The London Olympics are certainly on the tip of nearly everyone’s tongue (and Courtesy of FrenchArt-Deco.com

This piece, entitled “Swimming Pool” by French artist Albert Decaris won gold in the Engravings and Etchings competition.

In 1949, the International Olympic Committee decided to stop all art competitions, reasoning that it was illogical to let professional artists compete, while only amateur athletes were eligible. Instead, cultural festivals replaced the art competitions, and still do to this day. There’s still a chance for the best of the best artists and entertainers to showcase their stuff on an international stage, and for lighting designers, this is certainly a world class exhibition. 

LED is the light source that’s in it to win it this summer, wowing Olympic fans with spectacular light shows and festive monuments alike.

At the opening ceremony, LEDs were at the center of almost everything. The dove bikes used LEDs to light up their wings as they performed a circuit of the stadium.

LEDs lit the screen showing the Queen’s acting debut, with none other than James Bond.

Even on the sidewalk outside the main Olympic Stadium, there are 20 circular slabs that capture the kinetic energy of pedestrians’ footsteps to light up nearby LED lamps for 30 seconds at a time!

It’s important to remember while enjoying the summer weather, while outside or around the home, that there could be a variety of electrical hazards lingering. While not obvious at first, these issues could cause very serious (and potentially fatal) injury through electric shock. Our team at Expert Electric has created a list of common outdoor and indoor hazards to be aware of this summer.

Stay away from power lines with your body, toys, sticks, or anything an electrical current could travel down. Power lines transport extremely high voltage electrical energy. Venturing too close to a power line can create an opportunity for the electricity to flow to your body or object resulting in serious injury. If you see a fallen power line, call 911 immediately.

Ensure all your outdoor electrical receptacles around the exterior of your home or shed are covered, clean and dry. If water or dirt enters the outlet it can result in electrical surges and shocks when the outlet is next used. Receptacle covers can be purchased at most home renovation retail stores.

Keep all power cords, string lights and electrical devices away from ponds, swimming pools, hot tubs or sprinklers. Summer can lend itself to a lot of splashing and water flying through the air. If water comes into contact with an electrical device there is a high risk of electrical shock. Do your best to keep electrical devices at a distance from the pool and water fights.

Ensure that you have GFCI’s (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets installed in certain areas of your home – namely rooms with running water mainly (bathroom, kitchen, garage, basement, pool rooms, etc.). These outlets can prevent electrical shock from happening with specially designed safety mechanisms.

In an emergency, know where your circuit breakers are and how to turn them off safely. When a panicked situation occurs, it can be easy to become confused and flustered. If you are knowledgeable interacting with your circuit breaker you will be more confident in the event of an emergency.

Before plugging in a fan, make sure that it is clean and there are no wires frayed or damaged. Occulting fans are often stored for most of the year. During storage power cords can become damaged and electrical wires exposed. Exposed wires leave you vulnerable to electrical shock when the fan is plugged in again.

Be sure to have any portable air conditioning units securely positioned and electrical cords tucked away. These are tripping hazards that can lead to either electrical shock or a heavy unit falling down. It’s also important to follow the manufacturers instructions on maintaining and servicing the unit to prevent damage to the home’s electrical system and personal injury.

It is important to be aware of potential electrical hazards in order to identify and avoid them. Our team of trained and licensed electricians are happy to help you ensure your home and family are safe from electrical hazards. If you would like more information on electrical safety tips to be aware of during the summer or general, contact Expert Electric today at 604-681- 8338.

Let’s face it—halogen and incandescent headlight bulbs are a thing of the past. fanless, driverless LED headlight bulbs were used in this installation.

If your vehicle allows for horizontal adjustments, mark the distance between your headlight centers with two vertical lines of tape. These lines are important for projector headlights and/or lining up beam cutoff points. Repeat these tape lines for your other headlight.

6. Remove your headlight assembly if necessary, remove the current bulbs, and install your new LED bulbs. Check your owner’s manual for specific instructions on how to replace your headlight bulbs.

7. Depending on your vehicle, you may have to adjust your headlight beam before or after the assembly has been reinstalled. Your owner’s manual will explain how to adjust the beams. Align each headlight so that the top edge of the beam is at the same height as your horizontal line(s). If your headlights can be adjusted horizontally or produce two light cutoff points, use the vertical tape lines to align them properly.

3. Shake the vehicle to ensure that your suspension system is settled. For more precise adjustments, inflate all tires to their designated psi capacity and have someone sit in the driver’s seat. Also, make sure that your vehicle’s gas tank is at least half full.

4. Measure from the ground to the center of your headlight assembly where the bulb is located. This step must be done for all vehicles. If your vehicle allows for horizontal headlight adjustments in addition to vertical adjustments, it’s important that you also measure the distance between the centers of both headlight bulbs. The vehicle featured in this video allows for vertical headlight adjustments only; therefore, center lines aren’t necessary but are shown for demonstration purposes.

5. Turn on your low-beam headlights. Using painter’s tape, mark your headlight measurements on a flat wall. Measure from the ground up, and apply a horizontal line of tape to the wall; this line represents the top of your headlight beam. You can either apply one long, continuous line or small sections where the brightest areas of the headlight beams are shown.

If your vehicle allows for horizontal adjustments, mark the distance between your headlight centers with two vertical lines of tape. These lines are important for projector headlights and/or lining up beam cutoff points.

The march of consumer product efficiency continues. Modems, routers and other internet equipment are the latest items to get a bump in energy efficiency thanks to a voluntary agreement between manufacturers and trade associations. The standards mean that new equipment should use about 10 to 20 percent less electricity than the gear currently on the market. The bottom line – reduced energy bills for consumers.

Homes Across the Country

The change is ultimately expected to affect 80 million homes in the United States. Currently, the terms run through 2017 and require manufacturers and providers to make their efficiency data available publicly – ask an electrician if you need help interpreting the data or picking out the best model once the new equipment hits the shelves.

“DOE appreciates industry’s voluntary commitment to improving the energy efficiency of small network equipment, and looks forward to the progress they can make and verification of the impacts at the appropriate time,” Dr. Kathleen Hogan, deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency, U.S. Department of Energy, said in a press release. 

Preparing for the Internet of Things

The voluntary agreement was hammered out among the Consumer Electronics Association, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the companies that make the equipment. This efficiency upgrade comes at a crucial time – not only are modems and routers essential for internet access, they will only become more important as smart technology advances and more of your household systems are hooked up to the internet.

“This agreement will begin saving consumers energy and money – and do so long before any mandatory regulatory standards could take effect – while protecting innovation and competition,” Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, said in a press release. “By setting requirements for energy-efficient broadband equipment now, the agreement will lock-in efficiencies at the dawn of the Internet of Things, which depends on strong broadband networking.”

Following the Cable Box Lead

This agreement is similar to a voluntary deal worked out by manufacturers of cable set-top boxes, in which the companies worked with the U.S. government to set an attainable benchmark. The deals are voluntary out of practicality, because federal regulations can take years to take effect and can be quickly rendered obsolete by ever-advancing technology.

“Our industry has proven that voluntary, energy-conservation agreements are the best means of effectively improving energy efficiency, while recognizing the lightning-fast pace of tech innovation,” Shapiro said.

Similar to the set-top boxes, modems and internet equipment are nearly ubiquitous in U.S. households, and they draw power nearly all the time unless the family pulls the plug at night. That means there's a lot of room for cutting back on their electricity usage. If you aren't sure whether the energy savings are worth upgrading your modem or router, ask an electrician to help calculate your consumption and offer strategies on how to get the best return on your conservation investment.