A Tiffany lamp is a style of fixture commonly associated with the Art Nouveau movement. The term is sometimes used broadly to refer to stained glass but it gets its name from the original creator and design director, Louis Comfort Tiffany – the son of Tiffany & Co. founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany.

The first Tiffany lamp was produced around 1895. In line with Tiffany’s vision that nature should inspire design, each piece featured elements of nature or geometric shapes to create intricate patterns. Each lamp was handmade by Louis himself or by an artist in his studio.

The bases of the lamps were typically sculpted from bronze with shades created from hundreds of cut glass shapes fashioned together with copper foil. These works of art took many hours of skilled craftsmanship to complete and remain popular to this day, thanks to their complex beauty.

Every year, there are nearly 50,000 home fires caused by poor home electrical safety. Between 2007 and 2011, house fires caused $1.5 billion in property damages and claimed 455 civilian lives. About half of these fires were caused by lighting equipment and outlet failures. The other half of home electrical fires involved major appliances, like washers and dryers, fans, and space heaters.

To keep your property and family protected at all times, follow these important home electrical safety tips from Kolb Electric.

At Kolb Electric, we want our Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC customers to exercise home electrical safety. No matter what electrical services you need, rely on Kolb Electric to deliver! Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

When you need electrical power but the nearest outlet is too far away for your device to reach, an extension cord can bridge the gap and bring the socket to you! Extension cords come in numerous shapes and sizes, and are intended for many different applications. However, are you choosing the right cord for your needs? Believe it or not, not all extension cords are created equal, and depending on the amount of energy you need and where you need it, you should carefully consider what cord you’re using. Check out our blog now to learn about the different types of cords and which one you should choose for the job.

While extension cords are great because they let you bring power virtually anywhere you need it, you should also think very carefully about where you will need this power, and where you plan on drawing the electricity from. Longer isn’t usually better, and in fact, the longer your extension cord is, the lower the delivered voltage will be. The more distance electricity must travel, the weaker it will be when it reaches you. This is because every cable has a certain amount of resistance, which causes your voltage to drop as well as produces heat. If you can help it, don’t use a 100-foot extension cord if you only need power about 20 feet away. You’ll bring better voltage over a shorter cable, and have less cable to manage during use as well.

On a related note, if you do have to bring electricity to a further-away distance, never link two extension cords together. This is a recipe for disaster. If you must bring electricity to a further-away distance, always upgrade to a longer cord that will meet your needs.

If you pull too much power through too small of a cord, you will draw too many amperes (or “amps” for short), and the cord itself being too small or having too much internal resistance will get hot and possibly fail, which could result in melting, sparks, and even a bad electrical fire. A device that uses more electricity, such as a major appliance like a stove or electric grill, should always be plugged into a larger-gauge extension cord, whereas smaller gauge cords are generally safe for use with things like laptop and phone chargers, low-energy lamps, and more.

Extension cords are a huge trip hazard, and the more you use one, the more likely it is that someone will eventually get tangled up and fall because of it. Be very cautious where you run your extension cords, and always make sure you secure them down with tape or cover them with a large carpet or rug to make sure nobody will accidentally become tangled in one.

If you own a business and find you are in constant need of an extension cord to a particular spot, you may want to consider calling a Marietta electrician and having them permanently install a new electrical outlet to get rid of the need to use an extension cord all together. This can significantly improve worker safety even save you money on your electric bill by helping your devices get the voltage they need easier.