There's more to lighting than the fixture that you use. You also have to pick the type of bulb and lighting medium you want prior to installation. Residential options include traditional incandescent light bulbs, tubular flourescent lighting, compact flourescent lighting (CFL) and LED lighting. Commecial and industrial facilities, meanwhile, also make use of metal halide lighting (MH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting. Determining what style of lighting is right in your application is a combination of size, color, light-intensity and cost of operation. LEDs, for instance, can be a little more costly to purchase but have a very low operating cost and a very high life expectancy.

Few things are more annoying than having to rely on switch-controlled outlets for plug-in lighting (stand-up, wall sconce, or otherwise). The constant getting up and down can quickly get on your nerves. There are two ways to deal with this problem:

• "Smart" Plugs: These plugs let you retrofit your appliances to be compatible with voice and smart-phone control. Surprisingly affordable, they can fit into almost any wall outlet. Though "smart" strips exist, this option is best for singular appliances. Their portability also lets you adjust your placement to fix your needs. But, this option isn't perfect. First, while one of our electricians can hardwire these in for you, many homes lack the neutral wire that they require to do so. Second, their operation is dependent on your smart phone or voice-activated device. Lastly, they sit on top of your normal wall outlets and can take up valuable space behind the couch or table.
• Switch-Controlled Lighting: This is the more traditional option, and the one that most clients prefer. By running a wire to your existing light switches, we can make it so all your attached appliances can be turned off in one place. Dimmers can also be added to help set the mood. Unlike the pre-packaged smut plugs, this option is NOT something you can do on your own. So, if you're interested in making shutting the lights off as easy as flicking a switch, give us a call at (817) 847-7111 to schedule a consultation.

We offer a variety of outdoor lighting options designed to help keep you and your family safe. We'll help shine a light on your driveway and walkways when you need to ensure that your parents are able to easily see their pathways to remain sure-footed and avoid a sudden stumble. Motion lights can also help scare off all manner of critters and masked burglars (of both the four-legged and two-legged varieties).

Fun Fact! Did you know that leaving your porch lights on 24/7 may actually increase your risk of being burglarized? This is because most burglars presume that people leave these lights on when they're not home. Using lights that are automatically timed in the house in conjuction with exterior, motion-triggered lighting options to keep criminals at bay.

Don't worry if this feels like Greek to you - our electricians will take the time to explain your lihghting options in detail. They'll break down each of the following characteristics for you so choosing the right fixture and medium is a cinch.

• Size: Some fixtures are small enough to fade into obscurity. Other options dominant the room. Others are big. Some require an additional power source called a 'ballast', while others can simply be hooked up to a 120 volt power source.
• Color: This is generally defined as either 'Warm' or 'Cool' but in truth it's a little more complex. Color is actually expressed in 'Kelvin' (K) and generally ranges from 2000 K - 10000 K (Yellow-Whiteish-Blue). There are several points accross this spectrum that you may already be familiar with:
  • 'Warm' (~3000 K)
  
  
  • 'Daylight' (~4800 K)
  
  
  • 'Cool' (~7000 K)
• Light Intensity (Brightness): Light intensity is measured in Lumens. Lumens can often be confused with color because the brightness of a color can easily inhibit someone's ability to perceive it. Take the sun itself which has a color value of around 6,500K. You can perceive a bulb of this color with relative ease (~800 lumens) but looking directly into the sun(127,000 lumens) and will damage your eyesight. And, though they're almost the same color, they will not look like it.
• Cost of Operation: This is typically described in kilowatt hours (kWh) which is a representation of power (kilowatts) used over time (hours). As you might expect, some lighting scores better on this than others. This is best illustrated by comparing incandescent (Trad.) lighting with LED and CFL fixtures of the same size. A 60w traditional bulb is equivalent in output to a 16w CFL bulb or an 8.5w LED bulb. So, if it costs $17 a year to run a single incadescent bulb, you can get the same job done for $4.40 with a CFL and $2.40 with an LED. Now, that may not seem like a lo,t but factor in how many light bulbs you have in your home and you can easily see how fast the savings add up.