Lighting Plan For New Construction

You’ve spent months drafting blueprints for your new building, and you can’t wait for construction to begin. But have you given much thought to its lighting plan?

As you decide how to light the interior of your building, consider the following:

When you’re designing a lighting plan for your new building, take these factors into account:

Ceiling Height

Ever hit your head on a light fixture that was hanging a little too low? It’s a sign of a poorly designed lighting plan.

Light fixtures that are flush to the ceiling will work best in basements or attics. In rooms with high ceilings, you have more space to showcase a chandelier or pendant light. Make sure to measure the fixture before installing it, so that it won’t hang too low. 

Energy Efficiency 

You might not think about the energy demands of a property while it’s under construction—but you will when your first hydroelectricity bill comes in.

Smart lighting features can save energy and lower your electricity costs. Consider these energy-efficient lighting features:

Smart lights might have a higher upfront cost, but the energy efficiency will pay for itself over time.

Variety & Style

If you use the same light fixture in every room, your lighting plan might become a bit boring. There are so many different light fixtures to choose from, including recessed lighting, track lights, and ceiling strip lights. 

You shouldn’t sacrifice functionality for style, but when you have the opportunity, consider installing a few accent pieces in the building. Contact your local electrician to make sure that the building has enough electrical capacity to power all the fixtures.

Dimmers or No Dimmers?

Dimmers give residents more control over the lighting in their homes. During the day, they can make rooms bright and cool-toned; as the sun sets, they can dim the lights to create a more relaxed atmosphere. While this serves a purpose in residential constructions, it may be less useful in commercial settings.

If you’re designing an office space, employees will need well-lit workspaces. In a commercial building, there might be no use for dimmers. Your staff will need bright lights to work safely and efficiently.

But the opposite is true of a residential home. Dim lights in a bathroom can create a comfortable ambience. In a bedroom, less light is required; you could supplement it with floor or table lamps. 

Lighting Codes 

If you install electrical wiring yourself, you could put the safety of the building occupants at risk. DIY electrical work is less safe than what a professional offers. It also poses a higher risk of fire hazards. Most electrical work requires permits; if you fail to obtain these permits, you may be ineligible for insurance if you ever have to make a claim. 

To protect your property insurance and the safety of building occupants, be sure to work with a certified electrician.

Designing a lighting plan is an important part of any new construction. To do that, you’ll need to contact electrical contractors in Winnipeg. At Powertec Electric, we’re here to help. Call us today to get a free quote for your next project.

4 Reasons You Should Always Hire A Licensed Electrician

There are many home renovations that you can do yourself. Painting the walls, staining the cabinets, and even making your own furniture are a few examples. But electrical work isn’t necessarily one of them. 

Hiring an electrician shouldn’t be the corner you cut to save on your budget. It’s a matter of safety: one faulty wire and your house might go up in flames. Here’s why hiring a licensed electrician is important:

 

You’ll save time.

It’s often said that time is money. Many DIY-savvy homeowners like to skip out on hiring professionals so that they don’t have to pay for their services. However, this means that they’ll need to use their own time to get the work done.

The many hours you’ll spend researching electrical installation, purchasing equipment, and then setting it up could be spent on other tasks. For example, doing work on your home that doesn’t pose a safety hazard!

 

DIY is not as cost-effective as you might think.

Any savings are lost if the job isn’t done right the first time. You’ll have to spend additional time and money fixing your mistakes. Not to mention that this could have all been avoided in the first place if a licensed electrician did the work.

Think about what would happen if your electrical work caused damage to your home. That’s another cost that you’ll need to cover out of pocket. When you add up all these expenses, hiring a licensed electrician pays for itself.

 

If you do the work yourself, it might void your insurance.

Home insurance is important for peace of mind. When accidents happen, you want to know that you’ll be covered for financial losses. However, insurance providers won’t give you coverage if your electrical work was not done by a licensed electrician. 

The last thing you want to learn after a house fire is that your insurance won’t cover the expenses, simply because your electrician wasn’t licensed. 

If you hire an electrician that isn’t licensed, you’ll be liable for any damages they suffer on the job. Doing the work yourself, or hiring someone who isn’t qualified, is not a risk that’s worth taking.

 

There won’t be any uncertainty about the safety of your home.

Even if you do the work yourself, and don’t encounter any immediate issues, you have to wonder: what does the future hold? In a year or two, will something go wrong that could have been prevented? 

These are the kinds of thoughts that might keep you up at night. Is it worth skipping a bill to deal with this persistent anxiety? Probably not. 

When you hire a licensed electrician, they’ll perform a detailed inspection of your home and detect any potential dangers. These issues will be addressed immediately, so you won’t have to worry about any accidents waiting to happen.

The safety of your family and home is invaluable. It’s well worth it to hire an electrician who knows what they’re doing to guarantee that safety. You won’t need to worry about electrical fires resulting from faulty wiring or improper installation. 

So, you’ve decided that you’ll need an electrician for your next remodel—the next step is finding the right one. Of all the Winnipeg electrical companies, Powertec Electric is one of the best. Call us whenever you need a licensed electrician!

How Will The Coronavirus Affect Energy Usage?

The novel coronavirus is affecting everything around us from the restaurant industry to the local public school system. People are out of work and confined to their homes for an indefinite period of time. This virus has impacted every aspect of our economy, but perhaps that is not all that is really going to be affected. For example, many might be wondering just how the virus is affecting our overall energy usage.

Consider the sudden shift that has been made in our energy usage with the onset of this virus. Here are just a few things that experts are speculating about right now:

 

Industrial and Commercial Usage

Many industrialized countries are accustomed to using a significant amount of energy each day. It is spread out across all sectors from industrial to residential with special categories included for transportation and commercial areas. With people being laid off from their jobs at alarming rates, there is a possibility that some of these sectors will see less than half of their usual energy expenditures. 

Take the United States for example. Their industrial, transportation, and commercial industries are all being impacted by government shutdowns. Experts are predicting that they may use less than half of their usual energy for a shutdown that could last up to one full quarter. This could cut their energy usage by roughly 15 quadrillion BTU. 

If you aren’t an expert electrician and don’t really understand what that means, you aren’t alone. In other words, this means that the energy industry might see a $400 billion decrease in spending. 

 

Residential Usage 

On the other hand, people are spending more time at home. They are trying to find better things to do with themselves. This can include browsing the internet, streaming their favourite shows, and combing through social media for the latest updates. At first glance, you may not think much about this sudden shift. After all, how much energy could these endeavors really use up? 

However, it is using more energy than you think. The data centres and server farms that are used to stream this type of data are responsible for a lot of our energy usage. They produce a great deal of carbon dioxide and expend a lot of energy. This means that while we are losing energy in the commercial sector, we are making up for it in the residential one. 

Keep in mind that people are also using less energy for transportation since they are not heading into the office each day or going shopping. 

 

Calling in Electricians

Maintaining your electricity at home is going to be vital during this time. It can help you maintain your sanity and give you something to do with your time. If you find that you need a bit of help with your electricity, whether that means installing a new router or spreading out the electrical load in your living room, be sure to give your local Winnipeg electrician a call. Powertec Electric is ready and waiting to help you, even during these uncertain times! 

How Does A Circuit Breaker Box Work?

You are just settling down in the evening after work with a good movie. The lights are dimmed and your portable space heater is resting near your feet. Things are feeling pretty comfortable and cozy when everything shuts down with no apparent reason. You hear a loud click, and then it’s lights out for you and your movie time. 

 

This is caused by an overloaded circuit - which doesn’t have to be scary; understanding how your circuit breaker box works is relatively simple. Here are all the facts you should know to feel more comfortable about how electricity works in your home: 

 

What is a Circuit Breaker Box? 

The electricity that enters your home first flows through the circuit breaker box. Inside of that box are several different fuses, each one a different size. Smaller rooms tend to have a smaller circuit while larger rooms have more appropriately-sized circuits. These are typically referred to as breakers. 

 

Builders estimate which rooms require larger breakers based on the number of appliances that room will typically hold. For example, kitchens and laundry rooms tend to have bigger circuits to accommodate the influx of electricity required to run all of the appliances. Bedrooms that only require small lamps or overhead fans typically have smaller breakers. 

 

What is a Circuit Overload? 

The circuit breaker, the wire, and the wire insulation work together to let electricity flow to your home. Each breaker is designed to accommodate a certain amount of electricity and no more. If you try to funnel too much electricity through a breaker that cannot handle it, the wire will heat up and that could cause disastrous consequences. 

 

Fortunately, the circuit breaker can tell when you are using too much electricity for the wires to handle. This is when the breaker flips or “trips” as most people refer to it. The breaker flips from the on position and turns off all of the electricity flowing to that particular area of the home. If this does not occur, then the wire will heat up, damage the wire insulation, and eventually spark a fire. 

 

How to Fix the Tripped Breaker

Begin by turning off all the lights and appliances in the room where the breaker has tripped. This is necessary so that you do not automatically overwhelm the breaker when resetting it. Unplug the extra appliances or turn them off. 

 

Inside your circuit breaker box, you will find the tripped breaker. Move it from the “off” position back to the “on” position. This should reset the flow of your electricity. You can return to the room and slowly begin turning on some of the lights and appliances again. Remember not to turn everything back on. You will have to spread out some of your appliance usage to other rooms that still have space on their breakers. 

 

Understanding the Ins and Outs 

Understanding the ins and outs of your circuit breaker box is important for any homeowner. Knowing what happened and how to fix it can help to save you hundreds of dollars in service repair costs. If you are still struggling with your circuit repair box, then be sure to call Powertec Electric, the leading electrical contractors in Winnipeg! 

Featured In Electrical Industry Canada

Finding the right electrician in Winnipeg can be a challenge with so many competing companies on the internet. Everyone claims to have the best service, the best prices, and the best employees. However, it is impossible for every company to offer the very best service around. At Powertec Electric, we are proud to announce that we stand head and shoulders above our competitors and it shows.

Our founder and president, Daniel Lacovetsky, was recently interviewed by Electrical Industry Canada to talk about how Powertec Electric developed its solid business practices. Because of his years of experience working on the front lines of other companies, Lacovetsky has a unique take on the industry. His expertise gives him the insight necessary to create a better company to serve customers and give them something of value. 

Trained Employees

One of the things that sets Powertec Electric apart from other companies is the training that each electrician receives. The industry requires promising electricians to complete an apprenticeship under a more experienced electrician. The employees that you find at Powertec were primarily trained in-house. Many of the workers started off as apprentices and later became journeymen who wanted to remain with the company. 

Despite the fact that many millennials are seen as undependable, Powertec Electric claims the exact opposite. We know that every employee we have hired comes from the brightest bunch of apprentices. Each worker has an excellent work ethic and is dedicated to providing top-notch service to their customers. 

 

Expansive Skill Sets

Electrical Industry Canada is quick to point out that Powertec Electric covers a variety of sectors. Instead of limiting ourselves to one or two areas, we can better serve our customers who need help completing a wide variety of projects. We are being recognized in the industry for our residential, commercial, industrial, and solar work. At the current moment, we are expanding into the Manitoba area and working to provide electricity to some of the infrastructure found there. This has brought new projects our way and given us a chance to broaden our horizons. 

We are currently focusing more on the green aspect of our business. In addition to solar panels, we feel that minimizing the footprint in newer buildings is the way of the future. Most people would agree. Powertec strives to stay ahead of the curve so that we can be experts on the subject matter when the time to switch eventually arrives. By preparing and working on these trends early, we never have to miss a beat with our customers. 

Electrical Industry Canada

We are so proud to be featured by Electrical Industry Canada as one of the leading companies in the Winnipeg area. Our experienced electrical technicians are some of the best around. We strive to stay ahead of the trends and to offer our services wherever they might be needed. Next time you need electrical work done for your home or business, be sure to give Powertec a call and see what we are all about! 

Electric Panel Upgrades and Sub-Panels

Winnipeg has been around for a long time. Not long compared to other cities around the world, but long enough to have some pretty aging infrastructure. We’ve talked about this endlessly on this blog, from knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring to Canada’s general aging infrastructure, but we haven’t tackled something that’s quite important to know about: your electric panel. There are a few reasons you might want to replace your electric panel; we can upgrade it for you.

The first reason and the one we’ve touched on previously is that your system doesn’t have enough capacity. Older systems had a 60 amp power load, not nearly enough to deal with present-day electric requirements; back when these systems were installed, we didn’t have washers, dryers, washing machines, air conditioners, electric furnaces and more all running on the regular. Most of these have now been replaced by 100 amp systems, but if yours hasn’t, you’ll need to upgrade; when this upgrade happens, your electric service panel will also be upgraded. Some homes even need 200 amps; for these homes, the upgrade process is similar.

You might also be inclined to upgrade if you’ve got an old fuse box. Fuse boxes aren’t strictly worse than new circuit breakers; the fuses are more sensitive, and so you’re less likely to have problems in the case of a surge. On the flip side, the maintenance for fuse boxes tends to be a bit more painful, because you have to manually replace the fuses yourself every time. There are also significant security advantages to modern circuit breakers; without going too deep into details, there are protective circuit interrupters called AFCI and GFCI that are required in new installations by the Canadian Electrical Code, and these don’t work with fuse boxes.

Another upgrade you might look to is sub-panels. Sub-panels are just what they sound like - smaller panels that feed off of your main panel. These are especially useful for landlords, because you can have a sub-panel for each unit; very handy for duplexes and other small to medium sized multi-unit dwellings. With sub-panels, your tenants can control the circuit breakers in their units without affecting other tenants, and, most crucially, without needing you to come and flip the switch of the main breaker. That means you can lock the breaker room while leaving your tenants the ability to manipulate their own electricity. Sub-panels can also be useful for new additions, like garages.

No matter what kind of upgrade you need for your service panels in Winnipeg, we’re here for you. We’ll have a highly qualified electrician head down to your home, take a look at your current electrical needs, find the right panel for you, and give you an estimate and a time frame. We’ll handle everything: getting the right panel, installing it, cleaning up, and showing you how to use it. When you have any questions, we’ll be there for you - just give us a call!

Home Electricity Hazards

Human curiosity is part of what makes us so special; we want to know the why and what of things, to better understand how things tick, and how we can use them to our advantage. Fire is the prime example of this; despite the inherent dangers of fire, humans learned to control it to our advantage. In many ways, fire is what made us human to begin with. Our affinity for dangerous energy also led us to harnessing the power of electricity, by virtue of which you’re reading this blog right now.  Of course, just like fire, electricity remains dangerous even when it’s being harnessed for good, and while your home is filled with safety features to guard against electric shock, you should still take some precautions around electricity.

Outlets and plugs are probably the sources of electricity you interact with the most. You should never unplug a plug by the cord, lest it begin to fray or breaks; unplug from the plug itself. Your home should have three-pronged outlets; don’t bypass or remove the third prong, because it grounds the electricity in the case of a short. Avoid running cords under carpets, and avoid using frayed or damaged cords. Never use electrical outlets when your hands are wet, around water, or when the outlets or plugs are wet.

There are some tips for your electrical gadgets, too. They should, of course, not be used near water. That includes gadgets you might use outside; when using a lawn mower or weed whacker, you want to wait until it’s dry out, and your lawn isn’t too moist. When an electrical device like a toaster is jammed, or you want to manipulate it, unplug it first; don’t mess around with the circuitry of an electrical gadget. Keep things unplugged when you’re not using them; not only does this reduce the chances of accidents, it also lowers your electric bill by lowering the number of devices using standby (vampire) power.

Folks with old fuse boxes should know a few fuse safety tips. You want to disconnect and turn off any items connected to a circuit before replacing that circuit’s fuse; that advice is practical if you have a non-fuse breaker, too. Use a fuse with the same rating as the one you’re replacing, and make sure you have good lighting when you replace the fuse; use a flashlight if necessary. Loose fuses are prone to overheating, so make sure the fuse is nice and snug.

When it comes to working on the wiring and circuits in your home, the safest thing to do is hire a professional; it’s one of the most dangerous things in your house. Winnipeg electrical contractors can come in on an emergency basis to help you out, and are available to schedule for bigger jobs; don’t risk life and limb to do work you’re not adept at. Electrical contractors are also going to do a better job; they’re experts who will ensure that your electric work meets bylaw requirements.

Modernizing Canada’s Aging Power Grid

In the 70s and 80s, there was a lot of investment into electrical infrastructure in Canada. New technologies were demanding higher electrical capacity in homes, and the growth of Canada’s large urban centres meant that demand was sure to remain high. The surge of investment into the grid was so monumental that supply actually ended up outweighing demand, and electricity could be bought on the cheap for many years. These investments have sustained us for quite some time, but we may now be reaching the breaking point of our electric grid.

A report that ran in 2011 indicates that Canada will need an investment of $293 billion in it’s power grid before the year 2030. Most of this money would have to be focused on the generation of electricity, with some committed to distribution and transmission. Exactly how this money would be invested is unclear, as there is no national power grid; generation and distribution are handled largely by provincial entities like Manitoba Hydro. These entities might invest their own cash into improving the grid; projects like the Bipole III cost billions of dollars. The advantage to our Crown Corporation is clear: increased capacity means it’s easier to sell electricity to the United States for profit.

Renewing Canada’s grid en masse would likely require significant federal investment, but there’s another problem: the lack of political will. Talking about “Canada’s grid” is a bit of a misnomer, because there isn’t a national grid that covers all of Canada. A more integrated grid could be extremely useful for Alberta and Saskatchewan, who primarily generate their electricity through fossil fuels. More integration could mean more net exports of clean hydroelectricity for BC and Manitoba, but it’s not clear that Alberta and Saskatchewan would be interested. Alberta’s power regime is mostly privatized, so getting each private investor to corroborate on creating a national grid seems challenging; SaskPower might also not be interested in purchasing more power from Manitoba Hydro, as it would likely cost them more than generating their own power. This could be resolved with rate subsidization, but that would make the grid less appealing to the exporters. Policy Options proposed a federal branch, the Canada Clean Power Fund, that could cover such subsidies.

There are a number of other potential advantages to such a fund; investing in power right now may be a good idea no matter where the money comes from. Since the investment boom in the 70s and 80s, there have been a number of technological advances that could modernize our power grid. Solar, wind and geothermal power have all become much more viable; investments in these technologies for the long-term could reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Computer technology has also improved drastically over the last 40 years, and this technology could help utilities to better monitor and distribute electricity based on peak usage. With a fully integrated grid, it would be easy for every Canadian citizen to buy power at the cheapest possible rates, with utilities co-operating to sell their power when it’s at its lowest cost.

Modernizing and integrating the power grid has security advantages, too. With a fully interconnected east-west grid, there are fewer fault points, and it’s easier to redirect power in the case of an outage. Natural disasters that could increase the cost of electricity in one part of the country would be mitigated by lower costs in areas that weren’t affected by the disaster. While it may be a pipe dream, extending our grid to the far north could improve Canada’s claim to Arctic sovereignty; it would also supply much needed reliable, low-cost electricity to our northern residents.

To be sure, the project of renewing our power grid would require tremendous resources and national will; a team of qualified electricians, economists, engineers and other professionals would need to research the project for years. There are environmental concerns, too; approval would need to be sought from various stakeholders affected by such an enormous project, among them municipalities, First Nations reserves and environmental groups. With enough push, though, this project could make Canada a leader in clean energy for generations to come.

Commercial Lighting Tips

Whether you’re building a new commercial space or renovating an existing one, it’s important to consider how the space is going to be used, what you want to highlight and how people are going to get around. These considerations will inform the decisions that you make about lighting in your space, from where the lights are placed, to how strong the light should be, to what types of fixtures you’re going to use. Visual information is an incredibly important piece of how we process the universe, so you want your business to look perfect when a new client walks in the door. Proper lighting is key to making the right first impression.

There are three basic types of lighting to consider when evaluating your commercial space. The first and most obvious is ambient lighting, the kind that’s around so that people can see when it’s dark outside. You can certainly go fancy with ambient lighting, but you don’t need to; how ornate the fixtures will be, then, depends largely on your personal aesthetic preferences. The amount of ambient lighting you will need and where to place it depends largely on who is going to be at your place of business and at what hours. Reception areas, hallways clients are going to walk through and retail spaces should be very well lit; broom closets probably don’t need as much focus. In short, if your customer is going to be in a space, light it up! There are exceptions to every rule, of course; ambient lighting does evoke ambiance, after all. Restaurants where you want a more formal, date night atmosphere should still have sufficient light fixtures, but you can take the opportunity to dim the lights to create the perfect mood. When ambient lighting is used for a romantic mood, ornate fixtures can be appropriate, because the lights are dim enough that you can look at the fixtures without hurting your eyes.

The second type of lighting to look into is task lighting; these are the lights that you need to work. You might have task lighting in your home; a lamp that you use to read before you go to bed might fall under this category. Task lights are generally focused, not diffused over a large general area; they help you with jobs that require focused vision. Anything that requires visual-spatial reasoning, from woodworking to electronic device repair, might be well suited to task lighting. You can have task light fixtures installed if workspaces in your business are fixed; alternatively, you can opt to purchase lamps or other portable lighting devices to keep things brighter in a given area.

The final type of lighting you’ll want to consider is accent lighting - this might be the most important kind for retail spaces! Accent lighting illuminates a particular surface; it might be spotlights shining onto a mural you’ve created, or lighting in a shoe display to highlight your newest wares. The fixtures here should not be overly ornate, as you want the eyes being drawn to what’s illuminated, not what’s doing the illuminating.

Now that you’ve thought about all the different kinds of lighting and what you’d like to install where, you have to consider the more holistic approach. Each light is going to provide a certain amount of illumination, so if you want something to be particularly well lit, it may be to put accent lighting there and not to put ambient lighting nearby. That way, the area around what you’re lighting up will be darker and what’s lit will be extra bright, drawing the eye through contrast.

The best way to make sure you have a complete, holistic and incredible array of lights in your place of business is to contact Winnipeg electrical contractors who know how to make it happen. Their electric expertise, coupled with the eyes of an interior designer, will help you make sure you have the right amount of illumination in the right places. Light up your world with beautiful new fixtures, and shine a light on what makes your business great!

Finding the Right Electrician

You definitely don’t want to install electrical systems in your own home if you don’t know what you’re doing. There can be house fires, there can be electrocution, there can be overloaded circuits; all in all, there can be a huge mess. That’s not to say you can’t do small electrical experiments on your own*; rather, it’s to say that for upgrading your system’s capacity, or removing and replacing light fixtures, or uninstalling knob and tube wiring, you’d better call the professionals. With so many professionals to call, though, which one is best? This guide will help you ask the right questions.

Licensed and Insured

You want to find electricians who are licensed to do the work; after all, if they’re not licensed, you might as well be doing it yourself! You can read up on all the technical and legal jargon for becoming licensed as a journeyman electrician; it’s a long road that takes years of theoretical learning and apprenticeship. The chief difference between a journeyman and a master isn’t quite as big; master electricians have to have at least two years experience as journeymen, then pass a written exam. Many folks elect not to get their master’s license, as it doesn’t open up that many options.

Insurance is absolutely key; if something goes wrong, you want them to have the liability to cover it. You’ll want them to have liability insurance of at least $500,000, so that even in the worst case scenario, they’ll be able to cover any costs associated with faulty installation. You can check an electrician’s license and insurance before they begin work on your home or business.

Look at Their Work

A great electrical contractor will have a lot of references, and a lot of before and after. Ask them if you can look at work they’ve done before that’s similar to the work you want done, and make sure everything looks high quality. Ask them for references, and don’t just look at what’s written; see if you can phone their references to ask about how the contractors behaved themselves. After all, it’s not just about the quality of work done; it’s about the quality of interaction that you have with your contractors.

Talk to Them

When you’re looking to have work done in your home, it can be incredibly valuable to start a relationship with the people who will be working there. Optimally, you want to find a contractor who you can call again and again over the years for different needs, one who you can recommend to friends. That means sitting down with your electricians and talking to them about what they can do for you, how much it’s going to cost, and what the timeframe will be is important. You shouldn’t hesitate to get quotes and timeframes from various contractors. We’re a full-service electrical contractor, and we’d be more than happy to go over any projects you might have planned. Call us up, we’ll have a conversation, swing by your place and see how we can help you!