With winter almost upon us, many homeowners are thinking about upgrading or even replacing their heating system. If you are one of those homeowners, you’ve probably already discovered the myriad of heating system options available to you. The sheer number of choices can be daunting, but we’re here to help. Let’s take a look at the advantage of new furnace installation.

The number one reason that furnaces remain the most popular heating system in the country is that of versatility. Furnaces come in a staggering number of variations, sizes, fuel types, and energy ratings. The most popular fuel type, natural gas, is accessible in most populated areas of the country. If you happen to live in one of the few areas it is not available, you can still use wood, oil, or propane.

Because of the popularity of furnaces, you can always find an HVAC company that has experience in servicing them. Replacement parts are also fairly easy to find, which can spare you days or weeks without heat while waiting for a part to be delivered. This also cuts down on the expense of maintenance and repairs. Those who use more specialized systems, like radiant heat and heat pumps, may not be so lucky.

Another aspect of their versatility is how easily furnaces interface with the rest of your home systems. Duct work that is already in place for air conditioning can serve the heating system just as well. Radiant systems, on the other hand, require extensive pipework be laid throughout the house for their exclusive use.

Finally, one of the best aspects of a furnace heating system is its speed. A furnace will start to provide heat almost as soon as it is turned on. Other systems like installing a new heating system in your home.

Is your smoke detector hard-wired into your electrical system? Doing so has many benefits, including the fact that you never have to worry about the battery going dead—though battery backup is a wise choice as well. However, just like any other appliance or home security system, your hard-wired smoke detectors do experience wear and tear over the years, and eventually will need to be replaced. How do you know when it’s time though?

Hard-wired smoke detector systems are designed to last about a decade. The reason they wear out isn’t necessarily from use, but rather because over time, dust gathers inside the smoke detectors and eventually desensitizes them. It’s a wise choice to replace all the smoke detectors connected to your system at once, to ensure that they are all fully functional. The safety of your home and your family may depend on it. Be sure to hire a professional electrician to do this job, so that you ensure it is done correctly.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) shares the following safety tips to ensure your family is protected as well as they can be from the risks of a fire:

One of the most important factors to consider when designing an outdoor kitchen is the lighting. Outdoor kitchen lighting needs to serve a variety of purposes, including but not limited to: task lighting so the grill master can see what they’re doing, ambient lighting for people to see, and walkway lighting to shine the way from the house to the outdoor kitchen. In this blog, we’ll be going over the best types of lighting for various goals your kitchen needs to accomplish.

Remember: whatever type of lighting you choose for various areas, it should always be rated for use in outdoor environments. Even if you have a solid roof or cover above your outdoor kitchen, you want to make sure your lights can function safely in wet or damp environments.

One of the most important elements of outdoor kitchen lighting design is task lighting around the grill. This is mostly a food safety issues: the grill master needs to be able to see whether the food is cooked properly before he or she can serve it!

Grill task lighting can be accomplished with either Halogen or LED bulbs. The most important thing is that you get a nice, bright white light—this will help you see most clearly and ensure that the food coming off the grill tastes good, is presented well, and most importantly, is safe to eat.

In addition to lighting the grill, you want to make sure all cabinets are appropriately lit. This can also be done with LEDs, which can be installed under lips in the cabinet so you won’t be able to see the lights themselves—just the glow they cast. Such lighting can enhance the aesthetics of your outdoor kitchen area while making it easier to see what you’re doing while cooking.

Once the grill lighting has been figured out, the next thing to do is make sure your eating areas are properly lit! The main goals for lighting eating areas should be as follows:

The best type of lighting for outdoor eating areas is LED, which is highly efficient and durable. When it comes to keeping insects away, meanwhile, one of the best things to do is install a ceiling fan, which can be wired with lights and will discourage insects over a wide area.

Last but not least, it’s important to make sure you have adequate lighting along any pathways from your home to your outdoor kitchen. Walkway lighting can be accomplished with any type of low-voltage lighting, but we prefer LED for this task—they’re efficient, long-lasting, and get the job done better than any other type of lighting.

The right lighting can make all the difference when it comes to your outdoor kitchen. For outdoor kitchen lighting, or any type of low voltage outdoor lighting in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric today!