Let there be Light (Day 299)

We've been lured into the recessed can game, which is OK in terms of dollar value but they create a bit of an institutional/sterile look. However, the alternative is beyond our fiscal grasp. Let me give you an example. We put five Juno 6" recessed cans in the ceiling of the living room. Three in front of the fireplace and two off to the side. Net cost was about $40, plus another $100 for the trim rings. They sort of have a computer printer deal going there. The all metal, hefty, complicated and electrified can (i.e., printer) is cheap and the little plastic fufu trim rings (i.e., printer cartridge) is expensive. Can't have the ring without the can or the printer without the cartridge. Oh yeah, did I mention that the recessed can for the sloping roofs (bedroom, sun room, and kitchen) go for $40 instead of $8. Seems that anything out of the ordinary goes for way more (5x). I'm definitively in the wrong business.

The alternative to cans is scary. Hanging light fixtures, good stylish ones, are in the $400 to $1000 (or more) range, and you'd need one per room if you didn't use cans. Also, you'd need sconces (not scones, which are way more palatable) for some halls, distant walls, or stairs. These puppies go for $50 (trashy) to $300. So to make life manageable we settled on about 60 recessed cans, 2 hanging fixtures (dining room and kitchen) and about 12 sconces (4 for stairs, 6 for bath vanities, a couple others), and a couple fans. Add to that exterior lights, which are similarly priced. We bought 1 hanging light for the main porch, 5 sconces for the other porches, and 2 sconces for the sides of the garage. When I made a list of all the fixtures to track them, we had 104 light fixtures.

I can see the Bonneville Power Administration smiling already. I think I'll get one of those neon light versions of READY WATT, the electric mascot, and put it on the front of the garage. Heck, if we just put colored bulbs in the lamps, we'll be ready for Christmas.

Now the real down side. I have to wire 104 light fixtures. The electrican that helped finish the wiring when I said "Uncle" suggested I do this manual labor and save $70/hr. Good Idea. I did 30 recessed cans today, and I''ll polish the remainder off tomorrow. The sconces and hanging fixtures get wired after drywall or exterior painting, so I may be able to finish the true electrical work tomorrow. Then its a couple days of planning, pulling and wiring the phone, speaker, TV, and computer networks, mostly with Cat5e wire, which is an fancy name for expensive, heavy duty 4 pair stranded wire. At that point Gary (electrican) comes back, gives us the once over and orders the electrical inspection by the Dept. of Labor and Industries, a WA state agency. This is the only inspection that the County doesn't conduct. I think this arrangement was made to protect the electrical labor unions, and to justify a state-wide electrical code, which is a good idea. Some counties barely have a building code, and electrical problems are the one issue that can be life threatening (i.e., FIRE).