Circuit breakers or fuses protect the electrical wiring and equipment in your home. These breakers and fuses could be compared to a safety valve that would limit the amount of power to a particular part of the home. Switching the breaker to off and then back on can reset circuit breakers. Fuses, which can be found in older homes, are a onetime use product. If they go bad, they must be replaced with another fuse of the same amperage. This is assuming of course that they had the proper rated fuse in the first place.
Always make sure the power is off when working on the electrical system. If you are not familiar with the workings of your system, call an Electrician. Do not take your life into your own hands by working with electricity unless you know exactly what you are doing. One tenth of one amp is enough electricity to kill a person!
A common and legitimate concern is about aluminum wiring. Aluminum, like copper, is a good conductor of electricity. Most of the high voltage lines in this country are made of aluminum reinforced with steel. Aluminum wire is also commonly used for the wire that connects a house to the power transformer at the street. Aluminum was not used for the branch-circuit wiring that runs throughout the house until the 1960's. In the early 1960's a copper shortage drove up the price of copper. When this happened, electricians turned to aluminum wire. The problem is that they were using aluminum in conjunction with switches, wall outlets, and light fixture that were designed for copper wire. Unfortunately aluminum does not behave the same way copper does. When aluminum is exposed to air, a film of aluminum oxide forms on the metal's surface. This oxide is an insulator, not a conductor of electricity. If the wire is not firmly attached to an electrical receptacle in the first place, the aluminum oxide can build up rapidly. While aluminum, like other metals, expands when it gets warm and contracts when it cools, it expands and contracts more than copper. When electricity flows through an aluminum wire, the wire resists the flow of electricity and gets warm. If the wire is held in place with a screw made of a dissimilar metal, the screw forces the wire to expand, loosening the screw. When the current stops, the wire contracts. Although the movements are microscopic, the continual expansion and contraction can eventually work the wire loose. Vibrations and temperature changes around the wire can also lead to loose connections. When the wire is no longer making a sound connection, arching will occur. This is how fires are started. There are specific devices and methods that are considered to be acceptable for use with aluminum wiring. If you a considering purchasing a home with aluminum wiring, have an Electrician inspect the integrity of each connection in the home.
Here are a few things to look for:
Cover plates on switches and outlets that are warm to touch.
Smoke coming from outlets or switches.
Sparks or arcing at switches and outlets.
Strange odor; such as the smell of burning plastic
Lights that flicker or burn periodically
Outlets, lights, or entire circuits that once worked fine but are no longer functioning. Do yourself a favor and check the ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) and bulbs before calling an electrician.
ple of an unsafe electrical installation
ELECTRICAL SAFETY TIPS
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Outlets Check for outlets that have loose-fitting plugs, which can overheat and lead to fire. Replace any missing or broken wall plates. Make sure there are safety covers on all unused outlets that are accessible to children. Cords Make sure cords are in good condition—not frayed or cracked. Make sure they are placed out of traffic areas.
Cords should never be nailed or stapled to the wall, baseboard or to another object. Do not place cords under carpets or rugs or rest any furniture on them. Extension Cords Check to see that cords are not overloaded. Additionally, extension cords should only be used on a temporary basis; they are not intended as permanent household wiring. Make sure extension cords have safety closures to help prevent young children from shock hazards and mouth burn injuries. Plugs Make sure your plugs fit your outlets. Never remove the ground pin (the third prong) to make a three-prong fit a two-conductor outlet; this could lead to an electrical shock. NEVER FORCE A PLUG INTO AN OUTLET IF IT DOESN'T FIT. Plugs should fit securely into outlets. Avoid overloading outlets with too many appliances.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) GFCIs can help prevent electrocution. They should be used in any area where water and electricity may come into contact. When a GFCI senses current leakage in an electrical circuit, it assumes a ground fault has occurred. It then interrupts power fast enough to help prevent serious injury from electrical shock. Test GFCIs according to the manufacturer's instructions monthly and after major electrical storms to make sure they are working properly. Replace all GFCIs that are not working properly, but never replace a GFCI with a standard non-GFCI outlet or circuit breaker. Do not use an appliance or device that trips a GFCI on a nonGFCI-protected circuit; instead, take the appliance to authorized repair center to be checked for faulty wiring or replace it.
Light Bulbs Check the wattage of all bulbs in light fixtures to make sure they are the correct wattage for the size of the fixture. Replace bulbs that have higher wattage than recommended; if you don't know the correct wattage, check with the manufacturer of the fixture. Make sure bulbs are screwed in securely; loose bulbs may overheat.
Circuit Breakers/Fuses Circuit breakers and fuses should be the correct size current rating for their circuit. If you do not know the correct size, have an electrician identify and label the size to be used. Always replace a fuse with the correctly specified size fuse
Contact us to learn more about these preventive safety procedures
Panel “Tune-up” – We torque all connections within your electrical panels including wire connections to your main and branch circuit breakers.We also verify that your main and branch wiring are not undersized which could potentially be a fire hazard.Additionally, for peak performance, we balance the electrical loads across all phase conductors.
Circuit Tracing and Identification – Identify and label all circuit breakers in your panels without power loss or interruption.This enables you or other trade technicians to turn off a circuit without guessing which circuit breaker controls a specific piece of equipment or lighting.
30-Point Electrical Inspection Program – We inspect your electrical system to locate faults, code and safety violations before they turn in to expensive and life threatening problems.
Lightning & Voltage Surge Protection – We supply and install the best in surge suppression devices to protect your expensive electronic equipment and to lower your electrical consumption
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