All Tied Up

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A friend recently lent me a copy of the book Spark Joy by Marie Kondo, saying it inspired her to organize her house. I was skeptical at first because I can be indecisive at times, which defeats the purpose of the Spark Joy method—determining the objects that bring joy to you and the ones that do not. This method helped my friend to declutter her house and donate a lot of clothing.

I decided to give Spark Joy a shot and see if it made a dent in my autumn cleaning (I missed spring cleaning big time this year). What I found out is that electric cables and cords do not spark joy for me.

Now, hear me out! The electric cables and cords are a necessary and well-done part of my home, but they have gotten out of control in a tangled mess in my office and basement. I could not throw them out, obviously, so I needed to find a solution that brought the joy back, organized the cables, and did not end in a literal spark.

Luckily, I came upon the TY400-120-Anti cable tie from Thomas & Betts by ABB! These antimicrobial-treated cable ties are durable enough to hold a bundle of cables up to 4.02 inches in diameter.

The best part? They are bacteria resistant and eliminate more than 99.9% of common surface bacteria. Now that bonus feature sparked joy within my household! The cables and cords in the basement and office are much neater and make me feel safer as the anti-microbial silver ion additive prevents the growth of bacteria, fungus, and mold.

The TY400-120-Anti Cable Tie from Thomas & Betts by ABB:

  • Is ideal for contamination-sensitive industries like healthcare and food processing
  • UL listed, RoHS and FDA compliant
  • Was tested by an independent lab to determine that it eliminates more than 99.9% of common surface bacteria.
  • Available in packages of 50
  • For indoor application up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Length of 14.6 inches, width of 0.299 INCH, thickness of 0.075 inch.
  • 540 Newtons (120 lbs.) tensile strength rating

~Kristine

Company News: Welcome Tony Mays!

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Gordon Electric Supply is excited to announce the addition of Tony Mays.

Tony, a native of South Wilmington, brings ten years of sales experience to his role as an e-commerce representative. He earned an associate’s degree in cinematography from Columbia College in Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from the University of Phoenix.

Tony’s responsibilities as an e-commerce representative include building relationships with online customers, processing orders, and handling customer service calls. “We are excited to have Tony join the Gordon sales team with his impressive experience and work ethic,” said Dan Korthauer, vice president of sales and marketing.

A news brief celebrating the hiring of Tony was published in the Daily Journal on Saturday September 5, 2020.

You’re not cool, unless you have a cooling towel!

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Man, it’s been a hot one this summer!!! Forget about frying an egg on the sidewalk; this kind of heat would fry an egg inside the chicken.

If you have to work outside or if you working inside with no air conditioning it’s brutal!

Unfortunately, sticking you head in a bucket of cool water is great, but it doesn’t last.

The good news is that Klein has a great product to cool you down and keep you cooled down. And the best part? It is reusable!

Klein Cooling Towel, Gray 60093

  • Advanced PVA cooling technology
  • Feels cooler than ambient air temperature
  • Activates quickly; under a minute!
  • Stays cool for hours
  • Multi-use; reactivate several times
  • 13-Inch x 29.5-Inch (330 mm x 749 mm)
  • To activate or re-use, wet the towel and gently wring out the excess water
  • Machine or hand wash with mild detergent; air dry only
  • Store damp in storage tube with cap off for daily use

~Woody

Get the Party Started!

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America the Beautiful. Surfin’ U.S.A. Breakfast in America. R.O.C.K. in the USA. My Independence Day playlist (celebrating the holiday not the movie) is ready for the backyard BBQ I host each year. There is nothing I like better than putting together a playlist for a party.

But before I can start my 4th of July BBQ and cue the music, I need to set up the patio furniture and the cornhole tournament bracket. I also want to make sure that everyone can see when the sun goes down and the fireworks end, which is where Juno’s LED step light cutoffs come in!

These step lights are versatile for indoor or outdoor use as well as wet location rated. The JUNO 838LED-13W-40K-120-WH LED STEP LIGHT CUTOFF 41K are perfect for mounting into my brick stairs leading up to my house. They can also be mounted into a concrete pour, drywall, or used as an LED retrofit kit for existing June PL115 lights.

Here are more reasons why I chose the Juno 838LED step light:

  • They are energy efficient and provide 50,000 hours of life
  • 4100K color temperature
  • 120V input
  • Include a 5-year warranty on LED components
  • Die cast aluminum housing painted white for durability
  • Gasket for water-tight seal in wet locations provides IP65 rating with 838LED trim
  • Includes these components for housing:
    • Cover plate
    • (2) ½” conduit compression fittings provided for wiring
    • Conduit fitting plug
    • 2 brackets supplied for nailing unit to studs
  • The recessed housing design is IC rated and can be covered with insulation
  • Safety considerations:
    • No harmful ultraviolet or infrared wavelengths
    • No lead or mercury
  • LED light engine and driver mounted directly to trim assembly for ease of wiring and installation into housing after rough-in.

The Juno step lights keep the BBQ going! Now all I need to do is make sure the Independence Day (the movie) soundtrack is ready when the playlist ends. Cue the Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum!

~Kristine

Company News: Mike Potter Steps into New Role

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Gordon Electric Supply is excited to announce the newly created position of Operations Development Manager. Mike Potter steps into this role, which will focus on the implementation of procedures and processes at all Gordon locations, after almost years with the company. His knowledge of management information systems and business degrees will aid the growth of the company, looking toward new technology and ideas to improve efficiency. Previously, Mike was an account manager on the Gordon sales team at the Mokena office, and before that worked as a data analyst for an OEM parts distributor in Chicago.

As the grandson of founder, Howard Gordon, Mike has a lifelong connection and family history with Gordon Electric Supply. You can read more about Mike’s new position in the news brief published by the Daily Journal in the May 30, 2020 edition. We look forward to the ideas Mike will bring to the company.

~Kristine Weller 

Feel the Surge

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Sweet summer time! It’s kind of different this year, but soon it will all be over. With summer comes thunderstorms. With thunderstorms comes lightning.

Myself, I love watching storms. I always think of the scene from Caddie Shack. Bill Murray being a caddie in a raging storm, saying “don’t think the heavy stuff’s gonna come down for quite a while.”

With all the electronics in our homes these days, one lightning strike can damage thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment.

To combat this, Intermatic has Surge Protection for a single device or the entire house.

For point-of-use:

The IG112463 Type 3 Point-of-Use Surge Protective Devices (SPD) are designed for heavy industrial use with 3 modes of surge protection (L-N, L-G, N-G). Features a 15 A re-settable breaker and #14 AWG SJT power cord with molded plug. CSA certified to ANSI/UL 1449, 3rd Edition.

For whole house:

The IG1240RC3 Series Surge Protective Devices (SPD) are designed for a variety of applications. A green LED indicator provides status of protection. Trusted, state-of-the-art TPMOV® (Thermally Protected Metal Oxide Varistor) surge protection technology eliminates the potentially hazardous failure modes that are commonly associated with standard MOV technology. Type 1 applications include outdoor installations before service entrances and utility meter cabinets. Type 2 applications include installations after service entrances. CSA certified to ANSI/UL 1449, 3rd Edition.

For HVAC:

Power surges are the silent killer for home appliances and HVAC equipment. Most homeowners protect their electronics, but leave more valued equipment unprotected. Surges can wipe out equipment and leave you searching for answers. Search no more. The easy-to-install AG3000 Surge Protective Device (SPD) is the perfect add-on for HVAC equipment. A green LED indicator provides the status of protection. Trusted, state-of-the-art TPMOV® (Thermally Protected Metal Oxide Varistor) technology eliminates the potentially hazardous failure modes that are commonly associated with standard MOV technology. UL Listed to ANSI/UL 1449, 4th Edition.

So the next time lightning strikes, be protected.

~Woody

THE Shop Light!

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Shop lights have been around forever! You see them every time you walk into someone’s garage.

It’s usually hanging by ty wire over a work bench full of half-finished projects. And there is always one lamp burned out.

They come in all shapes and sizes from 2 foot up to 8 foot.

If the garage is not heated, they spiral and blink in the winter.

Now we have the magic of LED! Very slim/compact design, linkable up to 4 fixtures with multiple mounting installation, and it won’t blink when it gets cold! We are excited to introduce the SYLVANIA 61451 LEDSHOP/120/42840/4FT/G2 LED shop light now in stock to illuminate your shop.

Highlight Specifications:

  • 42W
  • 120V
  • 4,200 lumens
  • Size: 4 ft /
  • CCT: 4,000K
  • CRI 80
  • Pull Chain on/off (2.5 ft)
  • Beam angle: 120d
  • Plug-in installation
  • Non-dimmable
  • Lifetime: 50,000h
  • PF 0.9

~Woody

Keeping Things Running

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Gordon Electric Supply and Pontiac Electric Supply are open and supplying the electrical industry, but none of this would be possible without the crews that work on site each day. We are so thankful for all of the hard work and dedication from our team. They keep everything running by helping customers, making deliveries, and sharing a friendly smile.

Kankakee Branch

Mokena Branch

Pontiac Branch

Is the TV room getting crowded?

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These are definitely some freaky times!!! The best way to stay safe and protect others is to stay inside. If you have a large family, the TV is always in use, but not everyone wants to watch the same program. Not to mention, sometimes we need to separate or the TV room could turn into a wrestling ring!!

What to do, what to do!!

You need another TV, but it’s not that simple anymore.

When I was a kid, it was easy. All you needed to do was plug in the TV, adjust the antenna, and you had 3 channels. (If the screen was full of static, just add some tin foil to the antenna).

Now you must run a cable to the cable box but putting on the connectors can be a challenge.

Ideal Industries has just to kit to do the job!

The 33-620 Economy Coax Compression Kit includes the basic tools and connectors to cut, strip and terminate coax cables.

Applications: RG59 and RG6/6 Quad cable preparation and compression termination for F connectors.

Kit Includes:

  • 33-632 LinearX®3 Compression Tool
  • 45-605 PrepPRO® Coax (59/6/6Q/Plenum)/UTP Cable Stripper
  • 45-075 Data T®-Cutter
  • 10 RG-59 RTQ™ F Compression Connectors
  • 30 RG-6 RTQ™ F Compression Connectors

This kit has everything you need to correctly install connectors to your cable!!

So run the wire, hook up the box, and enjoy your favorite programs in peace.

And remember, this virus is no joke. Keep yourself and you love ones safe!! We will get through this!

~Woody