Recently, Digital Trends profiled a Paolo di Trapani, and his work has a lot of people excited. For all the rapid progress that has been made with LEDs, no one else has made this important step towards recreating natural light.

The article explains how lighting innovations have allowed people to use artificial light in a number of amazing ways. We can change the color temperature of a light bulb with a smartphone, and we can grow food indoors, but we haven’t yet been able to mimic the way the atmosphere scatters the sun’s natural light…until now.

According to Digital Trends, di Trapani’s technology scatters the light of a panel of white LEDs with “a clear plastic panel studded with nanoparticles that are invisible to the naked eye.” What’s a nanopartical? A nanoparticle is what it sounds like: A really small particle. Nanoparticle research is currently hot because there are tons of ways that nanoparticle research could be applied in biomedical, optical, and electronic fields.

Pool lighting is one of the most impressive outdoor lighting projects you can take on and can totally change the look and feel of your backyard. Pool lighting is also a great way to show off your creativity, and your lighting system can be customized to create any mood you can think of. The following are some of the best pool lighting tips we’ve found, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

Some people may be used to having only one light at the deep end of the pool and a few at the shallow end. While this is certainly an option, it’s not a hard rule! Try adding more light throughout until you get the effect you want.

If you have a sitting area on one side of the pool, make sure you point your pool lights away from it. Pool lights tend to be especially bright, so they should be installed facing opposite where people might be sitting.

Using too few lights, or having lights that only face one direction, can create shadows that highlight flaws in your pool’s liner or surface. Shining lights from multiple directions will eliminate these shadows and make the bottom of your pool look flawless.

The color of your pool liner will make a dramatic impact on how the pool looks, day and night. Light colors reflect light and dark colors absorb it, so go light if you want your pool to look bright and exciting at night and choose dark if you want a more subdued landscape.

Pool lighting is one of those projects that many people either put off or try to cut corners on. But if you want a pool that you can really get a lot out of, we recommend spending the extra money. Even though the upfront costs may be higher, you’ll be able to enjoy your investment for years to come.

Back in April, a young boy in South Florida was electrocuted by a faulty pool light while swimming in his family’s pool. Reportedly, the light had been fixed by a contractor the year prior.

While incidents like this are exceedingly rare, we want to use this as an example of why you should always work with an electrical company you can trust. Lighting isn’t the only danger zone in the pool—other potential hazards include:

At Kolb Electric, your safety is our highest priority. We will acquire all necessary permits prior to your pool wiring job, then finish off with a detailed inspection so you can enjoy your pool or hot tub without having to worry. We also recommend having your pool’s electrical system inspected once a year.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a detailed list of pool safety tips to prevent electrocution:

If you’re thinking about installing pool lighting in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric! We can design a beautiful, long-lasting, and safe pool lighting system that you can enjoy for years.

With the DIY craze in full swing these days, do-it-yourselfers are attempting to refurbish, rehab, rebuild and remodel anything and everything within the walls of their homes. All you have to do is turn to any home improvement channel to observe a novice trying to tackle a major home renovation project. Some seem to know what they are doing, but most do not.

It is astonishing to see the number of load-bearing walls carelessly knocked down in the name of remodeling. Even more disturbing are homeowners who flirt with disaster by cutting live electrical wires! When the sparks start flying, these DIY-ers act shocked (no pun intended) that the wires are hot!

Electrical Permits

Much of this work is done without the homeowner getting the proper permits, which can create serious safety risks, not to mention invalid insurance claims regarding faulty workmanship. Scenarios like these are the perfect formula for a catastrophe!

Major or minor electrical work that is not properly permitted usually results in a denied insurance claim if damage, such as fire, results from improper work. Although it’s perfectly legal in most states for the homeowner to do his or her own electrical wiring, it can actually be less costly to have a licensed professional do the electrical work for you; it’s safe, licensed, permitted and done properly. Your insurance company will thank you!

Insurance Benefits

In fact, many major insurance companies offer a number of discounts if you have your electrical wiring upgraded to current codes. Check with your insurance company, and then contact a licensed electrician to learn the safety and cost benefits of having your home’s electrical service updated. Some DIY projects are better left to the professionals. This is one of them. After all, you can’t put a price on safety!

Although the beautiful spring weather is giving you a nice break on your electric bill, it is always important you learn more ways to cut down your energy usage. This summer is going to be a hot one. You need to get ahead of the game by learning some useful tips and tricks for staying cool this summer without turning your thermostat down and running up your electric bill. An electrician in Los Angeles has those tips for you. If you need any more questions answered, the team at The Electric Connection can certainly help you.

Check out the following 5 ways you can reduce your electric bill and stay cool this summer.

1-If you haven’t done so already, switch out your old incandescent bulbs to the more energy efficient LEDs or CFLs. Your lighting needs account for about 20 percent of your electric bill. By changing out those old bulbs, you could save quite a bit of money. If you have an old light fixture, considering having it changed out by an electrician. Los Angeles residents will soon see it was worth the investment.

2-Invest in some heavy curtains or consider having your south-facing windows tinted. This can cut down on the heat produced by the sun hitting the glass.

3-Have a ceiling fan installed by a Los Angeles electrician to help reduce cooling costs. A fan in the main living area and in each bedroom can help keep you cool without running up your electric bill.

4-Use a crockpot to cook meals on really hot days. This will reduce the heat generated by the oven or stove.

5-Do not use your dryer during the day. Consider drying clothes outside or run the dryer in the early mornings and late evenings.

If you need a new ceiling fan installed or have any additional questions, give the team at The Electric Connection a call today.

Aluminum LED profile housings allow you to create customized light fixtures with LED strip lights. Our Klus brand LED channels are available in many different styles, including recessed-, or flexible, O-shaped, and more. Available in 1- and 2-meter lengths, the channels can be easily cut for any application from under-cabinet lighting and bookshelf lighting to showcase lighting and transition strip lighting. They’re available with a variety of lens options, such as clear, frosted, and etched that complete the profiles. We’ve put together a step-by-step guide for using these channels to create your own light fixtures. Please note that your specific channel might vary from the one used in this tutorial.

Materials needed:

1. With a pair of clippers, carefully clip through the clear plastic heat shrink as shown in figures A-C. You will want to take your time and be careful not to cut the strip’s wires while removing it.

2. Lay the LED strip into the channel, and position it along the bottom so that the ends of the strip and the channel are lined up (fig. A). Now, remove the paper from the strip’s adhesive backing (fig. B), and adhere the strip to the LED channel—starting at the lined end and working your way to the other end of the strip. Be sure to leave roughly 1/4-inch free at the end of the channel so that you can install the end cap as shown in figure C.

3. If one of your end caps doesn’t come with a pre-drilled hole, you will need to drill your own to allow the wires of the LED strip light to come through. In this case, we used a Dremel tool, but other options are viable as well. Regardless of the tool you choose, it is helpful to mark the end cap where you would like the wires to come through. Start the hole small, and increase the size as necessary.

4. Place the end cap on the wired side of the strip by threading the wires through the end cap as shown in figure A. Insert the end cap into the end of the light bar, and push firmly until it is fully in place (fig. B).

5. On the open end of the bar, slightly peel up the end of the LED strip (fig. A); this is necessary to install the end cap. Now measure your channel lens, and trim off the excess with clippers (fig. B). Be careful when trimming to avoid cracking the plastic. Excess material can be lightly sanded off. Once the lens has been cut to the proper length, slide it into the channel, and install the end cap as shown in figures C and D.

6. That’s it! Your customized LED light fixture is complete and ready for installation, which we will cover in the next step.

7. Mounting this LED profile is as easy as applying double-sided tape to the back of it and sticking it to your intended surface. Be sure to cut the tape to fit the back of the LED profile and to leave the tape backing on the side not attached to the channel until you are ready to mount it.

For most LED profiles, mounting clips are available for a more permanent installation.

If you have 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.