An email from a customer on Wednesday made our week: “I’m really late in sending you a picture of my kitchen that Pegasus helped create. Every time I turn on the under cabinet lights,  I still get that great feeling from the first time. ” And what a beautiful kitchen it is:

Fluorescent T5 Thin-Inch Light Fixtures in her kitchen remodel. We were just as thrilled with the email she sent us in the midst of the remodel:

Just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with my experiences with your website, customer service and products. I hate to be long-winded, but it”s important for me to tell you about my search for under cabinet lighting. Because I’m spending lots of money on a remodel which included gutting the kitchen, I wanted to be sure to choose the best product for the lighting under the new cabinets.

After searching at the big box stores and getting no more info than what was written on the lighting display, I tried two local lighting specialty stores. Believe it or not, I was told at one of them by the manager that xenon doesn’t have a color temperature. (I decided he had to have been born and raised on a planet with different laws of physics.) No one could really help me at all and seemed totally disinterested in trying to sell me anything. Discouraged, I came home and Googled “under cabinet lighting.”

Your website is a window on the world of lighting! Oh, my goodness, the articles about lighting, the recommendations, the product descriptions!! I was totally elated, then began to think maybe it was just too good to be true, so I revisited your website a few more times over the next few days. Then…….just to be 100% sure…….I called your toll-free number and talked with a customer service representative. I told her that I wanted WHITE light for the under cabinet lighting: standard fluorescent is too blue, daylight and LED is too green and xenon seems too yellow, so I wanted to be sure to get a color temperature that would be white. I also wanted lighting that would produce as little heat as possible. She recommended the Thin-Inch with a color temp of 4100K. We talked about my previous experiences for a couple of minutes and I thanked her for being so helpful and we ended the call.

After all that, can you believe I was still a little nervous about ordering? A couple of days later, I decided to suck it up and take the plunge. So I measured all the spaces under the cabinets, made my list using your recommendations about installing under each cabinet and filling the under cabinet width and ordered online. The shipment arrived a day early which was a very pleasant surprise. The kitchen is now mostly finished.

But the best part of it all is what the under cabinet lighting does for the backsplash! It is AMAZING!! That awesome WHITE light is perfect…….no other word describes it. And after arguing with the electrician about the placement of the fixture at the front of the under cabinet space, not the back, he agreed that the front works best as your website recommends. My experience with Pegasus has been one of the best and easiest of this remodel. Thank you so much! I’m looking forward to having it all done and sending you photos.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lea, for reminding us why we do what we do!

We are so happy you love your new kitchen.

When facility managers or building owners first start the search for new replacement lighting fixtures in their facility, it can seem like a long road ahead.

From all of the read this post where we talk all about what it is. From there, you can come back to this post and continue, it will really help you keep up! Now, let’s get into when high bay lighting is practical in both broad terms and specific applications it is best used in.

In broader terms, the most appropriate time to use a high bay lighting fixture is for ceiling heights that are between 20 to 40 feet high. For heights between 15 to 20, you typically are going to go with a low bay fixture, but that’s for an entirely different post. For anything lower, you will typically be dealing with tubes and panels lights, most often found in offices, hallways, and other similar type environments.

So for commercial and industrial type environments in which the ceiling height is 20 to 40 feet tall, a high bay lighting fixture is commonly the most chosen lighting fixture to install. That is the broad definition of when high bay fixtures are going to be used at the most optimal rates.

So, what types of high bays are often used and fit the purpose perfectly. Although these applications are highly relevant, there are some we have not listed and may have missed, but these are just a few of many very practical applications that high bays work perfectly in:

Gymnasiums

Think about your school gym, or even your warehouses often have tall ceilings due to storage space requirements, this need for space vertically makes their ceilings the perfect height for high bay fixtures.

Factories

Similarly to a warehouse, factories and production facilities need proper lighting to keep things safe and consistent. With proper lighting through installation of high quality high bays (such as with LED technology), you opt-in for better safety standards and higher consistency in your production efforts.

Airplane Hangars

Large airplanes call for large ceilings in the hangars and a proper lighting system is a must for this environment. When maintenance is required, you need clear and proper light to contact one of our professionals.

Two costs are associated with any electrical appliance: the buying price, and the running cost in terms of energy and maintenance. Of the running costs, energy is one of the major items. Typically, the equipment can last several years before requiring a major repair.

Consumers should therefore not just look at the price tag on the item.  Rather, pay attention to its energy rating and available energy saving modes.

Energy star certified refrigerators and freezers are at least 9 and 10 percent more efficient respectively. Other considerations that help in saving energy include selecting the adequate capacity. In addition, the refrigerator or freezer should be kept in a cool place away from heat sources such as direct sunlight or ovens.

More energy savings can be realized by using the proper settings. In addition, ensure the door is closed all the time and that seals are in place. Place the refrigerator or freezer in a spot that allows free air circulation around the fridge; especially at the back where there are cooling pipes.

Manual defrost freezer models use less energy and are therefore more efficient than the automatic defrost models. Another important factor is the design of the freezer. An upright freezer with shelves is easier to organize. However, the chest freezer may be more energy efficient since there is less cold air escaping from the door which opens from the top.

These are usually 40 percent more efficient than the standard purifiers. Other factors to consider include the room size and placement. Select a model adequate for the room; otherwise, an oversized air purifier or cleaner will end up consuming more power unnecessarily.

Energy star certified dishwashers use at least 12 percent less energy and 15 percent less water than the conventional models. However, this may vary depending on the model and other factors.

These dishwashers utilize more efficient technologies that reduce both the energy consumption and water usage. For example, the design uses soil sensors that check the amount of dirt on the dishes.  An optimized cleaning cycle reduces the minimum amount of energy and water. In addition, there are more efficient water jets and a dish rack design that ensures efficient use of water and energy.

Energy Star dehumidifiers

Certified dehumidifiers use 15 percent less energy. They utilize more efficient compressors, refrigeration coils, and fans.

Washing machines

Energy star certified washing machines are usually 25 percent more energy efficient than their equivalent standard models. In addition, they use 40 percent less water. This results in the consumer saving water, as well as energy for both the washing machine and the water pump.

Clothes dryers

Certified dryers use at least 20 percent less energy than the standard models. The equipment utilizes more efficient technologies such as heat pumps. Moisture sensors automatically stop the drying cycle once the clothes are dry. This sensor-based drying machine is more efficient compared to thermostat or timed drying, which continues to consume energy even after clothes are dry.

Televisions qualify for energy star certification when they become at least 20 percent more efficient. Some models can reach up to 40% better efficiency than traditional models, while the set-top boxes can achieve up to 45 %. However, the amount of power used depends on the size of the TV screen, display technology, and resolution.

The home theater systems that are energy star certified are 60 percent more efficient. Certified battery chargers for small household appliances such as power tools, electric shavers, and cordless gadgets use 30 percent less energy.

As we roll into a new year, you may already be thinking of the changes you would like to make on a personal level and maybe around your home. A new year gives us a new perspective and human nature is to start fresh. It gives us motivation to change things up and freshen up our surroundings. Home improvements and renovations are one way you can get that change you are longing for without having to pull up the stakes and move. An electrician in Santa Monica can work with you to make some of the those minor changes that have major results. The team at The Electric Connection has been helping homeowners just like you for years and is ready to help you.

The laundry room in your home is probably not one you enjoy spending a lot of time in. This particular area in the house tends to be the place where lost socks go to die and the clutter can be a little overwhelming. As part of your new year’s resolution, cleaning up and organizing the laundry room is the first step. The next step is to brighten the place up or maybe even make it a little bigger. A Santa Monica electrician will be needed for any expansions or renovations. The electrician can install additional outlets and change out the light fixtures to help give the space a facelift.

Putting down new flooring is fairly easy and adding a fresh coat of paint in a light, airy color will all help make the room a little more open and airy. Once you have done some browsing and come up with a plan, call your electrician. Santa Monica homeowners will love the changes to their laundry room and find it gives them a great deal of satisfaction and motivation to make more changes around the house. The team at The Electric Connection is standing by, ready to help you with the changes this new year.