ConstructionDeal.com Update

If you're looking for energy savings in your home, there are a lot of easy and inexpensive ways to not only cut down on your electric bill but also do your part to help the environment. These days, everyone is looking to "green" up their home. I've got a great product for you to consider. And you may not have even known this product was energy efficient - it's the ceiling fan. A ceiling fan can be a great way to help you lower your environmental "footprint" as well as the monthly utility bill.

And don't think that a ceiling fan only helps in the summer time. You know that cold air tends to stay low to the floor and warm air tends to rise above your head. Did you know that a ceiling fan can help push all that warm air back down to your level? The room will feel warmer and your heater will not have to work as hard. A ceiling fan in use in the winter time can reduce your energy bill by 10 to 15%. The ceiling fan can also help prevent those "sweaty" windows during the winter months when condensation is eliminated by the quality air circulation. Naturally, the ceiling fan can be reversed to work hard for you in the summer, keeping your air conditioned air circulating and cutting utility bills by up to 15%.

The nice thing about these fans is that they require very little electricity to run. And they can easily be installed by a professional electrician or handyman, but if you've already got an overhead light in the room -- it's a project you can do easily on your own. The right fan can add a beautiful fixture to accentuate the decor of any room. A lot of ceiling fan models also come with a lighting option to help with overhead and accent lighting. So, what's not to love? Energy savings, aesthetics, easy installation, and additional lighting... All for a very low price.

And when it comes to price, consider shopping for your next fan online. More and more, people are going online for information and to find a better deal than they find in a brick and mortar store. And there are so much variety in ceiling fan styles and colors and sizes that the local home improvement store will probably not carry the right fan for you. When I bought my last ceiling fan for my bedroom, I purchased online from Littman Bros. Lighting. What I liked about Littman was they have an established store with experience near Chicago - and they deal with homeowners and builders alike (and to know you're getting the best product and price, always shop where the builders shop!)

What to look for in a ceiling fan?

• Prices vary, from $25 to $1000. Higher priced fans electronics that allow motors and lights to be turned on remotely, either on the wall or with a remote control, and can reverse direction automatically.
  
• Higher quality fans are more quiet, with stronger motors and balanced blades to allow for a long life.
  
• You'll notice that fans that list a pitch of 12 degrees or more usually have a highly efficient motor, because it requires more power to turn the blades at those angles. Avoid fans with less than a 12 degree pitch.
  
• In small rooms, go with a 29 to 36 inch fan; medium-sized go with a 36 to 42" fan; and a large room you can go with a 50 to 54" fan.
  
• Optimal placement is 8 to 9' in a room, so make sure the kit comes with rods to drop the fan down if you have 11 to 13 feet ceilings. Avoid fans that are too close to the ceiling - they're ineffective.
  
• Look for high quality fan motors that have heavy duty windings and sealed bearings.
  
• Finally, make sure you've got a good lifetime warranty on your fan choice.
  

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Labels: Ceiling Fans, Electrical Installation, Energy Efficiency, Home Improvement

Whenever homeowners remodel the exterior of their house, many times the landscape designer or deck builder will want to add bright glaring lights. The purpose is usually to highlight an architectural feature on the home or to light up a tree in the garden.

The by-product of all this exterior lighting is light pollution. And it's a growing problem. However, unlike our other massive pollution problems, the light pollution issue can be easily fixed. With the flick of a switch...

What is light pollution?

Light pollution is any light that is shining up into the night sky or out into your neighbor's window. It's misdirected and misused exterior lighting. It creates that "sky glow" effect of an orange-ish haze that wipes out the black night sky and all the stars above. It can cause a glare that affects people walking or driving by the offending source. Finally, another result is what's known as "light trespass." This is when the light from your neighbor's property shines onto and into your own.

But what if you've spent a lot of time and money beautifying the exterior of your home?

You really need to consider your lighting needs. Reducing light pollution does not mean you have to turn off all your exterior lights from dusk to dawn. There are a multitude of options so that you can do your part to help:

• Turn off some or all of your existing exterior lighting
• Install motion sensors on security lights or any lights that shine up and out
• Install timers to turn off exterior lighting after a certain hour
  
• Reduce the wattage in accent, task, and security lighting
• Install quality "dark sky friendly" exterior lighting

It might actually be best to do all of the above. Or some combination that works for the exterior of your house. By installing an exterior light that only shines down, and not out or up, and has fluorescent or halogen bulbs is a great start. Adding motion sensors to those overhead lights and timers to your accent lights would be your next step. Finally, review your light setup to see which ones are crucial and eliminating the ones that are not absolutely necessary.

Why should you worry about light pollution?

Besides the obvious problems of glare and light trespass, excessive exterior lighting requires a lot of energy. More energy consumption means the loss of valuable natural resources and the pollution of our air, water, and ground. Light pollution is harmful to wildlife and they know it can be harmful to people, as well. And, of course, there's the fact that the majority of Americans can never enjoy the beauty of night sky.

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Labels: Electrical Installation, Electricians, Low Voltage Lighting

It's that time of year - time to install lights inside and outside your home. Nothing puts you and your neighbors in the holiday spirit like a vibrant and colorful display.

But this time of year also means an huge increase in home fires -- many being caused by a host of electrical fires stemming for holiday decorations.

I wanted to pass along some tips to make sure you, your family, and your house remains safe.

Electrical Tips

• Make sure all your outlets have no cracks and you shouldn't have to force a plug into any socket. If the socket is loose, this can cause problems from shocks or fire.
• Your outlets can handle about 15 to 20 amps - don't plug in every light string or decoration into one outlet. Mix it up and move cords to other outlets. 25 Christmas light bulbs are 1.135 amps. 50 lights are 2.270. An 18 amp outlet can handle about 380 normal (C7) lights. Add more than that and you could have a fire hazard. 300 mini lights is usually 1 amp.
• Check all your cords for frays, splits, or damage. Don't use them if they're damaged. Don't tape them up and hope for the best. And don't run extension cords under carpeting or rugs. Try not to use extension cords that are still rolled up - either use a shorter cord or extend it out completely.
• For outdoor lights, use an extension cord rated for the outdoors.
• Never remove a 3rd pin in a cord to make it fit into a 2 pin socket. That's a recipe for disaster.
• Keep lights away from electrical & gas heaters, fireplaces, candles, or other heat sources.

Hanging Your Lights

• Don't hang holiday lights on sharp hooks - don't pound nails or hooks in through the light cords. Avoid stapling around or on the cords.
• Do not run cords through doors and windows and close them on the light cords - crimping the cords is a fire hazard.
• Make sure the lights are unplugged BEFORE you try to replace any burned out bulbs
• Many accidents occur when people are climbing on ladders up their roofs - make sure someone holds your ladder when you're on it, don't climb to to the top two steps (get a taller ladder), don't put your ladder in mud or loose dirt, and don't lean your ladder against doors or windows
• Replace burnt out bulbs promptly - make sure the replacements are the same wattage
  
• Make sure the lights you use outdoors are also rated as outdoor lights - you've got crazy weather across the country in the month of December and you don't want indoor lights out in the elements.

• All outdoor lights need to be plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). There are portable ones that you can buy at a hardware store, or you can have them permanently installed by an electrician.
• Make sure your holiday lights are off while you sleep or away from the house. You can use a timer so that they turn off the same time each day and night.
  

Good luck with your lighting displays. If you don't feel comfortable installing your lights - feel free to find a local Handyman to install them for you. Post your lighting project for free on our main site and we'll match you to a quality handyman in your area. If you think you need an electrician, click here.

Labels: Electrical Installation, Holiday Lights