Have you ever wondered what would actually change if you switched to LED? You are probably too accustomed to the CFLs or tungsten lights you use right now, never done a long-term cost analysis and do not really imagine what kind of changes switching to LEDs will bring.

Let`s do a general cost analysis and compare the results of LEDs, CFLs and tungsten bulbs. I will take an electricity cost of 10 cents/KW and an average of 4 hours of light on per day, which means about 15000 hours of operating hours in ten years.

Let`s take the common tungsten lights first. If you have 10 incandescent bulbs in your small office, you will spend about $7.50 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $84. Take into consideration that incandescent bulbs will be around for only 1000 hours (500 hours if you are lucky). There is also the additional cost generated by the fact that the air-conditioners will work harder to compensate for the heat emitted by the bulbs. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years, you will need to replace the light bulbs each year so in total you will spend $75 on the purchase and $840 on the bill, so $915 in total plus maintenance costs.

If you have 10 CFL`s in your small office you will spend about $110 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $23. CFL`s will last for almost 10000 hours but they contain mercury and that could be a problem if you have people working for you and a hazard for the environment. If it is very cold or the lights are placed outside in the cold, they will need a couple of minutes to turn on and in some cases, they might not even work. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years, you will need to replace the light bulbs once and in total, you will spend $220 on the purchase and $230 on the bill so $450 in total plus considerable maintenance costs.

Now let`s see what happens if you have LED instead of CFL or Tungsten bulbs. If you have 10 LEDs in your small office you will spend about $390 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $80. LEDs last will last for at least 50000 hours in any environment, whether is cold or warm, whether they suffer physical shocks or vibrations. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years you will not need to replace the LEDs and in total  you will spend $390 on the purchase and $80 on the bill, so $470 in total, but you will have no maintenance cost.

As you can see, it seems that incandescent bulbs are no option as they are the most expensive ones on the long term.

The first impression is that CFLs might be a little bit better than LEDs as the overall cost is a little bit lower (not counting maintenance costs).  The thing is that CFL will need another two or three replacements in the next years, while the LEDs will work just fine. In addition the maintenance cost will rise with the CFLs. CFLs are also a bio-hazard, they do not work always, take up a lot of space and give an unnatural light, so there are quite numerous advantages to LEDs when we compare them to CFLs so the slight disadvantage of LEDs in the first years can be easily ignored. Moreover, in 12 or 15 years the LEDs will prove to be more economical than all the other options.

Mr. Electric® wants to make sure everyone is ready for the fall and winter months in case any weather-related disasters occur.  The importance of having alternate reliable energy when the need arises cannot be stressed enough. Electricity is the lifeline of many local businesses, hospitals and city buildings, and the amount of electricity usage in households is often taken for granted.

Generators propose a great solution when temporary power is needed, but they also require special care and attention to detail for safe operation and maintenance. Follow these tips to stay safe while operating permanently placed and portable generators.

Always operate generators outside in well-ventilated areas and away from windows, doors and vents. Enclosed or partially enclosed areas, even with ventilation, can result in CO poisoning.

“One generator produces as much CO as hundreds of cars. CO from a generator is deadly and can incapacitate and kill you within minutes.”

- Consumer Product Safety Commission

Plugging the generator into a wall outlet, also known as backfeeding, can pose an electrocution risk to utility workers as well as other homeowners and businesses served by the same utility transformer.

Mr. Electric licensed service professionals will be able to install a transfer switch, which will prevent a back feed in electrical current.

Before refueling, always turn off the generator and allow time for it to cool off before refueling. Continuous operation heats up the generator and any fuel spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.

Store fuel away from any fuel-burning appliance and outside of living areas in properly labeled, non-glass containers.

Always make sure the generator is kept dry during use, and dry your hands before touching it. Operate the generator under an open, canopy-like structure.

Never use the generator in wet or rainy weather or manipulate the electrical components if you are in standing water. Correctly storing and maintaining generators will prolong the life of the unit.

Being aware of the inherent hazards of electric generators will help prevent harmful situations. These tips from Mr. Electric will keep homeowners safe while operating permanently placed and portable generators.

Question: A contractor wants me to sign a Partial Release form on a job he hasn’t paid me for yet. Doesn’t that put me at risk of not collecting the money if I’m not really paid after I sign the release form? – Greg Storn

Answer: The good news here is that there is an easy solution to this issue. There are four different legal documents that apply to contracted work: 4. Unconditional Release Upon Final Payment

The only “condition” of a Conditional Release is that the release is valid only if the money specified on the release is paid to the contractor. In other words, if you are 50% complete with a $10,000 job, you can safely sign a Conditional Release Upon Progress Payment for $5,000. If you aren’t paid the $5,000, the release is not valid and you have not given up any of your lien rights to this money.

On the other hand, if you sign and Unconditional Release, you have just given up your rights to whatever amount of money that was on the Unconditional Release from. So the rule is, don’t sigh an Unconditional Release from until the money you are releasing is in your bank account. I’m not talking about a check in your hand, either. I’m saying that you should never sign an unconditional release until that check has cleared and the funds are literally in your bank account.

Some or my company’s corporate clients always ask for a release before they will pay an invoice. No problem, we just send them a Conditional Release Upon Progress Payment or a Conditional Release Upon Final Payment. Later, after their check has cleared into our bank account, we will (if they ask) follow up with an Unconditional Release.

By the way, Conditional Release forms protect both the client and the contractor. If a client gets a Conditional Release form a contractor, they know that they are protected from getting a lien from that contractor, but only if they actually pay the contractor the money specified on the lien.

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Transforming a basement into livable space is a big deal. It requires a lot of planning, work and execution. If you have a basement, you have a lot of space down there that you could be using to entertain, as bedrooms or simply to add value to your home. When done correctly and up to code, your basement can count towards the total square footage of your home. Every additional square foot adds anywhere from $50 to $200 to your total value depending on where you live. An electrician in Glendale, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you get that remodel underway and up to code in no time.

Basements are generally already wired with electricity, but the lack of walls, ceiling and more than a cement floor are an issue. Once you add flooring and put in a ceiling, the ceiling height tends to be a bit smaller than the average. However, it is still functional and as long as it meets the building code, you can make it work. Now, basements tend to be dark, but you can change that with the installation of recessed lights by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will not have to worry about losing any head room with these lights because they are flush with the ceiling.

You can add several lights that will really brighten up the space. Whether you are transforming your basement into a den or the ultimate game room, you want to preserve as much ceiling space as possible while providing plenty of light. If you are dividing the area into separate rooms, your Glendale electrician can add the wiring needed for the outlets as well as the light switches needed to operate the lights in each space. A basement remodel is a fun project that is rewarding and will provide an excellent return on your investment. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your lighting installation.