Residential electrical contractors are very different from a commercial electrician because of the enormous differences between homes and commercial environments. Homes are built very differently than office buildings, warehouses, and factories. Wiring in commercial structures always requires insulation in the form of armor coating and pipe conduits.
Homes do not require all of this. As a result, residential electrical contractors use different materials such as low voltage and romex wire for residential service installations. They face different structural challenges, too. In residential environments, you will find a blend of simple and complex challenges. Custom homes with over 5,000 square feet of floor space typically represent the most complex environments. Residential wiring specialists have to have a clear understanding of architecture and construction in order to know how to approach each house as its own unique work environment.
Each set of challenges is relative to the age of the home, its original wiring design, current appliances in use, and indoor and outdoor lighting equipment. All of these things tie into the central hub of the electrical service panel. This panel controls the distribution of power to every electrical system and component in the home. Very few older homes have dedicated circuits, so the first thing a residential electrical contractor will investigate is the age of the house. This will provide an understanding of what service panel upgrades will be required to create more efficient and safe home environment.
This is why we cross train our residential electrical contractors in architectural and construction theory. This helps them understand the many different evolutions that home electrical wiring has undergone over the past few decades. Our electrical service specialists can go to any home in Houston, find out when it was built, and know at a glance what needs to be done to make it fully compliant with current fire codes and energy efficiency standards. Older homes will no doubt need interior light fixture retrofits and dedicated circuits to curb excessive power consumption.
Newer homes are built to be more friendly to energy efficient appliances and lighting. Most are constructed with crawl spaces built into the attic so electricians can move around easier. They are also built with better insulation. New homes now use tankless solutions to generate hot water, and they are built in anticipation of new home wiring runs so there will be minimal cutting of walls and ceilings. Residential electrical contractors who are understand these new building styles can quickly spot the opportunities in non-invasive upgrades and can upgrade your wiring and lighting without making a mess or damaging your home in the process.
Many of the nicest homes in Houston, however, are not that new. Take a drive through River Oaks, Memorial, West University, or Bellaire and you will see many mansion-sized homes that were built in the 50s and 60s. These houses are masterpieces of architecture with wiring that is sorely outdated in many cases. Fortunately, though, our residential electrical contractors know just how to upgrade electrical services in these homes without damaging their structure and diminishing their value.
Typically they begin by getting rid of the old water heater (which is a power hog) and installing a tank less hot water solution. They then look at all important electronic components and systems in the home (such as stereos, computers, home theaters, and HVAC systems) and install dedicated circuits to provide more efficient and stable flow of power to the equipment. Our residential electrical remodeling contractors also install commercial grade surge suppressors to protect your investments against transient power surge, and they install natural gas home generators for permanent, whole-house emergency power backups.
We always offer our clients the options of better house lights and landscape lights to further beautify their homes and yards. These systems consist of primarily low voltage landscape lighting fixtures that do not cost that much to run. Security lights can be installed with to provide you with an extra line of home defense against potential burglars.
Regardless of the nature of the electrical upgrades or electric repairs recommended, we always work with the goal of saving you money on power cost and making your home a safer place to live.
Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Deign has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.
We invite you to contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133. We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond. Labels: Houston Electrical Contractors, Houston Electrical Panel Upgrades, Houston Electrical Repairs, Houston Emergency Backup Generators
Electrical system installation by Illuminations Lighting and Design consists of four major core service offerings to ensure maximum operability, safety, and viability of your home wiring, electrical devices, and vital home systems.
Home Electrical Circuit Panels
Electrical system installation starts with a thorough upgrade of the home circuit panel. This confluence of wires and breakers is the literal heart and soul of home power supply. Not only must the wiring be of an appropriate gauge for safe conductance of power, but it must also be connected properly to the many conduits that carry electricity throughout the home.
Many older homes in Houston desperately need new wiring designs, new circuits, and upgraded wire itself in order to meet current fire codes and to deliver an appropriate supply of power to various home systems and major appliances.
Dedicated Panel Circuits
In most instances, larger homes contain very complex climate control systems and very expensive data and entertainment devices. Many appliances are also now very featuring rich, making their demands for power much higher than their counterparts in previous decades.
In order to ensure the safe and reliable operability of these devices, ILD technicians carefully examine the amperage and voltage requirements of each device, and, when necessary, run a dedicated circuit from the panel to the device. This ensures that the collective use of multiple devices will not overload the home’s electrical system. Installation of dedicated circuits guarantees that each device gets a steady supply of just the right amount of power.
Surge Suppressor Protection Systems
As effective as dedicated circuits are in maintaining continuous, steady current to individual home appliances, they cannot protect appliances against transient power surge. Transient power surge can destroy home appliances in a matter of seconds if enough high voltage suddenly spikes in the home circuit panel. Appliances today are more vulnerable to transient power surge because they all contain printed circuit boards similar to the ones found in computers. These boards are very sensitive to voltage spikes and can quickly burn out when one occurs. The only way to protect these delicate memory boards is to protect the home electrical system with the installation of specification-grade, commercial surge suppressors.
Surge suppressors are by no means inexpensive or something you can successfully self-install. However, they are better than insurance when it comes to protecting your investment in electrical system installation. Instead of covering the cost of repair after an appliance breaks (like insurance does), they keep the appliance from breaking in the first place.
Backup Home Emergency Electric Generators
No matter how protected a home is against power fluctuation and transient surge, no one can control what happens to the power grid itself in times like hurricanes, electrical emergencies, or brown outs resulting from malfunctioning transformers. A backup generator is a sure line of defense against total darkness and lifestyle paralysis. When professionally chosen and installed by experienced electricians who know how to match unit to the collective power requirements of the home, a backup generator will stand guard over your home in the event of power failure and prove itself an investment you will never regret making.
Illuminations Lighting Design
607 Durham Drive
Houston, Texas 77007
713-863-1133
Since 1980, ILD has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as
lighting design,
electrical contracting,
landscape lighting and
home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.
We are located in
Houston Texas but provide lighting and
house lighting plans in
Austin TX, El Paso Texas,
San Antonio TX, College Station Texas,
Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.
Labels: Electrical System Installations, Houston Electrical Panel Upgrades, Houston Residential Electrical Contractors, Residential Electricians
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
