As lighting technology has advanced, one of the clear front-runners in long lasting, energy efficient lighting is the LED light. With uses ranging from interior lighting to landscape lighting, there are many reasons why you should switch your home lighting over to LED. Because LEDs are being manufactured in many of the same form factors that you are familiar with, you have the option of calling a Burbank electrician such as The Electric Connection to help you switch out the majority of them if you feel it’s too overwhelming of a job, or you could take it on by yourself. If your lighting project is more extensive than changing out a few light bulbs, and you plan on installing recessed lighting or new fixtures, you should definitely look into having the work done by a professional electrician in Burbank.

Benefits of LED Lights

The most publicized benefit of using LED lights for most lighting applications is the extremely low energy usage and long lifespan. This benefit is seen best when compared by an electrician in Burbank CA with other light bulb technologies. A standard incandescent bulb has a lifespan of around 1,000 hours, a compact fluorescent has a lifespan of around 8,000 hours and an LED has a lifespan of nearly 30,000 hours. This is a huge increase, meaning that you will have to change your bulbs much less frequently than before. Furthermore, LED light bulbs are mercury free, unlike compact fluorescents.

In regards to energy efficiency, LEDs are also way ahead of the pack. As a result of the low energy required to run an LED bulb, there is also much less heat required. This leads to lights that are cool to the touch, making them much safer for many applications. When asked about power consumption, an electrician in Burbank will tell you that LED bulbs use much less than any other currently on the market. For example, a 40-watt incandescent bulb burns just as bright as an 8-12 watt compact fluorescent or a 4-5 watt LED. By switching from incandescent to LED, you’re only using about 10% of your previous energy. This can make a huge difference, considering that lighting can make up almost 25% of any home energy budget!

Choosing an LED

When choosing an LED, there are many factors to be taken into consideration. If your home lighting project is extensive, think about doing a quick Internet search for electrician Burbank and then find one that you can trust such as The Electric Connection. Working with an electrical contractor on this type of project is very much like having ceiling fans installed, outlets replaced, bath fans installed or having new switches or lighting dimmers installed. A licensed Burbank Electrician such as The Electric Connection will be able to explain everything that needs to be done in order for your custom lighting job to be done well. If you are just looking to replace some of the bulbs in fixtures around your home, there are just be a few things that you should know.

To make things simple, most packages rate their light bulbs with both actual watts, and watts relative to an incandescent. This means that if you are using a 45-watt incandescent, you should be able to find a 3W LED with packaging that lets you know that they are equivalent. If these comparisons are not listed on the box, there should also be a lumen rating. If necessary, you can compare the lumens between types of light bulbs. When choosing light bulbs for your fixtures, you will most likely be shopping for diffused bulbs. These bulbs look very similar to a standard fluorescent bulb, and help to diffuse the light. This gives the light a more natural feel. Other types of lights include outdoor landscape lights, such as floods and interior spotlights for more focused light concentration. Regardless of what type of lighting you choose, your licensed electrician Burbank CA can always help you with any questions that you might have. Enjoy your new lighting!

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Although the great bamboo may look more like a tree and its strength and height do measure up, it is actually classified as a grass plant.  It is the largest of the grass plants and one of the fastest growing plants on earth. Bring the natural essence and lucky aura of the bamboo plant into your environment.

New lamp styles weave natural bamboo into ingenious illumination.  Here are some of the top pics to update your home or office environment with the latest nature-loving styles:

•ELK Lighting brings the “Modern Organics” collection to light…

Bamboo rings graceful and light in the “Modern Organics” wall sconce from ELK Lighting.

Bamboo strands present a natural linear elegance to the “Modern Organics” pendant from ELK Lighting.

•Wildwood Lamps emboldens portables with a natural bamboo flair in grand fashion…

“Intricate Bamboo Splits” table lamp from Wildwood Lamps

“Inlaid Bamboo” table lamp, a handsome combination with real wood and bamboo from Wildwood

•Oggetti Luce rocks the bamboo-style with glass hand-screened in Germany…

The “BAMBDRUM” pendant  features elegant shoots of bamboo hand-screened in Germany and available in white or green glass from Oggetti Luce.

The “BAMBOO” table lamp from Oggetti Luce

•Minka Aire’s ceiling fans breeze in naturally with comfort and sophistication…

All-weather bamboo blades make the grade with Minka Aire.

•From Murray Feiss, natural bamboo pendants are attracting major attention…

“Denmark” pendant orbs in natural bamboo from Murray Feiss

•Justice Lighting’s bamboo-embossed series yields the most flattering illumination…

“Limoges” wall sconce features bamboo glass embossed in porcelain from Justice Lighting

•Meyda Lighting’s bamboo chandelier makes a giant tropical presentation…

“Banana Bamboo” chandelier from Meyda Lighting

•Frederick Ramond’s “Zen” series is still growing strong…

“Zen” LED natural bamboo chandelier from Fredrick Ramond is the ultimate in eco-friendly, sustainable design.

Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or 1800lighting.com to see these and more custom crafted lighting designs inspired by nature.

Homeowners are constantly looking for ways to save money when it comes to their monthly and annual utility expenses. Now more than ever, there are a wide array of opportunities available to residents of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., to give their properties energy-efficient overhauls that will pay off both in the long and short term.

With average interest rates on fixed-rate mortgages at or near all-time lows, homeowners are finding that by refinancing their home loans, they can save significantly on their monthly payments. With those savings, they can invest in projects that improve their home's energy efficiency, which will contribute to a monthly decrease in household expenses.

There is also a tax credit available through the federal government that will give homeowners up to $500 back if they have improved their property's energy efficiency over the past year. Congress recently passed legislation that would allow homeowners who undergo such projects in 2013 to enjoy similar tax deductions on next year's forms. This means that if you already filed your taxes for 2012 but started a project to improve your home's efficiency at the end of last year that bled into 2013, you can still get your money back next January.

The energy efficiency tax credit applies to some types of water heaters, furnaces, insulation, windows, roofs, heat pumps, boilers and central air conditioning units. If you choose appliances that feature the Energy Star label, these too may go towards qualifying your household for a tax break.

CRI) of 82 to show the true colors of objects and surroundings.

A rocker switch allows for two levels of light, but the fixture can also be dimmed with an electronic low-voltage (ELV) dimmer. Up to 10 under-cabinet fixtures can be joined in a series with our interconnect cables. The low-profile white aluminum fixture has 120V AC operation and is designed to last 30,000 hours—three times longer than equivalent fluorescent fixtures.