The majority of contractors and building owners are creating networks that interconnect all the components. These provide a single point of monitoring and control the different types of devices, sensors, and equipment.

While wiring the building during the construction phase is the ideal situation, modifying or upgrading existing systems can be challenging.

As the building gets bigger and more complex, so does its automation, making it a real task to interconnect all components. It may require hybrid systems consisting of the UTP, RS-232/RS-485, wired and wireless networks, and a variety of protocols. However, there is still a need to unify all these. It’s best to have a single point of managing and controlling the devices regardless of the style, location, function, and type of network.

As building automation evolves, there are now industry standard network protocols that allow people to interconnect components from different manufacturers. The three most commonly used interoperable protocols in use today include:

Building automation enables efficient control of the various systems and conditions in the building. This allows the occupants and owners to save costs, while improving comfort and living conditions. It adds the ability to automatically monitor and adjust the lighting, air conditioning, heating, ventilation, security and other parameters. Specific benefits include:

Building automation offers several benefits to the owners and occupants of the facilities. It allows the savings of resources such as energy and water while improving the conditions and comfort of the space.

As building automation networking evolves, equipment and applications from different manufacturers are able to work together via standard interfaces and protocols. This allows consumers to benefit from the latest technology and decreases our ecological footprint.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are good substitute to the now being banned incandescent lamps. It is more energy efficient and lasts longer than its counterpart. CFLs are more expensive because the price includes the disposal fee. It was introduced in North America in mid 1990s. Although it is more energy efficient than the incandescent lamps, its composition makes its disposal complicated. CFLs are known to contain mercury which is a very serious threat to the environment once disposed improperly. Mercury functions as the vapor inside the glass tubing of CFLs. Usually CFLs contains around 3-5 mg of Mercury; some have it as low as 1 mg. In essence, Mercury is utilized as vapor in a phosphor tube, which when electricity pass through, it produces short-wave UV (ultraviolet light) which causes the phosphor to fluoresce, therefore making visible light.

Mercury or Hydrargyrum or quicksilver is a liquid metal with a symbol Hg. Mercury is a poisonous chemical that can be derived from major deposits as cinnabar or mercuric sulfide, the reason for vermilion, the red pigment responsible for the reddening of the soil. The poisonous substance can be ingested or inhaled mercury vapor or by eating mercury contaminated fish. Mercury poisoning which is also known as mercurialism or hydrargyria is the disease that can be derived from exposure to mercury or its components. Acrodynia, Hunter Russell syndrome and Minamata disease are among the list of those mercury related diseases. It affects body senses such as impaired vision, hearing and speech. Disturbed sensation and lack of body coordination are also among the symptoms.

Imagine the world full of mercury-filled CFLs, time will come that the number one cause of human fatality is mercury poisoning. Steps are being taken into account for the eradication of CFLs. By the year 2015, the government of the United States of America will implement the banning of use of CFLs to stop the possible exposure to mercury. Although it is expected that many users of CFL will stop this banning procedure, a lot of informative measures are being given to the public to further understand why the government is pursuing this act.

When this thing comes into action and given that the incandescent bulbs will as well be phased-out, what can substitute CFLs as lighting solution? Majority are thinking that LED lamps are the next thing to be on the spot light to cater all the lighting requirement of the world.

LED lamps can be considered a viable means as alternative to the prevailing lighting system which are expected to be obsolete in the years to come. LED lamps are a lot more beneficial to employ than those two. Imagine the comfort one can have if for a long time, around 10 – 13 years, he will not be thinking of replacing bulbs and maintaining it. Additionally, LED lamps are comparatively using very low energy and still can give-out the equivalent brightness and luminance compared to its counterpart. Considering the price of purchasing LEDs, one just have to consider LED lighting as an investment that will definitely pay-off in the years to come.

Ample information should have to be distributed to further inform the public regarding the practical benefits of choosing LED bulbs over the other lighting options available today.

Before your home fills up with guests visiting for the holidays, you will probably want to spruce up a bit and get ready for a house full of people. Anytime you have a lot of people in a small space, even if you have a big home, things can get a little stuffy. One way you can combat the stuffiness while adding a touch of elegance is with a ceiling fan or two. Your Glendale electrician can take care of the installation for you and make sure your home is airy and comfortable for you and your guests. At The Electric Connection, we know how important it is to leave your home the way we found it and will make sure the installation is complete as well as safe.

Ceiling fans are not just for cosmetic purposes. They are a very useful tool in keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer as well as providing that needed breeze when things are a little stuffy. An electrician in Glendale can explain how the direction the fan turns factors into the heating and cooling needs of your home. Basically, the fan pushes the hot air that rises to the ceiling in the winter and pulls the hot air from the room in the summer by switching the direction of the blades.

Don’t be deterred by vaulted or cathedral ceilings. There are fans that can be connected to an extension bar to lower the fan. No, you won’t need to pull out a ladder when you want to turn the fan speed up or down or the light on. Many ceiling fans are equipped with remote controls or have the capability of having a remote sensor installed by an electrician. Glendale homeowners will love the new look of their ceiling fan as well as the way it makes the whole house feel. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your ceiling fan installation.

Is your LED bulb blinking too fast? No worries—it’s an easy fix! LED lighting draws much less power and lasts way longer than standard incandescent lighting that comes stock with most vehicles. Although the reduced draw of LEDs has advantages, replacement of turn signal bulbs with LEDS will cause what is called hyperflashing. Hyperflashing is when the turn signals blink faster than your stock incandescent bulbs did. This happens because your new LED bulbs draw such little power that your turn signal relay sees the bulbs as being out.

Installing an ixing hyperflashing. These modules are economically priced and are usually simple to install. In most cases, these flasher units are little circular or square boxes with metal prongs sticking out one side that simply plug into where your stock flasher went. Our LED flashers function with both LED and incandescent bulbs, so even if you have LED turn signals in the back and incandescent bulbs still in the front, you can use our LED flasher modules with no problems. Before you order, compare the pin diagram of the stock flasher with the pin diagram of our flashers on our website.

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.

Looking for a Plano TX electrician to come fix the work that the first company did, spending much more than they would have otherwise spent.

The Risks of Falling for Scams

Your home’s electrical work is too important to risk getting scammed by a bad electrician. Whether you’re looking for a Plano electrician to take care of an emergency job, or you’re simply looking for someone to inspect your current electrical setup, the cost of ending up with a bad contractor is worth the time spent looking for a good one.

The tips below can help you prevent scams and find an honest and qualified electrician in Plano, TX for your electrical repairs and installations.