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Nipper Electric Vendors

Our Vendors

Switching To LED Lighting

Trusted Virginia Beach Electricians Provide LED Options

If you’re like many of the people who have been thinking of switching to LED lighting, you probably have a lot of questions.

• Do I need an LED conversion?


• What type of fixtures can I use?


• How do I choose the right bulb?


• How much money can I save with LED lighting?


• Will LED lightings work in my home or office?


• Can I use LED lights outside?

Nipper Electric can help you with all of these questions and more. We are a family owned business in the Virginia Beach Area providing residential and commercial electrical services. We have over 18 years of experience in the Virginia Beach area. You can call us at 757-842-1710 for a free estimate today.

LEDs, What’s the Big Deal?

LEDs save money. A lot of money. They do cost more to install, but they run on less energy. They also last longer. Here’s a quick run-down of the savings:

• LEDs use 70% less energy to run than regular incandescents.


• LEDs last up to 22 years, that is over 50 times the life of an incandescent bulb and almost 10 times the life of a CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) bulb.


• LEDs long life means buying fewer bulbs and changing fewer bulbs.


• LED lights don’t waste as much energy in producing light. LED lighting only has an excess of 20% energy while incandescent lights waste almost 90% of energy.


• LEDs do not produce lots of heat like incandescent lighting, so you don’t have to worry about fire hazards.

Why Choose LED Lighting?

Besides saving money, LED lighting has a ton of other benefits as a lighting upgrade.

• Environmentally Friendly
  
  • No Toxins
  
  
  • No Emissions
  
  
  • 100% Recyclable
  
  
  • Use Less Energy
  
  
  • Fewer Purchases
  
  


• Versatility
  
  • Can be used indoors or out.
  
  
  • Can be used in different temperatures without fail.
  
  
  • Come in many different styles, colors, sizes, fixtures, and brightness.
  
  


• Easy To Use
  
  • Can be fitted to many general light fixtures.
  
  
  • Older fixtures can be easily converted to LED.
  
  
  • Can replace other bulbs without making a difference in the lighting.
  
  

Choosing the Right LED Light Bulb

All light from light bulbs are measured in Lumens and Kelvins. Lumens measure the amount of light that is coming from the bulb. Kelvins measure the brightness or warmth coming from the bulb. If you are looking to get a similar bulb to the bulb you to have then you need to look at the Lumens and the Kelvins. Here are some tips for getting the right LED bulb:

• Lumens go lower, 100w incandescent is equal to a 10w LED, a 40w bulb is equal to a 4w LED.


• In Kelvins warm light equals lower numbers, around 2500 is closer to an incandescent glow.


• In Kelvin cool light comes in higher numbers, the closer you are to a 5000 Kelvin will be bluer.

Professional Electricians Lead LED Conversions

In Virginia Beach, Nipper Electric is the top LED conversion electrician. If you need to have any LED conversions or are just looking to adding new LED installations, we can help you. Our experienced team of professionals can help you choose the perfect fixture and bulb for LED lighting. Call us today at 757-842-1710 to get started. Or make an appointment online. We are ready to help you make the switch to LED!

Switching To LED Lighting

Outdoor Lighting for Summer Fun

Professional Outdoor Lights Brings More Time Outside

Summer is a great time to spend outdoors enjoying family, friends and the weather. If you don’t want the fun to end when the sun goes down, it’s time to add some outdoor lighting. Nipper Electric has over 18 years of experience providing professional electrical services for the Virginia Beach area. We specialize in a wide range of electrical services including:

• Landscape Lighting


• Outdoor Security Lighting


• Pool and Hot Tub Lighting


• Repairs on lighting


• Lighting Upgrades


• Solar Lighting

For professional outdoor lighting in Virginia Beach, Nipper Electric has you covered. We can answer any of your questions. Call us today at 757-842-1710 for outdoor lighting or anything electrical.

Virginia Beach Landscape Lighting, Where to Start?

The right outdoor lights will make your space safe and inviting. Before you begin choosing lights for your outdoor spaces, begin by studying your home.

• Are there places you love but can’t enjoy at night?


• Do you have “too bright” lighting that glares and is hard to see past?


• Do you have lighting that is worn out or too dim?


• Are your pathways light well enough for walking?

When you take a look at your backyard or outdoor space you might find you need to make some changes, add some light or install updated lighting.

Perfect Lighting Installations for Every Home

Once you’ve decided what you want to light up, consider how you want to light the area. There are three main functions of outdoor lighting; Safety Lighting, Lighting for Entertainment and Feature Lighting. Each of these functions adds value and comfort to your home in different ways.

Safety Lighting

Lighting your home for safety includes adding lights to:

• Entrances and Exits


• Pathways


• Sidewalks


• Dim Areas of the Home to Deter Intruders


• Work Areas Like Grills or Work Benches


• Pools and Surrounding Areas

When safety lighting is added, you have fewer accidents and furnish your home with a sense of security. Outdoor lighting should be:

• Discreet– You want it to help light your home, not steal the spotlight from your home.


• Not too Bright. You don’t want to create darker areas.


• Rugged– The lights have to withstand weather and the elements.

Entertainment Lighting

Entertainment lighting includes adding light to:

• Decks


• Outdoor Kitchens


• BBQ Areas


• Patios


• Porches


• Seating Areas


• Backyards

Adding lights to your outdoor spaces is like adding another room to your home or office. This form of lighting should be:

• Weather and Element Tested- The fixtures for outdoor entertainment lighting have different parts to help protect them from the elements.


• Not too bright nor too dim- Ambient lighting is the best tool for outdoor entertainment. This lighting is often layered so you can see your company, but not create a glare.

Feature Lighting

Feature lighting involves adding lighting to:

• Architectural Features


• Statues


• Garden Features


• Landscaping


• Water Fountains and Features

For feature lighting, lighting focuses on favorite areas and features of your yard, garden or patio. Feature lighting should be:

• Focused on the features you like, usually lit from the bottom or crossed lit by different light sources.


• Bright enough to show off your favorite features, but not so bright they take away from the effect or cause dangerous shadows.

Professional Lighting Experts Virginia Beach Can Trust

No matter what area of your home you choose to light up this summer, Nipper Electric can help. We are licensed and professional electricians that can service all of your electrical and lighting needs. Remember there is no job too big or too small for Nipper Electric to handle. Call us today at 757-842-1710 or make an appointment online, we’ll have you outside all summer long!

Outdoor Lighting for Summer Fun

Pathway Lighting

Pathway Lighting Installation in Norfolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach

Before you install cable or unpack boxes, you need to be able to see where you are going. Nipper Electric can help you with multiple aspects of pathway lighting, including:

• Outdoor Security Lighting


• Dimmer Installations


• Timer Installations


• Solar Panel and Solar Pathway Lighting


• Dock Lighting

No matter what type of pathway lighting you need, we can help you get started. We will work to design a pathway lighting plan that is not only functional but beautiful as well.

Safety First and Always

For guests visiting your home, family returning home or clients and employees entering and exiting your business, a well-lit pathway creates security and safety. From trips and falls to actual crimes, having appropriate pathway lighting adds value and safety to any property.

Indoor Pathway Lighting

How many times have you stubbed a toe or knocked something over trying to quietly maneuver at night? Pathway lighting can end all those issues and bring extra comfort to your home. Here are just a few places to consider adding pathway lighting.

• Hallways- Soft lighting along the base of a hallway can help you get to any room of the house, including your children’s rooms. It can even help children feel more secure by giving them a clear path to you.


• Bathrooms- Some dim motion-activated lighting in the bathroom can help you get where you need to go without waking everyone else.


• Stairs- Possibly the most dangerous spot in any house, stairs require lighting. Placing a small light on each step or two lights on both sides of each step could prevent a nasty fall.


• Media Rooms/Conference Rooms- Place some pathway lighting along the edges of the room. This will help guests or clients exit the room or go grab more snacks or drinks without interrupting the movie or meeting.

Indoor pathway lighting can also save money and help you avoid sleepless nights or dangerous accidents. Instead of leaving a bright light all night, you can install lights with sensors or timers that will dim when needed.

Outdoor Pathway Lighting

For any property, outdoor pathway lighting provides additional safety and security.

1) Safety

Coming home to a darkened driveway or leaving work to a pitch-black parking lot is more than just inconvenient, it’s completely unsafe. Pathway lighting can help create safety for your home or office by:

• Showing guests which way to go.


• Lighting areas to prevent tripping or falling.


• Providing a light that helps exits and entrances.


• Deterring criminals from targeting you or your residence or business.

Pathway lights can stay on during the night-time or come on as needed. When you set up pathway lighting, be sure the lights are bright enough to see the path but dim enough to avoid glares and the creation of dark shadows.

2) Security

Outdoor lighting also provides additional security and crime prevention to your home. Statistics show crimes occur more often in dimly lit areas. When you provide suitable lighting at entrances, exits and paths, you also deter criminals from striking.

For outdoor pathway security lighting, you want to focus on medium lighting that helps with:

• Unlocking and locking of doors.


• Creating halos of light that make it difficult to enter or exit without being seen.


• Focusing on any area of access to your home or office like gates, doors, windows or garages.

Types of Pathway Lighting

There are many different types of outdoor pathway lighting. Some of the choices include:

• Solar powered stand-alone lighting


• Motion activated lights.


• Sound activated lights.


• Lights activated by dimness that come on as night falls.

We suggest using any combination that best suits your needs. For efficiency and lower costs, use lights that can be activated to work at night and turn off automatically during the day.

Providing Virginia Beach Safe Electrical

For the last 18 years, Nipper Electric has been proud to offer safe and reliable electrical services Virginia Beach can trust. If you have any questions or concerns about your pathway lighting, just give us a call. You can reach us at 757-842-1710 or make an appointment online. Keeping your family and loved ones safe is priority number one!

Our Services

RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Aluminum wiringBathroom exhaust fansCarbon monoxide detectorsChandelier InstallationDimmer InstallationDock Electrical WiringFan installationsFlat screen TV installationElectrical TroubleshootingGenerator InstallationLandscape lightingLED Light ConversionLighting upgradesOutdoor security lightingPanel upgradesPool and hot tub wiringPool Light ReplacementRecessed LightingReceptacle installationSolarTrack LightingVehicle charging stationsPathway Lighting

COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Service repairsLighting ballastsPower polesRelampingDedicated circuitsTehnical troubleshootingLighting installation

Pathway Lighting

Dock Maintenance Saves Money and Muscles

Keep Your Boat Running All Summer with Preventative Maintenance

Just like our cars and homes, boats need a little maintenance to keep running. So do our docks. A dock is more than just a place to keep your boat, it’s the protection, prevention and relaxation area for your fishing and boating needs. Nipper Electric knows just how to keep that boat going. Our professional and experienced Virginia Beach area electricians work with dock electrical wiring like:

• Shore Power Pedestal Wiring


• Shore Power Pedestal Inspections, Maintenance & Repairs


• Boat-lifts Wiring


• Marina Electrical Maintenance


• Dock Electrical Maintenance


• Dock or Marina Lighting Installations

Nipper Electric wants to help you keep your boat in the water this summer with a few dock electrical maintenance tips.

Prevention & Protection

Boats take a beating from the elements, especially in salt water. They need a little tender loving care to keep going. With the right prevention and protection, your boat can last a long time and cost you less.

• Boats Need a Home- Even though boats are made to be in the water, sitting in the water for extended periods create a lot of problems. Issues like corrosion, paint peeling, barnacles and marine life damage, and general wear from battering waves happen when boats stay in the water. Docks and marinas provide some protection from the elements, but a motorized boat lift will get your boat out of the water.  Boat lifts save you time, money and sore muscles.

• Boats Need Power- Boats need the right kind of power to run. This means using boating cords and waterproof electrical equipment. When you don’t use these specific cords and equipment, you run the risk of ruining your boat or causing serious bodily harm to yourself and others. Shore Power Pedestals are a great way to provide adequate power to your boat. Be sure to use the appropriate cord, plug and receptacle for your boat if you have a 50A cord, don’t plug it into a 30A receptacle. You will cause overheating, possible fires and maybe even overwhelm the circuits and create opportunities for electrocution. Nipper Electric can help provide you with trusted electrical experience to make sure you get it right.

• Boats Need Attention- Boats require maintenance beyond cleaning and motor inspections. Cords, plugs, power pedestals, receptacles and all electrical components should be checked regularly. Once a week take a walk around your dock or marina. Keep an eye out for:
  
  • damaged housing for all equipment.
  
  
  • Cords tangled or knotted together.
  
  
  • Quickly draining batteries that might be cause by a ground fault leak.
  
  
  • Damaged or frayed wiring.
  
  
  • Corrosion on any equipment, take special care to look at plugs, cords, receptacles and wiring.
  
  
  • Circuit breaker damage.
  
  
  • Signs like smudges, burns or melting that show previous fires occurring.
  
  
  • Pieces or parts of equipment that are missing or not securely attached.
  
  

You should also have ground resistance testing done each year before you get your boat out.  This will help ensure the area around your boat is still running smoothly before you get into a dangerous situation.

Ride the Waves Not the Electricity

Performing regular boat maintenance can help keep everyone safe and your boat running. Nipper Electric regularly performs dock electrical and marina electrical maintenance and installations. Call us today at 757-842-1710. Or make an appointment online while you start planning your next outing. We’ll have you riding the waves in no time.

Dock Maintenance Saves Money and Muscles