Frequently
Asked Questions
Q.)When is it time to call an electrician?
A.)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 extension
cords to plug in electrical devices.
Q.)What size electrical service system do I
install in my home?
A.)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.
Q.)What are the common Electrical Acronyms and
what do they stand for?
A.)G.F.I. – Ground fault circuit interrupter. It
is an electrical wiring device that disconnects
a circuit whenever it detects that the electric
current is not balanced between the energized
conductor and the return neutral conductor. Such
an imbalance may indicate current leakage
through the body of a person who is grounded and
accidentally touching the energized part of the
circuit. A lethal shock can result from these
conditions. GFCIs are designed to disconnect
quickly enough to prevent injury caused by such
shocks. They are not intended to provide
protection against over-current (overload) or
short-circuit conditions.
AFCI –
BPU –
NEC – National Electric Code
Q.)How electrical work much should I attempt on
my own?
A.)At the present time most states allow you to
do whatever you want in your own home. But,
doing electrical work yourself is dangerous and
could result in costly repairs as well as making
more problems within your home’s system. 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? Then, 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.
Q.)Which grade of electrical outlets should I
have installed in my home?
A.)There are three grades of outlet on the
market. Homeowner grade, the cheapest, is the
commonest type of outlet for installation in a
builder-grade home. However, they are flimsy and
tend to wear out in 5-10 years at the most. When
you install
or replace electrical outlets, go for commercial
grade instead – these cost about 50 percent more
than the cheaper kind, but the financial
difference is insignificant and they will last
100 years under typical home use conditions.
Hospital grade are very expensive, costing ten
times the price of homeowner quality, and are
really not necessary; they are designed for
never-fail use in medical facilities, for
example to power breathing machines.
Q.)What is the half-circle-shaped hole that you
see on electrical outlets these days?
A.)This very important addition to modern
electric outlets is there to ensure your safety.
It is a ground built in to the outlet in order
to prevent contact between a hot wire and a
neutral one, thereby avoiding the danger of
electric shock or fire. If you move into an
older house, you will need to install these
outlets to replace the old ones.
Q.)Explain the term “tamper-resistant
receptacle.”
A.)This is a type of electric outlet that the
NEC (National Electric Code) requires to be
installed in all newly constructed or renovated
residences as of 2008. It is designed to protect
children from shock and burns as the result of
their sticking small metal objects (for example,
paper clips or keys) into the receptacle.
Q.)What is a rotating electrical outlet used
for?
A.)When you want to plug several devices into
the same receptacle at the same time, a rotating
outlet will allow you to rotate the individual
plug-ins as much as 360 degrees, so that they
will all fit in nicely.
Q.)Are there outlets manufactured especially to
stand up to outdoor use?
A.)Yes, you can purchase
specially manufactured weather-resistant
electrical receptacles. These are subjected to
extra stringent requirements and tested for
their resistance to factors such as exposure to
intense cold or ultra-violet light.
Q.)How can electrical switches help with home
security?
A.)Switches can be illuminated for greater
visibility, particularly desirable when a
household member has physical limitations. In
case of emergency, just flick the Emergency
Decorator Home Locator Switch and cause your
home’s outdoor front lights to flash, signaling
“SOS” until help arrives.
Q.)What is the difference between a breaker
panel and my old fuse panel?
A.)Both devices, either breaker or fuse, are
designed to trip (turn off) in the event of an
electrical overload, i.e. 20amps of electrical
load on a 15amp circuit would cause a trip. The
only difference is that a breaker is mechanical
and may be reset, whereas, a fuse is one time
only and must be replaced. Please Note: Modern
breakers are much more efficient and offer
greater levels of protection.
Q.)How do I reset my breakers?
A.)Turn the breaker completely off and then
completely on. Some breakers will look like they
are not tripped, but could be in the neutral
stage, which still does not allow them to
function as if they were completely on. A way to
help determine this, is to turn every breaker
completely off and then on.
Q.)What is a surge protector and should I get
one?
A.)Surges are created by lightning or from the
local power station. Sometimes, a surge of
electricity can flood out to the residents from
the power station. A surge protector helps to
protect your electrical devices from a power
surge. Usually, surge protectors are used for
electronic devices such as computers and flat
screen televisions. If you appreciate your
electronic devices and want them to perform
efficiently without having to worry about
replacing them, you may want to consider
protecting your devices with a surge protector.
Q.)There is a humming noise coming from my
panel. What does this mean?
A.)This could be the result of a defective
breaker. Replacement should be immediate as this
defective breaker could cause serious harm to
electrical components.
Q.)Why is a breaker in my panel hot to touch?
A.)This overheating is a serious defect and
could cause arcing in the breaker. It should be
immediately replaced.
Q.)I’m purchasing a home and the power has been
off for over a year. The electric company won’t
turn it back on. What do I do?
A.)This is a normal process. Your electric
company isn’t picking on you. The electric
company has regulations that will not allow them
to turn on the electric if it has been off for
over a year, unless a registered electrician or
inspector checks the service to ensure safety of
it. An inspection will need to take place to
ensure that when they reconnect power no damage
has taken place in the amount of time the power
was off and no one will be hurt through
re-connection. One of our licensed electricians
will examine the entire service and make any
repairs that are necessary if needed. Then,
we’ll call a third party inspector to pass the
service. Once the service is passed, we will
have the electric company reconnect the electric
and you will be ready to go!
Q.)How can I tell when an electrical outlet is
not safe?
A.)The plug falls out of the outlet without
touching it, or the outlet is not secure and
will move easily when touching it. When the
outlet is warm or hot to the touch, you need to
immediately take care of the issue by unplugging
the device and calling Eric Krise Electrical as
this type of problem can result in a fire.
Q.)Can I plug a new refrigerator in anywhere?
A.)Eric M. Krise Electrical suggest a dedicated
circuit for refrigerators. They have an
extensive amp draw. They should not be GFCI
protected like a lot of receptacles found in
kitchens and garages. A dedicated circuit will
protect your freezer or fridge from being
tripped and destroying anything inside. Q.)What
does it mean when my fluorescent lights are
flickering or cycling on and off?
A.)Flickering may indicate impending bulb
failure, minor power fluctuation, and/or
improperly installed bulbs. Cycling on and off
is usually a clear indication of ballast and/or
bulb failure. It is recommended when replacing
ballast to replace bulbs as well.
Q.)Can I change an existing switch to a dimmer
switch?
A.)Yes. We will match the specific dimmer to the
lights in your home. There are different bulbs
required for specific dimmers. Such bulbs
include incandescent, CFLs and LEDs.
Q.)What areas of my house should be GFCI
protected?
A.)GFCIs should be installed in all wet
locations including unfinished basements,
garages, anywhere outside the dwelling, within
six feet of any sink, kitchens, bathrooms and
powder rooms.
Q.)What are the buttons on my GFCI outlet for?
A.)One button is the test button. When it is
pushed, it should turn off the outlet and all
other outlets that are tied to it. The other
button is a reset button, which is used to turn
the power back on to the outlet and any others
that are tied into the outlet.
Q.)Can I make my home safe if I currently have
knob and tube wiring, but do not have the funds
available to complete a whole-house rewire at
this time?
A.)To an extent, as knob and tube wiring can be
very dangerous. There are ways to keep your home
and family safe until you are ready for the
re-wire. First, an inspection would be completed
by Eric Krise Electrical. to determine the
current state of the knob and tube wiring in
your home. A 15-amp arc fault circuit
interrupter can be installed on the circuit
occupied by the knob and tube. An arc fault
breaker is a circuit breaker designed to prevent
fires by detecting an unintended electrical arc
and disconnecting the power before the arc
starts a fire. An AFCI must distinguish between
a harmless arc that occurs incidentally to
normal operation of switches, plugs and brushed
motors and an undesirable arc that can occur,
for example, in a lamp cord that has a broken
conductor in the cord.
Q.)What is the difference between conventional
circuit breakers and an AFCI
A.)Conventional circuit breakers only respond to
overloads and short circuits; so they do not
protect against arcing conditions that produce
erratic, and often reduced current. An AFCI is
selective so that normal arcs do not cause it to
trip. The AFCI circuitry continuously monitors
the current and discriminates between normal and
unwanted arcing conditions. Once an unwanted
arcing condition is detected, the AFCI opens its
internal contacts, thus de-energizing the
circuit and reducing the potential for a fire to
occur. An AFCI should not trip during normal
arcing conditions, which can occur when a switch
is opened or a plug is pulled from a receptacle.
Q.)Does my house need to be re-wired?
A.)We recommend a whole house safety inspection
to understand the current status of the wiring.
Some wiring that is considered a major hazard
is: knob and tube wiring, BX wiring, and an
ungrounded system. These compose hazards on your
home and if in poor condition, a re-wire shall
be considered.
Q.)Will my house be destroyed during a re-wire?
A.)With experience in homes dated over 100 years
old, Robert Larsen owner of Iwireav.com |
Pyramid Electric LLC can find efficient paths
and ways to complete a project in a safe, neat
manner. Our company will preserve the beautiful
details and structure of your home, which in
turn will keep the costs and heavy repairs to a
minimum.
Q.)How long will it take to complete a re-wire
and will I need to move out during the process?
A.)Most homes can be completed within one week.
Larger homes can take up to two weeks. You will
not need to move out of the home during the
process.
Back to
top of page
|
|
|
