Maxim Lighting Products

Lots of people currently shopping for quality home light products should consider the Maxim Lighting brand for their next purchase. You can always find them at great sales prices and they are great about keeping their most popular light models in stock for immediate delivery. Maxim Lighting has a few warehouse nationally to help expedite shipping to most location. From chandeliers, pendants to ceiling lights of all kinds, Maxim lights are the ones to consider.

Maxim also has a complete line of outdoor lighting products to pick from. Wall mounts, hanging and even lamp posts in many different colors can be found online. Mix and match and find that perfect Maxim light to upgrade the front or back of your home just by changing out a few lights. They are now also offer a wide selection ceiling fans to shop from. Keep rooms up to 10 degrees cooler with a quality ceiling fan from Maxim this summer!

Monessen Fireplaces Hearth Wood Stoves

Finding the right brand name fireplace choice for you home can be a long hard search. Why not consider a Monessen Fireplace? They are beautifully and quality made here in North America. There are so many styles and choice of Monessen heating products to pick from. From gas or wood burning fireplaces to a large selection of their vented or vent free gas log sets in lots of available stacked wood looks. Monessen vented fireplaces seem to be the most popular these days.

Another idea most people do not think of is simply switching your current wood burning fireplace over to a gas one very easily with a Monessen gas log set. Have a certified plumber stop by and run a gas line over to your old masonry fireplace and then just screw in the gas line to the new log set and you are all set to go! One other thing that is very popular is taking your older Monessen hearth product and upgrading it with a new look. New face plates, trim kits, door sets and trivets can be seen here in the Monessen Accessories listing I found online!

Lumax Lighting Manufacturer Site

I just saw this site for all types of models of Lumax brand lighting available on the Internet. Find low prices on all types of crystal chandeliers and even pendants. Lumax even has a full line of iron ceiling lights that can enhance the look of most any room in the home. Lumax lighting is known for their sales prices and unique designs of interior lights. Preferred by many electrical contractors for their ease of install on either wall or ceiling fixture. Click to find out more on these lighting styles.

Interior lighting is such an important thing to consider. Lights not only upgrade the look of a room like a dining room or kitchen in the day, but bring an ambiance and warmth to the home during the night. Lumax has designed lighting fixtures to bring out the grand look of a room without spending a fortune trying to get that type of look. The crystal patterns give you the ability to alter your light. You can add or remove parts of the included crystals to modify the look of your chandelier too.

Tips for Purchasing Firewood

Now that you’ve bought a nice new wood burning fireplace from iBuyWoodstoves.com, it’s time to start a cozy fire in that fireplace and curl up with a good book and some hot cocoa. But before you do that, you’re going to need to find some firewood. Unless you live in a heavily wooded area, you’re probably going to have to buy your firewood. If you only use your fireplace sparingly, you can probably find firewood at a local grocery store, home improvement store, or a chain like Wal-Mart. However, if you’re going to be using your fireplace quite frequently, you want to buy your wood in bulk – and here are some tips for that first purchase.

Bulk Firewood is sold in a unit called a ‘cord.’ You can of course buy half or a quarter cord, but a cord is the standard unit (measuring approximately 128 cubic feet, or 8x4x4).

If someone is selling you firewood in another unit, such as a “truckbed full” – it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re out to scam you. Just be sure to get the dimensions of whatever unit they’re using so you can compare it to a cord.

When buying firewood, you’d probably prefer to buy dry (or “seasoned”) firewood because you can use it immediately. Newly cut firewood is going to be wet and not burn as well, and in some (or many) instances you’re going to have to let it dry out for up to a year! Burning fresh wood also creates a much smokier fire, which is obviously not ideal for the fireplace inside your home.

Proper Chimney Use

At iBuyWoodstoves.com we’ve got a variety of outdoor firepots and chimneys that can add a useful and elegant touch to any backyard or patio. Notice how we said outdoor? That’s the only place that these devices should be used!

Most Chimneys are manufactured in two pieces, the neck (or chimney) and the hearth. These two pieces are often fused together, but you shouldn’t move your chimney around by the neck because the bottom could fall off.

Unless the chemise has built in legs, it probably comes with a stand (or you can purchase one). Regardless, you’re going to want to find a nice level area on the patio or in the backyard for the chemise to rest. More importantly, you want to make sure that there is nothing above the chimney. Some things, like trees or awnings, can catch on fire while almost any covering is going to present ventilation problems as the smoke won’t clear the area (thus, a porch with a roof does not count as outside!).

Though the chimney is designed for fires, it is not designed to have the fire burn on the base. This will possibly weaken the clay and reduce the lifespan of the chimney. Sand, stone, or some other non-flammable resource should be used as the foundation for the fire. A few inches of base should be plenty.

Chimneys typically need to be “broken in” by burning a few small fires. You’ll want to make a few small fires and let them go out (without water) before making bigger fires in the chimney. Do not use any sort of fire accelerant (such as gasoline, light fluid, etc) to start a fire because the liquid can be absorbed by a clay chimney. Once you’re burning big fires, don’t burn them so big that fire shoots out of the top of the chimney. Though this probably won’t harm your chimney, it’s not entirely safe and not recommended.

One Hundred and Five Additional Reasons Your Fireplace May Not Work

In our previous article, Five Reasons Your Fireplace May Not Work Properly, we outlined five mistakes that will make a fireplace work improperly (if at all). Here we’ve got another 105 reasons why the fireplace may still not be working correctly.

Mistake One: Is your house energy efficient? Particularly in older homes, but in many homes, heat is lost through windows, attics, and just overall poor insulation. What most people don’t know is that this poor insulation doesn’t just mean you’ll lose heat, it means that your fireplace won’t function properly. Think about it: if your house is already losing a lot of heat, it’s already operating much in the same manner as a chimney. Thus, a burning fire has could easily vent out into the home instead of up the chimney, depending on how severe the energy loss is and the design of the chimney.

Mistake Two: Is your house too energy efficient? Alas, it seems like the design of homes must be met to the specifications of Goldilocks. A fire needs oxygen to burn, and a house that is too well designed (where there are no drafts and everything is sealed) won’t give enough fresh air to the fire. Though it sounds ridiculous, you might want to consider opening a window (at least briefly) if you notice your Gas Fireplace start to smoke.

Mistake Three: Where is your furnace? Furnaces operate in a similar fashion to fireplaces, in that they warm cool air. Furnaces pull in the cold air from the house and blow out warm air. Chimneys also allow the cold air from the house to escape, leaving just the warmth of the fire. If the furnace is too close to the fireplace, much like in mistake one, the fireplace can have trouble competing with the airflow from the furnace.

Mistake Four: Is your chimney in the right place? If the chimney is located on the outside of the house, meaning that it has at least one wall on the outside of the house, you may notice that sometimes your fireplace doesn’t work as well on extremely cold days. This is because the air inside the chimney will also be cold, and thus, not want to leave the house. Chimneys with more than one exposed wall will have even colder air inside of them, but this is a correctable problem. By starting with a small fire, you can essentially push this cold air out of the chimney so that air can flow freely once you have your large fire going.

Mistakes Five through One Hundred and Five: If you’ve paid attention to our first five mistakes from our other article, you probably noticed that the majority of the problems have to do with the design of the fireplace. Unfortunately, the design of the fireplace and how it will function in your home depends on a large number of variables, from the size and shape of the chimney to the size and shape of the home. If your chimney has been cleaned and still never seems to work right, you might want to consider either rebuilding it and the fireplace, or simply replacing the wood burning fireplace with a gas fireplace insert.

Gas Fireplace Inserts

We discussed how fireplace inserts are installed in existing wood fireplace hearths and thus convert the fireplace to either gas or electric powered (though wood fireplace inserts also exist). The gas fireplace can run off of either propane or natural gas, and you’ll want to take the price of the two resources in your area into consideration when you decide what type of gas to use. Many, if not all, gas fireplace inserts need a gas log set, which are usually ceramic or some other material, in order to add a realistic look to the Fireplace.

Typically with a Gas Fireplace insert you seal off the fireplace completely (as there will never be any debris to remove, there’s no point in opening up the hazardous possibilities presented by an open flame). However, the gas inserts are still going to have fans to blow the warm air into the room. Another nice perk of the gas and electric fireplace inserts is that you can usually control the temperature of the fireplace, which is helpful considering that gas fireplace inserts can burn anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 BTUs.

There are two types of gas fireplace inserts: direct vent and B vent. The direct vent system is a little more popular because it is more energy efficient. It uses two pipes, one pipe to bring in air and one pipe to serve as an exhaust. The B vent system only uses one pipe, an exhaust pipe, as the air it uses for the fire is from inside the house.

Regardless of which vent system you use, you’ll have to make some modifications to your chimney. The most efficient and safest way of doing this is by running the aluminum or stainless steel pipe(s) through the existing chimney and out through the roof.

IBuyWoodStoves.com has all the materials you need to install a gas fireplace insert in your home. Give one of our customer service representatives a call if you need any help with the process or picking out the best option for your home!

Five Reasons Your Fireplace May Not Work Properly

From time to time, we all make stupid mistakes. We’re human. Often, we tend to make mistakes particularly when we’re doing something that we don’t do on a regular basis – such as using the Fireplace
. The following mistakes are five common sense things that we might overlook the first time we build a fire during the winter.

Mistake One: Not using dry firewood! If you’re trying to burn freshly cut firewood, or if your firewood supply has been rained or snowed on, it’s not going to burn as well as dry firewood. Additionally, once wet wood finally starts to burn, it will produce more smoke, which in turn means there’s less oxygen for the fire to get going.

Mistake Two: Not opening the damper completely! Almost everyone has a story of forgetting to open the damper, or not opening it all the way. Don’t feel about this. In fact, a lot of the time the damper won’t open all the way because the chimney hasn’t been cleaned recently (after all, how often do we think about hiring a chimney sweep?).

Mistake Three: Having a dirty Chimney
! Besides affecting how completely you can open your damper, a dirty chimney dramatically alters the way your chimney performs. If your chimney doesn’t have a cap (the wire grate at the top), animals and all sorts of debris can make its way into your chimney. Additionally, even just the build up from multiple fires (or worse, multiple years of fires) means that the flow of air in your fireplace won’t function as it should.

Mistake Four: Was the chimney designed correctly? Unless you built your home, you don’t have as much control over this mistake as the others. A common problem of fireplaces is that the flue is not the right size. If it is too small, it won’t be able to vent efficiently – leaving you with an unpleasant extra amount of smoke in your home. By reducing the size of the hearth (by adding extra bricks or some other method) you can help correct for this problem.

Mistake Five: Was your chimney built correctly? Unfortunately, it’s possible to mess up the construction of a chimney in more than one way. A chimney has to be a certain height in order to function properly, and thus, if it was built too short you’re going to face a couple of problems: you can either keep it as is, and just deal with the extra smoke; you can hire a mason to make it taller; or you can install a gas fireplace insert and use the chimney to hide the vent pipe(s) for the fireplace insert.

How to Grill Vegetables

Though you might not think it, your grill is capable of cooking more than just meat, poultry, and fish! Those vegetable side dishes can be prepared on your grill just as easily as they can in the kitchen (if not more so, because now you don’t have to worry about as many dishes!)

When you’re Grilling Vegetables, you still want to prepare them much in the same fashion you would for the kitchen. Rinse them and chop them into manageable sizes to work on the grill. They shouldn’t be too large, but if you make them too small they’ll fall through the grates!

Many of us have prepared corn on the cob or a baked potato on the grill, often with the aid aluminum foil. Many grills also have an optional vegetable basket accessory that is designed specifically for preparing vegetables, but if you don’t have one you’ll be fine. However, unless your vegetable pieces are quite large, you’re going to want to place them on a skewer so that they’re easier to flip and cook.

Additionally, you want to make sure that your vegetables are coated with a marinade or oil so that they don’t stick to the grilling surface. As you cook the vegetables, you might need to reapply the marinade/oil to ensure that they don’t stick.

Keep in mind that most vegetables tend to cook quickly, so make sure to stay close when they’re on the grill. Also, remember that some vegetables cook slower than others – less watery vegetables such as potatoes and corn will take longer than veggies like tomatoes and squash. You want to save those for last, because otherwise they’ll be cold by the time you’re ready to eat!

Check out your local grocery store or a cookbook for good marinades, and enjoy a healthy grilled side dish with your next steak!

How to Clean Your Grill

One aspect of Barbeques that is often overlooked, or even completely ignored, is cleaning the grill. But it is a very important step, as a grill covered with gunk is going to alter the taste of your food, and not for the better. Additionally, gunk build up can shorten the lifespan of your grill or particular grill parts, neither of which are good for the wallet. And finally, build up (particularly of grease) can cause your grill to give off excess smoke and/or cause flare-ups.

If you own a relatively modern oven, it probably has a self-cleaning feature. If it does, you can simply remove the grill grates and clean them in the oven with the oven’s self-clean feature. Once the oven is done and has cooled down, you can simply wipe away the carbon dust and then you’re done.

If you don’t have the time and don’t mind scrubbing, there are two other options. The first choice is to clean the grill immediately after use. Because it’s still hot, things aren’t going to stick as tough to the surface as they will if you let the grill cool. A simple scrub brush should be sufficient, and but if necessary a little soapy water can help. You want to avoid using any type of cleaners because they could give off toxic fumes if used on a hot surface. Cleaners should be used on a cool grill, and after scrubbing them down the grates should be thoroughly rinsed to ensure that all the chemicals are removed because a bleach burger won’t be particularly tasty.

If you’re going to clean the grill when it’s cool, make sure that the grill is completely off. You can completely remove the grill and burners and clean them separately, as you would pots and pans in the kitchen, or you can scrub them down without removing anything from theCleaning Grill. Regardless of what cleaning solution you use (baking soda, soap, detergent, etc.) you want to make sure to rinse off the grilling surfaces completely.

Grill Burner Troubleshooting

Before buying a new grill part from ibuygrillparts.com, try troubleshooting your grill burners to see if the problem is easily fixable. If these suggestions don’t work, you’re likely going to need some new parts, and our customer service representatives can help you pick out the right part for your grill and needs.

One of the most common problems that the burners on barbeque grills have is a simple one to remedy: clogs and build-ups. Check burners, venturi tubes, and hook-ups for the presence of insects, gunk, and clogs. If you notice some build up, use a brush or a rag to remove it and poke out and clogged holes with a sturdy wire or something similar. Whatever you stick into a hole on a grill should be smaller than the hole though, as you want to maintain your grill, not damage it. If you’re unable to remove gunk or unclog parts of the burner, you probably need to replace it. If there is any visible damage to the burner, such as cracks, then you are definitely going to want to replace the burner.

If you think you’re going to have to replace the grill burner, check our extensive online part catalog for your replacement grill burner. First pick the brand of your grill, then the model number, and you’ll be presented with a diagram of the grill so that you can select the right burner (as some models use different sized burners for different parts of the grill). If you can’t find your brand or model on ibuygrillparts.com, contact our customer service department and one of our representatives can help you find the right part for your grill as we are constantly adding more parts to our online database.

Gas Grill Part Terms & Definitions

Before you troubleshoot a problem with your grill, it helps to know the names of all the parts of the grill so you know what to fix. The following is a brief overview of most of the parts associated with typical, modern gas grills. If you ever have any questions about a problem, a part, or a repair, don’t hesitate to contact the ibuygrillparts.com friendly customer service staff!

Part Terms and Definitions:

Tank – This one is pretty obvious – it’s the propane tank. All new propane tanks have a new safety valve feature, and all old propane tanks are supposed to be retrofitted with this feature as well. In earlier model Gas Grills, the safety valve may affect the flow of propane to the grill, in which case you’ll need to turn down the flow from the tank to keep the grill going.

Fuel hose and regulator – Once again, the name describes what the part does. The regulator controls the flow of propane from the tank to the grill, sort of like how an engine governor on a car controls the max speed of a car. Just because a minivan can go 135 mph doesn’t mean that it should, and the same applies to propane from your tank. The regulator is attached to the fuel hose, and it is possible for that connection to become damaged or worn down over time

Control valves – It appears as though the designers of gas grills had simplicity in mind, as yet again, the part is named for its function. The make and model of your gas grill will dictate how many valves your grill has, but they all do the same thing – control how much propane will flow into the grill’s burner. If you ever remove the control valves for cleaning or inspection, be sure to put them back together and back on the grill the same way it was before you removed it – because if done improperly, you won’t be able to control the flow of propane to the grill – which is possibly very dangerous.

Venturi tubes – This is the part of the grill that doesn’t have a self-explanatory name. The venturi tubes link the control valves to the grill’s burners while simultaneously mixing the propane with oxygen to make a better flame for grilling. Because the tubes are open to allow for the entrance of oxygen, other things (such as dirt, grime, and insects) can enter the venturi tubes (especially if the grill isn’t used for long periods of time) and clog them. Proper grill storage or consistent usage will help ensure that doesn’t happen.

Burners – Back to the easy parts – the burner is just like the one on your stove, and provides the heat for your grill.

How to Convert a Propane Grill to Natural Gas

One popular trend among barbeque lovers is converting Propane Grills to use natural gas as their fuel source. If natural gas is available in your area, you might want to consider making the switch. Not only does it save you the hassle of swapping out empty propane tanks, but it also means that you never have to whether or not you have enough fuel. Additionally, in many areas, natural gas costs less than propane, so you can even save some money.

It’s suggested that you make the switch from propane to natural gas with a grill in new to great condition. Though the conversion process isn’t terribly difficult, you don’t want to have to do it now and then again in another year when you get a new Gas Grills.

Many people are uncomfortable with the first step, which is installing a natural gas hook-up on the outside of the house. If you do not feel like you’re capable of this step, call your gas company and they can send an employee to install the hook-up for you. If you’re going to do the install yourself, you need first shut off the gas and then install a T-pipe into your natural gas line, so that the house can still receive gas and so that you’ll have a hook-up for your grill (much like a cable splitter works). Check your handiwork for possible leaks after you’re done.

Next, you’re going to have to modify your propane grill to handle natural gas. This means taking out the propane regulator (don’t worry, your natural gas line already has a regulator). Because natural gas fittings and lines are slightly larger than the ones used for propane, you’re going to have to make the openings slightly bigger to accommodate the natural gas hook-ups. Do this step slowly, as you can always make the holes bigger, but not smaller. Once you’ve made them large enough, connect the natural gas lines to the burners in the same fashion that was used for the propane lines.

Wind Turbines

Like solar panels, Wind Turbines are another source of clean, renewable energy. The benefit of wind turbines is that they can provide power 24/7, depending of course, on the wind conditions where they’re located. Thus, wind turbines are great when you put them out in fields or farms, or on top of high-rise buildings. It’s generally not a good idea to put the turbine on a home in an urban area because the wind flow in cities and urban areas can be unpredictable because of all of the variation in building heights and size.

A wind turbine, like any turbine, works on the basis of continuous movement. The turbine needs something (whether it’s water or wind) to keep it moving so that it can continually generate power. Which means that a wind turbine must have a steady and strong air current. If you’ve ever watched a football game on TV, you’ll notice sometimes that the announcers mention the “swirling winds” in the stadium. Those swirling winds are a staple of city life, and absolutely useless for generating consistent power with a wind turbine.

If you’re going to install a wind turbine in your suburban or rural home, putting it on the roof might seem like a logical choice. However, you’d be better served by mounting the wind turbine higher than the roof itself, but you’ll probably need to consult your local building codes to see what exactly is permissible as codes usually define the maximum height of any structure on residential property.

Once you’ve determined that you have enough wind, and can actually install a wind turbine on your property, you’ll want to pick out the right size turbine. Residential wind turbines can have outputs exceeding ten kilowatts, but in order to utilize such a large turbine you’re going to need to have a lot of wind. Thus, it’s a good idea to try to measure the wind over a decent period of time to see what your average day looks like so that you optimize the efficiency of your wind turbine.

If you need any help in picking out the right wind turbine for your home, call one of our friendly customer service representatives at ibuysolarpanels.com and they’ll be happy to help you!

What is Solar Lighting?

Solar Lighting, or solar anything for that matter, is a popular catchphrase these days. People are interested in the idea of reducing our consumption of finite natural resources, such as coal and oil. Increasingly companies and individuals are looking for ways to harness the powers of wind, water, and sunlight.

Solar lighting refers to any method of lighting your home by using the sun. So this term is all-encompassing and includes anything from a regular window that lets sunlight in, to powering regular electrical lights with solar panels, to solar light tubes, which are essentially a modernized version of the skylight that can provide light almost anywhere in the home.

The benefits of using solar lighting are numerous. There is the obvious, that the more you use the sun, the less you’re going to have to pay your local power company every month. But a little known fact about sunlight is that it increases your melatonin levels, and melatonin effects mood, which is why people typically feel better on sunny days than cloudy ones. So if you have more natural lighting in your house, you’re going to feel a bit better during the day. Finally, the last benefit of solar lighting is that you can feel good about doing your part to help save the Earth!

Even if your home still relies on the power grid for some energy, the more you reduce your own carbon footprint, the better you should feel. Every little bit counts, and once your friends see how easy it is to use solar lighting they’ll be ready to put it in their homes too, and before you know it you’ve started an entire chain reaction of people turning to solar lighting to brighten their homes.

Solar Panel Buying Tips

So you’ve decided to take the solar power plunge, congratulations! Now you need to decide what the right solar panels are for your home. Here are some helpful tips to consider when making the decision, and as always, our friendly customer service representatives here at ibuysolarpanels.com are just a phone call away!

First, you need to know how much power you can actually get from the sun in your home. In order to figure this out, you need to measure how much sunlight your roof (or wherever you plan on installing the solar panels) gets per day. This is called ‘insolation’ and you can find a variety of devices to help you measure this.

Secondly, decide how much power you want to generate with your solar panels. Are you trying to power your entire home, or just some of it? By looking at your energy usage, you can determine how many solar panels you’d need to completely power your home. Keep in mind that your energy usage probably varies between the winter and summer, depending on where you live – so if you plan on dropping off the power grid you’ll need to account for how much peak energy you use during the year.

Another factor that’s going to determine how many solar panels to buy is your budget. Though you might prefer to power your home completely with solar panels, after you figure out how much power you need, you might realize that it’ll cost more than you can afford right now. It’s certainly okay to slowly get yourself off the power grid with solar panels over a couple of years. Physical space will also be something to consider, as ten 100-watt solar panels might take up a little more space than five 200-watt panels. Though the more powerful panels will cost a little more, the price per watt figure is something to keep in mind when buying your panels.

After you’ve decided which panels to buy, take a look at our Mounting Solar Panels article for instructions on how to mount solar panels yourself.

Mount Your Own Solar Panel in 7 Steps

So now that you’ve picked out the best solar panel for your needs from ibuysolarpanels.com (or if you still need help, please feel free to contact one of our customer service representatives for help).

- Decide where you want to install the solar panel(s) – choices include directly on the roof (better aesthetics), on a mounting stand (better function), or even in a field (easiest, but only applicable for relatively rural locations). Wherever you decide to install the solar panels, make sure they’re going to get plenty of sun.

- Some solar panel mounting stands have sensors that will adjust the tilt of the panels throughout the day to optimize catching the sun. If you’re not using a stand like that, you’ll need to position the solar panels according to the geographical location of your home.

- We call this a “latitude tilt” – and you can figure this out by using some simple math. If you live at 25 degrees latitude, your tilt will need to be 25 degrees. Then, up to 40 degrees latitude, you add 5 degrees of tilt for every 5 degrees of latitude. After that, you simply add 20 degrees of tilt to the number of your latitude (eg – 50 degrees latitude means 70 degrees of tilt).

- Install the mounts to the roofing studs (the rafters) of your home. Finding a stud isn’t difficult, and the task can be simplified with a stud finder that you can find in any hardware store for around $20.

- Once you’ve found the studs, drill holes directly into the middle of them.

- Fasten the mounts to the roof with sturdy, stainless steel bolts. Once you’ve done this, you’re going to want to use a sealant of some sort to keep moisture out of your attic that the new holes could possibly let in.

- Connect the solar panels to the brackets you’ve just installed. Most solar panels these days are designed to easily attach to most mounts.

- Connect the solar panel to the Battery System, and then connect the battery system to your electrical system. Unless you are an electrician, you’ll probably want to call a professional to help you with this step as it is extremely technical and very dangerous (plus, your insurance probably doesn’t cover you working on this anyway).

Enjoy your new, clean, sustainable energy

Introduction to Solar Power Panels

Solar Panels are one of the most popular forms of green energy because of their consistent output. Water and wind turbines require constant flows of water or wind to supply power, which is often difficult to come by, particularly in suburban and/or urban areas. Sunlight, on the other hand, is almost always available.

A solar panel works in a fashion similar to photosynthesis, whereas the panel, comprised of photovoltaic cells, converts sunlight into energy (in this case, electricity). Thus, the more solar panels you have, the more electricity you can generate. However, the intensity of the sunlight will also factor into how much electricity your solar panel array generates.

Typically, Solar Power Panels are connected to a battery (or multiple batteries) to store the electricity. This way, the power is available anytime you want it, such as at night, instead of just whenever the sun is shining. Though solar panels seem like they should be complicated, as is the case with many new forms of technology, they really are quite simple and thus easy to keep in working order.

If you’re interested in how a photovoltaic cell works, read on. The solar panel is comprised of a number of photovoltaic cells that are wired together, as just one or two cells typically won’t produce the desired amount of power. The cells are made up of two layers, one negative and one positive. When the sunlight hits the layers, they activate electrons that flow from the negative layer to the positive layer, creating an electrical current. Because this process repeats for as long as the sun remains out, the solar panels will continue to generate power all day long.

Even on an overcast or rainy day, solar panels can still generate power (albeit not as much as on a clear day), thus, they are likely to become the most popular form of alternative energy for home in the near future.

Installing A Solar Light Tube

Something you may have heard about lately is the Solar Light Tube. A solar light tube is similar to a Skylights in that it only provides light during the day when the sun is out, however, it differs from a skylight in that the light tube does not have to be installed in the roof directly above where you want light. Thus, a light tube can (and usually does) run through an attic to provide light in areas of the home where you would have trouble installing a skylight.

Before you start, you need to choose where the light is going to go on the roof. Though it doesn’t necessarily have to be directly above the spot in the house that it will ultimately light, you want to make sure that the attic space below allows enough room for the tube.

After you’ve picked where to install the light, both inside the house and outside, you’re going to have to cut some holes the tube. On the roof, it is important to cut this hole straight (perpendicular with the floor of the house) because this will make installing the tube a lot easier. If you’re uncomfortable doing this step yourself, bring out a contractor. Inside the house, you’re going to need to repeat the process and cut a hole wherever you want it in the room. Most people cut circular holes by choosing the center point, then drawing a circle around that point and cutting along that line. Once again, if you’ve never cut circular holes with a saw before, you might want to leave this step for a contractor or someone who is more comfortable with this task. You can always make a hole bigger, but making one smaller tends to be very tricky.

Now you’re ready to insert the tube. Most tubes are not going to be the perfect length for your project, so you might have to trim it slightly so that it fits snugly. Before you attach the tube, you’re going to want to weather proof the new hole in your roof. Your instructions will tell you how much spare tube to allocate for both holes.

After you’ve slid the tube into place and screwed it in place, the last step is to attach the diffuser to the tube in the room you’ll be enjoying your new solar tube. The diffuser is much like any other light fixture cover you’ve used before, and attaches in a similar fashion.

Benefits of Solar Power

There are a few new buzzwords that you’ve probably heard lately, such as sustainable development, clean technology, and green energy. Green energy, or renewable energy, refers to energy sources such as water, wind, and the sun. In order to get power from the sun, you’re going to need Solar Panels.

In addition to reducing your electricity bill (and doing your part to combat global warming) there are a number of other benefits of using Solar Energy:

- In a lot of states there are tax incentives for installing clean technology sources in your home or business, and the federal government also offers some programs as well.

- Because solar panels store the energy they create in batteries, if the power ever goes out in your home, you’ll have a backup power supply.

- Whereas wind and water turbines have a number of moving parts that can break down, solar panels are completely stationary and won’t require much work to keep them operating smoothly.

- With solar panels, your electricity supply is no longer dependent on proximity to existing power grids. With solar panels, you can get power anywhere that receives sufficient sunlight.

- And finally, depending on where you live and how much power you generate, you may even be able to sell extra power from your solar panels back to the power company, further reducing your power bill (or even possibly generating a profit from your solar panel).

Though installing solar panels in your home will mean an upfront cost, there will be an eventual return on your investment. And our customer service representatives are always available to help you make the right choice in solar panels for your home.

More Sconce Tips

The wall sconce is often one of the most underappreciated and least understood members of the light Fixture family. They’re unique in that they light a room indirectly by bouncing the light off the wall, as opposed to shining directly into it (as a ceiling fixture would) or lighting up a particular area (like a lamp does). Properly placed Wall Sconces can also make the room appear bigger, which adds an impressive air to your home.

You’re going to want to mount the wall sconces about six to six and a half feet high on the wall, because any higher and they’ll only be lighting the ceiling, not the room. Any lower and the sconces will become hazards that will get bumped into a lot. Because the sconces light up the walls, you don’t need to place them close together. We suggest no closer than six feet, but the look of the room will be important in determining where the sconces should go.

There are a number of other ideas you should keep in mind when thinking about using wall sconces in your home:

- The dimensions: Just as you don’t want your sconces too low, you also don’t want them to extend too far into a room, because you don’t want to bump into them all the time (or not be able to carry furniture or other large objects down the hallway).
- Symmetry is pleasing to the eye. You should use them symmetrically when accenting hallways, doors, bedrooms, etc.
- Sconces make for great bathroom vanity lights!
- Sconces are best used for ambient light, as they reflect light off walls and ceilings. Thus, you should not rely on sconces to light your favorite reading chair, kitchen, or anywhere else where you’re going to want to be able to see well.

More Landscape Lighting Ideas

We’ve previously discussed Landscape Lighting Ideas,but here area some more tips how to get the most out of your outdoor lighting.

Outdoor lighting, like all lighting, serves two purposes: aesthetics (they look nice) and function (you can see well).

Thus, the most obvious place for Outdoor Lighting is at the entrance(s) to your home. Now your visitors will be able to see (what a lovely home you have) and you also won’t have to fumble for your house key when you get home late at night. If you don’t have a covered front porch, or don’t want to rely on an overhead porch light, a good idea is to mount fixtures to the walls surrounding your front door. Symmetry is almost always pleasing to the eye, and wall fixtures typically look nicer than a just a ceiling fixture (though if you really want to go all out, a wrought iron chandelier on the front porch could really wow guests). If there are any steps outside your home, you’re probably going to want to light them up so that nobody trips and falls.

The second most obvious place for lighting is around the garage. You’d be surprised how many people run into their own homes or other objects around their garage, such as trashcans and other cars. Lights around the garage will help make sure that this doesn’t happen.

The third place you want to consider about lighting with some outdoor fixtures is a backyard, gazebo, or patio. Unless you plan on using your backyard a lot during the night, you don’t really need very bright lights. Some simple fixtures to outline where the shrubs and garden are so that they don’t get trampled are a good idea. Additionally, since you’re going to be enjoying your gazebo or patio in the evening, you want soft lighting that you can enjoy, not that you have to shield your eyes from. Fixtures shouldn’t be blinding.

The better use of lighting you have outside of the home, the more you’re going to enjoy being outside at night. Also, the better your home looks at night, the more impressed visitors and potential buyers will be when they stop by in the evening. At iBuyLights, we have a great selection of outdoor lights and our customer service representatives are trained to help you make the right choice for your home!

Adding Lighting to Your Landscape

Landscape Lighting is similar to interior lighting; in fact, they are quite the same. Your landscape highly accentuates either your front yard or backyard. Having a good decorative lighting along your pathways or garden perimeter will add a wonderful effect in your landscape.

There are plenty of ways to light your landscape. Different lighting materials and styles are available on the market. You can use the common floodlight, solar light and spotlight. The floodlight is very ideal for your pathways, driveways or any walkways in your house. This also comes with a wide variety of design and style. It adds a very clear visibility on your house. This light will ensure a general wonderful effect especially if you are throwing a party.

Attach floodlights on your exterior walls and focus them in different directions and see how they illuminate your landscape!

Aside from the floodlight, you can also use solar lights. Solar lights are very effective in illuminating your patio, lounge and other garden decors. This decorative lighting paraphernalia does not need any wiring to work. It collects ample amount of energy during the day and lights up your garden during the night. The solar light is quite expensive but it will add up a good mood in your garden.

The spotlight is another Decorative Lighting that you can add to your yard. Unlike the floodlight and solar light that illuminates many things at the same time; the spotlight only emphasizes one object at a time. You can point your spotlight to any object in your yard that you want to highlight and see that object steal everybody’s attention.

Adding dramatic effects in your garden will make your visitors move freely and comfortably. You could also experiment with the lighting combinations to create various effects of light. Hurry up and light your garden to impress your visitors. To find out more information about lighting, visit: iBuyLights.com.

Lighting As A Crime Deterrent

Recently there have been some studies done that show that well-lit areas suffer from less crime, such as vandalism, break-ins, and so forth. Though this seems pretty obvious, let’s look at a few reasons why Lighting is particularly important in commercial applications (such as store fronts and parking lots).

Effective Lighting makes it easier to see other people, eliminates dark hiding spots in areas used by customers, and discourages intruders from trying to go into restricted areas. To install effective lighting, you have to think like a potential criminal. Ask yourself questions like: Where would I break in? Where would I hide to attack somebody? But also keep in mind that the lighter it is, the easier the criminal can see to break in. Thus, it’s probably a good idea to light the parking lot and the entrances visible from the street, because people will be able to see a potential break-in. However, it’s not a good idea to light a back door because it’ll make the criminal’s job easier.

Strong lights pointed in the right directions are a key part of reducing vandalism and graffiti. Vandals like to see what they're doing, but they don't want others to see them. So once again, light up the areas other people can easily see and don't light the areas that are hidden from public view.

Lighting systems themselves can be targets of vandalism. If the lights can be tampered with, they won't be effective in preventing crime. Put protective coverings on lights so the bulbs can't be broken and hide the wires so they can't be cut.

There are a variety of things to consider when installing lights around your building, but if you have any concerns about whether or not you’re installing the lights in the right place, contact an appropriate authority to help you determine where you should install the lights to produce the safest environment for you, your employees, and your customers.

How to Install Track Lighting

Track Lighting can add a pleasing aesthetic and valuable utility to any room. They’re great for displaying art, workrooms, kitchens, studios, or anywhere else that you’re looking to just add a new aesthetic. This article will cover how to install a track lighting fixture where there has previously been a fixture, as we recommend calling an electrical contractor for any new light fixture install job.

As we discussed in the how to install a bathroom Vanity Light Article, the first step is always to shut the power off to the fixture you’ll be working on. Once again, simply flipping the light switch is NOT ENOUGH. Go to the electrical box and shut off the power at the source.

Secondly, remove the old fixture. Sometimes fixtures that have been in place for a long time stick even after you remove all the screws, so if need be gently pry the fixture off with a knife.

Check the existing wires for any signs of wear or damage, and if any pieces look damaged, remove them. Connect the existing wire to the track light (they will be the only wires coming out of the track light). You’ll want to run the wires through the mounting plate of the track light. Connect the grounding wires, and use electrical tape when necessary to hold wires and wire nuts in place, as you don’t want any exposed wiring because that presents a potential hazard.

Secure the track mounting plate to the track rail. You’ll need to insert a couple more screws into the track rail to keep it in place, so mark those areas on the ceiling and then drill holes while making sure that the rail remains aligned properly. Attach the rail to the ceiling. You want to make sure the rail is secure, but you don’t want to tighten any bolts or screws so tight as to damage the fixture.

Once the track is mounted to the ceiling, installing the light Fixture is typically pretty easy. Almost all track lights simply slide into the track and then are put in place by making a quarter turn. This will not only keep them on the track, but also provide them with power. After you screw in the light bulbs, turn the power back on and enjoy your handiwork – and adjust the fixtures so that they create the best light for the room.

How to Install a Vanity Light

Sometimes the most noticeable ways to change the look of any room, particularly the bathroom, is by paying attention to the details. Adding a new Bathroom Vanity Light can dramatically alter the appearance and feel of your bathroom, and changing the fixture is a task that you can probably easily do yourself.

The first step is to choose out the new fixture. iBuyLights.com has a huge selection of bathroom vanity lights. Since you’re buying a new fixture, you’re going to want to make sure that it will fit into the existing space. Measure the area where the light will be installed and check it against the dimensions of the new fixture.

The second step might be the most important one: cut the power off to the existing fixture at the electrical service box. Simply turning the light off works fine if you’re going to just change a light bulb, but you do not want to have live wires when you’re swapping the fixture. Don’t overlook this!

After you’ve cut the power off to the existing fixture, remove it. If the fixture has been there for quite some time, painted over, or caulked on then you might need to gently pry it off with a knife. Be careful to not damage the wall, because you don’t want to turn this into a much larger project! Disconnect the wires from old fixture.

In most old homes the fixtures were usually mounted directly on an electrical box. New building codes don’t allow that, you you’ll have to use a mounting strap (essentially a flat metal bar that is attached to the box). A lot of fixtures include one with the necessary hardware, but you can also easily find the parts you’ll need at a local hardware store.

Follow the Fixture’s instructions and attach the wires from the wall to the fixture’s wiring. Because you’re installing a light in the bathroom, it is important to properly ground the fixture – you wouldn’t want to blow up the brand new fixture! The instructions should tell you how to properly ground the fixture, as this will vary slightly amongst fixtures.

After this, the next step is to mount the fixture to the wall. Once again, follow the instructions. Then screw in a light bulb (follow the wattage guidelines of the fixture), turn the electricity back on, and enjoy your new bathroom light!

Common Problems with Gas Grills

Stop! Don’t throw away that old gas grill just yet! Gas grills, like most any other mechanical device, are prone to having malfunctions from time to time. You might think that you need a new part, or even a new grill, but before you spend anymore money look at this list of common problems and see if you can troubleshoot the issue yourself. If you find any of these terms confusing, check out our grill terms and definitions page for Barbeque News and Tips. And remember, always troubleshoot the grill when it is cold and off!

Problem: The grill has a low flame and doesn’t get hot.
Cause: There are many reasons why this happens, so the best way to troubleshoot is by examining the grill from the flame to the tank to look for the culprit.
Solution: First, check for debris around the burner area. If the debris isn’t visible, turn the grill on and see if you can find any spots where there is no flame (or very low flame). If there are any, it’s probably because the burner is clogged – simply turn the grill off, let it cool down, then clean around the base of the burner and remove the debris.

If that doesn’t solve your problem, check other areas, such as the venturi tubes, for clogging.

If your grill still isn’t burning evenly, or at full strength, check all the tubes, valves and controls. Are they all the way open? Connected and aligned correctly? Functioning properly (ie – making full turns)? Try disconnecting your fuel tank and reconnecting it, as your fuel regulator might be slowing down the gas flow.

Problem: Flame not as hot as it should be. Your flame should burn blue, with yellow tips. If the flame is orange or yellow, it’s not as hot as it’s supposed to be.
Cause: This is usually the result of a same causes as the first problem outlined above. Check those solutions. If your flame still isn’t as hot as it should be, you’ll probably need to fiddle with the venturi shutters. Find the adjustment screw, which controls the tightness of the shutters. To ensure that you’re fixing the flame, you’ll have to turn the grill on low. Once you have a flame, simply turn the screw until your it becomes blue. This has now loosened the shutters. To prevent further problems, turn the grill off and tighten the screw again.

Problem: Grill lets off a lot of smoke.
Cause: Excessive grease/gunk in the grill.
Solution: Clean the grill really well then burn it on high to remove any excess debris.

Problem: Flame comes out from the bottom of the grill.
Cause: Venturi tubes are damaged.
Solution: Once the grill is cold, check the venturi tubes for any signs of cracks, melting, holes, or loose connections. If the tubes are damaged, replace them.

How to Smoke a Turkey

At iBuyBarbeques we carry a variety of smokers and fryers, but there are a lot of people out there who have never smoked a turkey before. Sure, the oven-cooked, stuffed turkey is great around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the smoked turkey is delicious all year round!

In order to smoke a turkey, there are two things that you simply must have: a turkey and a smoker! This sounds obvious, but you don’t want to buy a turkey that’s bigger than your smoker. You’re going to want to thaw your turkey before cooking it, and the best way to do this is inside a refrigerator. If you thaw your turkey in a warmer environment, you’re going to lose moisture and flavor that not even the best marinades are going to bring back.

When you’re ready to cook your turkey, a lot of ‘experts’ suggest that using hickory or oak wood chips are the best. If you’re experienced with using wood chips for cooking, feel free to use whatever you like best. If you’re new to turkey smoking, you might want to avoid too much experimentation – but keep in mind that different wood chips are going to produce different flavors in the turkey.

Next you’re going to need a brine solution (essentially a marinade) to soak the turkey in overnight (the longer you soak the turkey, the more flavor it will absorb). There are numerous recipes for the brine solution, so pick one that you think you’ll enjoy. After you’ve made your solution, put the turkey in a pan and pour the brine over the turkey. Throughout the course of the night, you’re going to want to check the turkey and reapply the brine to it to ensure that you’re turkey is as tasty as possible.

Once your turkey is ready to cook, you want to set the smoker to around 240 degrees Fahrenheit. A good rule of thumb is that you’ll need to cook the turkey for 30 minutes per pound – so a five-pound turkey would need two and a half hours to fully cook. Give the turkey a nice coating of butter then let it smoke! Take it out in a few hours and enjoy a wonderful turkey dinner!

Backyard Kitchens And Barbeque Griills

Until very recently, the “backyard kitchen” consisted of a grill on your back porch and you shuttling between the kitchen and the porch to grill burgers, steaks, and all of your barbeque. If you were smart, you had a food preparation stand or the patio table to reduce the number of trips. These days, more and more homes are adding complete kitchens in the backyard to make the summer months, or if you live far enough south, all 12 months, more enjoyable. Though the backyard kitchen seems like a perk of a Food Network TV show host, Martha Stewart, or the rich and famous – they’re really quite accessible to any homeowner now.

The first step is deciding where to put your backyard kitchen, and the obvious choice is close to the indoor kitchen! No matter how much cooking you do outside, you’re going to be making at least a few trips between the two kitchens – so make the trip easy on yourself. Also, the closer you are to your house, the more likely (or easier) it is to add amenities like electricity, water, and even gas hook-ups.

The second step is determining how often and for what purposes you’re going to be using the backyard kitchen. If you’re not going to do many summer barbeques, a nice grill with some preparation stations is probably sufficient. But if you want to have the biggest and best neighborhood parties, or you plan on living outside most of the summer, you might want to spruce up the backyard kitchen a little more. Some people go so far as to even include sinks and ovens in their backyard kitchen, so depending on your budget you might want to consider such options.

Where you live will probably play a role in these decisions as well, and turn what you thought were conveniences into nuisances. For example, in colder climates pipes can freeze and burst. Regardless of where you live, you probably want to ensure that the backyard kitchen receives some shade to help combat really hot and sunny days.

Your backyard kitchen will probably have a main focal point: the grill! Our experts are available to help you pick out the perfect grill to make sure that you get the most out of your backyard kitchen.