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.

When I talk to people about LED lights, the response is often the same: “That’s very exciting. LEDs are really cool. But they’re so expensive.” While you can say the prices of LEDs are going down, and you can promise that once you buy an LED it will save loads of energy, this doesn’t change the fact that many LED lights and light fixtures still cost a pretty penny.

But finally, LEDs are becoming less expensive. Today, you can buy a high quality LED A lamp for well under $50, and many kinds of LED fixtures for around that price as well. For today’s blog post, I’ve come up with a list of my 10 favorite LED task lights that cost less than 60 bucks each.  If you’ve never used an LED light fixture before, give one of these a whirl and I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

1. The LED Flexible Work Light – $29.90

Bryant Electric Service was recently inundated with calls the morning after a strong wind/thunderstorm blew through Austin.  This happens every time.  Although many calls were customers needing their power restored after tree limbs took down their overhead power line, there were also many calls wanting our service techs to come out to check their whole electrical system because of nearby lightning strikes damaging many of their home appliances and electronic devices.

With the enormous amount of electronics that are now being installed in almost every device that can be plugged into any power or phone/data outlet, it has become evident that having whole house power/data surge protection installed is imperative.

When lightning strikes it creates a huge static electrical field that, like the bolt itself, seeks the easiest path of least resistance to the ground.  The easiest path for this static current is your overhead electrical and phone/cable lines that run up and down your street and all of which connect directly to your house.  When this happens, it destroys the very delicate, low voltage instruments that are now installed in most appliances:  refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, oven, coffee makers, washer/dryer, A/C and furnace, thermostat, garage door opener, sprinkler system control, etc.  These are all affected by power surges going throughout your electrical wiring system.  Then there are your TVs, computers, modem, hand-held charging devices, VCR, TV signal box, Bluetooth and your telephone, if you still have one, and these are all affected by the power surge through your phone/data cables.

If you are interested in receiving a cost estimate to have this protection installed in your house, please contact us at Bryant Electric Service and one of our dispatchers will be happy to help you.

By Spencer Cutright

Let’s face it: no summer vacation is complete without plenty of pictures. With the invention of the “selfie stick” and apps like Instagram and Snapchat, taking pictures has never been so user friendly, and photography has never been more prevalent than it is today.

However, this would not be possible if flash photography had never been invented. It’s hard to believe, but flash wasn’t always as common or safe as it is today. Here is a brief look at the history of flash photography.

Flash photography originally began as an unsafe and incredibly intricate device known as the flash lamp, which was invented in 1899. Photographers would fill a pan with flash powder, which was then ignited, leading to a small explosion that produced a quick flash. The flash lamp is known for being very unsafe, and many photographers who used it were either killed or injured in the process.

Around the 1930s, flash bulbs replaced flash powder. Oxygen-filled bulbs were electricity ignited, producing a quick bright flash. However, the bulbs could only be used once, and they were often too hot to handle right after the flash.

Thirty years after the flash bulb, the cheaper and more efficient electronic flash was invented. Electronic flashers are often attached to a camera and produce an instantaneous and very bright flash through a flash tube when a picture is taken.

Found on camera phones as early as 2000, LED flash uses high current LEDs to produce a quick flash when a picture is taken. LED flash makes flash photography efficient and miniaturized.

So next time you pull out our camera or smartphone to capture a special moment this summer, keep in mind all the inventors who made modern photography possible.  The future of photography is certainly bright with many possibilities ahead.

It feels good to do something good for our neighborhood and the people we spend time with every day, even if it is from a distance. Doing the right thing and helping out in your little corner of the world gives you a sense of belonging, accomplishment and a little pride. You are doing your part to make the world better. You don’t have to be a trailblazer, a celebrity or someone who is given accolades to truly make a difference. An electrician in California has a few tips for you to use that will have a positive impact on the environment. You can leave the world a little greener. Encouraging your friends and family to follow these practices makes your impact that much bigger. At The Electric Connection, we hope to work with you to make things better.

Going green is trendy. It is cool to be green. Check out some of the things you can do in your house to be a little more green.

1-Turn the AC up 2 degrees and the heater down 2 degrees. Use a ceiling fan installed by an electrician to keep the room feeling cool without using nearly as much electricity.

2-Make it a goal to shorten your hot showers by at least 2 minutes everyday.

3-Use a stand to dry your clothes on the patio, deck or even in a room in the house that tends to be warm. An outside clothesline is also an option.

4-Quit leaving your lights, televisions and music players on when you are not using them!

5-Buy a solar charger and use it to charge your cell phone, laptop and tablet. Consider this baby steps to switching to solar power.

Becoming more energy efficient doesn’t necessarily mean you sit in the dark or don’t use hot water. You can still be energy conscientious without really changing the way you do things today. Give The Electric Connection a call if you need a new ceiling fan installed.