“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light.”—George Washington

Just in time for President’s Day, exclusive designs from Maxim Lighting and ET2 bring the truth to light with innovative illumination backed by 40 years of quality craftsmanship and service.  Whether you are searching for subdued elegance for the dining room and powder room or plentiful task illumination for the kitchen and office, look to Maxim  lighting fixtures for pure and trustworthy constitution.

Capitol Lighting is proud to present the finest in home lighting and accessories with promotional values on the latest from Maxim Lighting and ET2, including:

Enjoy holiday savings on all Maxim lighting fixtures and ET2 in honor of President’s Day, and take 10% off all kitchen pendants too!

American’s across the nation will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day next weekend.  Green banners, drinks, shirts, and decorations of all kinds will be out in full force as we celebrate heritage and friends.  Then again, why limit being green to just one weekend?  Why limit it to outer colors and anti-pinching shirts?  This weekend is a great time to start planning for how to improve the energy footprint of your home and start the path towards a greener life.  The best news?  While some methods for turning your home green require a little bit of upfront cost, most don’t!

Cleaning – Strange isn’t it?  A clean home, free of dust, actually improves energy efficiency.  Dust clogs air ducts and coats heating elements and pipes.  If the back of your refrigerator is dusty it will cool less efficiently since it can’t release heat properly.  Dusting and cleaning your home will help reduce stress on your appliances and improve their energy efficiency.

Regulate Heat – You can reduce how often your central air runs during the day and night by regulating and preserving the heat within your home.  While you may need to improve insulation to prevent heat transfer, you can reduce it by closing your curtains and opening them.  Just remember that heat always travels to where it’s coldest, so use curtains to block heat from travelling where it shouldn’t.

Turn Off Lights and Appliances – Yes, we use many smart systems today, but turning off lights and leaving power—hungry devices unplugged is still one of the best ways to prevent energy loss each month.

Water Heaters – These units expend a great deal of energy to keep water hot for your home.  Insulate the tank and the pipes around it to keep water warm for longer.  If you haven’t ever had the unit maintained, call a plumber to drain and clean out the tank.  Sediment reduces heating efficiency in the unit.

Expensive but Effective Energy Solutions

If you’re willing to spend a little money you can get even greater increase on home energy efficiency.  The first step is to replace your lighting.  Upgrading to CFL or LED lamps is an excellent way to reduce both your light bill and your cooling costs during the summer.  We recommend swapping out lights as needed to reduce startup costs.  Though it’s best to purchase LEDs in packs from the same manufacturer to make sure that they have the same color temperature.

Upgrades and replacements are ideal for energy efficiency.  Replacing an inefficient appliance, whether it’s a dish washer, water heater, or furnace, is going to have huge benefits when it comes time to pay your monthly bill.  And you’ll find that many of these appliances are eligible for an energy rebate credit to help with the initial costs.

Finally, upgrading your home with solar panels is one of the best ways to turn your home into the greenest building on the block.  They’re expensive, but solar panels can replace the costs for heating, cooling, and light in your home completely.

For the best in quality electrical repair work and installations, contact the professionals at Custom Electric!  Be sure to check back here each week for helpful advice, news, and guides or follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Categories: Residential« Extension Cord Safety  |  

When it comes to electrical tasks in yousitur home, it’s never a good idea to turn them into a DIY project. Electricity is a very necessary and useful utility, but can be extremely dangerous too and it’s crucial that you call in a certified, skilled and insured electrician to handle the job for you. Look for a professional and reputed company that provides 24/7 services and keep their number easily accessible at all times; this will ensure you get prompt services exactly when you need them. Here we discuss in which situations you should call in an emergency electrician to tackle the job for you:

This is extremely dangerous and you should immediately turn-off the circuit breaker that you feel is connected to that wire. Do not try to repair this yourself as there could be a chance that the circuit breaker you turned off isn’t connected to that particular room wire at all and this exposes you to the risk of electrocution.

This is a situation you shouldn’t take lightly at all. It’s important that you keep all your family members and pets away from that room and switch off the circuit breaker you think is connected to that wiring line. If you have any water pooling, puddling or accumulated (as in a flood situation), call in a skilled electrician to check all the wiring and address the problem without delay, as this is a major electrocution risk.

It’s not often that a home will lose power completely, while there is no similar problem in the neighbourhood. However, if the power does go out only in your home, quickly check with your neighbours and check whether the street lights have also lost power. If everything seems to be alright there, you may have a major electrical problem on your hands.

In all these situations, do not try to find out what the problem is; call in a regular electrical maintenance done. The company you hire for the job will send out skilled professionals at pre-decided schedules to conduct a thorough check on the wiring. In case any potential problems are noticed, you will be informed about them and they will be addressed without delay. This reduces the chances of major electrical problems surfacing out of the blue.

There are few things more chilling than a home burglary. Imagine a stranger rifling through and stealing your possessions – to say nothing of the danger if you or your family members are home at the time of the break-in. Fortunately, you can take steps to deter potential thieves by using outdoor lighting to increase the visibility around your home. Today's inexpensive LED and smart technologies mean that you can create a system that is attractive, efficient and responsive without breaking the bank. Protect your home and your family with some of these outdoor lighting ideas.

A Light in the Darkness

Your outdoor lighting system should include lights near any doors and windows where a person could enter the house. "The biggest thing for any person who can burglarize a home is the ability to secrete movements," a Chicago Police Department spokesperson told the Chicago tribune. "This means darkness.”

Many outdoor lighting systems are easy to install on your own, although a few may require the help of an electrician for new wiring. LED bulbs are an attractive option because they use only about a quarter of the energy of incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times as long. Some outdoor lights come equipped with a built-in security camera that will not only light up to scare off any would-be burglars, but also capture their image so you can notify police of the suspicious activity.

Stand-alone solar panel lights are a good option for walkways, although they shouldn't be relied on as a home security measure since variations in weather mean they might not always provide enough light to deter a prowler.

Getting Smart About Your Lighting

Smart lighting systems let you control your entire home’s lighting setup from your smartphone, even when you're away from the house. You can adjust timers, motion sensors, dimming functions or manually instruct the lights to come on or off. Certain smart lighting and security systems will automatically alert you when someone is at the door and allow you to talk to them through your phone no matter where you are in the world.

With smart technology, you can also add an extra layer of deterrence by having indoor lights come on for a period of time when you are away, giving the appearance that somebody is home. If you already have a lighting system in place, you can upgrade it to a smart system by swapping in some wireless smart switches and installing a control hub.

A Safer and More Attractive Residence

Lighting up your outdoor space is more than just a way to deter burglars. It can also make your yard look more attractive at night and help visitors safely navigate their way to your door.

If you need help planning or installing an outdoor security lighting scheme, contact your local electrician right away.