McBride Lighting & Electrical Services

Be Sure To Check Out These Other Resources For More Excellent Home Lighting Tips

Lighting opens up the living and entertaining opportunities for your home, inside and out. Use these links to explore more information about outdoor and indoor lighting and power surges.

• Are you looking for a commonsense approach to outdoor lighting? ThisOldHouse.com tells you how to light your house for safety and security.
• Check out HGTV.com for an article all about outdoor landscape lighting, including information about different kinds of bulbs and voltage.
• If you have a home gym, or own a membership gym, take some time to learn about the role that light plays in working out. Visit LiveStrong.com for tips on how to light up your gym.
• Find out why investing in landscape lighting is a good idea. Bob Vila’s website has the scoop.
• Learn what causes power surges and how to protect your home’s valuable electronic devices. This link to HowStuffWorks.com will help you out.

McBride Lighting & Electrical Services of Denver will gladly set up your electric and lighting systems. Take advantage of our expertise today by calling our electricians at (720) 250-9777.

What Is Surge Protection and Why Do You Need it in Your Home?

If your sensitive appliances and electronics suddenly stop working, or even give off sparks, a power surge could be to blame. A surge of electricity can do extensive damage to your electronics—surge protection is the best preventative measure. An experienced electrician is your number-one resource in protecting your home from power surges.

What Is Transient Voltage?
A surge in electricity is an increase in the amount of voltage that travels through the wiring in your home or office. This voltage surpasses what your wiring is designed to handle. Most buildings are equipped to handle 120 volts through their electrical systems. When high voltage levels pass through the system, they could harm plugged-in appliances unless those devices are protected by a surge protection plan.

What Causes Surges in Power?
Lightning is actually a fairly uncommon cause of power surges, but a powerful one. When a bolt of lightning strikes near a telephone pole, the extra electrical pressure could be in the millions of volts. Another cause of power surges is the operation of several high-power electrical devices. When devices that require a lot of power are simultaneously switched on, the flow of power is overloaded and the demand for voltage is directed into the system, causing a surge. Faulty wiring is another common cause.

How Do Surge Protectors Work?
Surge protectors act as a barrier between a surge and any appliances plugged into it. When extra voltage is detected, the surge protector diverts that extra power into a ground line via two semiconductors. Because faulty wiring can be a cause of serious surges, hire an electrician to inspect your wiring for the most comprehensive surge protection.

Why Do You Need Surge Protection?
You need surge protection to protect sensitive equipment from the potentially devastating effects of surges. Computers are very vulnerable to power surges, which could fry the computer’s memory and the hardware itself. But other appliances are in just as much danger, like DVD players and microwaves.

McBride Lighting & Electrical Services provides comprehensive surge protection. Give us a call today and let our electricians protect your Denver home from electrical surges. Our number is (720) 250-9777.

Decorate Your Garden or Backyard with These Beautiful Outdoor Lighting Schemes

Decorative lighting in your garden makes it possible to enjoy your yard at any time of day, or night. Expand your outdoor entertainment opportunities with solar, candle, or electric garden lights.

Solar lights are great for places that would be hard to reach with an electrical cord, like a tree near the end of your property. Often, these lights turn on and off automatically. Consider lanterns for garden parties to light the paths at twilight. Spot and flood lights are great for illuminating the sides of your home and discouraging the approach of intruders. Watch this video to learn about lighting your home during the holidays and much more.

For more lighting ideas and professional lighting installation, call McBride Lighting & Electrical Services. We’ll give you everything you need to keep your garden well lit at night. Call on of our expert Denver electricians at (720) 250-9777 today. 

4 Benefits of Ceiling Fan Installation You Can't Miss Out On

Ceiling fans do so much more than simply circulate air. They help a room feel less stuffy, add a decorative element, and can actually contribute to both cooling and heating. These are benefits you cannot miss out on. Keep reading to learn why you should ask your electrician about installation of a ceiling fan.

1. Keep Rooms from Feeling Stuffy
Ceiling fans circulate air constantly when on and prevent air from becoming stale or stuffy. You and your guests will benefit from the refreshing distribution of air day-in and day-out.

2. Add Decoration and Dimension to a Room
Ceiling fans also come in a wide variety of styles to complement and enhance any room. From the fan blades themselves to the motor and drop-down height, you can choose ceiling fan features that can be customized to the theme, style, and size of any room.

3. Stay Cool
Of course, ceiling fans offer excellent cooling benefits. When used in conjunction with your air conditioner, they actually help your HVAC system’s performance. You can save on energy and cooling costs with a ceiling fan because you can turn down your thermostat by a few degrees without any difference to the indoor temperature. It’s estimated that a room with a ceiling fan can feel up to five degrees cooler. Another benefit of a ceiling fan is if your air conditioner breaks down in the summer, you’ll at least have some form of cooling in order to stay comfortable.

4. And Stay Warm!
You can use your ceiling fan during the winter too. It may seem strange, but ceiling fans can actually help distribute warm air. All you have to do is reverse the direction of the fan blades’ rotation. Here’s how it works: Hot air rises naturally and collects at the top of rooms with high ceilings. A ceiling fan in reverse will actually push air upward, which in turn pushes the warm air along the ceiling downward.

McBride Lighting & Electrical Services offers expert ceiling fan installation services. We’ll make sure your new ceiling fan is installed for proper, safe, and effective use. We also offer electrician services in Denver. Give us a call today at (720) 250-9777 to learn more.  

The Various Types of Wiring in Your Home

Your home’s electrical system incorporates several different types of wiring and electrical lines. These consist of lines that supply varying levels of power, lines that carry data, and the phone line that can be used to supply data in addition to voice communications. Explore these types of wiring and electrical components to learn how they keep your home “wired” in this day and age.

• Power: The most common types of electrical work inside your home are natural power lines. This type of electrical wiring delivers power to every room in your house. These wires terminate at outlets, which offer places for you to plug in appliances and electronics. Your home will also have high-voltage wiring and outlets for specialized appliances such as your oven, clothes dryer, and more.
  
  All of your home's wiring goes through your electrical breaker panel, commonly known as the fuse box. In this are breakers and fuses designed to protect your electrical circuits in the event of an overload or surge.
   
• Data: Today, most homeowners have cable television, high-speed internet, and often internet telephone services. These connections are carried over data lines, which are another type of electrical wiring. Typically in the form of coaxial cable, these lines contain fiber optics that allow for the rapid transfer of data.
   
• Phone: All homes have phone lines, which were once used only to provide voice communications. In fact, telephone poles are still known by their colloquial name even though they carry all three types of electrical lines. Phone lines were the first carriers of internet data before the advent of high-speed internet.

To learn more about your home's electrical system, and for any electrical troubleshooting, contact Denver’s own McBride Lighting & Electrical Services at (720) 250-9777. We can diagnose, repair, and replace any type of electrical wiring in your home. Visit us online for more information.