Advice from Electricians

Many customers ask our electricians at Fixzit if it’s worthwhile to upgrade to LED lights in their home to save on electricity bills. Since home lighting accounts for around 25 per cent of the home energy use, looking to save on energy costs through optimising home lighting makes good sense. There are however many reasons why getting advice from a licensed electrician is a must do before you take the plunge into buying LED lighting that may not be compatible for your home which our Brisbane electricians explain below.

Problems with LED lamps and poor installations
Firstly it’s important to buy quality and know what to look for. Some LED lamps bought online through eBay or non-reputable manufacturers may flicker or have other reliability issues. There are also many issues customers can face when trying to buy and install their own LED lighting which can include:

Flickering – can be caused by electronic load imbalance causing the transformer to restart itself constantly. Overtime this can degrade the transformer and the LED light.
Wrong lamp purchased for the transformer type. Older electronic may not work properly
Compatibility problems where the wrong lamp doesn’t fit in the housing or ceiling cut out hole
Low quality brand or manufacturer meaning a unattractive light output colour or the poor dispersion of light in the room. I.e. light will be bright directly under the LED but remain limited in other areas of the room.
How much will they cost?
The costs of retrofitting existing halogen lights to LED lights are labour costs, the costs of the LED lamps and other cabling and material costs if neeeded. Choosing to hardwire cabling can involve extra power cable costs, connectors and electrical labour costs. Good quality LED lights can be costly upfront but will eventually pay for themselves.

However don’t be put off getting LED lights on these factors alone. With the right lamp and the right installation, the benefits however of LED lights are many and include:

Operate at a safe temperature compared to halogen lights reducing the risk of house fires.
Use much less power and will last at least 10 years when left on continuously or about 25 years with standard intermittent use.
80-90 per cent more energy efficient than traditional lighting.
Provide the best light for task specific lighting for kitchens or work areas.
Recommended when the home is using older compact fluorescent lamps or during extensive renovations.
Before going out to buy LED lighting, we urge you to seek the advice of our electricians to ensure that the quality of the light output is sound – many find the colour saturation of some brands to white or blue. We also suggest using the expertise of an electrician to ensure that lights are installed in the safest way possible.

To find out more about upgrading your home lighting to more energy efficient options call Fixzit Electrical today on 1300 726 806.

In today’s article we will look at the advantages of LED lighting for home owners.

The Problem…
We had a recent enquiry from a home owner in the Brisbane suburb of Red Hill, the home was only 2 years old but the owners were dissatisfied with the current lighting arrangement. Although their home was fitted with energy saving light bulbs, the home owners found them to be slow to reach their optimum temperature for lighting capacity which had become frustrating in dark evenings.

The Solution…
Graham Belby our Brisbane Electrician assessed the energy situation for the home and suggested the home owners consider swapping to energy efficient LED lighting instead of their current energy efficient bulbs.

Why LED Lighting?
Led lights are incredibly energy efficient, it is estimated that the can reduce power usage by 90% of traditional light bulbs, although there is an initial investment involved with replacing your bulbs they will repay you with significant long term savings.

The great thing with LED lighting is that they come in a huge range of sizes, shapes, designs and colours, which allows you to have some fun with your home lighting. They also do not produce heat like traditional bulbs which makes them perfect for use around children’s bedrooms. Another advantage of LED light fittings is they can have a life expectancy of 25,000 – 100,000 hours.

If you would like to know more about LED lighting solutions for your home please contact our team for more information. Read the full testimonial for our Brisbane Electrical team.

Modern homes are going green. But that doesn’t mean that those living in older properties need to miss out on the green revolution and homes that are more sustainable and energy efficient. A home’s lighting is one easiest area where electricians can install options that ease the pressure on rising power bills and reduce their environmental impact at the same time. LED lighting has improved in both its capabilities and more and more people are turning towards the light and installing this lighting option in new and existing homes.

How do LED lights work?
Without getting too technical, LED (light emitting diodes) lights emit light when electricity passes through a diode. These diodes are being manufactured in larger numbers all the time for many purposed including computers and TV screen and now the technology is starting to become more widely used in the lighting industry.

How is LED Lighting the option of the future?
According to a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, LED lighting is predicted to dominate the lighting market and is outshining rivals. LED lighting has already surged in the US market and is forecast to have a 36 per cent share of the lighting market by 2020 and a whopping 70 per cent by 2030, according the US Department of Energy forecast report. There are similar projections in the Australian market, due to its increasing affordability and superior energy efficiency compared to other traditional lighting options

How is LED lighting more energy efficient?
Modern LED lights are superior when compared to incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps. While they are comparable with energy use with Compact Flourescent Lamps (CFL’s), the energy needed to create them, transport them and is far less making them overall more environmentally friendly than other lighting options. They also have a longer lifespan than other lighting options, lasting more than three times the lifespan and over twenty times the life of incandescent bulbs.

Yes but aren’t LED lights an expensive option?
While LED lights are still more expensive to supply and install than other options, a global supply of LED chips means prices are falling. Combine that with the fact users save money on replacement costs and lower electricity bills and over time LED lights become a economically appealing option for homeowners, despite the higher initial outlay.

To find out about installing LED lighting in your home speak to our team of electricians here at Fixzit who are specialised in residential and commercial lighting projects. Call us today on 1300 726 806.