Are lights on your dorm room checklist? They should be.

College dorm rooms are not known for their style and charm. They serve but one purpose for the budding student – a place to study and (occasionally) sleep. Equipped with little more than a bed and a desk, an empty dorm room requires some essential supplies. I’ve put together a list of several different types of lights — some fun and some functional — that need to make it on your back-to-school checklist.

The ever-popular rear bike light from REI that will at least make you more visible when cycling across campus at night, just not nearly as awesome as synchronized LED bike tires.

Shop for Dorm Room Lights

Fixing things around the house is what you do when you own a home. You probably enjoy taking matters into your own hands and fixing the little things. It is gives you a sense of pride when you look at a project you took on and finished it. You can say you fixed that or you built that. There are some projects that are too big for you to possibly handle yourself so you call a contractor in the business who can paint the exterior of your home, install new cabinets or take care of some of the landscaping issues. This too is a part of home ownership—knowing when to call for help. Electrical repair on new installation of fixtures and appliances is also best left to a qualified electrician like those at The Electric Connection.

It isn’t about pride. It is all about safety. Handling electricity is dangerous and you should never attempt it unless you have adequate training, like an electrician certified in the state of California. There are some dangers associated with electrical repair work in the home.

*Completing work yourself without the proper licensing could void your homeowner’s insurance policy. If there were an incident, you may not be covered.

*The risk of electrocution is very high when you are not familiar with wiring basics. You risk severe injury or even death.

*It will end up costing you more money to fix a mistake that was made in a DIY situation.

*You risk violating city codes and having to pay a fine, tearing out everything that was done and hiring a licensed electrician to complete the work.

*Fire is another real possibility when you undertake your own electrical repairs. The fire may not start right away, but it is a silent threat that can and will strike without warning.

Your home and your safety are worth spending the extra money to hire a professional. Don’t put your life at risk or risk the lives of your family members because you think you are going to save a few dollars. You won’t. Call The Electric Connection today and let us help you safely take care of any electrical work in your house.

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.

Under cabinet lighting has become very popular recently, especially in kitchen remodels. There are many benefits to having this type of task lighting. In addition to adding functionality to your counters, it can also add depth and highlight your backsplash, giving your kitchen a great look throughout the day. There are a variety of different lights that can be installed by an electrician in Los Angeles, each with its own benefits.

One of the top choices for under cabinet lighting is LED lighting. LED lights do not use as much electricity as standard light bulbs. This means that the bulbs will use less electricity and generate less heat. You don’t want very much heat to build up under your wooden cabinets, so this is a very important feature. LED bulbs are also very durable, and not filled with a glass like fluorescent bulbs, or a thin fragile filament like incandescent. LED lightings can withstand the beating that they may get in your kitchen. One of the greatest things about LED lights is that they are long-lasting. LED lights have a much longer lifespan than any of the other alternatives.

Xenon bulbs are another popular option for under cabinet lighting. They are great when compared with halogen. They create less heat than halogen bulbs, last longer and you can handle them without gloves (unlike their halogen counterparts). Xenon bulbs are also dimmable, which makes them great for kitchen lightings. If your kitchen currently has halogen light bulbs, it is recommended that you switch them with xenon as soon as they start to burn out.

These two options are two of the most popular types of under cabinet lighting installed by your local Los Angeles electrician. To talk about installing under cabinet lighting or any other electrical issue, give The Electric Connection a call. You can find all of our contact information and further resources (Click Here).