Category: Home Wiring

Let There Be Light

Posted on | by Southwest Florida Electric Inc.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA LIGHTING

We Turn On The Lights!

Dark parking lots and outdoor home lighting can create an unsafe environment for your prospective customers and your home. We have the team that can keep your property looking great with lighting and lighting design.

Business (Lots of Light!)

Southwest Florida Electric is more than just a team of lighting experts, we want to be YOUR lighting experts. We can maintain all of your outdoor lighting equipment and parking lot pole lighting as well. Our boom truck can quickly install new lights on any poles or high placements so that your business glows brightly.

Residential

We are like a Swiss Army Knife of lighting. To make your property shine bright we offer everything from complete lighting design to installing new chandeliers or lights. We will do what it takes to make your home warm and inviting.

No project is too big or too small, whether it’s a light fixture, adding dimmer switches or installing a ceiling fan, we would be happy help.

Watt We Do:

  • Outdoor lighting repairs
  • Indoor lighting repairs
  • Landscape lighting
  • Pole lighting maintenance
  • Parking lot lighting repair
  • Commercial lighting maintenance
  • Flood light repair
  • Electric sign maintenance
  • LED retrofits
  • Replacement bulbs and ballasts
  • Commercial light service

Landscape Lighting Ideas to Brighten up Your Florida Home

Posted on | by Southwest Florida Electric Inc.

When you pull up your driveway after a night out with the family, do you come back to a bleak, unlit home? 

You take pride in your house and want it to look just as inviting from the outside as it is in. While you can easily admire your beautiful landscaping when the sun is shining, all your careful design and aesthetic is hidden in the dark. 

Give your property a second wind of life all night long with these creative outdoor landscape lighting ideas for your Florida home:

Spotlight your focal points.

Everyone’s back and front yards have special nooks where their handiwork is at its best. Maybe it’s your front porch’s cozy seating area or your beautifully decorated entryway, where a touch of light makes them all-the-more inviting after the sun goes down. Or perhaps your backyard garden is your favorite spot to gaze, and a little light could bring it new life under the moon.

The same features you admire during the day can be illuminated with the right directional spotlighting. Shine a light on your towering 30-year-old palm tree to watch it sway in the evening breeze. Or brighten your elegant siding to show off your home’s sharp paneling and give your landscape some well-needed dimension from the street. 

Line your sidewalks with path lights.

After the sun goes down, your sidewalks can become tripping hazards for not only guests, but your own family as well. Even small elevations and crevices are easily missed, or your lovely garden all-too-easily trampled. It’s amazing how a few neatly lined lights can do so much to improve both the safety and the aesthetics of your walkways.

Invest in decorative pathway lamps with solar-charging properties, so you won’t have to worry about replacing the batteries every few weeks. These handy solar garden lights can also help to cut back on your electric bill and reduce your emissions footprint— well worth the investment! 

Never underestimate the power of string lights.

There’s just something so classic and chic about a set of string lights draped overhead. Imagine them twinkling while enjoying a late-night drink on your patio furniture or socializing with loved ones under your open lanai. 

The nice thing about string lights is that they come in many different varieties. From the vintage Edison bulb to orbed lanterns, your string lights can match your specific outdoor decor and the exact mood you’re trying to create. Their low glow helps to gently brighten your landscape, creating an intimate bubble in the night for you and guests to relax in your own private “home-away-from-home.”

Bring the candles outdoors.

Directional LEDs work for flooding your property with enough light to see, but scattering a few candles throughout your front and back yard can bring a natural glow to your outdoor oases. 

Think outside of the box, beyond the centerpiece candle on your outdoor table. During nights when you’re entertaining guests, place floating candles in your hot tub or pool for an elegant look. Or, scatter candles across your outdoor ledges and side tables, or place them in your indoor window sills.

Consider “caging” your candles to keep them protected from rain or wind. Modern lanterns can elevate your aesthetic— on the ground, on tables, or hanging from overhead, wherever you can sneak them in. And how could we Floridians overlook the staple tiki torch? These tiny flames highlight soft features and breathe life and energy into your outdoor hangout. 

Flood your pool with light.

Let’s be honest, your pool is one of your favorite things about your backyard. Not only is it your cool-off savior during the day, but your lanai is also your evening lounge. Instead of only placing lights on tables or strung up around your pool, circle newly installed recessed lights around the blue. You could even shine lights down on it to watch the water glisten after hours.

If your home has other water features like a fountain or waterfall, these are other terrific focal points to spotlight. When guests are over, these are great places for floating candles, to add an intimate, “party” vibe to your landscape. 

Leave the lighting to the professionals.

Do you have a vision for a brighter outdoor experience, but don’t want to go around installing spotlights and replacing bulbs?

Our team is here to help. From complete landscape lighting design and installation to small adjustments, we’re SWFL’s Swiss Army Knife of lighting.

Explore our Residential Lighting Services and request a property assessment to discuss your bright landscape lighting ideas, today. 

Fort Myers Electrician Pricing

The Do’s and Don’ts of DIY Electrical Projects

Posted on | by Southwest Florida Electric Inc.

When you own a home, there are many times when doing the job yourself can save you some money instead of hiring the project out. That said, it’s important to remember that you don’t want to do a job bigger than you can handle.

When looking at electrical projects, some of the things you can do yourself include the following:

  • Change a light fixture
  • Replace a wall outlet
  • Replace a switch
  • Rewire a lamp
  • Attach an appliance cord

However, even these things need a little bit of knowledge to accomplish, so make sure you do the proper research before starting your project.

There are jobs you absolutely should not attempt but rather find a professionally trained electrician to do. These are:

  • Rewiring jobs
  • Wiring room additions on your home
  • Wiring breaker boxes

If you are embarking on a DIY Electrical Project, here are some do’s and don’ts you’ll want to consider.

Do: Use Proper Tools

For example, you want to use wire strippers to cut electrical wires. Any other tool might damage the wires and be a hazard to your fingers. Having a flashlight handy is always a good idea, especially if you are in an area where natural light does not reach.

Don’t: Rush the Job

Make sure you have plenty of time to complete your task. Even when changing a light fixture, you may run into an unforeseen issue. Once replaced, if a light fixture is on a switch, that switch may not work after it is turned back on. Make sure you have researched your project fully to know what you should do if this problem arises.

Do: Test All Switches Before You Start

Make sure you know and label what all switches are for. Test them again with a multimeter after you’ve cut the power to make absolutely sure they have no electricity flowing to them. You do not want to start work and receive any kind of shock!

Don’t: Trust Breaker Box Labels

Even though your breaker box is labeled with rooms, it may be different than what you would consider that room to be. If you did not build your home or put on your own breaker box labels, you need to test all circuits before you start work. You may flip a switch for an area labeled as “office” only to find out that the area you think is an office was originally a dining room and was labeled as such. Checking and double-checking that power is cut is the first rule of electric work.

Do: Know When You’re In Over Your Head

If you get into any kind of DIY electrical project and run into problems you aren’t prepared for, it is better to call an electrician than to risk making a small project a large problem. Not just for the wellbeing of your electrical system but for your physical safety as well!

 

Southwest Florida Electric has a team of experienced electricians who are ready to ensure your home’s electric projects are done properly and carefully. Anytime you need a professional, reach out to our helpful customer service professionals who can provide you with a highly trained electrician for your home project.

How to Plan Your Home Renovation Wiring and Lighting

Posted on | by Southwest Florida Electric Inc.

Renovating and remodeling are no small undertakings. After all, you want your dream home to be perfect for you. Determining a layout design, choosing colors, and picking materials are tough enough without the added pressure of electrical plans.

However, in order to pull off the perfect remodeling project, electrical plans must be tackled. We know this process can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide will help ease the headache of renovating with the electrical plans that allow your renovations project to proceed smoothly.

Why Electrical is so Important

Without the correct electrical plan, your renovation can go from dream to nightmare. This is because your home’s electrical plan dictates where all outlets can be placed and how lighting fixtures are accessed and activated.

A major annoyance for any homeowner is difficult to access outlets or light switches with placements that make no sense. In order to have a seamless, convenient, and functional home, adequate electrical wiring is crucial.

Power-Reliant Devices

Each electrical plan is unique and largely depends on the room(s) you want to remodel and the devices which each room holds. For example, a kitchen will need sufficient heavy-duty power sources for a large appliance like a stove or a fridge, as well as convenient smaller outlets for smaller appliances like a toaster.

Living rooms often need an abundance of typical outlets for televisions sets, computers, and lamps. However, if you plan on including an electric fireplace in your new living room, the electrical plan will need to consider this as well.

Light Sources

Consider your renovation area’s lighting needs, room size, and how you’ll use the space. Will there be a ceiling fixture which needs to be specially wired? Or standard standing lamps which rely on outlets?

In many rooms, broad lighting may not be enough, and smaller task-based lighting may need to be considered as well. For example, stove lights or under cabinet lights in the kitchen, desk lamps or corner lamps in a living room or study.

When all of these factors are added to the electrical plan, it ensures your lighting needs will be well met.

Placement of Furniture

One of the most exciting parts of renovation is the opportunity to let your inner interior designer shine through. Furniture selection and its placement are seen by many as a functional art form, but one thing is often forgotten during this process: outlet access.

Consider where your new furniture will go, and what outlets need to be accessed in what areas. For instance, if you plan to add a built-in entertainment center on one wall, there should be enough outlets to power the center. A work desk should have access to an outlet nearby for lamps, computers, or other devices as well, depending on your own needs.

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Holidays

Electrical plans and holidays may seem worlds apart when thinking about renovating. However, it is crucial to include how you decorate or rearrange for holidays, gatherings, and events in your electrical plan.

If you like to fully “deck the halls” with lights during the winter holidays, allow for extra outlets during the remodel. If you have a special place for a lighted Christmas tree, ensure the area will have an extra outlet so the tradition can continue.

Additionally, if you like to rearrange parts of your home for large gatherings and add more table or seating, consider if other outlets still need to be accessible during that time, or if extras are necessary.

How Southwest Florida Electric Can Help

The key to navigating electrical plans is to really think about the space you will have once the remodel is finished. Take into consideration everything from quantity and type of outlets needed, light sources, furniture placement, and holiday or event decoration.

One this is all taken into account, our professionals can get to work ensuring your electrical plan is the icing on the cake for your seamless renovation. If you’re ready to take control of your electrical plan and make your renovation that much easier, then contact us today and let’s get started!

homeowners electrical guide