Since the advent of the incandescent (and even before), quality of light has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Regrettably, that quality has mostly been unfortunate. When incandescent lights were the only choice, the early 20th century population complained about the glare and the possible dangers of electricity.

Case in point: on an episode of Downton Abbey (Masterpiece’s smash hit about an elite family living on an estate in the early 1900’s), the prim and hilarious Dowager Countess laments the new electric lamps:

“Such a glare! I couldn’t have electricity in the house – I wouldn’t sleep a wink. All those vapors seeping about. Feels as if  I were on stage at the Gaiety.”     

CCT indicates the hue and tone of white light emitted from a specific bulb or fixture. It’s measured in Kelvins (K), which is similar to degrees in Celsius. Different temperatures on the Kelvin scale represent different colors. For example, light at 2000K-3500K looks more orange/yellow and is called ultra warm or warm white, and as temperature increases in Kelvins, color changes to more of a “paper white” known as natural or neutral white (between 3500K and 5100K) and finally into a bluish-white known as cool white (5100K+).

As a light source’s color temperature increases, brightness often increases. While shopping for LED lights, pay close attention to the color temperatures that are available for any one bulb or fixture. Choosing a warm white bulb with a color temperature around 3000K might mean sacrificing some brightness. Whereas, if you choose the natural white version, it’s likely that it will have a higher output.

Any room can benefit from light strip, globe bulb,

In order to understand nanometers, you must first understand the electromagnetic spectrum and wavelengths. The electromagnetic spectrum is the entire range of invisible and visible light, and a wavelength is the distance between peaks of light waves. Wavelengths are measured in nanometers, which are simply units of length that indicate colors of light within the spectrum. Nanometers will tell you how red, green, yellow, purple, etc. a light source really is. These measurements start lower at ultraviolet and increase from green to blue, yellow, orange, and then red. The wavelength of a colored light can be found in the light’s specifications table.

MR16 beam angle in degrees (left to right): 36, 24, 15

Fixtures or bulbs that emit wide beams, such as BR LED bulbs for can lights are great for areas that require a lot of light, such as basements, kitchens, or living rooms. Narrow beam angles like those from can lights with MR LED bulbs are best for highlighting decor or small areas. Globe bulbs, such as G30 LED vanity bulbs, have 360-degree beam angles, which means that they throw light in all directions. Globe bulbs are the perfect choice for centralized light fixtures.

In the quest to stay comfortable and combat escalating temperatures in our area, many homeowners turn to fan installation to bolster the results of traditional HVAC cooling. Our Washington, DC electricians install them all, from ceiling fans, to mechanical attic fans. When choosing for your home, do you know which fan installation is giving you the best results? You might be interested in what our Washington, DC electricians have to say on the topic!

No matter the fan type, they can assist in reducing energy costs and increasing comfort in the muggier months. They don’t actually reduce the temperature of the room, so how do they help? Well, fans assist in removing moisture from your home, keeping humidity under control somewhat. Additionally, moving air naturally feels cooler on the skin, helping to reduce body temperature; thus, you need to run your AC a bit less.

Additionally, in the case of a ceiling fan, they can provide a unique and interesting way to add some style. Another layer of design, or an additional fixture can do a lot for the beauty of your DC home.

While ceiling fans are a slightly more direct cooling method, an attic fan can do just as much for your home, if not more! An attic fan is installed in ,where else, the attic. This fixture can assist in reducing your cooling costs by up to twenty percent! How? Well…

Think of your attic like a big envelope, or bubble. It tends to hold onto its temperature, and because it is exposed radiant heat (sun) and collects remnant heat from your home (heat rises), it tends to be much much hotter than the rest of your home. If the inside of your home is seventy, your attic could be up to one hundred! This basically boils down to you having a massive natural heat source directly above your home. Not good for business when you’re trying to cool things down!

Attic fans mitigate and reduce attic temperatures, and by extension, the temperature of your home! They do this by improving ventilation, and increasing cool airflow throughout the attic. The difference can be huge!

Honestly, our Washington, DC electricians would suggest both. With a proper attic fan installation augmented by ceiling fans, you can find yourself relying on your HVAC system so much less. This is drastically less expensive, and keeps your cooling system from overworking (which makes it last longer, and need less repair) to boot!

Looking to begin relying less on your cooling system? Or maybe you just want a little more comfort for your DC home. Either way, our experts can provide the installation services you need! Contact our specialists today to learn more!