Why You May Want Pot Lights

• Pot lights offer a clean, streamlined look in a home. It can increase the amount of light in a room, highlight artwork or other special features, and open up spaces so they look and feel bigger.

When to Use Pot Lights

• Though Pot lights are most easily installed between ceiling joists of new building or major remodeling projects, some pot lights are designed specifically for retrofit applications and can slip into an existing ceiling space through holes made to accommodate wiring; however, the fixtures you choose must be rated for use near insulation (IC housing rated) whenever ceiling insulation is present. When a ceiling is not insulated, a non-IC housing may be used.

Where to Place Pot lights

• Avoid pot lights placed too close together or in rows down the center of the room. This type of installation can have the look of an airport runway.
• Match the size of your pot lights to how close together they can be installed. The common rule is that 4-inch fixtures should generally be placed at least 4 feet apart and 6-inch fixtures about 6 feet apart.
• Center pot lights in front of the objects you wish to light – a painting, bookshelf, or drapery panels, for example – and about 12 to 18 inches in front of that object.
• Pot lights used for reading or task lighting should be carefully placed overhead so your head and shoulders will not block needed light.
• When lighting a three-dimensional object such as a fireplace, sculpture, or flower arrangement with recessed lighting, it is more effective to light it from two or three different angles.
• Use wall-washing pot lights around the perimeter of a small room to help “push” the walls out and make the space feel larger, or aim them at a collection of artwork or photographs to call attention to the display.
• Install recessed lighting fixtures in the bottom of your kitchen cabinets. The light will wash your counter top with focused light.

Sizing pot lights

• Whether you choose fixtures with standard line voltage, low voltage halogen, or fluorescent fixtures, the basic sizes are 4-, 5-, or 6-inches in diameter. The 6-inch fixtures can be used in tall entryways or two-story hallways, while the smaller 4-inch sizes work better in smaller spaces since they have a sleeker, contemporary look with minimal intrusion.

Smoke Alarms

• All  smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years.  And, depending upon manufacturers, carbon monoxide (CO) alarms need to be replaced every 5-7 years. Smoke alarms should be tested monthly by pushing the test button.  Once a year, use a smoldering cotton string, candle or incense until the smoke makes the alarm sound (test from the side of the alarm not directly under - sensors are on the side).  If the alarm is battery-powered and doesn't sound, replace it with a new battery and try again.  If it's electrically connected to household circuits and doesn't sound, check the fuse and try again.  In either case, if the alarm still isn't working, replace the entire unit.
  The National Fire Protection Association recommends that, for the best protection, homeowners install one carbon monoxide alarm on every storey in your home.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• The National Fire Protection Association recommends that, for the best protection, homeowners install one carbon monoxide alarm on every storey in your home. 

Does your Home still have an old style fuse panel?

• Modern Circuit Breaker Panels are more convenient, and are built to far higher safety standards than outdated fuse panels. Older equipment and wiring systems did not have to support the modern appliances of our day.  Overloading and doubling up of circuits is commonly seen on older outdated fuse panels, the result of improper installations that were never inspected.  This can cause fires.  Upgrading or replacing these dangers in your home by installing a new Circuit Breaker Panel can eliminate these potentially dangerous situations.