The phrase “light recipe” is a good entry point into a conversation about LED lighting as a world-changing technology. While people originally thought of LEDs as a somewhat ineffectual light source good only for small electronic displays and then as a profound energy saver, we now understand that the potential for LEDs to change the world we live in is even more staggering than the way cell phones were first imagined to merely facilitate conversation and grew to be pocket PCs used for managing our social, economic, and artistic lives.

Have you ever wondered what would actually change if you switched to LED? You are probably too accustomed to the CFLs or tungsten lights you use right now, never done a long-term cost analysis and do not really imagine what kind of changes switching to LEDs will bring.

Let`s do a general cost analysis and compare the results of LEDs, CFLs and tungsten bulbs. I will take an electricity cost of 10 cents/KW and an average of 4 hours of light on per day, which means about 15000 hours of operating hours in ten years.

Let`s take the common tungsten lights first. If you have 10 incandescent bulbs in your small office, you will spend about $7.50 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $84. Take into consideration that incandescent bulbs will be around for only 1000 hours (500 hours if you are lucky). There is also the additional cost generated by the fact that the air-conditioners will work harder to compensate for the heat emitted by the bulbs. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years, you will need to replace the light bulbs each year so in total you will spend $75 on the purchase and $840 on the bill, so $915 in total plus maintenance costs.

If you have 10 CFL`s in your small office you will spend about $110 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $23. CFL`s will last for almost 10000 hours but they contain mercury and that could be a problem if you have people working for you and a hazard for the environment. If it is very cold or the lights are placed outside in the cold, they will need a couple of minutes to turn on and in some cases, they might not even work. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years, you will need to replace the light bulbs once and in total, you will spend $220 on the purchase and $230 on the bill so $450 in total plus considerable maintenance costs.

Now let`s see what happens if you have LED instead of CFL or Tungsten bulbs. If you have 10 LEDs in your small office you will spend about $390 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $80. LEDs last will last for at least 50000 hours in any environment, whether is cold or warm, whether they suffer physical shocks or vibrations. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years you will not need to replace the LEDs and in total  you will spend $390 on the purchase and $80 on the bill, so $470 in total, but you will have no maintenance cost.

As you can see, it seems that incandescent bulbs are no option as they are the most expensive ones on the long term.

The first impression is that CFLs might be a little bit better than LEDs as the overall cost is a little bit lower (not counting maintenance costs).  The thing is that CFL will need another two or three replacements in the next years, while the LEDs will work just fine. In addition the maintenance cost will rise with the CFLs. CFLs are also a bio-hazard, they do not work always, take up a lot of space and give an unnatural light, so there are quite numerous advantages to LEDs when we compare them to CFLs so the slight disadvantage of LEDs in the first years can be easily ignored. Moreover, in 12 or 15 years the LEDs will prove to be more economical than all the other options.

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With the winter months closing in, there are some things you need to know before you pull out that portable electric heater. Sure your feet may get cold under your desk or your bathroom is a little cooler than you would like in the morning, but before you plug in that space heater you need to get informed. These are some tips from your Santa Monica electrician when using any space heaters this winter.

Your space heater should be placed as close to the center of the room as possible to ensure nothing comes in contact with the heater. You don’t want furniture, drapes, paper products or anything else touching the heater and creating a fire hazard.

Ventilation is crucial to any electrical appliance. It needs room to breathe so to speak. Heaters should never be placed up against a wall or any other surface. Anything electrical needs proper ventilation. This can be taken care of by an electrician. Santa Monica homeowners who are not sure what is needed should definitely contact a professional.

The last consideration when pulling out the space heaters this winter is the cord condition. Before you plug anything in, check the cord to make sure it is not frayed or damaged in any way. This can be a major fire hazard if there are any loose or exposed wires or areas where the insulation around the cord is thin. The heater should be plugged directly into an outlet and never an extension cord. The cord should also run along a wall or somewhere out of the way of foot traffic to avoid it becoming damaged.

These tips can be applied to any electrical appliance. If you have any more concerns or questions about a space heater, give The Electric Connection a call today. We are here to answer any questions you may have.