Last One Out Turns Off the Lights!

We are heading into fall and that means not only the leaves changing color, but we will also be losing sunlight each day that goes by.

This means you are probably using your home lighting more than before.  There are several types of home lights; incandescent, halogen, CFL, LED and others.

 I wanted to talk about these bulbs today as there is a law that is scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2012.  This law mandates that bulbs must be 25-30% more efficient by 2014.  The phase out of the 100 watt bulb is first to meet it's maker.  In a few years the 60 watt bulb will burn out as well.  There will be special provisions made for specialty bulbs, three ways, chandelier lighting, refrigerator bulbs, and plant growing lights. 

Lets talk a little bit about the different types mentioned above.


Incandescent Bulbs 

These are the kind we have been using since the late 19th century.  They create light by heating the a metal wire (known as a filament) until it glows.  It is encapsulated by the glass bulb to protect from air outside. 

What makes these things work so well is also it's Achilles heel, and that is the 90% power it consumes thru heat it takes to light the room.  This is the main detriment to this choice for home interior lighting.

Some positives are they mimic natural light best, hold a lampshade well, and are much cheaper than the current alternatives when factoring purchase price alone.



CFL's

These are known as compact fluorescent light bulbs.  The modern CFL was invented in 1976 by a G.E engineer by the name of Edward Hammer. 

The CFL did not become popular from a consumer standpoint until the mid 90's when they were mass produced from China.  These bulbs use up to one-fifth less power, and last 6-10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.

Some drawbacks of the CFL include cost, they are not dimmable, they take a second to reach max brightness, mercury content, and if you have ever tried to put a lampshade on one you know the pain.  If you happen to break one it can be hazardous to your health if not properly cleaned up.


LED

These newest types of bulbs for consumers are called light emitting diode or LED for short.  They were invented in 1962 as an electrical component.

The advantage these have is that they last 2-4 times longer than CFL's, and a ridiculous 25-30 times longer than incandescents.  They use very little power since they use 85% less energy than incandescents.

There are some roadblocks to LED's dominance though.  Costs are very high for the average consumer although some prices have fallen in half in the last year.  Another prominent issue is color quality and a less natural light given, and a LED light also doesn't do as good of a job of brightening up a room.  There is also a lack of selection for widespread practical use.


Halogen

These bulbs are similar to incandescents, but come with a tungsten filament and are filled with halogen gas creating what is known as a "halogen cycle".  This cycle is basically a reaction of the halogen gas, the bulb wall, and the filament, not to get into scientific jargon.

The halogen bulb is most widely used as outside floodlights, and headlights in automobiles. 

There are some fire and burn risks associated with halogen bulbs since they reach a much hotter temperature than even incandescents.

Light bulb manufacturer Bulbrite has come out with Halogen bulbs that use less energy, is dimmable, come in clear and soft white, can last up to 1000 hours, and are made in 4 equal luminosity equivalents to an incandescent bulb.


Lighting the Way To the Future

In addition to the phase out of incandescents next year, there will also be a change in measuring light.  Watts will be changed to lumen's.  CFL's have come a long way the past couple years, LED's are dropping in price and improving as well. 

I don't know what the future holds in the lighting industry, but one thing is certain that humans craving for light will not diminish, but burn brighter and brighter.

P.S.  If you are interested there is a great article I read about our demand for light.  The link is below.

http://www.economist.com/node/16886228

DIY Window Cleaning

Today, or more like tonight I want to give some pointers for the Do- It-Yourselfers out there.  Cleaning windows can be a tough and exhausting task when not having the right tools, which is why more often than not we get called after hours of frustration and lackluster results. 

There are many different ways that homeowners clean their windows.  From newspapers and vinegar, (hold your nose) ammonia, dawn, baking soda, and the old familiar Windex and paper towel trick.

Here are two I would recommend. Choose one of the two ways depending on your level of adventure.

Option #1  This one involves a squeegee and strip mop which you can pick up from your favorite hardware store.  The squeegees they sell now have come a looooong way in the last few years.  An Ettore brand would be preferable.  Next up buy a bucket and some Palmolive which is easiest on the hands.  Lastly get a sponge to clean out your window sills with. 

Once you have everything fill up the bucket half way with water and then add the dish soap.  Doing it in this order reduces the amount of suds.  You want about 1.5-2 ounces per gallon of water.  Next use the strip mop and apply the solution to your window.  Then squeegee off the water holding the squeegee at a slight angle.  Next wipe up the water on the edges with a towel, and use your sponge to clean the window sills and tracks.  Repeat the process for the rest of your windows.  A razor blade can be used to remove any paint or tough debris.  Be VERY careful when using the sharp razor.

Option #2  If the above prospects sound too intimidating there is good news for you still.  There is a product called Sprayway Glass Cleaner which I believe does a much better job than the other popular glass cleaners.  They didn't even pay me to say that!  The only other thing you need is some paper towels.  Don't scrimp on the brand though or it will shred and not properly absorb all the cleaner.  Bounty or another leading brand works best.

The directions are pretty straightforward.  Just spray on a very light application and wipe off with a paper towel.  Voila! 

If you don't have the time, energy, or have high unreachable windows then a professional window cleaner can take care of it for you, but if you like to clean your inside windows yourself then hopefully this will help save you a headache.

Just don't get too good at it.  Your neighbor might want you to clean theirs!



  

Bye Bye Birdie

A few weeks ago I was servicing one of my clients and they had a major problem with birds crashing into the windows, or bird strikes as they are referred to.  This happens to be a very common problem.  Before you go thinking this is how someone came up with the wildly popular Angry Birds game title let me explain why this phenomenon happens.

A human views things with a 3 cone or tricromatic retina whereas a bird has a 4-cone tetrachromatic retina.  There is an exception for some women as you can read in this article. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06256/721190-114.stm  (This explains why most of us guys couldn't put together an outfit that matched to save our lives.)

A human uses 10,000 color vision cells per square millimeter and a bird 120,000 cells per sq. mm.
A bird's eyes take up about 15% of their head while a human only 2%.

Birds also have more than double the amount of low-light rod cells averaging about 500,000 cells per sq.mm. 

What does all this jargon mean?  In short birds see the world in HD without glasses or some fancy screen.  Have you always wondered why you can't sneak up on a bird very well, or how the term birds-eye-view came into slang?  Now you know.

I still need to answer the question on why birds are going kamikaze into your picture window though.  Well it has a lot to do with these factors. 

1.  A bird sees a huge piece of glass and thinks he can fly right inside your home.  A lot of the time right after we clean windows the bird strike frequency increases.  This is because it looks to them like your living room is prime real estate.

2.  Another high increase in bird strikes happens in the bird mating season.  Male birds see themselves in the reflection of the glass and are not smart enough to figure it is them they are beholding and end up attacking a mirror image of themselves.  They are being territorial against other males.  The speed at which they hit can be in the 20-40 mph range.  Fast enough to cause concussions or death.

It is estimated there are over 100 million bird fatalities in the United States each year.  This doesn't even factor in the ones that are stunned and become prey.

So how can this problem be remedied?

There are many different solutions out there.  Some work better than others.  It really depends on the species of bird native to your region.  Here in Ohio we are talking about Robins, Cardinals, and blackbirds.  Some of the common items or methods used as a deterrent include gels, fake owls and hawks, decals, metallic streamers, tinting your windows, putting up blinds, placing wind chimes outside, ultrasonic noisemakers,  and making sure to place your bird feeders within 3 feet of your window just to name a few.

There is no need to say "bye bye birdie".   Together we can preserve the view of both human and fowl.

Introduction

I primarily started this blog to educate the consumer about everything that is related to window cleaning.  I have been cleaning windows for 11 years now and have a decent amount of knowledge in the field.  I just got my feet wet (and other parts of my body) with pressure washing so I may talk about it from time to time as well.

Hopefully the upcoming posts will help answer some things you might have been curious about.  If you have any questions feel free to ask me and I will do my best to answer them in a timely manner. 

Let the musings begin!


Aaron Sellers