Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
The latest figures from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicate that there were 440 total accidental electrocutions in the United States in 1999, 170 related to consumer products. Twenty-nine of those related to household wiring, 29 to small appliances, 22 to large appliances, 15 to power tools, 13 related to ladders, 12 to garden/farm equipment, and 9 to lighting equipment.
But that is only part of the story. According to the latest statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there is an annual average of 111,400 home fires caused by faulty electrical distribution systems, electrical appliances and equipment, or heating and air conditioning systems, taking an average of 860 lives, injuring 3,785 and causing nearly $1.3 billion in property damage.
Based from experience and our proprietary project tracking and management systems, we are able to provide you fast phone quotes for almost every routine electrical project you wish to budget for. The price we give you for the specific task(s) you need completed is guaranteed to be the price you pay when we complete the work.
For larger projects like whole house wiring, basement finishing, remodels and additions you may have us come to your property to survey the area and provide you a total cost (rough-in and finish) price. We will not charge to do this either. Another option to you is faxing us your floor plan for an estimate. We will use the floor plan and your individual lighting, phone, data, TV and home theater specifications to provide a project cost.
There are times when we can not give you an exact cost and will tell you this up front. What we will do is provide an estimate on the time it will take to solve your specific needs and inform you how much we charge per hour to offer the solution. Troubleshooting your electrical system is one of these instances. Without knowing what the root cause of the electrical problem may be, we use our professional judgment to estimate the time it will take to fix the issue.
There are other circumstances where we may request a home inspection report or need to reference the local building department’s notes prior to providing a firm quote on the total cost to complete the electrical repair.
There are many things that can cause this to happen. Possible causes of this are the outlets/lights that work are on a separate circuit than those that do not work. It is also possible an outlet is bad. Some outlets and light switches wear out and simple replacement fixes the problem. You will want to check your electrical panel’s breakers to ensure there are no tripped breakers. If all the breakers are reset and on and you still can not get power to the outlet and/or light, call a licensed electrician to help you further diagnose the problem.
This condition is more common in older electrical systems. This is normally caused when an air conditioning unit, refrigerator, freezer, furnace or other high energy consuming appliance starts. The instantaneous need for motor speed is what causes a momentary dimming of your lights. A lot of power taken to get theses motors at full speed quickly and this is a normal condition. Near capacity or overloaded circuits can also affect lights on the loaded circuit. There is little need to worry if this only happens when a motor driven device/appliance cause a momentary fluctuation. Over time, motor controlled device/appliance electrical components can wear down causing your breaker to trip frequently. If you suspect this is the case, call a licensed HVAC contractor for air conditioning and furnace motor inspections or call an appliance repair company if you feel other appliances are the culprit. Balancing the electrical load, upgrading your wiring or upgrading your electrical service panel to handle more capacity are also possible fixes to this problem. It is suggested you call a licensed electrical contractor and have an assessment completed.
The major cause of this is the GFCI outlet on the circuit has tripped. To remedy this problem, locate the GFCI outlet that controls the circuit and press the “Reset” button. Keep in mind the GFCI outlet that is tied into your bathroom outlets may be located in your garage. If every bathroom has a GFCI outlet, reset all of them. In addition, ensure you check the breaker in the service panel to ensure it is not tripped.
GFCI
Cords
The size of wire in an extension cord must be compatible with the amount of current the cord will be expected to carry. The amount of current depends on the equipment plugged into the extension cord. Current ratings (how much current a device needs to operate) are often printed on the nameplate. If a power rating is given, it is necessary to divide the power rating in watts by the voltage to find the cur-rent rating. For example, a 1,000-watt heater plugged into a 120-volt circuit will need almost 10 amps of current. Let’s look at another example: A 1-horsepower electric motor uses electrical energy at the rate of almost 750 watts, so it will need a minimum of about 7 amps of current on a 120-volt circuit. But, electric motors need additional current as they startup or if they stall, requiring up to 200% of the nameplate current rating. Therefore, the motor would need 14 amps.
Add to find the total current needed to operate all the appliances supplied by the cord. Choose a wire size that can handle the total current.
Circuit Breakers
Do not do this! The reason your breaker is tripping is exactly what it was designed for. A tripping breaker ids telling you to the circuit is overloaded or the breaker is worn out and needs replaced with the same size and type of as the original. Besides dedicated circuits, your multi-wire branch circuit is designed to power multiple devices, lights and fans. If you turn all of your items on and the breaker trips, you probably overloaded the circuit.
Replacing the existing breaker with a higher capacity/size simply exposes your circuit to a heat/fire hazard. The best fix is to limit the number of electric devices you use on a given circuit to avoid tripping the breaker or have an additional circuit installed by a licensed electrical contractor to provide you the proper power requirement for your needs. If a breaker continuously trips and you feel you are not overloading the circuit, contact a licensed electrical contractor to assess the condition of the breaker and circuit.
The US Consumer Products Safety Commission issued the following recommendation: “Investigate to determine why a fuse blows or circuit breaker trips. Do not simply replace the fuse or reset the breaker. If a fuse blows or breaker trips, it is often a warning that the circuit is overloaded. Check the circuit for causes of overloading (for example, too many appliances plugged in, a malfunctioning product, a short circuit). When in doubt, consult a licensed electrician.”
Plugs
Electrical Terms
AFCIs are electrical devices designed to protect against fires caused by arcing faults in residential electrical wiring. The AFCI resembles a normal breaker that is placed in the electrical panel except it contains a reset button in the event a trip occurs and the arc problem is fixed.
Amp (Ampere)Unit that measures the strength or rate of the flow of an electrical current. An ampere is the unit of measurement of electric current produced in a circuit by 1 volt acting through a resistance of 1 ohm.
AWGAmerican Wire Gauge, typical house lighting and receptacle circuits are either 14 AWG or 12 AWG. The smaller the AWG number, the larger diameter the wire will be.
BallastA transformer that increases the voltage to operate a florescent lamp or other non-incandescent light fixture.
Branch Circuit (See “Circuit”) BreakerSee Circuit Breaker- Safety devices found in the main electrical panel and are used to protect life and property from electrical short circuits and overloads. If the “live wire” (black or red) comes in contact with anything connected to the “neutral wire” (white) or “ground” (bare copper or green) the breaker cuts power to that circuit.
Breaker Panel – (Electrical Panel)An electrical box that houses breakers and connects branch circuits to the rest of the house. A typical residential breaker panel is 100 to 200 Amps, 120/240 Volts.
ConductorAny material (wire, water, etc.) that allows electrons to be transferred. Local and NEC codes require the use of copper conductors for all new electrical circuit installations, the use of aluminum wiring for the main service conductor and #8 AWG or larger is permitted.
ConduitA protective metal or PVC tube that electrical wires run in and through.
ConnectorA small insulating plastic or metal piece that attaches to an electrical box that holds the wire or conduit entering it securely.
CircuitThe path of electrical flow from a power source through an outlet and back to ground. All the wiring controlled by a breaker is considered a circuit.
Circuit BreakerSee Breaker – A device that looks like a switch and is usually found inside the breaker panel. It is designed to shut of the power to portions or the entire house and limits the amount of power allowed to flow through a circuit as measured in amperes. They are safety devices used to protect life and property from electrical short circuits and overloads.
Dedicated circuitAn electrical circuit that serves only one appliance, such as a stove, drier, hot water tank, or dishwasher. “Clean power” is served to sensitive equipment like computers and home theater systems using dedicated circuits.
DehumidistatA control mechanism used in a home, to operate an exhaust fan based upon the relative humidity.
DisconnectA large electrical ON/OFF switch. Typically 20 to 200 Amps. Normally found on main electrical panel, in sub-panels and inside air conditioning/hot tub breaker panel boxes.
Duplex ReceptacleA normal electrical outlet, called “duplex” because it has two plug-ins.
Electrical permitA building permit required for electrical work, can be issued to home/ property owners and licensed electrical contractors for residential applications. Can only be issued to licensed electrical contractors for commercial, industrial and residential rental projects.
Electric MeterDevice that measures the amount of electricity that flows through it (or how much electricity a customer uses).
Electrical Finish – (Trim)The final work performed by an electrician when the electrical project is nearing completion. The electrician installs all plugs, GFCI outlets, switches, light fixtures, switch and outlet covers, smoke detectors, bathroom ventilation fans, electric furnace hook-up, electric baseboard heaters, ceiling fans, track lights, recessed light trim, hot tub and/or air conditioning wiring and all associated wires in the main electrical panel with all the regular and AFCI breakers. The electrician finishes all work necessary to complete the work for the customer and if necessary, pass the final PPRBD electrical inspection.
Electrical Metal Tubing (or EMT)Metal tubing that electrical wires are routed in and through to protect the wire from exposure to the elements of weather, inadvertent damage and other exposures that could render the circuit unsafe.
Electrical Rough-InElectrical work done by an electrician to prepare for the open walls to be insulated and covered. Usually all electrical wires and/or circuits are installed along with all the electrical boxes for all the lights, switches and outlets.
Fish tapeA long strip of thin spring steel or composite material used for fishing cables behind existing walls and for pulling wires through conduit.
FixtureAll permanently connected lights, fans or other electrical devices that consume electrical power other than equipment such as air conditioners, garbage disposals, furnaces, etc.
Fluorescent lightingA fluorescent lamp is a gas filled tube with a chemical coating on the inside. Gas inside the glass tube is ionized by electricity which causes the chemical coating to light up.
Forced air heatingA common form of heating using natural gas, propane, oil or electricity as a fuel source. Air is heated in the furnace and blown via an electrical motor through metal ducting to various areas of the home.
A device often found in older electrical panels. Fuses are designed to prevent electrical overloads. Fuses can still be found in some electrical appliances, like ranges. However breakers have now replaced fuses in the electrical panels that distribute the branch circuits throughout the house.
Fuse BoxA box to hold fuses and often confused with electrical panels.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)An ultra sensitive outlet or breaker designed to shut off all electric current. Typically used in bathrooms, exterior outlets, and wet areas like hot tubs, saunas and whirlpool tubs. GFCI breaker outlets have a small reset and test button on the plug or breaker. Testing a GFCI outlet monthly is recommended to ensure its proper operation.
GroundA conducting connection, whether intentional or accidental, between an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth or to some conducting body that serves in place of the earth.
Hot wire (or “Live wire”)Typically a black or red wire that carries electricity to a receptacle or device.
Incandescent lampA lamp using an electrically charged metal filament that lights up. A typical light bulb is considered an Incandescent lamp.
Junction Box (or “J-box”)A plastic, composite or metal box that is securely mounted and contains the wires that are connected to light fixtures, switches, receptacles and devices. A junction box is sometimes installed with the electrical wires capped and the box covered for future use. In remodeling and finishing the wires are left in the open box until all other wall work and painting is complete.
Keyless Lamp HolderA plastic or porcelain light fixture. Typically found in unfinished basements, crawl spaces, utility rooms and attic areas.
KnockoutA removable piece of an electrical box or panel that’s “knocked out” to allow a wire or conduit to enter the box through a connector.
LumenThe unit of measure for total light output. A standard 100 watt incandescent light bulb emits approximately 1700 lumens when powered by 110 volts.
NEC (National Electrical Code)The set of rules issued by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) governing safe electrical wiring practices.
Neutral wireTypically a white wire that carries electricity from an outlet, light or other device back to the main electrical service panel.
Outlet(See Duplex Receptacle) – also called a receptacle, or plug.
PigtailAn added piece of wire connected by a wire connector. Normally used to extend or connect wires in an electrical box.
Radiant heatingA type of heating that consists of a hot water system with pipes installed in the floor, wall, or ceiling. You can also use electrically heated panels or mats that are installed under tile. The electrically heated panels are normally used for a small floor area like bathrooms but are also designed for snow melting systems on roofing eaves and under driveways.
Receptacle (See also Outlet and Duplex Receptacle)An electrical outlet. A typical household will have many 120 volt receptacles for plugging in lamps and appliances and 240 volt receptacles for the range, and laundry dryer.
RomexTrade name of sheathed electrical cable.
Service equipmentMain control gear at the service entrance, such as circuit breakers, switches, and the service panel box itself.
SwitchA device that connects or disconnects an electrical circuit. Also called a single pole switch.
3 way switchSwitch used when a light is controlled from two different places, like outside and inside a room, both ends of a hallway, the top and bottom of stairs.
4 way switchA special switch used when more than two switch locations is desired.
ThermostatA device which relegates the temperature of a room or building by switching heating or cooling equipment on or off as the temperature rises and lowers.
TravelersWires that carry current between three way and/or four way switches.
UL (Underwriter’s Laboratories)An independent testing agency that checks electrical devices and other components for possible safety hazards. UL is not a government agency.
VoltUnit that measures the degree of electrical pressure.
VoltageA measure of electrical potential. Most homes are wired with 120 and 240 volt lines. The 120 volt power is used for lighting and most of the other circuits. The 240 volt power is usually used for the kitchen stove, hot water tank, drier, and electric baseboard heating.
WattThe unit of measure for the amount of electrical power.
Wire nutA wire connector used to fasten bare wires together. “Wire-Nut” is a trade name for a wire connector.