What is Residential Transient Voltage Surge?
It is a spike in electrical voltage that exceeds 2000V and 100 amperes in current. There have been a number of documented instances where TVS has been as high as 20,000 volts and has exceeded 2,000 amps in current. You can only imagine how devastating this can be to anything electronic in your house.
What causes TVS?
Transient voltage surge is precipitated by two categories of causes.
Lightning
When it strikes high power lines or transformers, it can travel up to 3 miles with enough force to destroy every major appliance in the home. While this is a major cause for concern, it is not the only concern to consider when gauging the level of protection needed to protect home electronics. Many forms of equipment can cause power fluctuations that will similarly damage sensitive electronics, climate control systems, and data lines coming into the home.
Electrical devices
Many devices in your home can actually cause transient voltage surge. The electric motors in refrigerators and air conditioners can precipitate an incident. Ballasts in fluorescent lights can trigger it. Even portable power tools can trigger TVS. Perhaps the most overlooked, but nevertheless common cause is faulty wiring in the home circuit panel.
Lightning has never struck near my home, but I do have many of the devices you have mentioned. How can I find out of any of them are causing TVS?
Relatively low power surges often damage equipment rather than destroying it outright. You may notice high performance equipment that is supposed to perform at exceptional standards suddenly experiencing unexplained downtime or a noticeable drop in quality. This often occurs high-end stereo and television equipment, but you may also notice it in your AC, your kitchen appliances, your phone system, or your computer and peripherals.
What do I do if I see clear evidence of transient voltage surge?
Do not try to troubleshoot it yourself. Investigating circuitry can be dangerous, or perhaps even deadly, without extensive training and experience in electrical engineering. Call Illuminations Lighting and Design and request a visit from one of our licensed electrical experts. We will run a series of tests on your home circuit panel and compile a quality assessment report on your home wiring. If we find any problems, we will recommend a professionally configured, custom-installed home surge suppression system.
That already sounds expensive. Why can I not just install AC surge suppressors on all my equipment and appliances?
There are two reasons not to do this. First, the average retail AC suppressor cannot withstand the power of a full-on assault from something like a lightning strike. Second, not everything in your house runs on an AC circuit. Your phone and data lines, for example, are different types of circuits that can and will blow out from TVS.
How expensive do you think it will be to lose your computer, all of your data, your television and stereo, and possibly your AC system all on the same bad day?
What type of surge suppressors do you recommend then?
Commercial, specification grade surge suppressors are the most reliable protection for your home. Many different types and sizes exist to protect the many types of circuits that constitute the entirety of your home electrical network. Our work as electrical engineers consists of matching the most appropriate suppressor to a specific circuit type, power load, or device type to ensure maximum protection. This layering of multiple device types is called whole house surge suppression and is an electrical design specialist of Illuminations Lighting and Design.
Contact Illuminations Lighting Design (713) 863-1133 and schedule an onsite evaluation of how to best protect your home and electronics investments. Labels: Advanced Electrical Installations, Houston Electrical Contractors, Houston Residential Surge Protection, Transient Surge Protection Systems, Whole House Surge Protection
What does home decorative lighting accomplish?
Indoor decorative lighting enhances the interior features of your home without overpowering the general, functional lighting you require for daily life and home security. Within your home’s interior, decorative lights should accentuate key elements of interior design and distinguish works of art and specialty displays with an aura of significance. Interior decorative lighting can also be used to create positive emotions and states of mind by complimenting special activities, celebrations, relaxation, and home entertainment. Lighting controls and dimmers are important elements of interior decorative lighting because they allow for multiple themes and effects to be created with a single group of fixtures.
What should I look for in a home interior lighting designer?
Find a company that knows interior design, first of all. Because the interior of a home contributes so much to the essence of a person’s unique, individual lifestyle, lighting designers should start by assessing the home’s existing interior. The dimensions of any given room and its respective furnishings should be studied to locate patterns of symmetry, pattern, and color. The design and height of the ceiling is also crucial to home decorative lighting because it functions as a dual source of both direct light and indirect light.
Are fine art and display lighting considered decorative lighting?
Yes, but they should be treated as separate elements from the rest of the home interior and be lit with specialty art lights and display lights. Display cases for collectibles and fine art require special fixtures, lenses, and lamping configurations to effectively light the subtleties of fine oil paintings, rare antiques, and special edition collector’s hardbacks. Recessed art lighting fixtures must also have special UV and infrared filters to protect oils and canvases from the harmful effects of invisible light. As a general rule, retail picture lights do a very poor job of dissipating heat and should be avoided. We recommend using either recessed halogen lights with UV filters or a specialty art projector for filtered, adjustable light. Display lights also need to be adjustable in order to balance with general lighting in the room. The best display lights are typically linear light strips with lighting control system that allow light levels to be controlled at will by the homeowner.
What else can decorative lighting be used for?
Home decorative lighting plays a major role in establishing a positive frame of mind. Every home has certain rooms that are used for special tasks, and other areas used specifically for relaxation and entertainment. The den or bedroom is a preferred reading place. The kitchen and adjoining dining area is usually favored for social gatherings and festivities. The bathroom is the mainstay for personal grooming. The home theater is the place for high-tech escape from the mundane drudgery's of society. These are but a few examples of what we mean here by activity-specific locations that create a unique mindset in a person. Every one of these locations is also prime real estate for interior decorative lights. LEDs are excellent home theater lighting and supplemental reading lights, and they use only 20% the electricity as incandescent fixtures. Cabinet and under cabinet lights in kitchens can cast a special glow over the counter top for a cooking demonstration, birthday party, or wedding celebration. Cove lights in living rooms, foyers, and kitchens can shine light up the walls wrap around the edges of the ceiling, replacing dark shadows with ambient fields of radiance.
How many decorative lights do I need?
You don’t need that many actual decorative lighting fixtures if you install a Lutron Grafik Eye system. Lighting control systems allow for the same basic group of decorative home lights to produce multiple lighting levels and special lighting effects. With user friendly wall box dimmers and hand held remotes, you can highlight part of the room, all of the room, or create any mood you wish with selective control of specific fixtures. Pre-programmed themes can also be loaded for one-touch lighting control.
How can I learn more about decorative lighting techniques?
Click here to read more about Houston home improvement remodeling, home electrical generators, advanced electrical installations and lighting design services by Illuminations Lighting and Design.
Where are your main offices?
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond. Call us today at 713-863-1133, visit our lighting blog or request a consultation online using our contact us form.Labels: Advanced Electrical Installations, Home Decorative Lighting, Houston Electrical Contractors, Lighting Designers Houston
When facing any kind of electrical work, one must also face the potential hazards both to safety and property that go with it. Today's new homes often feature architecture that makes even the simplest work on electrical panels and wiring more complicated than it should be. Trying to work on an electrical issue or remodel yourself can often result in unforeseen damage to the structure of your home, and it can also result in electrocution or fire if you overlook one small detail. For these reasons, Illuminations Lighting and Design has developed a systematic approach to electrical work that not only involves troubleshooting and fixing basic problems, but also brings increased comfort, safety, and even higher resale value to your home!
People throughout Texas, and especially the greater Houston area, come to us any time they need electrical work that revolves around new lighting fixtures and schemes. As a vendor of lights and lighting equipment of all kinds, we can not only handle the wiring requirements of your electrical work, but we can also help you acquire virtually any device necessary to illuminate your home, garden, or patio. This is important when you consider that electrical work requires more than simply knowledge of electricity and wiring. It requires knowledge of how basic components integrate into specialty lighting fixtures for ceilings, patios, walls, and outdoor lighting. If you are looking to add chandeliers or a chandelier lift to your decorum, consider how we can benefit you not only from the perspective of professional work in full compliance with electrical safety and quality regulations, but also from the many designs we can implement to add style and comfort to your living room, den, or even kitchen and bathroom.
Homeowners looking to sell their homes should consider contracting basic electrical upgrade work prior to listing the house on the market. Sometimes even the simplest of additions can add several thousand dollars to a home's list price, and it goes without saying that homes perceived as top-quality and highly safe will sell faster than those with questionable value. For such clients, we offer electrical work as a comprehensive resale value package that will immediately attract a buyer. Every home, (whether being sold or not,) should have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) installed as safety features. A GFCI protects human life the same way a circuit breaker or fuse protects the circuit panel. If a wire gets wet or frayed and the current suddenly spikes, the GFCI will sense the upsurge and shut down the circuit, thus minimizing the treat of electrocution. Imagine how the value of your house will rise from this one simple element of electrical work! We don't have to stop there, however. If you are really serious about electrical work that brings you the highest return on investment, then consider adding a generator and emergency lighting system to the property. Potential buyers will certainly be attracted to the extra security and convenience you are providing them, and they will be more inclined to meet your asking price at a faster rate than otherwise. Best of all, ILD can top off whatever electrical work you hire us to do by including the electrical inspection report for any home resale. We truly are a one-source solution shop for home sellers throughout Texas.
If you recently moved into a new home and have decided it is time to really celebrate with a new level of entertainment, call Illuminations Lighting and Design for any type of electrical work pertaining to home entertainment. We can install your cable TV wiring at affordable rates and eliminate the hassles people often encounter when they deal directly with cable TV providers. If you want to add new outlets in your home but are worried about phone company charges, call us instead. Our team of electrical specialists can work on phone lines as easily as circuit breakers; and we will time our visit to accommodate your schedule and your convenience - something big phone companies often cannot do for you. If you live in Central or North Texas and have decided to install a new 220V water heater, we can provide you both with the unit and do all the electrical work crucial to making it compliant with regulations and safety codes.
Electrical work will never be easier than it will be on the day you call Illuminations Lighting and Design to handle your next project and eliminate the and headaches of unforeseen dangers and damages that can easily result without professional certification and experience. Call 713-863-1133 and request a design consultation!
Labels: Advanced Electrical Installations, Emergency Power Generators, Houston Electrical Panel Upgrades, Houston Residential Electrical Contractors, Lighting and Home Automation
Yes it is! When dimming incandescent or fluorescent loads you can expect your energy savings to be roughly equal to the amount you dim the circuit (For example if you dim a circuit 10%, you will use 10% less energy than you would if you kept it on full). In addition, there is another really great reason to use dimmers throughout your house, and this is one most people don't realize: Dimming incandescent loads drastically increases lamp life (while you still get energy savings dimming fluorescent, there is no impact to it's lamp life by adding a dimmer). If you dim an incandescent load just 10% (a difference that would be barely noticeable to the human eye) the lamp life on those light bulbs will double. If you dim the lights 25%, the lamp life quadruples, and if you dim the light level 75% your lamp life extends more than 20 times! With the typical residential incandescent light bulbs having one of the shortest life spans out there (an average of 1-2000 hours), this can be a huge help, especially in hard to reach areas. Besides these great functional reasons to use dimmers, they are also key for adding flexibility to a space, giving the ability to set mood, and giving the ability to control aesthetics. Those are just some of the reasons that we recommend that our clients employ dimmers THROUGHOUT their home!
Illuminations Lighting Design has developed into Texas’ first full-service specialty lighting company over twenty years ago by producing a fusion of ideas, science and art that began to change the way people see and experience their environments. We have developed a stellar client roster, which includes some of America’s finest homes, museums, offices, hotels, resorts and country clubs. In conclusion, we hope that you will consider Illuminations Lighting Design for Fine Art Lighting, Display Lighting, Landscape Lighting, Decorative Lighting, Lutron Control Systems, Chandelier Installations, Residential Generator Systems, Home Remodeling, Electrical Remodeling, Home Automation, Home Theaters and New Home Wiring.
For more information regarding Lutron Dimming Controls or a Vantage Lighting Control System please contact the lighting professionals at Illuminations Lighting Design. We can be reached at 713-863-1133 or toll free at 800-863-1184. We welcome your call.
Labels: Advanced Electrical Installations, AMX Lighting Control Systems, Architectural Lighting Houston Texas, Dimming Control Systems, Independant Residential Electrical Work, Lutron lighting controls
