An electrical circuit works as a loop where electricity flows from a source and then returns to that point again after powering the device connected to it. The power flow interrupts or stops if the path is broken. There are also receptacles, fixtures, or switches joined to the course through different types of electrical wiring.

Every electrical circuit has a specific breaker or fuse that controls it. Inside the main electrical panel of your house, you will find reference numbers to identify which breaker or fuse is assigned to which circuit. Mapping of them is a standard electrical safety procedure.

power company supplies electricity to your home through the transmission and distribution lines. The energy enters the service panel, also known as the fuse or breaker box, after passing through a meter. Then, the box has three wires (hot, neutral, and ground featuring insulation of different colors) that do the jobs of transmitting the power to an external outlet, returning to the source, and providing the ground.

The wires of your home are generally installed in three ways:

It’s a wiring system where a single electrical circuit supplies power for several devices. There are various housing boxes from where both hot and neutral wires emerge and run along the route. They branch off to single receptacle and fixture.

It’s the most common of all the systems seen in residential settings.

Switch Wiring

Installed on hot wires, such a system has switches that either transmit or break the current flow to various devices or lighting fixtures. A switch changes its position to allow or interrupt the flow of electricity to electrical machines and instruments.

The system routes the hot wire through various fixtures before joining to the neutral one, which then carries the power to the source. It’s the least used and most inconvenient of all the types because it connects the devices, i.e., lights in a series. So, the circuit breaks off when just one light is burnt out.

Parallel wiring is the best option for household settings because it does not break even when one of the connected fixtures goes kaput. Nevertheless, remember not to run too many electronics from one source because each circuit can carry only a maximum electrical flow.

Rewiring a home is no easy task, and not one that you would probably willingly take on yourself—nor should you. However, sometimes whole-house rewiring is necessary in order to improve daily electrical use and to increase home safety. This type of job requires a team of expert electricians who are licensed and trained in this type of electrical service.

The demand for electricity in our homes has dramatically increased since the 1980s, and seems to only be rising. In addition to more powerful appliances, there are constant technological advances and new devices out on the market, all requiring electricity to run.

Even if your home is only a couple decades old, it could very well need a wiring upgrade, as this heightened demand for power can easily overwhelm an older wiring system. Additionally, if your home is over 5 decades old and still has its original copper wiring, you and your family could be in danger of fire risks and power surges.

Below are a few signs that indicate you could be in need of whole-house rewiring:

You have aluminum wiring: In the mid-60s through the mid-70s, aluminum wiring replaced copper wiring. However, aluminum wiring can overheat and cause fires, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you’ve confirmed that you home was built during this time, you’ll want to consult with a professional electrician.

Your circuit breakers are constantly tripping: Have you found yourself habitually going to the circuit breaker panel to reset tripped breakers? If this is the case, it could be a sign from your home that its electrical system can’t handle the current demands being placed on it.

You’ve noticed charred, discolored outlets: Marks such as these are indicative of electrical fires caused by shorts within the outlet. At the very least, the outlet will need an upgrade, but it’s best to replace all the wiring.

There is an acrid smell in the air: Have you noticed a burning smell when you turn on the lights in your home, with no clear source? Then it’s time to call an electrician, because something could be wrong with your home’s wiring and it will need replacement.

American’s across the nation will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day next weekend.  Green banners, drinks, shirts, and decorations of all kinds will be out in full force as we celebrate heritage and friends.  Then again, why limit being green to just one weekend?  Why limit it to outer colors and anti-pinching shirts?  This weekend is a great time to start planning for how to improve the energy footprint of your home and start the path towards a greener life.  The best news?  While some methods for turning your home green require a little bit of upfront cost, most don’t!

Cleaning – Strange isn’t it?  A clean home, free of dust, actually improves energy efficiency.  Dust clogs air ducts and coats heating elements and pipes.  If the back of your refrigerator is dusty it will cool less efficiently since it can’t release heat properly.  Dusting and cleaning your home will help reduce stress on your appliances and improve their energy efficiency.

Regulate Heat – You can reduce how often your central air runs during the day and night by regulating and preserving the heat within your home.  While you may need to improve insulation to prevent heat transfer, you can reduce it by closing your curtains and opening them.  Just remember that heat always travels to where it’s coldest, so use curtains to block heat from travelling where it shouldn’t.

Turn Off Lights and Appliances – Yes, we use many smart systems today, but turning off lights and leaving power—hungry devices unplugged is still one of the best ways to prevent energy loss each month.

Water Heaters – These units expend a great deal of energy to keep water hot for your home.  Insulate the tank and the pipes around it to keep water warm for longer.  If you haven’t ever had the unit maintained, call a plumber to drain and clean out the tank.  Sediment reduces heating efficiency in the unit.

Expensive but Effective Energy Solutions

If you’re willing to spend a little money you can get even greater increase on home energy efficiency.  The first step is to replace your lighting.  Upgrading to CFL or LED lamps is an excellent way to reduce both your light bill and your cooling costs during the summer.  We recommend swapping out lights as needed to reduce startup costs.  Though it’s best to purchase LEDs in packs from the same manufacturer to make sure that they have the same color temperature.

Upgrades and replacements are ideal for energy efficiency.  Replacing an inefficient appliance, whether it’s a dish washer, water heater, or furnace, is going to have huge benefits when it comes time to pay your monthly bill.  And you’ll find that many of these appliances are eligible for an energy rebate credit to help with the initial costs.

Finally, upgrading your home with solar panels is one of the best ways to turn your home into the greenest building on the block.  They’re expensive, but solar panels can replace the costs for heating, cooling, and light in your home completely.

For the best in quality electrical repair work and installations, contact the professionals at Custom Electric!  Be sure to check back here each week for helpful advice, news, and guides or follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Categories: Residential« Extension Cord Safety  |  

As a car dealership owner, manager, or even sales member; you know that getting the cars out (along with in) is one of the most vital points in your business.

On top of that, keeping the expenses as low as possible to simply operate will allow you to take home more income, rather than spending it on things that are just going to waste (like energy usage).

A good example that will resolve these issues and both increase overall revenues along with decrease expenses is in your lighting. More specifically, LED vs metal halide and HPS.

This brings two major cost saving benefits.

First, it allows you to by 2-3 times less replacement lights since you won’t need to replace burnt out lights as often (because they simply last longer).

Additionally, by reducing the amount of time you need to spend replacing burnt out lights you also get to reduce the amount of time you have to pay someone to switch out and even maintain your new lighting system. This in turn gives you a “two for one” benefit with less buying of replacement lights along with reduced costs associated with hiring someone to maintain your lighting system.

LED offers various ways that it outputs higher quality light (along with operates in a higher quality “way”).

For starters, LEDs will never flicker nor buzz unlike other luminaires do. This issue in and of itself will make your lot look low quality, unprofessional, and even annoying for those walking around the lot.

We live in a wired world, appliances, lights, computers, and more need to  be plugged in.  All of those wires can become unsightly  depending on where they need to be run.  Think of a flat screen TV with the mess of wires hanging behind it, instead of being hidden—which would look better?

Unfortunately, phone and cable providers generally will not run wires based on a homeowner’s preference, and many of these companies will only wire on the exterior of a home. They will do things the easiest way possible, which usually involves running cables on the outside of the house and drilling in at the point of use. This may leave you with wires and cables placed along your walls not to your preference.

Some homes have certain wires—phone lines, typically—that are built in, but very few homes have cables for TV or other networks hardwired.    These phone and cable wiring issues could cause problems with connectivity and performance of certain devices.