There’s a lot more to the cost of a light bulb than the price tag sticker. There’s the impact on your electrical bill, the tally of replacement bulbs you’ll need to buy, and the time you have to factor in for maintenance. Sure, the light bulb in your table lamp may take just a few minutes to replace, but what about your recessed cans that are two stories away from easy access?

We published an infographic on Lighting Facts, a program of the U.S. Department of Energy, created the one below, showing the five-year-cost of 100 watt equivalent light bulbs. As you can see, the low purchase cost of an incandescent light bulb doesn’t necessarily pay off in the end:

The proud owner of a generator, whether for general use or use in an emergency, can rest assured that they have access to the power they need. But what if your generator isn’t quite up to the task? This can leave you with no means to perform normal functions at best, and at worst could leave you powerless in the face of a storm or other catastrophe. The certified experts at Kolb Electric have a strong history of handling generators, and today we bring you one of the most common complaints among generator-owners: power surges.

When it comes to communicating signs of disrepair, generators are actually rather talkative. It’s all in understanding the signs, the most common of which coming in the form of surging.

Surging refers to a generator (or other electrical component, machine or device) displaying clear fluctuations in behavior at intervals. These intervals can follow a clear pattern, or can be completely random. What exactly does this mean? Let’s use some examples.

A surging generator often will leave lights burning much brighter, then much dimmer rapidly, causing a sort of flicker back and forth. In machinery, this can also come as drastic changes in pace as well; such as a fan running faster and then slower for no obvious reason.

There are actually numerous causes for generator surging, including:

Bottom line; if your generator is experiencing surging there is definitely something wrong. The causes are myriad, but the solution stays the same. Seek professional assistance for your generator repair to ensure it’s ready and available when you need it most!

At Kolb Electric, we’ve been handling generator installation, repair and replacement for years, and we always bring our very best to any project. if you’re experiencing generator surges, don’t hesitate to contact us right away!

The world of lighting, LED specifically, can get overwhelming for those that are not directly in the space. From lumens, to watts, efficacy, and more; jargon and terms aren’t doing you any good if you don’t know what they mean.

Not only is it just about LED terms, but also general concepts, facts, and methods of LED lighting technology and the fundamentals that are important to understand to use LED to it’s fullest potential.

In this post, we’ve gather the 7+ “must read” LED lighting articles you should read if you want to understand LED lighting a bit more and be much better off when you dive into the industry and technology. Whether you are a facility manager, electrical contractor, or building owner; all of these articles we’ve gathered will certainly give some value and we hope you enjoy them all

LEED) is a program that offers certifications for green buildings. The third-party verification program was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as a means for healthier, sustainable, environmentally friendly, more efficient, buildings, homes, and neighborhoods. In a nutshell, LEED supplies the guidelines for creating a green building. Using individual points-based rating systems that differ by project type, building projects can achieve Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum statuses. Project types can include new building design and construction, building operations and maintenance, interior design and construction, homes, and neighborhood development. For each project type, LEED has a list of credits with specific requirements regarding anything from building materials to bicycle storage. Points are awarded based on the degree to which the requirements are met. There are several credits that include LED lighting is the first choice of any builder trying to achieve an LEED status.

The following LEED credits relate to lighting for new construction:

full-cutoff LED wall packs that are designed to reduce glare by emitting illumination downward instead of outward. Many indoor and outdoor LED lights come with or can be used with dusk-to-dawn or PIR motion sensors to prevent wasted light.

A19 bulbs to powerful EAp2 – Minimum Energy Performance

Buildings must meet a minimum level of energy efficiency to receive points for this credit. The goal is to minimize environmental and economic problems that can be caused by high energy use. As mentioned above, LED lights are extremely efficient and can dramatically reduce a building’s carbon footprint.

dimmable under-hutch LED strip lights with handheld remotes and bulbs, or other dimmers.

SFGATE, “The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warns that, given the current trends, energy-related emissions will increase by 70 percent by 2050. This can accelerate the negative consequences of climate change, including higher temperatures and a rise in the frequency of extreme weather events.” Lessening energy consumption with LED lights and renewable energy sources will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help prevent that prediction.

website, the USGBC states that 92.2 percent of 7,100 LEED-certified new construction projects are improving energy performance by at least 10.5 percent. In addition to other methods of energy improvements, lighting plays a key role. One building can have hundreds of lights. Using LED lights will not only help achieve an LEED status, but they will also contribute to a greener future.

There are times when you simply can’t or shouldn’t do certain repairs around your house. Not everybody is trained or cut out to take care of all the little jobs that arise. You need to hire a professional from time to time. One of the professionals you will likely need on occasion is a Glendale electrician. If you have never used an electrician or have had a bad experience in the past and are looking for a new one, how do you know what to look for? The team at The Electric Connection has been helping folks out for years and is here to help you as well. The following characteristics are what you should look for when you need to hire an electrician to take care of work around your home.

• Good reputation-ask your friends, neighbors and family members if they have used a particular company. What was their experience? Do some checking online as well. Angie’s List is a great place to start.

• Professional-an electrician that shows up at your door should look and act professional. A clean uniform is a good sign of a professional contractor. If you are bringing an electrician into your business, a professional appearance is very important.

• Licensed and bonded-this is an absolute must when hiring an electrician. Glendale residents should only allow contractors into their homes or businesses who have the proper licensing through the state as well as a bond to protect you in case there is any damage done to your home.

• Timely-Cable companies are often joked about because of their lack of timeliness, but it isn’t a laughing matter. You are busy and don’t have hours to sit around waiting for an electrician to show up. You need a company that can give you a set window and stick to it.

If you need an electrician, you can call The Electric Connection and find an electrician who meets all of these standards.