Top Dallas Electrician, we know that whether you are remodeling, or starting fresh, some of the most versatile lighting options available are recessed can lighting, and pendant lighting. These types of lighting offer you the most flexibility, and the most visible improvement over unsightly light fixtures installed throughout your home.

Recessed can lighting allows you to fill a room with light, or highlight a particular area depending on your needs, and pendant lighting can accent a space beautifully such as a kitchen island, bar style counter, or eating area. Using these lighting styles in conjunction can help you recreate anything from a clean, modern kitchen, to a comfortable living room, or an elegant dining area, and anything else in between!

St. Paddy’s Day is nearly here -- do you have your green outfit picked out? Regardless of whether or not you choose to go green in your mode of dress, St. Patrick’s Day is as good a day as any to go green with your energy consumption.

For most of us, conserving energy comes down to changing personal habits, and that can be difficult. So in the interest of starting small, Mister Sparky challenges you to pick one day to go green and see how easy it can be to make a change for the good of the planet.

To help you along the way, here are several ideas you can implement to reduce your carbon footprint over a 24-hour period:

Turn your thermostat down one extra degree all day, if you’re still using the furnace. If you live in a warmer region and are already using the air conditioning, turn the thermostat up a degree or shut it off altogether and open the windows. It’s an almost imperceptible difference in terms of comfort, but it adds up to real energy and money savings.

Turn off all electronics when they’re not in active use. This includes shutting down your computer fully -- sleep mode still uses energy!

Take public transportation for the day, or if the weather cooperates, ride your bike. If you have to take your car to work, ask around the office to see if anyone will carpool with you.

Be diligent about recycling. Many areas now have curbside recycling, which makes helping the planet easier than ever. But some trash still needs to be sorted or cleaned before it can go into the recycling bin, and unfortunately, not everyone takes the time. For your day of going green, make the effort to recycle every scrap of suitable trash.

Find a new way to go paperless. If you’re still receiving certain bills in the mail, see if you can register for an email alternative. If you’ve never e-filed your taxes before, make this the first year. You can even ditch the Post-It Notes and grocery lists by storing those little reminders on your phone.

Only run your washing machine or dishwasher when you have a full load -- otherwise, save it for another day.

If it is a laundry day, hang your clothes to dry. You don’t need to string up a line outside; just pick up an affordable drying rack that allows you to dry a whole load of clean clothes in a compact space.

Try dialing the temperature gauge back a notch on your hot water heater. We all like hot showers, but if your water heater is storing water at a higher temperature than you can comfortably tolerate, there’s room to cool things down a few degrees.

These are just a few quick and easy ways you can make a change. But if you’re ready to get serious about energy efficiency in your home, contact your local electrical experts to ask about energy audits, eco-friendly upgrades and other opportunities you maybe haven’t even heard about yet.

Every home needs upkeep and maintenance, especially older ones. The electrical switches and outlets are often overlooked. Although any particular outlet may not be important, if it isn’t working it’s likely a sign of a larger problem. Switches usually aren’t replaced when they should be but rather as an afterthought when they stop working altogether. Even if an electric outlet or switch is still working, there are times when you should go ahead and have them replaced.

Modern Standards

In some instances the existing switches and outlets simply aren’t up to code for what is considered adequate and safe. Older outlets may not have a ground plug but only two holes. There are adaptors available for such a problem, but they really don’t provide a proper ground like your outlet should have. With a switch, if you have to jiggle it or flip it on and off a few times for it to work, it has a bad connection and isn’t safe.

Better Quality

Simply put, newer switches and plugs are better quality than old ones and continue to develop and become even better. As long as everything is working you may not need to go out of your way to start making replacements, but when you make remodels or more extensive repairs it’s a good idea to have your electrician go ahead and replace the switches and outlets for the area he’s working in.

Ugly

Sometimes old outlets get to the point that they show their age. They can develop deep stains that won’t come clean, or perhaps they’ve been painted over the years. Worse yet are chips, scratches and cracks in the outlet or switch. Although these things are typically nothing but an eyesore, they can be a dangerous fire hazard if the damage goes into the structural aspect of the unit.

Conveniences

By: Maddie Ogletree

Your spring renovation isn’t complete without a functionality update for your electrical outlets. Standard outlets just won’t cut it anymore when it comes to powering your home and electronics. You’ll be surprised at how much a few simple upgrades can make your life more convenient.

USB outlets are becoming a necessity for charging your phone, tablet and other electronic devices. It’s always an inconvenience to lose that little white iPhone adapter. But if your outlets are equipped for USBs, your life is a little bit easier. USB outlets are becoming the standard for homes. You can easily plug in your device while you’re in the kitchen, home office or bedroom with a USB upgrade.

Bulky, inconvenient nightlights aren’t your only option. New outlets like the SnapPower outlet feature a nightlight as part of their design. When you turn the lights out, the nightlight comes on, illuminating the outlet from below. No longer do you need to unplug the light to charge your computer. It’s a simple idea to add to your spring remodel!

If you’re undertaking a bathroom renovation, adding an outlet inside of a drawer or cabinet is a way to conveniently power electric razors, hairdryers and more styling tools. If you add in a USB plug as well, you’ll keep your phone charging while you get ready to take on the day.

This idea can also carry over to creating a charging station in your bedroom or living room. Install a couple of plugs in the back of a drawer and let your devices charge without the unsightly wires sprawling everywhere.

Recessed outlets in the kitchen are becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason! Keep your kitchen surfaces free from wires until you need them by conveniently hiding those not-so-pretty plugs. There are a variety of pop out outlets that let you stylishly hide your outlets when you don’t need them.

If you’re in need of a little help updating your outlets, we’d love to give you a hand with your spring renovations! Call Mr. Electric today to find out more.