Not everyone knows that different types of lights have different colors and temperatures, which in turn can impact a person’s mental and physical well-being.

The different light temperatures are:

According to experts, the best kind of light for productivity is the cool light color. When natural light isn’t an option, try to incorporate “blue-enriched” lights that measure at 17,000K. Not only do these lights support mental vitality, but they also hinder melatonin production, a hormone that makes you feel tired.

Not everyone appreciates the stark harshness of cool lighting, though. Adding some warm lighting here and there in your workplace can help improve the feeling of comfort and relaxation for employees. This can also be beneficial in places like meeting rooms where you want your employees to feel comfortable and free to open up.

You're probably familiar with some of the federal energy efficiency programs by now. The most prominent, the Clean Power Plan, was announced last year with ambitious targets to limit carbon and other pollutants generated by the nation's electrical work. What you might not be aware of is the amount of impetus placed on the individual states to enact programs that advance the federal goals. Through the Clean Energy Incentive Program, or CEIP, states are responsible for reducing their carbon emissions by 2022 through renewable energy generation or increased efficiency measures. Read on to learn more.

States Picking up the Slack on Conservation

The Clean Power Plan sets a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Although it is a federal rule enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Air Act, the national government doesn't actually have control over the nation's electrical work, so the plan requires the cooperation of the states to come to fruition. In turn, the states will have to work with big polluters within their borders, primarily power plants, to bring emission levels down.

The federal agency is using emission rate credits as the carrot to incentivize the conservation measures, rewarding states for their reduction in fossil fuel consumption, which the states then pass on to the individual power generators and other industry players. Other options include household and industry efficiency programs to encourage people to purchase modern appliances and otherwise reduce the consumption in their electrical work. In total, the EPA is pushing states to reduce carbon emissions by 300 million short tons.

State Help for Increasing the Efficiency of Your Electrical Work

One interesting aspect of the EPA program is that it contains extra incentives for states that focus on initiating programs in low-income communities. The exact parameters haven't been worked out yet, and various programs will still work differently in different states, but essentially the federal agency will provide twice the credits for projects that affect low-income households. That means states will have an easier time reaching their goals, and the most vulnerable residents of an area have a better chance of participating and realizing savings from the Clean Power Plan.

Regardless of what your income level is, you should keep an eye on any efficiency programs coming from your state in the coming months and years. While much of the work is aimed at power plants, other assistance may be available to homeowners to purchase new appliances, invest in residential renewable energy like solar panels or otherwise decrease both energy consumption and utility bills in the household.

Trust the Experts for All Your Home Service Needs

If you need help figuring out how to reduce your household spending on electricity, or have any other issues with your home electrical system, contact a professional electrician today.

The fuse box is a metal box installed somewhere on the inside or outside of the home. It is installed by an electrician and has a hinged cover to keep the fuses protected. Most homes built before 1960 will have a fuse box, those built after have a circuit breaker box.

This box controls the electrical flow to your home. In the event of an overload, the fuse attached to that circuit will blow. This will cut power to every device on that circuit in the house. Most boxes have a main switch that will control power to the entire house.

There are three important things that you need to know about your box. You need to know where it is, what type of fuses your box uses, and if your main switch works properly. You should test your main switch at least three times annually to make sure it works correctly.

The inside of your box has several threaded spaces that resemble light sockets. These are called Edison sockets, and your fuses screw into them. Some fuses have an adapter called a rejection base snapped inside of them. The rejection base will only allow an S type fuses to be placed in that spot, whereas the larger T type fuses are screwed into the non-adapted sockets.

The most common fuses in homes nowadays are fuse types SL and TL. The SL fuse is a fuse with a rejection base already installed. The TL type fuse is a fuse with a regular Edison base. These work well for home use because they are designed to handle momentary power overloads caused by turning on household appliances.

When you blow a fuse, you need to unplug everything connected to that circuit. Go to the box and place a dry rubber mat on the floor to stand on to create insulation for your body. Put on a pair of thick leather gloves to avoid possible electrocution, open the hinged door and turn off the main switch for the house.

Using a flashlight, examine the top of each fuse. The top is made of glass. A blown fuse will either have the metal wire broken in pieces inside the glass, or glass that appears cloudy so you can’t see in. Remove this fuse, being careful not to touch the metal parts with your bare hands. Replace this with a fuse of matching amps. Turn the main power switch back on.

If you don’t want to mess with fuses, you can install mini breakers into the box. These turn each fuse into its own circuit breaker with a button on top. When a fuse blows, push the button to reset it. Your other option is to have an electrician replace your box with a modern circuit breaker.

Spring showers bring lots of beautiful flowers, but all that dampness can cause some problems in your home. Without proper ventilation, the dampness will seep into the frame of your home and it can be very costly to try and remediate mold and mildew problems. Your best defense is a good offense. Protect your home from destructive dampness with the help of a Los Angeles Electrician. You can count on the team at The Electric Connection to help you protect your home.

A bath fan isn’t always a standard feature in bathrooms. However, they are crucial to the health of your home. You need a bath fan to help keep your home dry and mold free. The fans are often seen as a non-essential fixture in a home, but they are just as important as lights or a lock on the front door. When you shower, the steam from the hot water will create condensation. The condensation is damaging to the countertops, the walls and the frames. If you have ever stepped out of the shower and noticed your towel was a little damp or the countertop was wet, you can imagine what damage daily, multiple showers are doing to your bathroom walls.

You can eliminate this situation by turning on a bath fan installed by an electrician. Los Angeles homeowners can choose a fan that suits their needs. The fans will help eliminate the steam in the room by pulling out the warm air and venting it outside. There are a variety of models on the market. You will need to choose a fan that is big enough for your bathroom. Some models include lights and heaters. These fans are beautiful and effective. If you are ready to protect your home from becoming damaged by dampness, give The Electric Connection a call today to schedule your bath fan installation.

When you are using an electronic device and need to charge it, you look for the closest power point to plug it in. There are times when you just can”t find a plug point within easy reach; that’s when you look for an electrical extension cord and plug in the device you need to charge.

This is something most of us do as a matter of routine and we don’t give much thought to it. Extension cords are undoubtedly a very handy tool that solves some very basic charging problems. When there is a shortage of outlets or if an electronic device is just a little too far from the closest electrical point, these extension cords prove very useful.

However, it’s important to keep in view the fact that an extension cord isn’t meant to be a permanent electrical fixture; it’s to be used for a specific reason and it can be hazardous to use them incorrectly.

Here, we talk about the different hazards of electrical extension cords and how they can be avoided: