A lot of time we are asked what is the equivalent LED product to convert from Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium or Mercury Vapor. And a lot of time, we have a product in mind that works based on past experience. But how did we come up with that product, and how did we make the original decision on what was the proper replacement?

There’s a lot of science that goes into light, color, quality, and each light had it’s own characteristics. For example, it takes less LED to replace High Pressure Sodium than it takes to replace Metal Halide. And we are talking a lot more than just lumens. We are talking about color temperature, quality of light and something called photopic / scotopic lumens.

In the world of lighting, we measure foot candles with a light meter, this is called a photopic measurement. The light meter picks up everything, including spectrum’s that are invisible to us. Now, we humans see things to, and this is called scotopic lumens. Our rods and cones read and interpret light. And it does so differently than what a light meter does. So it is not uncommon when we demo a LED Light against a HPS light or Metal Halide, we first ask “Which is brighter” before we show the light meter reading. It leaves a few people scratching their heads. Well, that’s the science of of it all, and fortunately there is some handy tables called SP ratios that allow us to take the lumens of a particular light (photopic lumens) and multiply it by the S/P ratio to get the scotopic lumens equivalent.

For example, the S/P ratio for High Pressure Sodium is 0.40. The S/P ratio for LED at 5000K is 1.8. So if you take 40,000 lumens of HPS and multiply it 0.4, the effective scotopic lumens is 16,000. To get the same amount of lumens from LED, take the 16,000 and divide it by the S/P ratio and you get 8888 lumens. So the 8888 lumens of LED is the photopic measurement, the 16,000 LED lumens is the scotopic lumens measurement. So in an nutshell, you need 8,888 lumens of LED to replace 40,000 lumens of HPS from a scotopic point of view.

Here is a handy chart of common lights and ratios for you to use.

1) Totally Tubular

We’ve seen words written on walls in LED rope, but never with this kind of frame. How clever! As the evolution of LED rope continues, I would expect to see even more eye-catching wire frames. It’s all about making something that looks good even when rope is not illuminated. This DIYer is definitely on the right track.

3) LED Rope with a Side of More Rope

It seems to be true. She wore garments with integrated LEDs at the Grammy’s and loves to have LED lighting on stage with her. Here, we can see how cool LED rope can be on the stage. There are innumerable shapes and symbols that could be constructed or outlined with LED rope to make a musical performance more visually appealing. Rock on!

5) Wrap Your Porch like a Present

Using rope to play with LED rope has become wildly popular during the past year or so. I love the way this piece displays what I think of as a controlled tangle. This lighting application is artistic in the way it arrest attention and invites questions. Like, “What is the point of this?” And you’re led to answer yourself: It’s a source of light that serves a function while it conveys a unique look. Good stuff.

7)  LED Rope for Starting Seedlings

This is another application that is not new but should be restated. LED rope is a great, relatively inexpensive way to install cove lighting. This is great in residential and commercial settings and needs to be restated because cove lighting creates such a dramatic transformation for any space, and LED rope is just an excellent way to achieve it.

Usually, people hire an electrical contractor without giving it too much thought. You might assume that a professional service will know how to get the job done in quick time and you won’t have to bear any hassle. However, there is more to electrician services than meets the eye. There are a few relevant factors you should consider when selecting an electrical service for hiring. The reasons are simple: you are letting in complete strangers into your home who will be working on the electrical system. You have to be on the safe side than take any risk.

To make things a tad easier for you, here’s a look at the top 5 things to look for in electrician services:

Did you know a certified electrician adheres to the highest standards of quality and services? Don’t you want the electrician you hire to work professionally and deliver you the best possible level of service? This is why it is important to look for electrical services which are certified and have the necessary credentials. Membership of a local professional organization is an added bonus but the key factor is experience. If an electrician has been in the business for a few years, you can be certain that he will be able to get the work done without causing you any inconvenience in the process. So, ask for certifications and qualifications when you interview an electrician service.

Insurance is a must. Regardless of how qualified and experienced an electrician is, electrical systems are volatile and something or the other could go wrong. That would not only cause damage to the wiring and outlets but also connected appliances. In the worst case scenario, the problem could exacerbate to the extent that it causes damage to your property. Now, if the electrician you hire isn’t insured, you will have to pay for repairs and renovation out of pocket. This is why only hire a certified electrician that is ensured as well. In addition, also check licensing to ensure the electrician service is allowed to perform residential electrical work in your area.

There is no dearth of professional electrical services in the market so you can afford to be picky when it comes to the cost of the services. When you get a quote from an electrician, make sure you have him break it down and check how much he is charging for which service. You can also ask around and compare rates to get a better idea of how much you should be paying for the work you need to get done. Rest assured, when you hire a certified, insured and licensed electrician who offers affordable services, the lower price wouldn’t mean a compromise on quality. This is a major reason you should keep these factors in mind when making a decision. This way, you will get great value for money.

It doesn’t take much for you to be able to judge the level of professionalism you can expect from an electrician. When you talk to them on the phone and then meet face to face, get an idea of their behavior and attitude. The best electricians show genuine concern for their clients and are focused on solving your problems rather than charging you as much money as they can get out of you. Be alert and take note of the appearance and attitude of the electrician. If you feel he is friendly, courteous and professional, don’t hesitate to hire. If not, you can always find another professional certified electrician.

Spring and summer are traditionally the busiest shopping seasons for potential homeowners. With the current housing stock dwindling as buyer demand increases going into the warmer months, a seller's market has emerged across the country, giving residents looking to unload their current properties the upper hand in negotiations. However, even with the advantage laying in the hands of owners, a closing can still get derailed - or at least made less-than ideal for a seller - when a buyer hires a home inspector to come investigate the property.

In many cases, these contractors will unveil deficiencies in the property that even the homeowner didn't realize existed, causing the prospective purchaser to demand a slash in the asking price. Often, the amount of money that these home inspections cost the seller on a closing exceed the price it would have cost them to be proactive about minor fixes in the first place.

Before putting your home on the market, have a home inspector come in and evaluate your property to check for the deficiencies that potential buyers will be watching out for. Simple things like the water heater being outdated - or even not positioned correctly off of the floor - can be caught, allowing you to preemptively address them before the open house.

We’re excited to offer a new line of LED flood lights in 50, 100, 200 watts with various color temperature options. The durable, compact flood lights can be used for many landscape and industrial applications, including parking lot lighting, billboard lighting, tree uplighting, flagpole lighting, and architectural wall washing.

These LED lights emit from 3,500 to 25,000 lumens of illumination in a wide 120-degree beam pattern. They’re available with warm white, natural white, or cool white LEDs and are designed to last three times longer than HID fixtures.

Each durable, weatherproof flood light has a die cast aluminum housing with an integral LED-cooling heat sink and a tempered glass lens. The LED flood lights are also equipped with UL-Recognized constant-current drivers and adjustable brackets that allow for illumination where it’s needed.