the kit). All compatible installation supplies will be listed under the accessories tab on each product page. The following instructions explain how to install LED strip lights by cutting them into sections. Note that installation methods will differ depending on the strip you choose.

1. Cut your LED strip lights into lengths that fit the back of your screen. Because we offer different lengths, you might be able to order separate strips that will fit all four sides of your screen.

When the doors to your home stick, they could be trying to tell you that your home’s  foundation is shifting. If your HVAC system makes funny sounds, it’s begging to be serviced. But what about your electrical system? Outside of an electrical house fire, how does your house try to tell you that it’s in need of some tender love and care by a certified electrician? If you answer yes to any of the following questions, your house is trying to tell you to call an electrician today.

One sign that you should immediately call an electrician is if your circuit breakers are tripping on a regular basis or if you reset the breaker and it re-trips. This is a sign of a bigger electrical system problem that will need the expertise of a certified electrician to diagnosis and remedy.

If your lights flicker often, then there may be a bigger electrical problem with your home. Yes, it is possible that the power grid is being temperamental but it’s far more likely to be something with the wiring in the home. Perhaps even a pesky rodent chewing on wires in the wall leaving you open to a fire hazard.

Much like when you burn food in the oven, a burning smell is definitely a problem. If you cannot pin-point the burning smell to a ruined dinner or lit candle, then you might want to consider contacting an electrician because it could be your outlets or wiring system.

Call us today if you suspect that your home is making a plea for electrical help.