In the last few years, hybrid and electric vehicle technologies have grown by leaps and bounds. Rather than being a clunky, partially formed technology, it is now possible for many people to own an electric vehicle that is both energy efficient and good looking. One thing that is often overlooked when purchasing an electric vehicle, however, is whether or not your home needs special wiring for your new, highly efficient vehicle. In many cases, you will need to have an electrician Los Angeles come out to perform some relatively simple wiring upgrades to ensure that your vehicle charges safely and quickly.

Home Charging Stations

Depending on your commute, there may be a variety of charging stations between your home and your destination. That being said, every EV owner should have a home charging station so that they can plug their vehicles in at night and when they are not in use. These charging stations are available in two sizes, Level I and Level II. In most cases, both require a certain level of new wiring.

A level I charger is a standard 110 volt outlet that is placed on a dedicated circuit. If you already have an outlet on a dedicated circuit in your garage or carport, that’s great. If not, then you will need to have one installed. While a level I charger will get the job done, it can take much longer than a Level II charger. A level II charger is a specially installed 220-240 volt outlet that is placed on a dedicated circuit. This type of charger helps you make the best use of your cost and time. As opposed to the 8-12 hours required for a level I charger, a level II charger can fully charge your battery in 4-6 hours. This can be make a huge difference when it comes to how you use your electrical vehicle.

Whatever size the EV charger in your home, make sure that you have it installed by a professional electrician in Los Angeles.

Kitchens are used more often, and are more versatile, than any other room in the home. In years past, they were used solely for meal preparation, typically illuminated by a single, inefficient ceiling fixture, but the kitchen of today is also used for entertaining, homework, dining, and making memories. With such an impressive resume, this hard working room deserves to shine a little brighter, with lighting that makes a statement, helps to get the job done, and creates a feeling of warmth.

You probably love the idea you are getting something around 40 miles to the gallon with your electric car. It certainly saves you a lot of money on gas as well as the time it takes to head to the gas station every few days. What more could you want from your electric car? How about a way to make sure your car is always charged and ready for your busy schedule? An electrician in Santa Monica can help you do that by installing the necessary electrical outlet you need to power one of the faster charging stations. The team at The Electric Connection has the experience you need when it comes to dealing with something so important.

Let’s face it, electric cars are fabulous when they are charged and have enough juice to get you around during the day. Unfortunately, in order for those cars to have enough charge to do so, you would have to leave them plugged in for almost 24 hours. In your busy life, you don’t have time to sit and wait for the car to get fully charged, which means you are likely relying on gas from time to time.

With the help of an electrician familiar with Santa Monica electrical needs, you can use a faster charging station that will have your car ready to go and fully charged in about 8 hours. That certainly sounds more appealing to the person who is always on the go. In order to run one of these faster chargers, you will need to have a 240-volt outlet available to plug the charger into. This is where your electrician comes in. The necessary outlet can be installed in your garage or carport as long as your electrical panel can support it. In some cases, you may need an electrical panel upgrade. Give The Electric Connection a call today and ask about getting your home ready for the faster charging station.

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.

Illumination from Varaluz Lighting is not only good for you; the company’s creative and artistic compositions are eco-friendly, too!

Contemporary designer lights, over head lighting and accessories from Varaluz are composed of at least 70 % recycled or reclaimed steel and decorative glass compositions are crafted from 100% recycled materials. The “eco-luz” label indicates Varaluz designs are committed to preserving a healthy planet, while providing ingenious artistry for the home.

At Varaluz, company designers believe lighting – from modern lights, to green lighting to contemporary lighting – should not only be interesting, but sustainable. From outdoor wall lighting and mirrors to chandeliers and table lamps, Varaluz Lighting features an eclectic mix of elements uniquely fashioned into highly functional works of art.

For up-scaled modern glamour or edgy transitional sophistication, Varaluz delivers contemporary designer lights and over head lighting designs to elevate your style with eye-popping and imaginative innovation.

Have more fun with home illumination and enjoy the latest marvels from Varaluz Lighting…

Check out the latest lighting compositions from Varaluz at 1800lighting.com and all Capitol Lighting showrooms.