6 Causes of Arc Flash in Homes and Tips to Stay Safe
Preventing arc flash may not be top of mind for most homeowners, but it’s a serious risk lurking in many homes. This dangerous electrical event can cause fires, severe injuries, and costly damage in an instant. Knowing what causes arc flash in a home can help you take simple steps to protect your family and […]
Can A Homeowner Replace Electrical Panel
Being a homeowner requires a lot of maintenance. However, taking on any electrical project requires knowledge, patience, and skill. There aren’t many projects that a homeowner cannot tackle on their own. Attempting to replace an electrical panel might not be the best do-it-yourself project idea. Can a homeowner replace electrical panel? Hire a licensed electrician. […]
Do Electric Fireplaces Use A Lot Of Electricity
When it comes to the idea of heating your home, there are many options that you can consider. Some homes have built-in fireplaces, while others have added a gas fireplace or electric stove. You might also see an electric fireplace that is plugged into a standard electrical outlet. The roaring fire looks so real, and […]
Will A GFCI Breaker Protect Ungrounded Outlets
Understanding your home’s electrical system is a very important step. You need to determine if your home is safe from electrical issues, damage, or death from electrocution. One of the many ways we do that is by having a GFCI breaker in the home as this will protect the ungrounded outlets. Will a GFCI breaker […]
What Is A Split Bus Panel?
A split bus panel is a single electrical panel that has two separate bus bars. Bus bars are metal bars inside an electrical panel that carry electrical current and hold the circuit breakers. Other electrical panels have a single bus bar that runs the length of the electrical panel. A split bus panel will have […]
What Is An Open Ground?
An open ground is when a three-pronged outlet is not connected to the home’s grounding system. This is unsafe because if a fault were to happen, the surge could damage equipment or people rather than routing to the ground. Open grounds are commonly found during home inspections. As home inspectors, we help homeowners and homebuyers […]
What Is Electrical Grounding?
Every home should have an electrical grounding system, but most homeowners do not even know what that is. Here’s a quick definition: Electrical grounding is a backup pathway for electrical current to flow in case there is a fault. For example, if a wire connection became loose, or a wire burnt through, the electricity would […]
Fuse Box vs Electrical Panel: Everything You Need To Know
Many people mistakenly interchange the words fuse box and electrical panel. While they are both used to disconnect power and protect your home, they differ in many ways. Let’s discuss the differences between fuse boxes and electrical panels. Then, talk about which electrical shutoff system you should have. What Is A Fuse Box? Fuse boxes […]
Everything You Need To Know About Knob-and-Tube Wiring
What is Knob-and-Tube Wiring? (K&T) Knob and Tube wiring is cloth wiring that runs through “knobs”, which are the white ceramic cylindrical holders, and “tubes” that protect wiring through the wood it runs through. This type of wiring was commonly installed from the 1880s to the 1940s. Today, Knob and tube wiring isn’t inherently dangerous, […]
How Many Outlets Can You Put on a 15 Amp Circuit?
Technically, you can have as many outlets on a 15 amp circuit breaker as you want. However, a good rule of thumb is 1 outlet per 1.5 amps, up to 80% of the capacity of the circuit breaker. Therefore, we would suggest a maximum of 8 outlets for a 15 amp circuit. National Electrical Code […]
