A house fire starts every 85 seconds in the United States, the majority of which are caused by malfunctioning electrical systems. Just the thought of a fire starting behind your walls while you sleep is terrifying. Fortunately, most electrical emergencies manifest themselves in more subtle ways before they end up causing a catastrophe. The secret is to be able to recognize the signs of a burgeoning electrical emergency and know the proper steps to contain the problem until your local electrical contractor can get out to your home to repair it.

If it’s already obvious you have an electrical emergency and you need help now, call Kolb Electric at 877-287-1179 for fast, effective 24-hour service.

Electrical emergencies are nothing to be cavalier about. If you have encountered one of the above problems or have another electrical emergency on your hands, it’s time to call in a licensed electrician.

Kolb Electric has been helping Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC home and building owners with all their electrical needs for over 90 years. We have a full staff of fully trained and experienced electricians and offer 24-hour emergency service. We understand that some electrical problems just can’t wait for bankers’ hours.

Call us at 877 287-1179 for help with any electrical emergency.

How to choose LED lamps. The replacement of lamps in an existing lighting system is connected to a lot of doubts when concerning the replacement of the lamp type. Changing the lamp type is a conventional process. The invention of the CFL lamp in the 90’s allowed users to save energy by replacing their energy consuming incandescent lamps. A lot of labels and graphics on the products packages show the replacing types. There are numerous possible influences on a lighting solution. Changing the lamp is changing the most important factor, the lighting quality. Lamps define the light color, color rendering index, luminous flux (light output or brightness) and installed load.

Changing lamps is nothing else than comparing the features of the old system, characteristics like light color, color rendering index and luminous flux should stay the same, suggested the former illumination has been satisfying. Watch the luminous flux (measured in lumen) and compare them to the already installed one and choose an appropriate lamp. Here is an example which luminous flux (lumens are abbreviated by lm) can be replaced by which lamps:

Don’t get confused by all the lighting features from the labels or packages. Concentrate on the characteristics like light color and color rendering index, they should be the same or at least similar. Choose the lamp according to luminous flux in lumens. Be confident when choosing (LED) lamps. They are efficient and offer twice till three times longer service times Metal Halide light sources.

If you are considering getting new lighting installations or want to upgrade your existing ones, it’s a good idea to conduct a certain amount of research on what type of light fittings and bulbs are available in the market. You will surprised by the vast variety of fixtures you find. Regardless of how beautifully-designed your home is, if you want it to look stunning and attractive after dark, you would need to ensure that it has the right kind of lighting.

In fact, the simplest of interiors and décor can look astoundingly unique with appropriate lighting effects and the ones you might want to consider are:

In this type of effect the light source is hidden and it throws a glow across the room. It very effectively flattens the appearance of an interior space and you will hardly find any shadows anywhere. Examples of this type of lighting are wall sconces and Japanese paper shades. You can create this effect with other fixtures, by using a dimmer as well.

This is used to highlight a specific object or an interesting feature in a room. The only thing that is required to create this effect is a bulb and some sort of cover to direct the light in the direction you desire. Opaque shades, table lamps and halogen spotlights are good examples of accent lighting, also called directional lighting.

As the name suggests, this type of lighting is used in areas like the kitchen, bathroom, study etc- anywhere you need to perform daily activities and need clean, clear light. It’s important that this lighting be glare-free as that will help prevent the eyes from getting tired. This type of lighting can be used in a very effective manner in combination with ambient lighting.

This is used to light up art objects like a portrait or a statue. In fact, some pieces such as neon sculptures can themselves be a form of aesthetic lighting and have to be used with other types of lighting.

When we talk about lighting, it’s not only about the different types of fittings and fixtures or placement of lights that gives us the effect we need. It’s also a lot about the type of bulbs we use. These are the different types of bulbs available:

These are the standard light bulbs that throw a slightly yellowish light.

This is the closest in effect to natural light and is called ‘white light’. In this type of lighting, colours tend to appear very clear and sharp. These are more energy-efficient than regular tungsten bulbs and they are dimmable too.

Throws a burst of focused, white light.

This refers to different types of bulbs such as fluorescents and halogen. This light has a very warm quality, is psychologically appealing and very inviting.

The standard fluorescent bulb throws-off a very cool, flat light which tends to be harsh and has a bluish tinge. Apart from these, you will also find cool, warm and special-coloured fluorescents on the market.

With so many options, available, choosing the right kind of lighting can be quite a difficult task. There are no fixed rules when it comes to lighting a room. You will have to take into consideration aspects such as the height and dimensions of the room, its purpose and of course your personal preferences.

In most instances, rooms have a combination of different types of lighting. If you want a room to look interesting, it’s important to use wall washers, up-lighting, down-lighting recessed lighting etc to acquire the right effect.

We at Allround Electrical are licensed and insured electrical contractors. We can provide consultation on different types of lighting systems, and offer a range of electrical services to commercial and residential customers. For more information, contact our friendly team today at this number – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address. You may also reach us through this online contact form.

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