LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights are a type of lighting that is becoming more popular in the residential market. The reason for their rising popularity is that their technology is becoming cheaper to produce yet more reliable and effective. Today’s commercial models are more energy-efficient, last longer, and take less maintenance than conventional light bulbs. The Department of Energy estimates that by 2027, widespread LED usage could save about 347 terawatt-hours per day, which equals a savings of about $30 trillion dollars at current electricity prices. Reasons like these provide good examples of why you should get LED lighting for your Iowa home.

Here are five reasons to change to LED lighting for your Iowa home:

They’re environmentally friendlier

While older lights have their share of disposal issues, LED lights are much more simple to dispose of. Fluorescent lights, for instance, creates light by running electricity through mercury vapor. By doing this, the lamp creates ultraviolet light that makes the phosphor-coated lamp glow. However, the mercury in the lamp means you can’t simply dispose of it. Instead, you have to take special precautions when it’s time to get rid of them. With LED lights, you can simply recycle them without any sort of special considerations.

They’re more energy-efficient

LED lighting uses about half the electricity used by traditional incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent lighting. This means LED lights can save plenty of money on electricity costs. The savings can be even greater when replacing lights that are on most of the day. A major reason for LED lighting’s efficiency is because it’s a directional light that only brightens up a semicircle, as opposed to the 360° range of normal lights. Directional lights help cut back on wasted energy, but can be bundled together to provide the same spherical coverage of a classic light bulb.

Great CRI

Color Rendering Index (CRI) measures a man-made light’s ability to show an object’s natural color compared to natural light. Low CRI lights, like sodium vapor lamps, often make objects look a yellow/orange color. However, LED lights have a CRI ranging from about 65 to 95, which is considered excellent. If you’re designing your outdoor lighting, your lighting’s CRI rating can be an important consideration.

They’re safer

A common hazard with most lights is that they produce a lot of heat. To compare, LED lights emit very little heat while incandescent light bulbs turn over 90% of their energy into heat. This means that not only does about 10% of their energy actually go to lighting up your home, but they can also get dangerously hot. Also, LED lights use less energy and can work on low-voltage electrical systems. These systems tend to be safer in case something goes wrong.

They have long lifespans

Some of the highest-quality LED lights can take around 30-50 thousand hours of usage. Compared to the 1,000-hour lifespan of incandescent light bulbs, this is a huge jump. Even compact fluorescent lighting can’t compare, with a lifespan of only 8,000-10,000 hours. Also, it’s worth noting that LED lights don’t suddenly “burn out” like normal light bulbs. Instead, when they near the end of their lifespan, LED bulbs will instead start to dim, giving you heads-up that you need to replace your lights. LED lights can help you make your home’s lighting lower maintenance.

What makes Integra Electrical my best bet for buying new lights?

Electrical systems may be complicated—but that doesn’t mean electrical service has to be. When you call on our Integra professionals, we keep things simple by providing superior service at a price that you can feel good about. At Integra Electrical, we believe that affordability and safety should never be compromised. Bridging the gap between fair prices and valued service, we provide the consistent and customized solutions that Central Iowa homeowners and businesses deserve.

We believe there’s more to business than making a profit. We are a value-driven business dedicated to delivering honesty, integrity, and exceptional service. People first, we commit to providing for you, our customers, our employees, and our community. You deserve the comfort of knowing we’re available whenever you need us. Someone is always answering our phones 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With our affordable services, you’ll discover that bringing back the light can make all the difference in your home. Call us today to learn more about getting LED lighting for your Iowa home!

By zach@admachines.com

When it comes to what makes up a room in your home, there are many different things to consider. One of these factors is the lighting. A room’s lighting can change a lot about how a room looks, works and contributes to a house’s overall value on the market. One kind of lighting, recessed lighting, is a kind that is implanted in a room’s ceiling to avoid hanging units. While they aren’t for every room, recessed lighting can give a sleeker look to a room. At Integra, we can give you some reasons to consider asking us about getting recessed lighting for your Iowa home.

Here are five reasons to consider getting recessed lighting for your Iowa home:

Waterproof

Recessed lighting is one of the few types of lighting you can purchase that is waterproof. Granted, this won’t be important most of the time. However, this feature makes recessed lighting one of the few types of lighting that can be used in shower stalls. This also makes it more useful in bathrooms in general. Also, the casing used for recessed lighting makes it more resistant to dust.

Perennial style

Style and fashion can seem like a complex subject that has no rhyme or reason. Fortunately, recessed lighting, unlike track or monorail lighting, is effectively trend-proof. The sleek, modern look of recessed lighting has never truly been in style. Consequentially, these lights will never go out of style. You won’t have to worry about guests or house buyers considering your lights tacky.

Larger-looking rooms via wall washing

Wall washing is a lighting effect where you can cast more light around the room by using the correct trim. To properly make use of wall washing, you need a professional designer’s eye and the right parts. Both of these are things we here at Integra can provide. With our help, wall washing can make your rooms look bigger and brighter.

Good for low ceilings and small rooms

Recessed lighting not only makes rooms look bigger, but it can make them physically bigger. Normal hanging light fixtures can take up precious space in smaller areas and hit you in the head if you’re not careful. In rooms where space is a premium, such as basements, having lights that don’t hang down can give you more room.

Complete coverage

Normal ceiling lights in the center of a room can keep the center well-lit. However, this lighting has difficulty reaching the edges of the room, leaving the edges looking dimmer. With recessed lighting, you can carefully arrange your lighting to get complete coverage of your room.

What makes Integra Electrical my best choice for lighting installation?

Electrical systems may be complicated—but that doesn’t mean electrical service has to be. When you call on our Integra professionals, we keep things simple by providing superior service at a price that you can feel good about. At Integra Electrical, we believe that affordability and safety should never be compromised. Bridging the gap between fair prices and valued service, we provide the consistent and customized solutions that Central Iowa homeowners and businesses deserve. We believe there’s more to business than making a profit. We are a value-driven business dedicated to delivering honesty, integrity, and exceptional service. People first, we commit to providing for you, our customers, our employees, and our community. You deserve the comfort of knowing we’re available whenever you need us. Someone is always answering our phones 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call us today to schedule service for your home or business. Call Integra Electrical today to learn more about how we can help you with your lighting!

By zach@admachines.com