Day: October 19, 2021
Six Key Ways to Maintain Your Home Electrical SystemSix Key Ways to Maintain Your Home Electrical System
Home electrical system safety depends on knowing the basics. The type of system you use greatly affects the safety level of your home. Standard voltage home wiring, which serves many typical home electrical gadgets, must be properly serviced regularly to prevent electrocution or shock (see below for more information). However, even if you follow expert guidelines and unplug electrical devices when you are working on them in your home, you still might be at risk for an electrical shock if you do not follow basic home electrical system basics.
Basics
- The most common type of home electrical system works on the principle of contact: electricity flows from an electric point, such as a light fixture, through the electrical wires inside the fixture, to an outlet that matches your home appliance’s wiring. However, this type of home electrical system works only if the electricity flows the right way. For example, the path of a car running down the road could get curved; the arc caused by headlights on the car could hit an electrical panel and cause a short, rather than an electrical shock. For these types of home accidents, it is important to have an experienced, trained person inspect your home’s wiring every year. He or she can check for any problem areas and make sure your home electrical system works the way it should.
- Second, there are grounded conductors. These types of home electrical systems use metallic insulators between the electricity and the metal surfaces of the appliances. Although these types of systems prevent electricity from flowing harmfully, it’s still possible for electricity to flow toward an outlet if the insulator breaks. This can cause serious problems, such as electrocution, when the electricity gets near the metal surface of the appliance it’s connected to. If you notice a crack in your home electrical system, have the service panel inspected by a professional.
- Third, some home electrical systems work on batteries. Many houses have a battery backup in case the electricity goes out during the night, but if the batteries lose power before the home’s electricity comes on, there may not be enough power in the home to power all of the home’s appliances. For this reason, a home’s electrical system may not be able to fully function during a power outage.
- Fourth, remember to change meters once a year to make sure the electricity usage is accurate. When the meter reaches the maximum amount of allowed energy, it will tell the homeowner. The homeowner can either change the meter or take the existing ones off the system. However, he or she must find a service station that accepts the old meters. Some home improvement shops will not accept new meters.
- Fifth, avoid hanging clothes and other items from the ceiling to prevent issues with extension cords. The wires in extension cords can get caught up in the attic, causing electrical problems. Also avoid using extension cords in high, dry areas of the home, like the bathroom or basement. Use heavy-duty cordless phones when you are in those areas.
- Sixth, after a storm or large rainfall, run the emergency shut-off, known as the siren, for all of the appliances and wiring in the home. Turn off all the electricity, including the water heater, furnace, and any other electric items that you do not use daily. After the storm has cleared, call the utility company to verify that all of your electric equipment is back on the grid and functioning. It is important to note that during a storm, many homes experience a false shut-off status. You should wait until the utility company has restored power to your home before checking your home’s operation.
Take special care to verify that the wiring on your home’s electrical system is up to date and clean. Dirty wiring can lead to shorts, fires, and dangerous electrocutions. There are various types of cleaners available, ranging from liquids to powders that work by cleaning away dirt and grime. Do not use chemicals to clean wiring, as these can become dangerous if ingested and have been found in the blood of animals exposed to chemicals used in cleaning.
Why a Switchboard Upgrade Is Cost-Effective When it Comes to Replacing Your Fuse BoardsWhy a Switchboard Upgrade Is Cost-Effective When it Comes to Replacing Your Fuse Boards
An electrical switchboard is an extremely important piece of electrical equipment. Due to its highly sensitive nature, it is essential to maintain a clean switchboard and its various components. It can reduce the risk of electrical shock, prevent accidental shocks and cut down on the frustration associated with confusing signals and broken electrical connections. Although an electrical switchboard replacement is not a required component of a modern business, most companies still upgrade them when the time comes. It is important to choose a reputable company to do this job for your company.
Cost
The electrical switchboard upgrade cost may seem quite high. However, you need to look at the bigger picture. Replacing an old switchboard with a new and modern one can save hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dollars on your annual electrical bill. The high initial cost of the switchboard may appear quite excessive, but you need to look at the total cost over its lifetime. Over the years, you may find that the amount you pay in terms of electricity, is less than what you would have paid for brand new equipment.
It is important to remember that the electrical switchboard upgrade cost does not just include the cost of the new switchboard. It also includes the cost of the electrical wiring, the labour to install the wiring and any parts or accessories that need to be added or replaced. Most importantly, when changing your electrical wiring, you need to make sure that it is lead-free. Lead-free wiring has been a requirement since the ’60s. If your wiring is not lead-free, you run the risk of electrical shock and poisoning yourself or others.
Fuses
If you plan on replacing your old fuse boards, you must get the same fuse ratings as you currently do. The cost of the electrical switchboard upgrade will be much higher if the current fuses are not sufficient to handle the electricity load you are currently generating. Keep in mind that if you decide to replace your existing fuse boards, you must ensure that the new ones are FPA rated. If you don’t, the electricity you generate could be higher than the maximum safety rating, causing severe damage to property and injuries to personnel.
Checks and Inspections
You must check your electrical switchboard upgrade regularly to make sure that all fuse boards are up to code. If you notice any damaged fuse boards, call out immediately and have the area vacated while you address the problem. If you find that all of the fuse boards are up to code, and there is no sign of damage or aging, you may want to consider replacing all of the fuse racks as well. Call the local fire department to let them know that there were electrical issues and they will assist you in getting out the damaged equipment.
As you can see from the above example of why you must check your electrical switchboard when necessary, it is cost-effective to have the panel replaced even if you don’t need to replace all of the fuse racks. In most instances, it costs less to have everything on site replaced rather than calling in an expert to do the job. Even when you do call an expert to replace your mains or fuse boards, you will almost always be able to save money on the overall cost by having your switchboard upgraded when necessary.
There is one more reason that you must perform a thorough electrical switchboard upgrade when necessary; namely, older homes have been found to have more asbestos in their wiring system than newer homes. It has been proven that up to 80% of older homes contain at least some level of asbestos. When this is the case, it is not only unsafe to the occupants but is also an extremely dangerous situation for anyone who comes into contact with it. The only way to be certain that you do not come in contact with any asbestos is to have a thorough switchboard replacement performed.
Basic Responsibilities of a Commercial ElectricianBasic Responsibilities of a Commercial Electrician
Commercial electricians perform a variety of tasks for businesses. In some cases, the duties will include electrical inspections of businesses’ equipment. However, many commercial electrician jobs involve installing new or repairing existing equipment.
Inspections
Some commercial electrician jobs require that inspectors look at various types of wiring and different kinds of fuses. An inspector will examine wiring for potential problems, but it can also include looking for broken or frayed wiring. The inspector will look for damaged fuse holders, too. This can help to determine if the branch circuits that need to be tested are broken. It can also show whether the fuse holding areas need to be replaced.
Most commercial electrician jobs now require inspectors to check buildings for problems related to wiring quality. Industrial buildings are usually made from concrete or steel. In these kinds of buildings, some chemicals can cause issues.
If an industrial building does not meet electrical safety standards, it can have many negative effects. The commercial electrician may find that certain parts of the building need to be upgraded. With industrial buildings, however, it is usually the electrical maintenance and servicing that causes the problems. Instead of fixing the electrical systems of commercial buildings, however, businesses choose to demolish the structures or upgrade them with newer ones.
Wiring
Many commercial electrician jobs require inspections of various wiring and connections. With all the wires in use in a commercial building, a thorough inspection is necessary to ensure that there are no broken wires or other problems with wiring. This kind of inspection is often done before the wiring is installed. A good electrician will be able to tell if there are problems and whether there is a need for rewiring or repairs. It can be a waste of time and money to fix wiring once it is already installed.
When a commercial electrician inspects commercial buildings for wiring problems, he will also check for defects in insulation, air leaks, and other problems that could affect the performance of the circuits. With new construction, however, the wiring may have been installed with defective parts that could cause future problems. A certified electrician will be able to determine whether the wiring has any defects and where it is located. He can replace defective wiring, install new wiring in the affected areas, or fix the old wiring so that it works again. Most construction companies have an expert on hand that can inspect new construction to determine whether there are ways to cut costs by doing the work themselves.
Every building that is being built will come with specific electrical equipment. When the wiring is inspected, the commercial electrician will make sure that all the required equipment is up to code. All electrical systems will have detailed specifications about what kinds of parts are required for different parts of the systems and what kinds of equipment are required to run those systems.