My dad might just be the most difficult person I know to find gifts for. Unlike other dads, who might enjoy fishing, golfing, or watching football, mine rides and restores vintage motorcycles for fun. What’s so difficult about that? Well, there are only so many spark plugs and screwdrivers he needs, and only so many specialty parts I can track down before I’m in over my head.

That’s why I went out on a limb this Christmas, and decided to give him one of our

As you can see, the light’s long neck lets it curve and reach to illuminate the motorcycle’s body for detailed work.

NEMA or the National Electrical Manufacturers Association has developed rating standards for electrical enclosures to ensure safety, compatibility and proper function of electrical products. These ratings provide the standards that help in defining the types of environments in which various electrical enclosures can be used. NEMA ratings frequently indicate a fixed enclosure’s ability to withstand certain environmental conditions.

NEMA ratings are mainly applied to fixed enclosures and are rarely applied to mobile devices. They have extremely stringent testing requirements to verify if the enclosures can be protected from external ice, oil immersion, corrosive materials, dust, water, etc. Each NEMA rating has different specifications; however, all of them are designed to protect electrical components, personnel and property from damage.

Importance of NEMA ratings

If you use any kind of electrical enclosure, it is important that you check its NEMA rating before installing it. There are a number of reasons why it is important to do so. Let us look at three reasons why NEMA ratings are important.

The term “light box” can mean a few different things, but from a lighting perspective it typically refers to a backlit display panel. Light boxes are most commonly used for advertisements or other commercial displays. You’ve probably seen them in trade show booths, restaurants, airports, nightclubs, offices, hotels, museum exhibits, and retail shops. That’s right, light boxes are everywhere.

One of the most common uses for light boxes is the commercial advertisement. You see these in large spaces like terminals or outdoors at bus stops. They capture the attention of passers-by and create lasting impressions. The light box pictured below is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen.

One of the most obvious places you’ll see light boxes are along the walls inside and outside of movie theaters. Sometimes lines of light boxes stretch incredible distances, advertising all the movies being shown in large theaters.

In fact, light boxes can be a fun addition to any home and can be used for as many purposes as you can imagine. Sure, you could illuminate a movie poster of your daughter’s favorite movie. But you could also make a custom sign saying whatever you want. I really like the light box below, created at home for home.

A commercial electrical contractor is capable of handling a variety of tasks. If you hire one, make sure you understand what they can do for you and how you can make the most out of your investment.

A commercial project requires professionals who have experience with big jobs — for commercial electrical work, commercial electrical contractors are the obvious choice. What might not be quite as obvious is the extent of your contractor’s services. You can always agree ahead of time on what they will do for you, but you should take care to avoid leaving anything on the table. Sometimes, an electrical contractor can accomplish more than you thought possible, saving you time and money in the long run.

While an electrical contractor is more than capable of working from blueprints provided by a general contractor, they can also assist you with your project before construction even begins. Commercial electricians have the knowledge to help design the system itself by creating diagrams and notes that map out the electrical system for your building.