When you think there's an electrical issue with your lights and appliances, it may not actually be an issue with the devices. Perfectly fine devices can seem to be malfunctioning because of faulty wiring. While you may upgrade the devices in your home, the wiring stays the same. If the wiring in your home is over forty years old, then it may be time to upgrade your home's wiring. Whether its aluminum wiring used from the 60s through the 70s, or the non-metallic wiring used in homes from the 40s to the 50s, they are all well known safety hazards. Another safety hazard includes two-pronged ungrounded outlets. Without proper grounding, any surges of electricity will have nowhere else to go except for into your devices. Waiting to upgrade your wiring is a risk; bad wiring is the leading cause for house fires. Upgrading your wiring also goes beyond safety; it also increases the functionality of your home. Having an up to date home is important for keeping up with today's always expanding technology. With up to date phone, cable, and internet lines, you won't be left behind.
Signs that you need to upgrade your wiring:
- Circuit breakers are tripping
- Blown or burned fuses
- Extension cords being used to compensate for the lack of power outlets
- Rodents chewing on wiring
- Audible noises from your circuit breaker such as popping, crackling, and buzzing
- You can smell or see burning of the wiring or electrical panel
Hanging Christmas lights can seem like difficult task to complete. However if you follow this guide step by step it can be accomplished by anyone,
regardless of experience.
Step One - Measure Your Home
Begin by examining your roofline and anywhere else you may want to attach lights to. Common locations include the roofline, window frames, door frame and
pillars. Measuring them will tell you how many lights, and the correct length that is required.
Step Two - Determining the Right Light Clips
The clips that you will be attaching your lights to come in many varieties, depending on the surface they will be attached to. They are designed for
surfaces such as shingles, gutters, roof-tile, brick, glass.
Step Three - Installing the Clips and Socket Wire
With a sturdy ladder you will need to apply the light clips to the surface area of the installation. Make sure they are steady before attatching the
wiring. When you are ready to install the lights to the wire be sure to start near where the outlet is located.
Step Four - Light it Up!
After everything the fastened together, screw in the bulbs and plug it in! Be sure to attach a timer to the outlet, as so they won't be on in the daytime and very late night.
LED bulbs – The future of lighting
How do they compare.
LED light bulbs offer many advantages compared to older bulbs such as fluorescents and incandescent bulbs. Today’s LED bulbs are 100 percent efficient at turning electric energy into light. In comparison, compact fluorescents are 50 percent efficient, and incandescents are only 15 percent efficient.
In terms of lifespan, LEDs typically last around 2-5 times longer than fluorescents and up to 25 times longer than incandescents. Along with reducing the frequency of changing your bulbs, it is also better for the environment, as they do not contain toxic mercury, which is found in compact fluorescents. LED bulbs do not flicker, and are not affected by extremely hot or cold temperatures. They are also dimmable and produce high quality ultra-violet free light.
How do they work?
Today’s LED bulbs use solid-state lighting technology, meaning they emit light from solid matter, instead of a vacuum like incandescents or the gas from compact fluorescents.
Using a semiconductor produced from positive and negative charged components, an LED emits light by transferring electrons around its structure. The positive layer has holes for electrons and the negative layer has free electrons which float. When electric energy is used to transfer the electrons from the negative to positive components, they emit light as they circulate into the positive charged holes.
How will they impact the future?
- In 2012 LED bubs were only 12% of the lighting market, but that number has grown to 25% in 2014, and is projected to be 80% of the market by 2020.
- The U.S. Department of Energy estimated that widespread conversion to LED bulbs by 2025 will reduce lighting electricity demands by 62 percent, removing over 258 million metric tons of carbon emissions.
- Global sales of all types of LEDs are expected to almost double from about $3.6 billion in 2013 to more than $7 billion in 2016.
it. Not only that, the lifespan of a CFL can range from 6,000 to 15,000 hours, 6-15 times longer than an incandescent. Theyproduce light by using electricity to excite mercury vapor. Because fluorescent lights contain mercury, they can be a hazard and cannot simply be thrown away. They can be dangerous when broken. Frequently turning a CFL on and off can diminish it’s long lifespan. It is recommended to wait for least 15 minutes after turning the light one before turning it back off. It’s good for places were light is in frequently used, like a closet. Low temperatures and reduce the power of a CFL. Later in a CFL bulb’s life, the light will not be as powerful as it once was.
costs a lot compared to fluorescent or incandescent lights, it’s much more cost effective than them and can save a lot in the long run.