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Boat Dock Lighting Mistakes to Avoid

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dock lighting anderson scAn electrical boat dock in Anderson SC will provide you with convenient and safe access to your boat. When you are designing your boat dock with a company offering residential electrical services, you should be sure to install lighting that provides you with proper visibility. When you are docking your boat at night or in harsh weather conditions, your dock lights will allow you to safely maneuver your vessel. A company offering residential electrical services and lighting near Anderson SC can help you design the perfect lighting configuration for your dock. To assist you with your project, here is a look at some common boat dock lighting mistakes that should be avoided.

Installing Elevated Bright Lights
When you are installing boat dock lighting, it is important to avoid installing lights that are tall and very bright. If your lighting is installed too high off of the level of the dock, your visibility may be compromised. Instead, it is a great idea to install smaller lights that are at the hip level of the average person. This lighting level will provide you with proper visibility when you are getting off of your boat.

Choosing Metal Light Casings
Another boat dock lighting mistake to avoid is using lights that are housed in metal casing. Since metal reacts and corrodes when it comes into contact with water, metal lights will quickly deteriorate when they are installed on your boat dock. To ensure that your boat dock lights last for as long as possible, you can choose lights that are housed in waterproof plastic.

Neglecting the End of the Dock
As you are designing your boat dock lighting, you may pay specific attention to the area where passengers will disembark from the vessel. However, it is also highly important to illuminate the end of your dock. To ensure that you are able to identify your dock when you are pulling in during the nighttime, you can incorporate one or more colored lights into your design.

Christmas Light Safety

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christmas light safety

A house lit up with Christmas lights is a beautiful sight to behold. But stringing lights across your roof and around your home can be a real safety hazard if you’re not careful. So before you flip the switch to dazzle friends and family with your spectacular light show, take a few moments to run through a quick safety checklist.

Before you string up a single strand of lights, carefully check them for cracked cords, frayed ends or loose connections.

The combination of shorts in electrical lights and a tinder-dry tree can be deadly.There are 250 Christmas tree fires and 14 related deaths each year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. So keep your tree well-watered. Not only will it stay fresh and green, but it might also keep your house from burning down.

Modern lights have fused plugs, preventing sparks in case of a short circuit. Ditch old strands of lights that don’t have fuses and get a set of newer, safer lights.

If bulbs have burned out, replace them right away, but make sure you use the correct wattage bulbs.

Water and debris can get into outdoor sockets, so make sure outdoor lights are plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet to reduce the risk of shorts and shocks.

Don’t use tacks, nails or screws to hang lights, which can pierce the cable and become electrified. Use insulated hooks instead.

When running extension cords along the ground, make sure to elevate plugs and connectors with a brick to keep snow, water and debris out of the connections. Also, tape down any ground-level extensions cords to prevent people from tripping over them.

Not all lights are rated for outdoor use. Indoor lights often have thinner insulation, which which can become cracked and damaged when exposed to the elements outdoors. So make sure the ones you string up on the house belong out there.

Don’t leave Christmas lights running when you go to bed at night or when you leave the house.

When you put your lights back into storage after the holidays, make sure to put them in a well-sealed container to prevent possible water damage and to block hungry rodents looking to turn the cords into lunch.

Adam Verwymeren is a Networx – http://www.networx.com – writer.

Lighting for Home Security

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Security Lighting to keep your home Safe, Secure, and Attractive

One responsibility of being a homeowner is making sure that your home is as safe and secure as you can make it. Locks and other physical measures can stop an actual burglary attempt, but well-placed security lighting serves to deter would-be criminals from seeing your home as a target. Here are a few things to think about when installing home security lighting:

Enhance Surveillance

If you have surveillance, it is a very good idea to make certain that the areas being monitored are well-lit. A poorly lit area will produce poor surveillance footage and not be helpful when needed.

Choose Professional Installation

There are many systems available that are easy to install yourself, but having professionally installed security lighting can make the difference that you need to be better protected. A professionally installed lighting system will be installed with higher quality equipment and ensure that it is installed properly and connected reliably.

Where Install Exterior Lighting?

• Garages
• Doorways
• Entryways
• Porches
• Dark, Shadowed areas

It is important to keep these areas illuminated at night either with motion activated lights or permanent night time lighting.
Putting these measures in place will go a long way toward improving the safety and security of your home. Security lighting can light help you avoid trips and falls and make it easier to find the keyhole when opening your front door.

Contact Isom Elecitrc for top-of-the-line exterior lighting systems. We look forward to handling all your lighting needs.

Parking Lot Safety – Not Just for Business Owners

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Now that the time has changed and it’s getting darker earlier, most business owners have already taken care of parking lot lighting maintenance. But even well lit parking lots can have hidden dangers at this time of the year. To help keep everyone protected, we found an easy to follow list of tips from Allied Barton.

“Pedestrians can make themselves easy targets in parking lots. Usually, they don’t even realize it. The following tips can help make your use of parking lots safer:

  • Stay alert and walk briskly with your head up and your shoulders back. Criminals look for easy marks such as people who are slouched over, preoccupied or fumbling with packages.
  • Look around the parking lot and your vehicle for suspicious people. If you notice odd behavior, inform security or the police immediately.
  • Walk with others when possible.
  • Walk in a well-lit area.
  • Be aware of noises and movements.
  • Avoid wearing visibly expensive jewelry.
  • Have your keys in your hands and ready to open your vehicle.
  • Look into your vehicle’s front and rear seats before entering it.
  • If someone approaches your vehicle inquiring about directions, do not open your door or roll your window down.
  • If you are alone at night, ask security to escort you to your vehicle.

Parking lots are targeted locations for the theft of valuables from a vehicle, as well as theft of the vehicle itself. A little planning may prevent such events from occurring.

  • Park near other vehicles or in high pedestrian and vehicle traffic areas. Parking in an isolated area is a welcome mat for criminals.
  • Park in a well-lit area.
  • Keep packages and valuables out of sight in your vehicle—either under a seat or in the glove box or trunk.
  • When leaving your vehicle, be certain your windows are rolled up and your doors are locked.
  • Criminals walk through parking lots looking for easy opportunities, such as vehicles with unlocked doors or packages and valuables in plain sight. Before leaving your vehicle, take time to double-check that your car is not an easy target.”

Where we feel that a well lit parking lot does a good deal for the safety of the general public, we also know that there are many things consumers can do to help stay safe this holiday season. Hope its a happy, healthy, and safe season for all!