Save Money With Outdoor LED Landscape Lighting For Your Houston Home

Posted by Robert Huff on

Learn How You Can Use Outdoor LED Lighting To Save Money

LED is short for a light-emitting diode. It’s among the more energy-efficient options you have for modern lighting. The efficiency of them makes them quite appealing to many homeowners, and things continue to improve as the technology matures. LED lights aren’t some fad that’s overhyped or going to disappear from the market in the near future, so a lot of homeowners are now confident that they can maintain and even replace LED systems when need be in the future.

How Do LED Lights Differ From Other Lights?

Per the United States Department of Energy, there are a number of distinct features of LED lights that make them quite different from incandescent lights and even other options that are newer, such as CFLs, or compact fluorescent bulbs. To start with, every light-emitting diode is really minuscule in size, like the size of an actual grain of ground pepper. Diodes of various hues combine together in a single light to create the color of white. Altering this mixture of colors allows LED lights to have different tints.

Secondly, it’s quite easy to control the light direction using LED systems. That minimizes your need for shades or reflectors, which sometimes prove to be fire hazards or get too hot if they’re paired with conventional incandescent bulbs. If you have installations such as recessed lighting, LEDs prove to be an ideal choice. If an incandescent bulb is used in such a lighting system, then a fraction of its light gets lost from being reflected into a particular direction, which increases how much energy is necessary for the lighting of that space.

LEDs also get noticeably cooler as compared to CFLs or incandescents. That coolness means they’re safer for you to handle, and it’s also symptomatic of their energy efficiency. On the flip side, incandescent bulbs release nearly 90 percent of their energy simply as heat, and it’s still 80 percent for CFLs.

Also, an LED bulb’s lifespan is about 50,000 hours. In contrast, incandescent lights only last around 1,200 hours. This shorter lifespan drives up the cost in the long run since incandescent bulbs have to be replaced far more frequently.

Landscape Lighting Demands Robust Fixture Quality

LEDs often prove ideal for exterior lighting due to their lack of heat, low maintenance, efficiency, and long-running cost-effectiveness. So, what do homeowners need to look out for if they plan to make the switch to this kind of lighting for their entertainment areas, walkways, yards, and porches or decks? The need to make sure that they don’t just settle for the cheapest possible fixture choices. LED bulbs can last a very long time, but an outdoor fixture has to be constructed to be sturdy and durable so it can withstand the elements.

Want a hint of the expected hardiness? Check out the warranty length. Stainless steel, aluminum, and brass fixtures are usually higher in price than plastic choices, but they’re also in better shape to put up with what mother nature is going to throw at them. If you need outdoor landscape lighting in Houston, make sure to consider, the best outdoor lighting company in Houston.

Comparing LEDs To Compact Fluorescent Lights

CFL bulbs certainly prove to be a rational upgrade above incandescent bulbs when talking about efficiency. Since fluorescent lights typically fit into conventional incandescent fixtures, they’re not that much of an initial investment. They certainly offer you savings on your utilities, but CFLs do have a big downside, and that is mercury. When a fluorescent bulb breaks, it’s often troublesome to clean things up given the gases, but this isn’t an issue with LEDs, so they might make a safer choice if you’re renting any temporary fabric structures.

One final thing to take into consideration is a light’s expected look. LED options can honestly prove disappointing here. Incandescent bulbs often have a rather warm look. Homeowners might expect to get that same attractive glow from even other types of lights. On the other hand, the light from LEDs might seem harsher. They can also emit blue-hued rays which aren’t always expected by people new to this kind of lighting. Fortunately, those that develop LED technology are working on mixing different combinations of the various diodes so that they might mimic incandescents so they offer more various looks.

Get The Right Look By Using Color Temperature

Buyers need to know that new LED lights mean comparing many different options. Your local home improvement store might even have a display at the end of an aisle that demonstrates the different possibilities. At a minimum, the box of each bulb should offer a color description covering the light style emitted by the bulb. Color temperature helps predict just what bulbs are going to look like if they’re turned on.

Call us now or contact us today for more information on starting or finishing a new or existing outdoor lighting project!

Creating Your Lighting Floor Plan For Your Houston Home

Posted by Robert Huff on

Considerations For Your Houston Lighting Floor Plan

Can you really live with those lights the way they are?

There are not many ways to perfectly design lighting. However, unfortunately, there is almost an infinite number of ways that a bad job can be done. That doesn’t really seem fair, but that is what the reality is.

One of the most obvious signs that disaster is imminent is when somebody says, “hey you know what I think would look great over there?” Although we would all love to equate creativity and spontaneity to artistic flair and talent, the truth of the matter is that it takes planning to achieve the right lighting design. This is true for both Houston residential outdoor lighting as well as indoor lighting.

A clear understanding is needed of the dimensions of the room, sources of natural lights (including daily exposure), the kind of furniture that will be in the room, the actual use of the room, and the various ceiling heights in each location. Living rooms or dining rooms that have vaulted ceils have needs that are completely different to the ones for a home office or den when it comes to lighting needs.

Safety First

However, that’s not all, since the individual who does the design and layout will need to know what type of power is available for sustaining the design, and whether or not there will need to be wiring upgrades. Keep in mind, Robert Huff Illuminations as certified electrical installers on staff. We do not cut corners and ensure that your installation is up to code (or even higher) and is completely safe.

Common Errors

It is difficult to blame customers for making mistakes whenever they purchase LED bulbs randomly in stores. Bulbs that have various Kelvin Temperatures look similar when lit. When you look at a bare bulb, it is practically impossible to differentiate between them other than noticing the differences in brightness.

Each Assignment Is Unique

In reality, they will, of course, be different, compared to when you are looking at them on a monitor screen since it has a bias all its own built-in already. However, the human eye is able to literally see millions of different colors, and when the human eye is trained it can recognize which colors complement one another. So lighting design is actually much more complex than you might have initially thought.

Our Knowledge Protects You

Our designs have the right knowledge to choose the right colors; they also know how to choose the right fixtures so that your lighting goals can be achieved. They know to avoid the huge influx of cheap LED lightbulbs ha recently have flooded the retail marketplace. We use only similarly priced, high-quality bulbs that last 50,000 to 100,000 hours. There are no advantages to using planned-obsolescence, short-life LED bulbs, that have been designed for sustaining the constant replacement market that has been relied on since the 1880s by the bulb manufacturers.

However, most importantly, our installers, technicians, and designers know how to ensure that the right power supply is available and can support the design in a manner that will be approved. It is your home, so that is why it must be completely safe, and you need to have real experts who have years worth of practical experience.

The proof is that every year we make sure to invest in Continuing Education hours for our designers, installers, and technicians. We have the most knowledgeable team around. We promise you that.

The Main Takeaway

There are numerous reasons why people may decide to undertake this type of job on their own. On the surface level, it doesn’t appear to be that hard. There is the perception as well that money can be saved.

If there is one thing all of our experience has been able to teach it is that it is more cost-effective and faster to have an expert do a job right the first time than it is trying to repair something that didn’t meet the goals, specifications or didn’t come out the way you wanted it to. Let us prove to you that we are your best option. We guarantee it.

Contact or call us today for further information.

Let Us Take Care of Your Houston Outdoor & Indoor Lighting Issues

Posted by Robert Huff on

If Light Flickering Issues Are Bringing You Down, Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting Specialists Can Help

Gone Before You Know It

It has been long established that flickering lights can cause people to suffer from nausea, headaches and sometimes even seizures. Because flickering lights work on a subconscious level, sufferers often have no clue what is responsible for these health effects.

When computer monitors were first released back in the old days of personal computing, computer monitors were pretty much just like your average television screen. Like television screens, computer screens had low refresh rates. Images on the screen would appear to be steady when looked at directly, but in actuality, these images would be flickering like crazy, and this could be seen when looking to the side of the image.

While the image appeared steady to your eyes, your brain would pick up what was actually happening, which would often result in stress, headaches, and even nervous breakdowns for some. Eventually, some folks discovered the cause of these health effects and monitor improvements were made that included higher refresh rates to help minimize these issues. Thankfully, this isn’t as big an issue today due to the invention of plasma, LCD, and LED monitors which don’t have this problem.

Even a Little Flicker Is Bad

If you’re having LED lighting installed in your home in the installer tells you your current lighting system is fine, chances are they are probably wrong, at least partially. Your current wiring is most likely sufficient as long as it’s reaching your light sources, but odds are your other lighting hardware isn’t.

A perfect example of a situation that often rears its ugly head for clients is when they have installed fully dimmable LED lighting in their house. Without an upgrade to the current hardware in place, chances are the lights won’t work at all. Or, they may work in a limited fashion, but could flicker, buzz and hum, and may not be adjustable at all.

Houston Outdoor Lighting Quality Tops Everything

If quality is a concern as it is with many homeowners, you should know that bulbs purchased in your local stores are not the best quality bulbs available. Most store-bought bulbs have limited operating lives of approximately 10,000 hours. In rare instances, you can find bulbs with operating lives of up to 50,000 hours, but it is highly unlikely that you will find high standard bulbs with operating lives of 100,000 hours.

If we do the math, a 10,000-hour bulb used around five hours each day has a lifespan of about five years. Using the same math, calculations show that a 100,000-hour bulb has a lifespan of 50 years when used for five hours each day.

Clearly, the bulbs available in stores aren’t the better deal, but to be fair it’s not their fault they don’t have longer life bulbs available to sell. Light bulb manufacturers make more money with bulbs that have shorter lifespans because they have to be replaced more often, so these are the ones they make available for resale in your local store. And you really can’t blame them for doing this because if everyone purchased lightbulbs that last up to 100 years, manufacturers probably wouldn’t stay in business very long.

Stick With The Professionals

After being in business for 40 years, we have accumulated the necessary experience to understand which components work best with one another and which components must never be used together. Sometimes this is due to safety issues, while other times the reason is based on functionality purposes. In addition, it makes financial sense to make sure the job gets done correctly the first time as opposed to going the cheap route initially and having to have someone come in and do the job right afterward.

Making the world a better place for everyone is a goal we should all strive for, but doing it one bulb at a time isn’t the way to go. A properly integrated lighting system combined with a well laid out design can win awards and create a stunning effect for your property LED lighting installation, whether it be new installs or replacements, is our specialty. If given the opportunity, we can set you up with an LED lighting system that won’t disappoint.

Call or contact Robert Huff Illuminations for more information or to get your project started!

Working With The Best Houston Outdoor Lighting Company

Posted by Robert Huff on

Best Professional Houston Lighting Design

‘Flow’ Is the Key To Success

We here at Robert Huff Illuminations specialize in whole house LED lighting replacements and upgrades in order to achieve the results you desire. Although we are able to handle all electrical lighting jobs, both large and small, having the entire job done at the same time definitely has some distinct advantages to it.

Transitions

Most people have had the chance to see a planetarium – it really is an incredible adventure. However, one thing that is very consistent among all of them is you never walk into the theater directly. There always is some kind of long path through various displays where you are able to watch and learn about the night sky’s different features. So why is this done?

Your eyes need a few minutes to adjust from light to dark. If there wasn’t a built-in delay, then you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the show as much as you move through areas that got progressively darker. This applies to your house as well. In this types of situations, you need professional landscape lighting in Houston.

Well-designed lighting must flow from one place to the next in a way that even if different rooms are lit in ways that are dramatically different, it won’t be a visual shock to you. You don’t want to go from your low-light media room out into blazing lights in the corridor. This will disturb your viewing experience every time you enter or leave the room. The lighting would also have to be subtle in an adjoining bathroom, so that dazzled users don’t stumble around.

Lighting in Houston Is A Skill

This might all seem like common sense, however, it really is skills that takes years of experience to develop. The first part is really knowing how to design; another part is being intimately familiar with the Electrical Code, and the final piece of the puzzle is being familiar with all of the different modern LED options and how they all work together.

It’s fine to have an avant-garde designer. We are able to work with them. However, if you have ideas of your own, we can turn them into a reality, or show you some alternatives that may be even more exciting. Just don’t settle for cheap amateurs. Their work will just need to be correct after it becomes apparent how many shortcomings there are.

Call The Professional Outdoor Lighting Experts in Houston

Now that we have been in business for almost forty years, we have learned from experience that all of the individual components need to go together and that there are other elements that should never go together. It is often a safety issue, but even more frequently it is a matter of pure functionality. Ultimately, it all comes down to money and doing things right the first time always costs less.

See how happy our customers are with the stunning results they get. It might be a bit embarrassing being loved this much, but we are willing to do little blushing to help ensure you make the best decision! See our Testimonials.

Stunning lighting wins awards and looks fantastic because it has been designed and integrated to work together as a synergistic whole. Our company specializes in bath LED lighting replacements and upgrades to achieve your desired results. It functions properly, looks amazing, and will save you money!

Contact us now to start your project! Visit our blog for more lighting tips and tricks!

Compare & Contrast: Exterior Or Interior LED’s For Lighting in Houston

Posted by Robert Huff on

Interior versus Exterior LED Lights for Houston Lighting

Make the Right Choice

LED lights offer complete brightness as soon as they are turned on. This is similar to filament or incandescent light bulbs we have had since the late 19th century. The same is not true for Compact Fluorescent bulbs or CFLs. In some cases, these take more than a minute to turn on to provide complete brightness.

The filaments in bulbs are weakened from thermal expansion and contraction when they are turned on or off. They become prone to burning out when they are put through this constant action. With CFL bulbs their lifetimes are shortened when they are turned on and run for less than 15 minutes. They use up more power and the result of all the on-and-off cycles shortens their lifetimes significantly.

Durable

LED bulbs do not go through these problems. They are also not made of glass. This means that they are not fragile and they do not get so hot that they explode from thermal shock if they are exposed to drops of water or rain suddenly.

Outdoors

For outdoor applications, these bulbs are especially suited to providing superior lighting. They are tough, weather resistant and offer better lighting than you are getting from traditional light bulbs. They also use a smaller fraction of power than traditional bulbs do which means they save power and money.

More importantly, if your family spends summer nights outside or you like entertaining in the evenings, these LED lighting sources do not emit UV light. There are some bulbs that are designed to emit ultraviolet light but most do not.

This means that LED lights are invisible to millions of insects outside. They do not attract moths, bugs or other insects. Imagine how much nicer any barbecue or outdoor party – including a wedding – might be with LEDs.

There are many advantages to using LEDs for outdoor use. Usually, LED lights are too bright to consider using for indoor use. They can also be a waste of resources because LED lights are weatherized and are more expensive than indoor LED bulbs are. Whatever your needs for outdoor lights, the professionals at residential landscape lighting Houston can help design the perfect arrangement making all your outdoor events better.

Indoors

To make your home feel cozier, it helps to know how Kelvin temperature of light works. The ideal range could be between 2700 and 4000 in a den, great room, living room or dining room. This depends on your color choices and your décor, of course. If you are using lights to spotlight a work of art, you might want to use what is called phantom daylight lighting of 5700 K to make all the colors in the work come out beautifully.

The years of experience that we have with this type of lighting have given us the skills to orchestrate it in any home. Lighting blends seamlessly to expose the beauty of your art and your home. Visitors will never notice the lights, just the beauty, the colors and the subtle tones and textures of your décor as you intend it to be. Visit our Gallery of Fine Art Lighting to see samples of our work.

Any installer that does not know the difference between Kelvin temperatures and various LEDs are not worth working with. Without the right amount of experience, training, and education, you are not getting the help of true lighting experts.

Amateurs can also underload circuits which cause problems and sometimes hazards. They try to use conventional dimmer switches or power supplies not suitable for the task. This causes flickering, buzzing, and humming all of which lead to revisits for things to be changed and fixed.

Call or contact Robert Huff Illuminations about getting your project started today!

Houston Landscape Lighting To Wow Your Audience

Posted by Robert Huff on

Create A Show-Stopping Home With Outdoor Landscape Lighting In Houston

If you are like most homeowners, you probably don’t want your house to look bland and boring, blending in with all of the others around it. Instead, you want your home to be a reflection of your own personal style, giving it a unique look that sets it apart from all of the other houses in your neighborhood.

Even if you live in a row of cookie-cutter homes, most of the houses probably have their own unique style. Once you walk through the front door, you may find that some homes are decorated in a sleek, modern style whereas others have ornate furnishings or traditional decor. Still, others might incorporate designs inspired by exotic locations or cultures throughout the world.

Your unique style is what sets your home apart from others. Once you identify your style, you can use it to create a home that perfectly reflects your tastes and personality.

Over the years, lighting technology has undergone some major changes and innovations. In the earliest days of electric lighting, Edison bulbs were considered to be on the cutting edge. The amount of light that they put out was similar to the light put out by a modern day 25 to 40 W bulb. At the time, people were hesitant to focus their eyes directly on the bulbs because they were afraid of damaging their eyes with the bright light.

Even though that amount of light might seem dim today, at that point in time, people were used to relying solely on gaslight or candles. When electric light bulbs were introduced, they were considered to be a miraculous invention. The amount of light that they produced and their reliability made them far superior to other lighting methods of the time.

Continued Advancements In Lighting Technology

Over the years, lighting technology has continued to change and evolve. Incandescent bulbs are now considered to be outdated, largely because they waste so much power compared to other lighting options. Not long ago, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) were introduced, providing a more energy-efficient lighting source. Unfortunately, these bulbs had a lot of drawbacks. Not only did they burn out relatively quickly but they had to warm up for a long time before they reached their maximum level of brightness. Additionally, they contained mercury, posing a health and safety risk if the bulbs were broken.

Today, light emitting diode (LED) technology has completely transformed the world of lighting. These bulbs have incredibly long lifespans, making them an energy-efficient option. They also eliminate many of the problems associated with other types of bulbs.

LED Bulbs Lead To Artistic Innovations

The introduction of LED bulbs led to a number of artistic innovations in the world of lighting. Despite their incredibly small size, these tiny bulbs were capable of producing a tremendous amount of light. This led artists to look for new ways to use the technology in both interior and exterior design.

For instance, traditional recessed lights were problematic, simply for the fact that they got so hot. Once LED lights were introduced, however, that problem was eliminated, making recessed light fixtures much safer and more energy-efficient. Thin strips of lighting could be installed in tight spaces such as ceiling coves, creating artistic lighting effects. The color of the light itself could be changed to match the surrounding decor. In fact, it was no longer even necessary to change the bulb if you wanted to change the light color thanks to color-changing LED technology.

As lighting consultants, we work with homeowners to find ways to incorporate the latest lighting innovations into their homes. When you hire us, we work with you to come up with a lighting plan for your home that is not only attractive but that also captures your own personal style.

Let Us Help You With Your Indoor And Outdoor Lighting Needs

After years of helping homeowners create beautiful outdoor landscape lighting in Houston, we have in-depth knowledge of all of the latest lighting technology. Not only can we help you choose the right type of lighting technology for your project but we can also help you choose the right color of light to create the mood that you are going for. All that you have to do is examine some of the photos in our gallery to see some of the ways that we have helped our past clients. Spend some time reading through our customer testimonials or checking out some of the lighting design awards that we have won and you will quickly see why working with a qualified and experienced lighting company like ours makes so much sense.

Quality That You Can Trust

When you hire a company to design lighting for your home, it is important to know that you are getting service you can trust. Our licensed electricians have the knowledge and experience to do the job right every time. Don’t take a risk by hiring an unknown company. Instead, choose a company that has the experience and expertise to help you get the results you are looking for.

Our business is headquartered in Houston. We work with clients in all of the surrounding areas including Bellaire, Southside, Royal Oak, Heights, River Oaks, Memorial, and West University. Additionally, we also serve many other cities in the state of Texas including San Antonio, Midland, Dallas, El Paso, Austin, Beaumont, and College Station, just to name a few.

No matter what type of lighting solutions you are looking for, we can help. If you are ready to take your indoor or outdoor lighting to the next level, please feel free to reach out to us today to discuss your project. Contact Robert Huff Illumination now to speak with one of our representative about your new project! Visit our blog for more outdoor lighting ideas!

Finding The Right Outdoor Lighting in Houston For Your Patio

Posted by Robert Huff on

Getting the Best Outdoor Patio Lighting

There is something magic and inviting about patios for a get-together of all types. From small picnic tables to larger functions around burn pits and BBQ grills, the outdoor area makes a great place to entertain. Taking the time to combine the right tones from today’s most impressive lighting designs can change an outdoor patio from simple to simply spectacular.

Bringing a good lighting option makes the location more livable and an extension of your indoor home life outdoors. The options you will find at Robert Huff lighting options are innovative, high-quality and complementary to other lighting aspects that you may already have in play.

Start Simple

Use simplistic lighting designs to create special pools of light for beauty and functionality. Specific lighting features can be used to illuminate doorways and passages. Other touch-style lighting options can be used to illuminate stairways and stepping stones. The right lighting element can then tie all the others together into one attractive outdoor lighting system.

Complete the Look

Take the look a step further by looking beyond the need for lighting to something special in your garden or landscaping that you would like to illuminate. A water feature like a pond or waterfall is one such example. Another idea is to use the lighting to illuminate and accentuate an architectural aspect of your building.

A Total Space

To add some attractive final touches to your outdoor living space, consider adding some special lighting elements to your walkways and paths. These aspects cast the entire outdoor area in mystery and beauty as the sidewalks and path add a sense of adventure and dimension to even smaller outdoor areas. Path lights do much more than just provide some light to see where you are going. They add a measure of distance and even an artistic touch as they can be used to enclose the entire outdoor area.

Improve the outlook of your living space with a completely new selection of improved and innovative outdoor lighting fixtures and solutions. You will find that every family function from a simple family dinner to a larger and more involved dinner party is better with the right lighting choice. If you need some help on getting the look just right, talk to your friendly Houston residential outdoor lighting experts at Robert Huff Illumination.

Call or contact us today for more information!

About Christmas Lighting in Houston & How To Stay Safe

Posted by Robert Huff on

Things You Need To Know About Christmas Lights

Thanksgiving has come and gone and families all over the world are busy getting their homes decorated and putting up electric Christmas lights. Christmas lights are a standard outside and inside most American homes.

When it comes to Christmas lights, there are probably many things you don’t know about them. With Christmas just around the corner, we thought it would be a good idea to share some things about Christmas lights that are not so well known, in addition to some energy-saving tips that can help you save money during this upcoming holiday season and well into the future.

Candles were the first Christmas lights. We previously covered the history of Christmas lights, however, it is still worth going over a few interesting facts that you might not be aware of about the tradition of Christmas lights.

Candles were attached to evergreens and used in windows for Christmas celebrations for hundreds of years. It has been claimed by many that the tradition of using candles to light Christmas tree was sparked by Martin Luther during the 16th century in Germany. This was, of course, a big fire hazard. But that was all that they had to use.

In 1882 the very first electric lights appeared on a Christmas tree. Two years later, Edward H. Johnson, Edison’s partner, became the first individual who used electric string lights for illuminating a Christmas tree. Johnson’s Christmas tree was hand-wired with around 80 blue white and red electric lights, which could easily be seen by people passing by.

In 1895 President Grover Cleveland became the first president to have electric lights on the Christmas tree in the White House. In 1889 Benjamin Harrison became the first president to have a Christmas tree at the White House, but it was Cleveland who was the first president to have multi-colored electric lights used for decorating the Christmas tree. That really helped to introduce this idea to the general public. People were still concerned about electricity being dangerous and the possibility that dangerous fumes would get into the house through wires and lights.

It took some time before electric Christmas lights started to be used by average Americans. The first commercial made Christmas lights were produced as strands that had 8 lights and made by General Electric Company (GE). These lights were called “festoons” by GE. By 1900, it was very common for businesses to have lights strung up around their buildings and in their windows. However, most homeowners couldn’t afford outdoor Christmas lights.

Over the years, as Christmas lights started becoming more affordable, they began to make their ways into residential houses. However, even as late as the 1930s, candles were still commonly used on Christmas trees and in windows.

Electric Christmas lights had pretty much become the standard by 1950. After prices became more affordable, candles were replaced by electric lights by families since they were long lasting and safer.

Once electric string lights had become affordable and safe, families began to use them on pillars, doorways, railings, mantles, and along the peaks and eaves of their houses.

Today, it is estimated that around 150 million sets of lights are sold in the U.S. each year. Smithsonian reports that the lights help to illuminate more than 80 million houses and consume around 6% of the country’s electrical load each December.

Candles still cause fires and electric lights continue to be dangerous. It is estimated by the CPSC that over 15,000-holiday decorating injuries take place during the months of November and December.

It is estimated by the NFPA that an average of 200 house fires is started each year by Christmas trees. Lighting or electrical distribution equipment are involved in about 40% (two out of five) Christmas tree home fires.

Excluding Christmas trees, another 840 home structure fires take place over the holiday season. Candles cause over 1/3 of house structure fires that take place during the holiday season. The top three days when candle fires in homes take place are Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

You can help to prevent home fires from occurring by inspecting electrical products before they are used, learning basic ladder safety, unplugging Christmas lights before you leave home, and making sure your Christmas tree is kept well-watered. You can recycle your holiday light sets instead of throwing them away. An outdoor lighting Houston professional can provide you with even more lighting tips to keep you and your family safe.

Old Christmas lights can be recycled and you can also look for deals on new LED lights. See if there is a recycling program for Christmas lights at your local home improvement store. Some stores might offer discounts and/or rebates on new Christmas LED lights.

Over the long run, LED lights are cheaper and better. Although the upfront costs of LEDs are higher, they use about 70 to 90% less energy, are more durable, last a lot longer, and less prone to overloading circuits and burning out. Incandescent lights cost about $10 for lighting a Christmas tree over one holiday season. However, LEDs cost only around 25 cents to light a 6-foot Christmas tree for 40 days at 12hours per day. When these savings are multiplied by lighting up your whole house over the holiday season, it becomes a very significant cost savings.

Call or contact Robert Huff Illumination & Outdoor Lighting if you have any questions regarding starting a new outdoor lighting project! Merry Christmas and happy decorating!

Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting Addressing Home Electrical Safety

Posted by Robert Huff on

Electrical Safety Tips to Consider for Your Home

When you are looking to change up the electrical systems in your home, you may think that you can and should just dive right in and work on it yourself. While you may be fully capable of doing most construction work yourself, elec trical systems can be complicated and dangerous if you are not an expert.

Before you jump right in and start changing out indoor or outdoor lighting in Houston or trying to rewire your entire project yourself, you should get to know a few basic electrical safety tips to help you out in the process. Then you can be sure that you are as safe as possible whether you decide to do the work yourself or hire someone to do it for you.

Understand Different Types of Outlets

Whether you are looking to install a new outlet, replace current ones, or you just happened to notice that you have a lot of things plugged into a single outlet, it can be helpful to understand the different types of outlets that you may find in your home.

If you have an older home, you may have noticed that many of your electrical outlets, for example, only have two slots for prongs rather than three. These are known as ungrounded electrical outlets and can be quite dangerous.

Grounding an electrical outlet means to give it a safe way to return to the ground in the event of an overloaded circuit or power surge. Essentially, it is a protective barrier that can prevent fires, shock, and damage to the appliances or other items plugged into your outlet.

These older two-prong outlets lack that grounding. It is not enough to just plug in an adapter to these outlets. You need to replace them with grounded three-prong outlets, which requires rewiring in your home as the grounding element must be wired as well.

Label All of Your Circuit Breakers

On a dear day, when there will be little chance of a lightning strike or other power surge, you may want to take the time to get to know your home’s circuit breaker. The circuit breaker is a box of switches usually found in the basement or utility room of your home.

It is the central hub inside of your home for your electrical system, and each switch is for specific appliances or areas of your home. If your circuit breaker is not already labeled or the labeling is unclear, it is time to add labels to your circuit breaker box. Turn on the lights and, if possible, appliances in your home.

You can have a family member help you find which area of the house turns off as you flip each breaker (or you can go around the house and look for yourself). Then, label each one with the appropriate label (i.e., living room, master bedroom, etc.).

Knowing which area of the house is attached to each circuit breaker can help you when you do electrical work throughout your home. To rewire a lighting fixture or change outlets, you will need to shut off the electrical current that goes to that area of your home to avoid shock, fire, and injuries.

Having those circuits labeled will make it easier to remain safe no matter what electrical projects you work on throughout your entire home.

Now that you know a few key safety tips to utilize when you are doing electrical work throughout your house, you can be sure that you are doing everything in your power to remain as safe and injury-free as possible. Even if you have a professional come to help you with your electrical work or outdoor lighting, these tips can help keep them safe as well.

Call or contact us today to start your project! Visit our blog for more lighting tips!