We’ve recently added four new CAN Bus LED festoon bulbs. These 6418, 6451 festoon bulbs are designed to communicate with vehicle CAN Bus computer systems and prevent “bulb out” error messages. They can be used for numerous applications, such as map lights, dome lights, vanity lights, trunk lights, and footwell lights.

Powerful cool white LEDs are mounted to one side of the bulb’s printed circuit board for direct illumination without wasted light, and an LED-cooling heat sink is incorporated into the back of the board. These error-free bulbs are designed to last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

FAQ post.

Did you know roughly 1/4 of your electricity bill is used specifically for lighting? With recent changes in lighting technology, we now have the ability to control the costs of our electricity consumption more effectively. Choosing the right light bulbs for your home or business may be confusing with all the different options we have today, so we’ve listed the three most common types in hopes to shed some light on the issue.

Incandescent Bulbs

Incandescent bulbs, the oldest and most common bulbs on the market, are relatively inefficient compared to other bulbs. They work by connecting an electric current that travels through a wire filament, heating up the filament until it illuminates. Unfortunately, up to 90% of the actual energy it consumes produces heat. The cost of each bulb is the lowest compared to other bulb types, but their lifespan is also the shortest, as they only last up to 2 years (based off 3 hours of use / day). With the passing of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, manufacturers are working to produce more efficient incandescent bulbs that produce up to 25% less energy.

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)

Distinctive by their bold designs, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are the most energy and cost effective bulb type on the market today. An electric current is driven through a tube containing argon, and a small amount of mercury vapor that triggers the actual illumination. CFLs use up to 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, cutting overall electricity costs significantly without producing excess heat. Their lifespan can be pushed up to 9 years, and technically pay for themselves after just 9 months of use, costing less than half as incandesces bulbs for the same amount of light.

Note: research has shown that CFL’s work best when left on for long periods of time, but lose efficiency when turned on and off regularly.  Because of this, it may be best not to use CFL light bulbs in areas like closets where the lights are usually just flipped on then off.

Light Emitting Diodes (LED)

Making an appearance in electronics starting in 1962, Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), are rapidly taking the lighting industry by storm with its highly effective technology. By connecting a diode to an electrical current, electrodes are triggered within the diode, forcing them to release photons, which we see as light. The up-front costs of LEDs are higher compared to other bulb-types, but ultimately they last up to 25% longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. Manufacturing has increased drastically in recent years, and companies are expected to offer more affordability in the near future. By reducing energy consumption by up to 80%, LEDs pave a direct path to lower electricity bills.

Summer heat is upon us, so what better time to kick off our annual ceiling fan give away with a free professional licensed electrician to install it!  What is the catch?  You must like our page on Facebook and share our post.  Our electricians want to reward you with a ceiling fan for being our fan!  We will come out and install the fan in the lucky winners house.  We wont try to sell you anything and you wont owe us a dime!

To qualify you must like and be a fan of our Facebook page, share our post and live within 25 miles of one of our electricians in Des Moines or within 25 miles of our Clive office.  For free installation there must be wiring already in place where you want the fan installed.  If there is no wiring already there no problem the fan is still yours!  Or we can install in another room for you free of charge.  We will pick one lucky winner on August 28th, 2015.  Our winner will be announced via our Facebook page.

One of our friendly electricians will come out to install the ceiling fan for you.  We will remove your current fan or replace your light with your new free fan!

Well lets not forget to mention the obvious.  It’s free!  A ceiling fan can help reduce your heating and cooling cost.  In the summer your fan needs to rotate in a counter clockwise direction.  This will blow the air straight down and produce that cool summer breeze you have been looking for.  In the winter you want to turn your fan on so that it rotates in a clockwise direction.  This will help push the warm air trapped on the ceiling down.

We all want the best for our children, and one of the most important ways we can help the next generation is by ensuring that they are receiving the highest quality education they can. But what if I told you there is an element to education that most people overlook when discussing ways to change education, even though it has been proven to improve behavior and focus, reduce disruptions and increase reading speed and learning capacity?

Though often overlooked, Research has shown that full-spectrum, cool white light is best for encouraging concentration in a classroom, so swapping out outdated fixtures for newer technology could be a great start to better classroom lighting.

Although fluorescent fixtures are popular in schools, the way they flicker (often imperceptibly) especially if a child has a visual impairment that necessitates a brighter environment. Try to position the lights (or the students) so that the task lighting is on the opposite side of their dominant (writing) side. This ensures that their writing arm won’t block the light, and distracting shadows won’t affect their work.

Teachers should try to avoid standing in front of lights or windows when talking, because these can easily distract or bother students. Though it can be difficult, students will focus and learn better when the teacher eliminates as many distractions as possible. And who among us hasn’t caught themselves drifting in a daydream out a window, whether interested in the topic at hand or not?

There are many programs and initiatives for better classroom lighting in place, though many are local to specific regions. Have you heard of any neat programs geared towards smart classroom lighting? Let us know in the comments!