Spring is approaching and many families are feeling the fatigue of winter’s hardships. What better time to travel than now? Many families are just trying to get away from the cold. Booking a trip can be exciting, but have you ever arrived at your destination and said “where am I supposed to plug in my hair dryer?” or “how am I going to charge my phone?”

Let’s be honest, the last thing on your mind when packing for any vacation is bringing that adapter along with you. Often times we are such in a hurry to pack we tend to forget that not every country has the same outlets as we do.

Here are some easy steps to help you get organized while traveling and how to take the charge with you wherever you go.

In the US and Canada the average voltage is 120 volt per residential home. However, when traveling abroad the voltage is quite different. For example, Europe’s standard house will use 240 volt, which is substantially more voltage than the average North American home.

Before purchasing a travel charger or a universal adaptor always read the label on the back of the packaging to ensure you are getting the right voltage amounts for the right countries. Doing so will ensure you won’t end up with a damaged device, appliance or blown fuse.

Whether its bringing the spark alive in a relationship, or just traveling with friends and family, remember to bring the charge with you!

Explosion proof fixtures are a necessity for environments which output potentially explosive or flammable fumes, produce dust of dirt in the air, or similar situations in which a gas could enter the fixture and cause damage to the light or well-being of the facility.

If you are currently running or working with a facility which requires these explosion proof light fixtures, the list of 3 must-haves below will clear the air and hopefully set you on the right track to ensuring you have the proper setup and design.

First on the list, we are going to talk about the actual technology within the fixture and why it is so important.

While a big part of vapor proof lights is the actual fixture and its design, we think the luminaire within the fixture is equally as important.

We simply can’t recommend any other technology other than LED because we truly believe in it. To give you a little bit of insight on industrial LEDs, here are some of the reasons why companies of all sorts are converting to LED:

As you can see, just from these three main benefits that all sorts of facilities are realizing can really be game changing in terms of savings.

For these reasons (and more), we thought it was a must to have it first on the list.

Interested in learning more? Find Class 1 Div 2. For this reason, we suggest you always inquire with a reputable and knowledgeable company that offers and deals with explosion proof lighting when inquiring about your lighting project.

If you can’t find a reputable company to ask your questions, just LED explosion proofs offer the long-term solution is clear.

Especially when you consider in rebates, your initial upfront investment can be reduced greatly. While these rebates do vary from place to place, they are most often available when you buy DLC qualified fixtures. Not only are DLC qualified fixtures going to make you more eligible for rebates through your utility company, but they also provide other benefits. The biggest benefit of buying DLC qualified lights is they have ben tried and tested and, in most cases, do what they claim. In a busy world of lighting, not all products do exactly what they say. This is most common when a light is not qualified by something like the DLC.

Our main advice is this; to get the best value buy only DLC qualified fixtures. If you don’t, you may actually end up spending more upfront (by not getting any rebates) as well as more energy usage overtime, due to a less efficient build.

Another major cost saver can come through retrofitting. The only time you can retrofit is if your fixture is still functional and can fit a LED retrofit in it. If you do not match these requirements, then a full replacement will (typically) be required.

If you can, we suggest you retrofit. It saves money in two ways: retrofit kits are cheaper than full fixture replacements and the cost to retrofit is typically less time consuming and thus, less expensive.

In Summary

We know that a sensitive environment can be stressful to deal with, especially when it comes to the lighting system and the safety of the facility.

The above 3 must-haves are just the beginning, and each situation can vary greatly. As always, we suggest you consult with some lighting professionals to truly discover what you may require for your facility and operations.

The holiday season is shifting into gear, and first up is our sometimes spooky favorite, Halloween! But as many homeowners know, while some costumes might spark a fright, the true terror comes from looking at those holiday electric bills. Planning on doing some decorating but worried about those inflated energy costs? The experts at Hoffman Electrical have some solutions for you!

It’s football season, which means every Saturday and Sunday, your home’s TV becomes an essential gathering point in your home. Sadly, in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia area, autumn is also thunderstorm season. So how can you protect your expensive TV from electrical surges and storms? The electrical experts at Kolb Electric have the answer.

Electrical surges—whether from lightning strikes or otherwise—are easy to prepare for with proper equipment. And if you’ve spent four figures on a television, it might just be worth the investment! You can protect your TV from a power surge in two ways: by installing a dedicated circuit and/or installing a whole-home surge protector.

Your dedicated circuit for your TV will make sure that your TV isn’t having its power leached from other electronics in your home, making its sound and picture clearer, while the whole-home surge protector will protect your TV from lightning strikes and power surges.

Effectively defending your home from power surges requires a two-step approach: first, outfitting it with a whole-home surge protector, then using surge-protected outlets and power strips indoors. Both types of surge protectors act essentially like pressure relief valves, diverting excess energy away and restoring normal operation once levels regulate.

Whole-home surge protectors are usually wired to a service panel and are designed to stop surges of at least 40,000 amps, though larger ones can be installed. Pairing them with individual plug-in surge protectors should do a good job of catching any potentially damaging energy that may get into your home.

Like many safety-related things, whole-home surge protectors are appliances you buy and hope to never actually use. But all it takes is a single downed line or big lightning strike to cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to your home—not worth the risk!

The new school year is in full-swing, which means your schedule is about to be totally packed with all sorts of activities. Between the numerous football and volleyball games, fine arts events, and various other school-related events ahead this fall, your time at home will be both precious and a rarity. Depending on how often you’re out cheering your favorite student on, your home could become the perfect spot for a burglar.

Last week, we gave you some really important tips on protecting your home from an invasion when you’re away on vacation. This week, we’re going a step further to help you protect your home while you’re still in town, but maybe just out and about until the late hours of the night. Even if you’re not concerned about a break-in, perhaps you just want peace of mind your babysitters, housekeepers, repairmen are doing their job. You can even check to see if your kids are doing their homework or chores.

Smart security cameras are an excellent way to safeguard your home and family when you’re away, even if it’s just a few miles down the road. Equipped with WiFi capabilities, you have the ability to peek in on what’s happening using the app paired with your system.