The Cost of LED Light Installation: How Much Should You Pay for Greater Efficiency?

LED lights are very popular thanks to their versatility and efficiency. Light emitting diodes (LED) are a semiconductor that converts electricity into illumination. Some people are reluctant to switch because of the cost and different terminology used when shopping for LEDs. We asked some experts from Connect Electric Adelaide if they could give us some tips on what LED’s to pick and how much you can expect to pay.

Choosing Your LED Bulbs

Instead of watts, LEDs work in lumens. Less wattage is required, so you won’t be searching for a 100w LED light. The equivalent in lumens will appear much smaller.

For example, a 40W incandescent bulb is equal to a 6W LED bulb, which is approximately 450 lumens of light output. A 10W LED generates 1,000 lumens, which is the same as a 75W incandescent bulb. And a 25W LED produces 2,500 lumens, which is the same as a 150W incandescent light.

There are also several colour options available. Most LED bulbs are available in warm white, cool white, or natural.

The Cost of LED Lights

The initial cost of an LED is higher than that of the average incandescent bulb. It may seem counterintuitive from a money-saving standpoint. However, you must look beyond the initial purchase.

LED bulbs have a very long lifespan, with some products surviving over 35,000 hours. They are also 85% cheaper to use compared to incandescent bulbs. They generate less heat, which means that your home’s cooling system won’t have to consume as much energy to maintain comfortable temperatures.

If you plan to retrofit your old bulbs with LEDs, then the cost will vary based on the wattage/lumens and type of product you plan to use. A 5.3W LED costs over $7 while a 5.5W is almost $12. A standard 10W LED globe replacement will cost between $12 and $18.

You can also choose LED bulbs with smart technology that can change colour on demand. These can run upwards of $50 to $80, depending on brand, quantity, and features.

Are LED Lights Worth the Cost?

According to ThinkProgress the average price of an LED bulb has dropped by over 85% in recent years and the number of instillations have skyrocketed. There’s also the long-term cost of operation to consider.

A high-quality LED bulb costs approximately $4 per year to run. It would take five or more incandescent bulb replacements to equal the lifespan of one LED.

LED lights are also cheaper to run compared to halogen bulbs. You’ll spend over $250 more in operation costs and replacements to run halogen bulbs compared to the price of LEDs.

The savings increase when you apply the replacement and running costs to your entire household. The average home has around 37 lights. When you multiply the savings, it’s easy to see why LEDs are so appealing.

Now is a great time to start switching to LED bulbs. If you can’t afford to switch all your lights, then start with one or two at a time. Convert to LEDs as your old bulbs burn out. There aredifferent brightness levels to choose from as well as colours that can keep your home well-lit and comfortable.

An ultimate guide to portable storage units

Portable storage units are blessings in plain sight. These are extremely large sturdy containers that allow you to store your personal belongings for the desired amount of time. These portable storage units can then be kept on your property or moved elsewhere based on your requirements.

What does the process of using a portable storage unit entail?

There are several unanswered questions regarding the use of portable storage units. What is the ideal size of the unit required? What are the criteria for renting them? How do you move these storage units? Do they add to your hassle of moving out or do they help in the process?

Here's the ultimate guide that would answer most of these questions and help you to maximize the utility of these portable storage units.

Portable storage units or Self-storage facility

You might face the dilemma while selecting the kind of storage service you want to opt for. While both options have pros and cons choosing a portable storage unit as the way to go ahead would save you time as you will not have to drive to the storage facility and also allow you to have 24/7 access to your belongings which isn’t offered by most storage facilities having the self-storage option. Portable storage units also allow you to load the objects at ground level which is a much more convenient option than loading heavy objects on elevated moving trucks.

Decide the size of the container

Once you figure out that you are proceeding with portable storage units, you need to decide the size of the units as per your requirement. This decision should be based on the number of belongings you need to store and the area available in your backyard if you plan on keeping the unit on your property for a long time. You have options to choose from a unit sized from 5’x5’ to one sized 10’x 30’. You can personalize the dimensions as per your requirements.

Ask for additional features

It is advised to inquire whether the portable storage units have amenities like climate control and also if they are waterproof. A climate-controlled unit will regulate the temperature and humidity which is necessary while storing materials like pieces of fine art or books to prevent molding. It also helps when expensive clothes or electrical appliances are kept in the storage unit as it will protect the objects from mildew or any such climatic effects depending on your geographic location.

Check the business-oriented features

If you are running a business that requires an extra long term lease for renting the portable storage unit, be sure you compare the prices between several facilities and choose the one that appears most feasible. Businesses like small restaurant owners can benefit immensely by using a storage unit as it would create more space to seat diners and also maintain the aesthetics of the place. The portability of the unit can also be useful on construction sites as it gives an opportunity to keep the heavy instruments safe throughout the period of the project and easily transfer them to new sites.

Availability of portable storage units in your locality

It is best to check whether the storage units are available on the days you desire and can be delivered to your doorstep on the same day if required. You can find these details through several online portals or by calling the storage facilities. This ensures that your process of moving, redecorating or smoothly decluttering starts because of the timely arrival of the storage units.

At last - Select the provider carefully

Once you have figured out all the details about the portable storage unit that you will require, pre-book the storage unit well in advance. List all the items that need to be stored and create a checklist so that you have an organized mindset throughout the hectic process. Also, be sure to check if there are any cancellation charges applied in case you need to reschedule the booking or cancel it altogether. Always choose the provider who offers the maximum sense of security, flexibility in terms of services and easy access.

4 Things That You Need for Your Family Home

As appealing it is to immediately buy a house for sale in Cabanatuan, you should still consider the many other things that you might need to furnish that family home. You can go a minimalist route, or just fill it up with whatever you want. Just make sure that you have your essentials at the ready.

For budding homeowners that aren’t exactly sure what things you need, here’s a short list that you can use for reference!

Beds

It’s common sense that every family home should have a bed or two. Although you still can sleep on the couch, the bed is the most comfortable option you have. Bear in mind that there are other homes that don’t have a bed and that’s okay.

However, it might be in your best interest to get a bed and a bed frame to be as comfortable as can be.

Kitchen Appliances

This goes without saying. You can’t really call a place without any way of cooking a home—since you’ll be spending a ton in buying food or getting them delivered to you. Among the kitchen appliances that you need to have is a refrigerator, a stove, and a microwave. That should be enough for a new family. You have the refrigerator for storage, stove for cooking, and the microwave for heating leftovers!

Of course, paired with kitchen appliances are plates and utensils. Which everyone should have since its what you will use to cook and eat.

Tables and Chairs

They don’t need to be the fancy kind. Just the most durable ones you can get. Be extra particular with the table that you get. It should be just right for your home. Be it a round table or a rectangular one. Make sure that it can fit the whole family so that you can all eat dinner together in the dining room!

Of course, you should pair that with some comfortable chairs. Dining chairs should be simple and match the table and dining decorations. That being said, you could also consider getting mono-block chairs so that you can use it anywhere in your home!

An Internet Connection

Though you can get internet through the data that you have on your phone, it wouldn’t harm you to get an internet connection dedicated to your home, the vast majority of things nowadays can be accessed on the Internet. It can be used by you and your kids for educational purposes, or simple entertainment.

It also provides a great stable way of communicating with people around the world, unlike a hotline that would only let you call within the country at varying costs.

Key Takeaway

At the end of the day, a home is a shelter. It’s somewhere you should feel comfortable enough to sleep tightly at night. That being said, even though there are so many machines, equipment, and toys that seem to be important for every home, you can actually boil it down to your bed, your kitchen, and dining room, and an Internet connection. With this as your bare minimum, we can assure you that you’ll be fine and comfortable within your new home!

Strengthen Your Home Security With These 5 Tips

The world today has come up with multiple security protocols to make sure that they are safe within their homes. There are simple options and complex ones, cheap ones and expensive equipment. Houses have CCTV systems while hotels and other accommodation have their own visitor management system. In the Philippines, where crime is not isolated to the bustling cities, it’s incredibly important to keep one’s home as secure as possible.

Although there are countless guides on how you can double up on home security, some of them can be a little over the top. For those who want to be able to do something fairly easy, here are our tips on how you can strengthen your home security with ease!

Secure All Entrances

For thieves to steal your belongings, they should first enter your house. If they’re not able to enter, they won’t be able to do anything.

As such, arguably the most important tip we can give you is to make sure that your doors and windows are fully secured—and this doesn’t mean just locking them.

Inbuilt locks in doors are usually not that great. Unless you have already chosen a strong locking mechanism, it won’t hold against a forceful push or a slam of a hammer. It could also be the victim of lockpicks.

Because of this, it is highly recommended that you double up the strength of your locks. This can be done by adding different locks or turning to digital lock systems.

The most popular and accessible choice would be to install a barrel-bolt lock along with a door chain. This would usually be enough to prevent most hooligans from trying to get into your home.

Bear in mind that you should also secure windows and sliding doors which can be a bit more tricky since they would only have room for another lock and key. Still, you can try and install other locks to make it more secure.

Another option is to add railings or an extra gate to these windows and sliding doors. Gates help a lot in deterring theft as it makes it extremely hard to get into houses unseen.

Keep your Home Lit

During the night, it’s incredibly easy to become sneaky and enter a house when there’s little to no light source. Make sure that you at least have a light on your windows and doors just to make sure that if there was anyone who was trying to break in, they’ll be in the spotlight of your lightbulb.

Install CCTV Cameras

The second point works well with this once. Having a surveillance system is one of the best deterrents of burglars simply because none of them want to be caught red-handed while they’re on the move.

Surveillance systems are great for deterring and following up on burglaries. In the unfortunate circumstance wherein a house gets broken in, a well placed and hidden camera can capture who and how exactly it was possible, making catching the criminal an incredibly easy thing to do.

Avoid Proclaiming your Whereabouts

One of the easiest ways for would-be burglars to know if a house is a potential target is through social media. Families who tend to proclaim to the world the beauty of their vacation the time they’re spending not in their home are the most appealing targets, especially if these burglars and thieves have been eyeing out and studying the town for quite a while.

Posting your whereabouts on social media is one of the most common practices of the Filipino people. Everything that we do, whether if it’s unique or not is put into Instagram of Facebook for the people to know.

Beware of doing this from now on, because as soon as burglars find out that you’re not in your house for an extended period of time, even if you had alarm systems or deceptive mechanisms installed, there won’t be much risk of getting caught, especially with how the Filipino people would prefer to mind their own business in these times.

Hide your Personal Belongings

Of course, you can’t be a victim of thieves when they don’t have anything to steal from you! although it’s not that easy to hide a 32” flat-screen TV in the middle of your living room, you can still hide some of your more important items in safes or secret compartments. This includes your wallet, your IDs, your personal files and the like.

Personal information is more valuable nowadays than some appliances, so you should make sure that these are hidden and secured at all costs.

Appliances can be replaced, but your identification can be compromised in the wrong hands.

Key Takeaway

Home security is an important topic to discuss, especially in the Philippines. All commercial buildings have their own visitor management systems but not every residential home has a security protocol to keep things safe. Consider the tips listed above when you plan on securing your home to the fullest!