What Your Electrician in Point Cook Can Tell You About LED Lighting

Your electrician in Point Cook knows a lot about how to fix your electrical problems in your home or business, but they also know a lot about LED lighting. Growing in popularity, a lot of people have questions about LED Lighting, and your local electrician in Point Cook is here to answer the most commonly asked questions for you now.

What is LED Lighting?

Electrician Point Cook: LED or ‘Light Emitting Diode’ lighting is the very latest in energy efficient lighting technology. Once upon a time, LEDs were commonly used as indicator lights in our common electronic devices, however, now they are replacing the humble lightbulb in our homes and businesses. In fact, you are probably looking at LED lighting right now, as they are used in world famous buildings, bridges, retail shops, television studios, theatres, hotels, casinos, hospitals, restaurants, and many more places around the world.

What are the benefits of LED lighting?

Electrician Point Cook: LED lighting has become such a popular choice because it is energy efficient and has a much longer lifespan compared to traditional lightbulbs. LED lights use around 85% less energy than other lights such as halogen or incandescent, and 30% less energy than CFL lights. LED lighting is a great choice if you want to save money on your electricity bills. Reaching their brightness instantly, LED lighting emits zero UV rays or infrared radiation, and operates at much cooler temperatures. Unlike traditional lightbulbs, LEDs contain no mercury or lead, which make them safe for your family, and because they cut greenhouse gas emissions they are much better for the environment. LEDs also have an extremely long lifespan, between 30,000 and 50,000 hours, so even though they are a bit more expensive to purchase, they end up saving you money on your electricity bills, and not as many will end up in landfill.

Do I get the same amount of light with an LED?

Electrician Point Cook: LED lights are actually much brighter than incandescent or halogen light bulbs, however, they are not available in high wattages. You might also be interested to know that LEDs come in a wide range of colours including purples and reds. Most homeowners choose to go with more traditional colours including warm white, soft white, and bright white. Warm and soft whites are reminiscent of incandescent lights, while bright white is similar to daylight, and are commonly used in retail stores.

Are there government incentives to switch to LEDs?

Electrician Point Cook: Great question! The VEET scheme was implemented by the Victorian Government and is designed to make energy efficiency improvements more affordable while reducing greenhouse gasses. Through the VEET scheme, participating businesses provide discounts and offers on selected energy saving products and appliances. This means you get a discount when you upgrade your current lights to LEDs. Electricians on Call are authorised LED resellers, which means we can provide customers with VEET scheme approved and LED class leading products.

If you have more questions for your Electrician in Point Cook, call Electricians On Call on 1800 815 278.

Are You Having Power Socket Problems?

Power sockets can be mystifying when they decide to stop working suddenly. We learn from an early age to never insert anything into the holes, so how are we supposed to go about fixing a problem if there is one? There are a few straight forward tasks that you can perform before calling in the help of a Professional Electrician in Point Cook.

The first thing to do when you notice that an appliance isn’t working is to determine whether the problem lies with the socket or the appliance itself. If you find that the kettle isn’t boiling, then carefully turn off the standby, unplug the kettle, and try it in another room in the house. If it works here, then you can most likely narrow down the issue to the single socket. However, if it doesn’t work here you can conclude one of two scenarios. Firstly, that it is the appliance which is faulty, or secondly that all the power in the house is out, suggesting your safety switch has tripped and prevented a short circuit. If this is the case, simply double check your fuse box located on the exterior of the house and flip the switch. In some older models you will need to light a flame to turn the power back on. If there is no issue in the fuse box, then you probably have something wrong with the appliance itself. In almost all cases, it is cheaper to buy a new, better quality product than try to have your existing one repaired.

If your kettle worked in the living room but not in the kitchen then you have an issue with your kitchen socket. You will want to perform a visual inspection first before contacting an electrician so you can give them as much information as possible about what they can expect. It is important that you are very careful around the socket, because you don’t know what kind of electrical fault is at work. First of all, turn off the standby switch and even the mains power if it makes you feel more comfortable. Then carefully grip the head of the plug and pull it form the socket at a right angle. Pulling from another angle can weaken the metal prongs and cause them to snap off, whereas pulling from the cord rather than the plug can weaken the cable. Once the plug is successfully removed, you will want to examine the socket as well as the plug. Is there any evidence of damage? Common signs include cracking of the plug, bent prongs, or burn marks on the socket.

If you notice some damage, and the socket happens to be connected to a power board, then this is most likely your problem. Power boards should only ever be used for short periods of time if at all. They demand double or sometimes four times the power that a single socket has been designed to supply. It is no wonder than power boards commonly overheat as they are demanding simply too much electricity. The heat alone could cause singing or burning, whereas a spark could create a full blown electrical fire. Communicate all of your observations when calling an electrician to come and take a look at the problem. This way, they will be able to advise you if you need to stay away from the socket until they arrive, and also what tools and equipment they will need to bring to the site. Trust this important job to the Specialist Electrician Force in Point Cook at Electricians On Call.

Upgrade To Energy Saving Lighting And Save

New energy standards were introduced in 2012, and we are now spoiled for choice when it comes to making responsible choices about our lighting devices. All devices now come with a standardised Energy Star Rating for ease of comparison, and popular choices for peak efficiency include LEDs, halogen incandescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs. For a personalised discussion about your situation, chat to a distinguished electrician professional in Point Cook.

The main problem with standard incandescent lights is that they waste a lot of energy. Light bulbs give of energy as light and heat, and in this case we want to minimise what is given off as heat while maximise what is given off as light. To put this in perspective, traditional globes emit 90% of their energy as heat, and only 10% as light. That means that for our purposes of lighting a room, 90% of the energy is going to waste.

LEDs are generally a little more expensive, but in general this cost evens out because they also last much longer than other types of lighting. Downlights commonly use LEDs, and this is primarily from a convenience point of view. Downlights sit flush against the ceiling, and depending on how high your ceilings are, this can mean that they are pretty difficult to reach. Therefore, it is worth paying another few dollars per bulb if it means that you are going to have to change them only once every couple of years. This is particularly true for lights which are over stairwells. This task is usually not recommended as a job for the family handyman, as it can be a seriously dangerous venture. In these instances, a professional electrician should be called in. Of course, there will be a call out fee as well as a labour fee, which means that LEDs which last longer are absolutely essential over stairwells and in other problem areas. LEDs are also generally directional, casting a direct spotlight downward. They can be tilted accordingly to provide light to the specific area of interest.

LEDs are generally considered the most efficient of the three options mentioned. These save upwards of 75% of your lighting energy. CFL bulbs come in a close second, hovering at around the 70% mark, while halogen incandescent only save about a quarter. CFL lights are just smaller (compact) versions of standard fluorescent lights, and so a big advantage of them compared to LEDs is that they fit into a standard socket with no adaptor necessary. CFLs are very cheap to purchase and install, and are therefore a good short term or temporary choice. However, the big downside is that they contain small amounts of mercury which can be very dangerous if handled incorrectly. Breakages need to be handled with extreme caution. Furthermore, increased heat is necessary for the effective operation of the halogen bulb. They heat up much more than other lights and this can pose a fire hazard. Halogen bulbs are therefore not recommended for ceiling use.

One main problem people have with traditional fluorescent lamps is that they look quite harsh, however newer designs of CFLs are available that diffuse the light effectively. They are also available in warm, yellow tones as opposed to the original white light. Halogen incandescents are not ideal. They do meet the minimum energy efficiency standards, but are outperformed by other options. If you would like to talk about how you can best update the current lighting in your home, then please get in touch with a Friendly Electrician Expert in Point Cook from Electricians On Call.

Benefits of Dimmer Switches

There is no doubt that different lighting is appropriate for different rooms and different scenarios. Talk to an established electrician provider in Point Cook about how you can adapt your lighting to your changing needs.

The kitchen and bathroom traditionally needed a bright white light so you could see what you were doing, whereas the bedroom and living areas could get away with a much softer tone. These days, homes tend to be built to an open plan layout and the one space is used for a variety of functions.  Those classic ideas of the bright bathroom and the softened living room don’t necessarily still apply, and instead each space should be able to be adapted. What if you want to pamper yourself and turn your bathroom into a day spa? Clinical lighting is not the vibe you’re going for, and instead you want nice warm lighting to go with your scented candles and bubbles. Likewise, your living/dining area needs to be able to adapt. You want just a very dim light when you’re watching the latest blockbuster, but need some decent light when you’re serving dinner.

Dimmer switches allow you to save on energy usage while still having access to that super bright light whenever it is needed. Just keep the lights on half brightness as standard, and use the normal on off switch as usual. Adjust the brightness as it is needed rather than as standard and you will save quite a sum on electricity. If some of the main rooms in the house are fitted with dimmers, you can save upwards of $30 per year. Of course, a dimmed light uses less energy, which means not only less money but also a longer lifespan. This means less inconvenient changing of bulbs in awkward high ceilings.

Did you know that there are also dimmer switches that can be hooked up to your fluorescent lights? If you wish, every light in your home and across your property can be fitted with a dimmer. Fluorescent lights are amazing for energy efficiency, but unfortunately they tend to give off a very harsh light, and for that reason tend to be limited to use in the shed and outdoor areas. However, modern fluorescent lighting designs can be very stylish and blow these stereotypes of the fluorescent bulb as an ‘outdoor only’ light out the window.

Those concerned about their home security when they are away for long periods of time have likely considered the idea of a timed lighting system. This is programmed to mimic human use of lights throughout the day and night, making it look like someone is home and thus hopefully deterring burglars. However, the one downside of this is that it can be a bit of a waste of energy and end up costing more than expected. Combine this system with a dimmer setting, and you can enjoy the peace of mind of a safer home without the large energy bill at the end of your holiday. Similarly, outdoor sensor lights which are designed to identify anyone coming close to the perimeter of your home, can be dimmed slightly to save energy and money. Any light in the dead of night is going to be a deterrent, and a burglar will not notice if it is dimmed slightly. Sensor lights are notorious for being a waste of energy, and so this is a clever solution.

If you would like to talk about installing a dimmer switch or switches in your home, then get in touch with the Reliable Electrician Team in Point Cook at Electricians On Call. 

Choose Your Solar Panel Finance Solution

So many people realise that opting to install solar will dramatically improve their long term electrical costs, however not as many are aware of the short term financial flexibility as well.  Talk to your local Point Cook electrician about how you can make this installation fee work for your benefit to maximise your profit.

If you have a good credit history, then you may find that you are in a great position to make the most of an unsecured personal loan which can cover your solar panel installation. An unsecured loan means that you are borrowing money based solely upon your reputation as a trustworthy borrower. There is no home or other asset used as collateral in case the loan is not paid off. In the case of solar panels, the limit on an unsecured loan is around $15,000 which is perfect form small to medium homes looking to make the leap to solar.

You can get a complete loan that requires little or even no deposit if you so desire. You can pay off the loan at your own pace over 60 months, or five years. This is quite a long time, and is therefore very helpful to people who want to take advantage of solar immediately but cannot afford to put away a great deal of money every week. There are few other loans that you can get where the product is actually earning and saving you money while you pay it off.

Of course, while a longer loan period is much easier to handle for some, if you can afford to pay it off sooner than a longer loan period just means you will end up paying more interest. The best deal is to negotiate a flexible loan which has a longer pay off period, but with no fees for completing the full payment early. Unfortunately, this early opt out fee is a hidden trap that snares so many borrowers. People assume that if they come into some money and can pay off the final 20% at once, then that is the end of their payments. In some cases however you will be forced to pay the remaining interest for the full term of the original loan.

Speaking of interest, it is also wise to specifically enquire to your lender about whether interest is based upon the initial amount, or is adjusted as you make repayments. It can be a really good deal to get the latter package, because this means that after a couple of years you will be paying half the interest. Also looks for something that is flexible with how often you submit a payment. A weekly payment might work for those in a salaried position, whereas people who receive varying hours each week might prefer the lump sum monthly payment so that it evens out.

There can be several fees involved in making the switch to solar. The cost of the panels themselves is obviously going to be the big expense, but the cost of installation can also add up, and there may be additional fees and tariffs here and there. The great thing about a specific solar loan is that they can not only anticipate the exact costs of all of these, but also understand that they are a necessary part of the loan and offer you full coverage.

The Savvy Electrician Force In Point Cook from Electricians On Call has partnered with the highly popular Finance My Solar team to offer a comprehensive and flexible solar service, so just visit website to learn more about their competitive loans.