If you ever spend any time studying your electrical equipment, something that you probably come across time and time again is reference to the NEC or National Electrical Code. Whether or not you consider yourself a home improvement expert, or you call an electrician in Beverly Hills with every problem you encounter, it is important to know more about what the NEC is and how it affects you as a home or business owner.

Essentially, the National Electrical Code is a standard for safe installation of wiring and equipment in the United States. It is not a legally binding regulation in and of itself. However, it is regionally adoptable meaning that many states, municipalities and counties have standardized their enforcement of electrical practices by choosing to use the NEC as their code of standards.

The NEC is actually part of the National Fire Codes series of regulations that is published by the NFPA. Since it may or may not be in force in your locale, it is important that you find out before you install an electrical device or change the wiring in your home or office. Because of this, many people find that even if they do have the knowledge that it is easier to call a Beverly Hills electrician—such as one from The Electric Connection.

Electricity is a complex matter and regulations such as the NEC are developed to protect you and help make certain people not injured when working with the wiring around you. The details of the NEC may be a bit complex for some do it yourselfers, but it is worth reading over it and at least trying to understand the basics. This can help keep you safe and make certain that you are in compliance with the regulations in force in your particular community.

Finding affordable electrical service for a large-scale remodeling job isn’t always easy. Remodeling of older homes and structures often requires a great deal of work, including the removal of wiring and replacement with code-approved new systems. Yet, with the help of the right professional, it is possible to get the updated electrical system a home needs without the frustrations and costs that tend to go with the process.

Every home is different. If your home is older, the amount of work necessary to completely upgrade the electrical system can be significant. Older homes, such as those more than 40 years of age, tend to be at the highest risk for needing significant remodels. However, most homes don’t require such complete tear-outs and may be more affordable to repair.

Many factors play a role in how much you’ll pay for electrical services for remodeling homes. These may include:

constant-current LED driver or constant-current driver is used to regulate the amount of current that is supplied to an LED or LED array to maximize LED lifetime. If current is not regulated, LED brightness can fluctuate and life span can be shortened. The constant-current driver is used for LEDs or light fixtures that require a stable output current and operate within a range of voltages. Most finished LED products already have a constant-current driver or resistors to regulate current. If you’re building an LED fixture or replacing a constant-current driver, it’s important to verify that the output current and voltage of the driver is compatible with the LEDs’ current and voltage. If your LED product already has a constant-current driver or uses resistors in the LED array, you might need a constant-voltage power supply.

If your LEDs are dimmable and you want to change their brightness, choose a Magnitude Dimmable Power Supplies. These dimmable power supplies work by varying the power on the AC input side of the power supply by means of a TRIAC dimmer. This change in power on the AC input side will vary the voltage on the DC output side and control the intensity of the LEDs. TRIAC dimmers are common hardware store and household dimmers, which include brand names such as Lutron and Leviton.

Pulse-Width Modulation Dimming: Pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming can be used to control dimmable power supplies such as Mean Well LPF Series. This type of dimming control adjusts the output current based on the duty cycle. As the duty cycle increases, current will increase and the LEDs will be brighter. Conversely, if the duty cycle decreases, the current will decrease and the LEDs will be dimmer. Pulse-width modulation for these drivers is based on a 10-volt signal level with a frequency between 100Hz-3KHz. The MLD-5A are compatible for this application.

Resistive Dimming: Resistive dimming can be used to control dimmable power supplies such as 12-Volt Mean Well HLG-40-240 Series or 12-Volt Mean Well HLG-600 Series or here.

The efficiency of a power supply or driver indicates the percentage of power that goes toward making your LED product function. An efficiency of 80 percent or higher is recommended for operating LEDs. 

When choosing a driver or power supply, the size of an LED product’s housing or area of installation is important. If you wish to put a constant-current LED driver inside of a product, the driver must be small enough to fit in the product’s housing. Similarly, if the driver or power supply is used outside of the product’s housing, it should fit the area of installation. Drivers and power supplies are available in a variety of sizes to suit your needs.

A Class 2 driver or power supply is in accordance with limited power levels defined by the National Electric Code (NEC) and fulfills the requirements of Standard UL 1310. Output is limited to 60 volts DC and 100 watts. Because power sources with this rating have limited output, it might not be possible to power as many LEDs or lights as those that don’t have a Class 2 rating. However, these power supplies and drivers provide protection from fire and electric shock.

A Class II rating refers to a double insulation layer between AC input and DC output wires. These drivers and power supplies do not require a ground connection.