When is it time to call an electrician?
When you are resetting circuit breakers or changing fuses too
often. When you turn on your air conditioner and the lights dim in the
room. When your lights flicker or go on and off. When you can smell
electricity burning. When you have six electronic devices going into one
outlet in back of your electronics center. When you have receptacle
outlets overburdened by multi-plug strips. When a three-prong plug needs
a two-prong adapter. If you have to run extention cords to plug in
electrical devices.
What size service do I install in my home?
Most states call for 100 amps minimum, but with all the new
electronic devices, air conditioning and electric heat, I would suggest
200 amps especially in new homes. This also gives you some space for
future additions. This is not a job for an unlicensed person to attempt.
In most cases it involves replacing everything from the service loop
(this is the wire that extends from the top of your meter to the utility
tie in ) up to and including the main panel.
Where do you put G.F.I.'s?
Any bathroom or garage outlet within 6' of a sink must be GFCI
protected. The code also requires all kitchen outlets for countertop use
to be GFCI protected. GFCI outlets must be installed in any area where
electricity and water may come into contact, including basements, pools,
spas, utility rooms, attached garages and outdoors. At least one GFCI
outlet is required in an unfinished basement and for most outdoor
outlets.
The are two types of GFCIs in homes, the GFCI outlet and the GFCI
circuit breaker. Both do the same job, but each has different
applications and limitations.
The GFCI outlet is actually a replacement for a standard
electrical outlet. A GFCI is not dependent of a ground to function. It
does not measure shorts to the ground, it measures the current
difference between the hot and neutral wires. A sudden difference of 5
ma. or more, indicating that there is another path for the electricity
to flow through will trip this device. The only downside to this is
there may be some nuisance tripping in highly inductive loads like large
motors or even fluorescent lamps or fixtures on the same circuit. But
the newer models seemed to have corrected this somewhat.
It protects any appliance plugged into it, and can also be wired
to protect other outlets that are connected to it. The GFCI circuit
breaker controls an entire circuit, and is installed as a replacement
for a circuit breaker on your home's main circuit board. Rather than
install multiple GFCI outlets, one GFCI circuit breaker can protect the
entire circuit. There is a test button and a reset button on these
units. If you press the test button the reset should pop out. To reset
just push the reset button in.
Not a good idea to put lights on GFCI. protected circuits so you
aren't left in the dark if the circuit trips. Generally, equipment such
as refrigerators, freezers and sump pumps that cannot go without
electrical power for an extended period of time without causing costly
losses or property damage should not be placed on a GFCI. protected
circuit. GFCIs are very sensitive and are subject to nuisance tripping.
GFCI receptacles don't last outdoors even under the best of conditions.
Be sure to test the device using the "test" button before you use one.
How much should I attempt on my own?
At The present time most states allow you to do whatever you want
in your own home. But doing electrical work yourself is a gamble. How
much are you willing to risk to save money. There is a reason why it
takes so much training to become an electrician. Do not make a mistake
by taking electricity lightly, even the smallest job could be a safety
hazard. Why take a chance. Get a professional to do this work.
Also In some states the homeowner can pull his own Electrical
permit for work in his single family home, what he does not know is that
in case of damage or fire caused by his work, his homeowners insurance
will not pay, they will only if the work is done by a licensed
Electrical Contractor. You should check with your homeowners Insurance
Co., and they should sign a document or something to this effect to
acknowledge this when they pull a permit.
The most dangerous time is when you tell yourself. This is easy. I
can do it myself. Why should i get an electrician? Than when you don't
remember where all those wires went, or your hair is standing straight
up, you say to yourself. Well maybe we better call someone to straighten
up this mess. Now it will cost you double what you thought you were
going to save in the beginning.
How many convenience outlets in each room?
In every kitchen, family room, dining room, living room, parlor,
library, den, bedroom, or similar room or area of dwelling units,
receptacle outlets shall be installed so that no point along the floor
line in any wall space there is more than six feet, from an outlet in
that space. This is to prevent the use of extension cords. Outlets are
usually placed about 18 inches above floor level. Switches usually go
about 48 inches from floor level. For convenience outlets each single
receptacle in a single branch circuit is usually figured for 1.5 amps,
duplex outlets for 3 amps in estimating total amperage for that circuit.
Air conditioners should be on a single dedicated circuit.
How should outlets be installed in a kitchen area?
All 15 and 20 receptacles installed within 6 feet of a kitchen
sink or wetbar shall have G.F.C.I. protection. Receptacles in a kitchen
used to serve counter tops should be supplied with at least two 20 amp
branch circuits, for small appliances. Each fixed appliance
(refrigerator, stove, dish washer) shall have its own dedicated circuit.
On counter tops 12 inches or wider a receptacle shall be installed so
that there is no more than 24 inches between outlets. Receptacles
outlets installed to serve island counter tops shall be installed above,
or within 12 inches below the counter top. There shall be no more than
24 inches from center line of counter top. No receptacle shall be
installed face up on a sink counter top.
What is an AFCI?
Starting January 1, 2002, The National Electrical Code, Section
210-12, requires that all branch circuits supplying 125V, single phase,
15 and 20 ampere outlets installed in dwelling unit bedrooms be
protected by an arc-fault Circuit interrupter. Eventually they will be
in more areas but the NEC selected to require them on bedroom circuits
first because a CPSC study showed many home fire deaths were related to
bedroom circuits.
The AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) breaker, will shut off a
circuit in a fraction of a second if arcing develops. The current
inside of an arc is not always high enough to trip a regular breaker.
You must have noticed a cut or worn piece of a cord or a loose
connection in a junction box or receptacle arcing and burnt without
tripping the regular breaker. As you can guess this is a major cause of
fires in a dwelling.
There is a difference between AFCIs and GFCIs. AFCIs are intended
to reduce the likelihood of fire caused by electrical arcing faults;
whereas, GFCIs are personnel protection intended to reduce the
likelihood of electric shock hazard. Don't misunderstand, GFCIs are
still needed and save a lot of lives.
Combination devices that include both AFCI and GFCI protection in
one unit will become available soon. AFCIs can be installed in any 15
or 20 ampere branch circuit in homes today and are currently available
as circuit breakers with built-in AFCI features. In the near future,
other types of devices with AFCI protection will be available.
If a GFCI receptacle is installed on the load side of an AFCI it
is possible for both the AFCI and the GFCI to trip on a fault if the
current exceeds the limit for both devices. It is also possible for the
AFCI to trip and the GFCI to not trip since the two devices could race
each other. However, in no case is safety compromised.
