There’s certainly a lot to be enjoyed about a Florida winter season. The mild weather, the festivities—it’s all quite nice. But just because the season brings some advantages doesn’t mean you have nothing to be concerned about regarding your home’s electrical! There are some challenges unique to this time of the year, and at Hoffman Electrical, our team is dedicated to ensuring you’re completely prepared.

LED fixtures, such as

With energy consumption that is less than half of what 150-watt LED parking lot light that is a direct replacement for 400-watt metal-halide (MH) fixtures. That’s 250 watts less for the same amount of light!

The average price of electricity per kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 12 cents. To figure out the monthly cost of running 25 LED parking lot lights for 11 hours per day, use this formula: (combined wattage x monthly hours of use)/1,000 x price per kWh. For 25 LED lights, (3,750 x 330)/1,000 x .12) the total would be $148.50 per month or $1,782 per year.

When the same formula is used for 400-watt MH fixtures, the monthly cost is $396, and yearly cost would be $4,752. So, in this situation, switching to LED fixtures would save approximately $3,000 per year. When coupled with the savings on maintenance, LED fixtures can save $6,470 per year. At that rate, the cost of 25 $340 LED fixtures would be recouped within two years.

Left: LED wall packs; Right: HID wall packs

Unlike LED fixtures that light up instantly, HID parking lot lights require a warmup period of up to 10 minutes before they reach full brightness. They also can’t be turned immediately back on after being switched off; this is called restrike time, and it can take up to 15 minutes before they can be turned on again. Attempting to power on the lights before the bulbs have cooled can damage a fixture’s components and cause the HID bulb to fail sooner.

HID lamps consist of a ballast and a quartz tube that contains gas, metal salts, and two tungsten electrodes. In order to create light, an electric arc passes from one electrode to the other through a gas (most commonly mercury, metal halide, or sodium). The mercury used in this process is dangerous if enough is inhaled or released into the environment. If an HID bulb bursts, all contents should be put into a sealed container or sealed bag and taken to a recycling center or hazardous waste facility. If HID fixtures are used indoors, wall packs and canopy lights, are used indoors, the possibility of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure should be taken into consideration. HID bulbs emit a substantial amount of UV radiation, but an outer glass envelope prevents the radiation from escaping. However—according to the FDA—”If the outer bulb breaks and the inner tube continues to operate unshielded, intense UV radiation is emitted. UV exposure at this level can cause eye and skin burns, as well as blurred or double vision, headaches, and nausea.” The UV light from an HID bulb with a broken envelope can also lead to discoloration of items and fabric. LEDs emit little to no UV radiation.

In short, LED lights are a better alternative to HID parking lot lights. They offer a great deal in the way of savings, longevity, maintenance reduction, brightness, color, and safety. While it may take a short amount of time to recoup the price of switching to LEDs, all of their qualities make it easy to see why so many businesses have started the process.

For technical questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.

Our electricians have been talking to homeowners in Los Angeles about installing chargers for their electric cars — that is, when their electric cars arrive. Mostly, we’ve been working out how the installations will go and setting up appointments because many homeowners are waiting for delivery. If you anticipate delivery of your electric car and want to beat the rush, now’s a good time to get your charger installed.

Nissan has delivered about 800 Leafs since December 2010, but that’s 800 for the entire U.S., not just Los Angeles. Greatly helping with that total, one ship with 600 Leafs sailed for the U.S. the day before the Japanese earthquake and tsunami struck. And then…nothing. As you know, tragically, things just weren’t the same in Japan the next day.

But recovery in Japan is moving along. Nissan has announced the good news that a shipload of electric cars (electric vehicles or “EVs“) will be landing in the U.S. today, April 27th. This is the first shipment of Leafs manufactured since the quake. Right now, demand is way outstripping supply. Over 340,000 people have registered on the Nissan Leaf website. But Nissan closed reservations for purchases of EVs at 20,000 in September 2010. They’re planning a speed-up of deliveries and will be taking new reservations starting May 1.

Of course, there are other electric cars available for middle-income families. The Chevy Volt is an electric hybrid — it can drive about 40 miles on a single charge of its battery and then turns to burning gasoline. By the end of March of this year, over 1,200 Chevy Volts had been delivered to waiting customers. Yes, Chevy has a waiting list, too, but, like Nissan, will be speeding up deliveries as the year goes on.

If you have ordered an electric vehicle and have not yet arranged for installation of an outlet in your garage for your Level 1 charger or installation of your Level 2 charger, find a licensed electrician familiar with the requirements of EV chargers. For more about my company, The Electric Connection — all the stuff you wanted to know but were afraid to ask — . If you’re interested coupons for electrical work, for example, $50 off installation of a Whole House Surge Protector in the L.A. area, click on our electrical work coupon page.