How many light bulbs have you changed in your lifetime? It’s a simple action, and often one that we don’t put much thought into, but what if the simple act of changing a light bulb could make a profound impact on the environment, and the well-being of future generations?  As experienced www.EnergyStar.gov:

“If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a light bulb that’s earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to those from about 800,000 cars.”

Think about the changes that you can make by simply replacing the outdated incandescent bulbs in your home as they burn out with one of the Alternative Lighting Solutions below. Here are some details on a couple of the most popular Alternative Lighting Solutions available.

Compact Fluorescent Lamp: Modern CFL bulbs for use in homes consist of a curved fluorescent tube and electronic ballast in a single unit, designed as a direct replacement for standard blubs. They use 3-4 times less power than comparable incandescent bulbs. These are great options to replace your standard light bulbs, but they do have a few small drawbacks. According to an article by PopularMechanics.com, while CFL’s do have a much longer lifespan than standard bulbs, they often lose some of their brightness long before their expected lifespan is up, and this is increased in fixtures that don’t allow for efficient cooling of the ballast located in the base of the bulb. Another documented fact about CFL bulbs is that they do contain mercury, which means that they must be disposed of properly by taking them your local approved recycling center. You wouldn’t throw a battery out with the daily trash would you? So you shouldn’t throw these out either.

Light Emitting Diodes: LED’s are a form of “solid state” lighting that have become available recently to homeowners as an incandescent and CFL replacement. Using small light emitting diodes mounted directly to circuit boards, these are highly efficient, and have fewer parts prone to failure, allowing for an expected realistic lifespan of 20,000 to 30,000 hours, when operated at recommended temperatures. While initial costs for these bulbs are higher than incandescent and CFL options, long term energy savings are where this alternative lighting option truly shines, with the average LED bulb using approximately 12-17% of the energy that it takes to run an incandescent bulb of similar output, the end result is a bulb that costs drastically less to power over time.

As a point of comparison, here is a simple chart of the energy usage of LED and CFL bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs, and the output associated with them:

Lighting technology has changed a lot in the past decade, and it is pretty amazing to see what could be on the horizon for future lighting innovations. Take this for example. While most homes will never need this amount of output, it’s pretty impressive to see that something the size of a Christmas tree light, like this plasma bulb, can put out more light, more efficiently, than the giant bulbs that we use in street lamps!

The great thing about these changes is that they aren’t something that requires a huge change in your lifestyle, so they are some of the easiest ways possible to help the environment, and lower electric bills while you are at it!

About ElectricMan Inc.

Season’s Greetings from Kolb Electric, and a Happy Holiday to all! It’s about time to deck the halls, but before you do, our experts wanted to chip in and offer a little advice. The holidays are a wonderful time of the year, but with all of the hustle, bustle, decorating, and general chaos, safety occasionally falls by the wayside. Don’t let this happen!

At Kolb Electric, we take the safety and security of our customers very seriously. We want to be called on for repairs, replacement and installations, any time, any day. What we don’t want is to hear about our customers encountering dangerous electrical situations that could be avoided with a little know-how and understanding. Keep yourself and your family safe from electrical burns when handling your holiday lighting this year with these general safety tips.

Despite all preparation, and beyond our control, occasionally accidents will happen. In the event of electrical burns, a quick and informed response is crucial. Immediately report to the emergency room if the injured experience:

Electrical burns can pose a very serious threat if left untreated. Even if the injured displays none of these signs, it’s best to seek medical treatment right away.

There are so many things to love about the coming holiday season. Great food, great company, family, festive decorations; we couldn’t be more excited! But there’s a not so great factor attached to it all, too. That hefty electric bill you’ll be seeing. Looking for ways to keep your costs at a minimum this holiday? The expert electricians at Hoffman Electrical can provide some easy fixes!

Our professionals have been proudly serving Tampa and Clearwater, Florida for years now. When it comes to quality and top-tier service, we’re the name to know in electrical! And as  apart of our great service, we’re always looking for ways to help out. If you want to reduce your energy costs this season, we’ve got the solutions you’ll be happy to know.

A solar array, in the simplest of terms, is a group of connected photovoltaic solar panels. These panels, or groups of cells are strategically linked and arranged so that they function as if they were a single panel. In some cases, the term solar array is also used to denote a similarly arranged group of mirrors that are used to reflect and focus sunlight onto an array of photovoltaic panels. There is no set size for a solar array, and sizes range from a small array designed for home use to a solar panel array that is several acres large and consists of hundreds or thousands of panels.

On a more base level, each solar panel array is made up of an array of photovoltaic cells. These cells are responsible for taking the sunlight and converting it into electrical current. Because of an increased interest in renewable energy and environmentally friendly electricity sources, solar panel installation is on the rise.

Solar installers install most arrays in a fixed position. Depending on your particular location, most arrays are installed facing due south. In some cases, however, a solar panel array could be attached to a group of highly efficient motors that are designed to turn the panels to face the sun throughout the day. The motors do use a small amount of energy, but not nearly enough to offset the amount that has been generated. Although this can increase the amount that solar panels cost, it can greatly increase the amount of electricity that is generated in an average day.  The

If you are interested in adding a renewable energy source to your home or business, solar installation is the way to go. To learn more about your options for installation, financing and purchasing your solar panels, visit the Solar Panel Info website.

Having a hot tub or spa at home is a wonderful amenity. But before you have the ability to sit back and relax, there can be a lot of headaches. Proper preparation is required before you position the hot tub and plug it in. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your hot tub or spa installation.

You probably have an idea of where you would like to place your hot tub. If you are planning to build a place for it outdoors, ensure that you have:

Keep in mind the warranty of your hot tub. Some bases can void the warranty and the material of surrounding walkway, such as gravel, can track more debris into the hot tub.

For an indoor spa, ensure that the room you have chosen is suitable for the conditions. You will require a strong foundation as well as suitable ventilation for the steam and moisture.

Before starting a deck, support structure, or upgrades to a room in your home, check with your municipality that you are able to complete the improvements. You may require permits and there may be codes that your new structure must meet in addition to the manufactures’ warranty. Building illegally can cost you more in the long run.

This is where a certified electrician is important. Most hot tubs require approximately 240 volts. A hot tub does not plug directly into a standard outlet like other appliances; you will be required to add an additional circuit breaker into your main service panel. This can be a complex job and should be done correctly to keep your family and home safe. Improper electrical wiring can cause electrical surges and fires.