Arc Fault Circuits

Electricians in most states are guided by the National Electrical Code.  In 1999, the electrical code began requiring arc fault circuit protection for circuits that supplied  bedroom outlets --a requirement that applied only to new homes.  Over time, the NEC has increased the requirments to the point that the 2008 code requires combination arc fault circuits in all new construction 15 or 20 amp outlets with the exception of laudry rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, unfinished basements and garages. So what does an arc fault circuit interruptor do, and should you have them installed in your home?

Currently, Connecticut is operating under the 2005 NEC, which requires the circuits only in bedrooms in new residences.  Some, however, feel that the cost of the this technology isn't worth the potential savings.  New homes already have a great deal of fire protection because of new types of materials being used. On the other hand, groups like the Electrical Safety Foundation International feel that AFCIs offer such protection that they recommend AFCIs be installed in existing buildings, not just new homes.

An electrical arc is not unusual and not necessarily bad--essentially it is jumping electricity which sometimes serves a function.  There are situations, however, where arcing is not intentional and can pose a serious fire hazard.  Old and frayed wiring is the worst offender, allowing electricity to arc along an unintended path. This causes an excessive amount of heat to build up around the wires, potentially allowing a fire to start.

It is estimated that the installation of ACFIs would cut electrical fires in half--which is why most national safety organizations like the NFPA (National Fire Prevention Agency) promote their 

For more information, download the National Electrical Manufacturers Association white paper "Using Advanced Technology to Reduce Electrical Fires".

An electrician with customer service skills is not an oxymoron.

Customer service is my passion. I consider it to be my business--not electrical contracting. (Especially since I'm not a licensed electrician!) As a result, I search far and wide for ideas that can help me in my business.  I came across an interesting one the other day in a book by Tom Connellan called Inside the Magic Kingdom.   (After all, Disney is the undisputed customer service champion)  Connellan presented the idea that a company's competitor is any company with whom their customers do business, be it Amazon.com, or L.L. Bean or Disney World.  A person's experience with those companies--some of the flat out best customer service companies around--is going to color their perceptions of their experience with my company. 

At first I was startled by this observation, but quickly realized its truth.  My expectation for internet shopping is that it will be as convenient as shopping at Amazon.com. If a site doesn't quickly meet that expectation, I quickly leave.  After shopping and returning items at L.L. Bean, any store that doesn't provide that same generous return policy suffers by comparison. (I once watched an older gentlemen successfully return 20 year old duck boots on the grounds that they didn't meet his expectations for product quality!) And I am always astonished to hear of the lengths a Disney employee will go to ensure a magical experience for its guests.  

These thoughts were running through my mind as I sat on hold for 15 minutes with my phone company.  A storm had run through town, and we lost telephone service. The very polite representative ascertained that the problem was not with the line, and assured me that a repair person would be at my home at 8:00 the next morning (a Saturday, no less)  to find the problem.  Predictably, no repair person showed up at 8.  Or 10.  Or noon.  Or ever. 

And so I asked myself:  Is this how Disney would run a phone company?  I don't think so.  The Disney phone company would have smiling technicians that showed up on time, in a snazzy uniform (with a Mickey logo on the pocket, no less), ID, and a repair truck with nifty futuristic gadgets to solve my problem and leave me amazed at their attention to detail.   The L.L. Bean phone company would provide me with a quality product and a 100% satisfaction guarantee or my money back. And the Amazon phone company would provide all kinds of online options for scheduling and reviewing my experience with the service technician.  

Savvy readers can see where I'm heading with this.   My company does provide many of these things--high quality electricians with nifty tools to get the job done with a minimum of damage and fuss.  Employees who pay attention to details like cleaning up after themselves.  A 100% satisfaction guarantee that's real, not just a catchphrase.  (I once refunded money to a customer because he was upset we didn't do the plumbing during his washing machine's electrical installation!)  And I can't wait to provide options like online reviews for my customers to talk about their experience with my company.  

So this is the question I'll be pondering:  what would a Disney electrical contracting company look like? 

DIY Electrician Beware

There is a month for everything.  Some monthly observances are relatively well known, like Black History month in February, and Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.  Others are less well-known.  (Did you know that January is National Bird Feeding Month?  And that June brings National Accordian Awareness Month?)   Every May, the Electrical Safety Foundation International  (ESFI) brings us Electrical Safety Month.

ESFI cites some astonishing numbers about  home electrical fires:  450 lives lost in an average 53,000 fires each year; 1400 injuries; 1.4 billion in property damages. This year, the ESFI is focusing attention on Do It Yourself projects.

The home improvement market has been growing at a steady pace for over 10 years, and homeowners concerned about the costs of home service (like electricians!!) have turned into DIYers.  Interestingly, there is a corresponding increase in the number of Emergency Room visits by DIYers trying to perform electrical work by themselves.  (ESFI cites more than 400 home electrocutions each year).

More injuries can be laid at the feet of DIYers and Cheap Charlies (those who find the absolute cheapest electrician possible--regardless of whether he's qualified). 4000 people are injured annually by electrical outlets, and nearly 20,000 people are injured each year by improperly installed ceiling fans!!!!

Check out their website for more information and links: www.esfi.org.

Electrical Savings the High Tech way

2010 is looking to be a big year for energy monitoring devices.  The much-touted smart grid is slowly moving into place and will enable electric utilities to make better decisions about power availablity and usage, but the consumer has been pretty much left in the dark.  That's about to change.

A number of products are poised to change the way we consume energy in the home by giving us real time information about our energy usage.  Like counting calories or monitoring real-time gas mileage, the idea is that knowing where you are consuming energy is the first step in reducing energy consumption. One such device, The Energy Detective (available now, although backordered) provides immediate feedback about total number of kilowatts being used, and total electrical costs. It ties into your breaker board and transmits information to a receiver panel  (see the demo video here).  Models are available directly to the consumer from around $200 dollars,  but should be installed by a licensed electrician.  

Another device, not yet available to the public, promises even more detailed information and control options.  The EnergyHub was named by Time magazine as Invention of the Year in 2009 because of its potential to save billions in energy dollars.  All appliances in your home are monitored for energy use, and the control panel (about the size of your electric thermostat)  enables you to adjust your usage accordingly.  The reason EnergyHub is on my "can't wait" list?  It's 3 profiles:  Home, Away, and Goodnight.  At the touch of a button, you can leave the house, knowing that your hot water heater and the heat have been turned down, the lights are off, and you are maximized for energy savings.  (Check out the demo here. ) No word yet on cost but you can bet I'll be watching this one closely. 

Federal Pacific Panels-- A Fire Waiting to Happen

Is your electrical panel a fire waiting to happen?  If it says Federal Pacific Electric, it may be. 

Federal Pacific was a major manufacturer of electrical panels and circuit breakers from the mid 1950s-mid 1980s.  28 million American homes were fitted with FPE equipment during that time, and according to safety experts and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, these homes are at risk of fire and shock hazards because of the panel.

How is it possible that unsafe equipment was installed in so many homes?  A class action suit against FPE in New Jersey revealed that Federal Pacific rigged their testing equipment to meet UL requirements.  The court found that they "knowingly... distributed circuit breakers that were not tested to meet UL standards."  UL listing was removed from these products.  Independent tests have shown that these breakers fail to trip in response to an overload at an alarming rate.  (For those who enjoy a more technical and detailed discussion, I suggest starting with this study: http://inspectapedia.com/fpe/FPE-Hazards-Revised-070525.pdf

"But I've had my panel for years, and never had any problems. Nothing ever even trips"   Homeowners may mistakenly believe that a panel with circuit breakers that never trip is a good thing, when in fact its a big problem.  A circuit breaker is supposed to trip if there is an overcurrent or a short circuit because that shuts off the current and prevents fires and dangerous shocks. A  frequently tripping circuit breaker is a warning sign, giving you a chance to correct a potentially dangerous problem.  Just because you've lived with your Federal Pacific panel for years doesn't mean that a problem isn't lurking. (These panels were made when most homes didn't even have an automatic coffee maker!!)  Your panel may work perfectly well under normal operating conditions; the real question is what will it do with an overload?

So what causes an overload?  Plugging in the space heater and the hair dryer at the same time.   Using the microwave when the clothes dryer is running.  Even plugging in an elaborate Christmas light display can overload your electrical system.  And with todays electrical demands soaring, the chances of overloading an older system soar just as high. 

If you have a Federal Pacific panel in your home it needs to be replaced.  Period. 

 

Midwinter Blues? Lighting can help you cheer up!

Do you ever wonder why February has only 28 days, while other months have 30 or 31?  The official historical reason dates back to Ancient Rome, the agricultural calendar, and a Roman king who needed a short month to make everything add up correctly.  I, however, have a different theory—one based on no facts whatsoever.  February is short because if it was even one instant longer we would all go mad waiting for spring. 

 

In fact, according to some admittedly murky research, the saddest day of the year falls in late January and goes by the name of Blue Monday.  Why so blue?  Christmas has come and gone, and any residual warm fuzzy feelings have withered.   Even the die-hards among us have given up on New Year’s Resolutions and reverted to sloth and gluttony.  By the end of January, our credit card statements have arrived and we have to figure out how to pay the piper. The shortest day of the year may be past, but it’s still cold and dark with a long way to go until spring. 

 

The travel company that promoted this study suggests that making a plan and taking action (presumably by scheduling a vacation) can help to beat those seasonal blue feelings.  Britain’s Mental Health Foundation has a website, www.beatbluemonday.org.uk which offers 10 additional ways to beat those blues, including Keep Active, Keep in Touch, Eat Well, & Care for Others.

 Some companies promote products that compensate for the seasonal lack of light that can affect our mood.  Lighting companies like Philips create full spectrum lighting that mimics the benefits of sunshine, and claim to help restore your mood and increase your energy levels.  Does it work?  Anecdotal evidence says yes, and clinical studies are beginning to agree.

 

Although I may feel like hiding under the covers until spring, I just may take some of this advice to heart.  Maybe I can keep in touch and care for others (and eat well!) by throwing a mid-winter party.  I’ll turn those full spectrum lights on high, throw on the dance music, and pretend I’m someplace warm and bright.

 

And if you decide to make a plan and take action this winter by doing some home renovation or repairs, don’t forget to include your friends at The Wiring Whiz!

 

Low cost thermostat saves you money!

Picture this:  its cold outside--really cold.  You've been away at work all day and have slogged through the ubiquitous "wintry mix" during your long commute home.  Because you're energy conscious, you've turned your home thermostat down to practially subzero temperatures.  You feel like a walking popsicle, so as soon as you get home you turn the manual thermostat up to "nuke", even though you know it doesn't actually heat up your home any faster. It does make you feel warmer, though.

There is a better way. A programmable digital thermostat allows you to control the temperature of your home and optimize energy savings.  And when a typical household spends upwards of $2000 on energy use--half of that for home heating and cooling--the savings can really add up.  

How do they work?  Energy Star qualified programmable thermostats are designed to be set at different temperatures for different periods of time.  You can set your temperature at a comfortable level during the day, and have it automatically lower an hour or so before you typically go to bed.  Then, program it to warm the house to a comfortable level shortly before you wake up.  If you're gone for long perdiods of time during the day, have it automatically lower the temperature when you leave, and raise it so you have a toasty house when you make it home.  A quality thermostat will enable you to provide different temperature and timing options for different days, so you can make adjustments for that Wednesday night Pilates class, or Saturday morning sleep-in. They also provide for "vacation" settings, where the temperature is way down for an extended time away.  And the best feature may be the "set it and forget it" aspect--once its programmed, you really can just leave the heat alone. 

How much can you save?  Of course, that depends on your usage.  But for every eight hours you lower the temperature one degree you lower the heating bill by 1%.

There may be no more ideal way to save money, save energy, and increase your comfort level than installing a digital thermostat.

Saving Energy? Dim the Lights

Every home has one--the light freak.  Or more accurately, the turn-out-the-light freak.  In our home, its my husband.  He'll enter a room, heave a huge sigh and turn off the light before moving on to the next room with a heavy step.  I, of course, come into the room he just left and say "Hey, Who turned out the light?"  I hate being in a dark room, and I rarely think about turning off lights when I move around the house.  When I'm home, the house is lit up like a Christmas tree.  But without my personal light freak I'd pay a heavy price for my lack of concern.  Lighting can account for a whopping 20% of home electrical bills.

Fortunately, I don't have to live in the dark to be energy efficient and keep my light bills within the bounds of reason.  There are some great products that enable me to meaningfully reduce the amount of energy I use and still provide me with the light I crave.  My favorite device is a Lutron dimmer switch. 

A dimmer switch is a great idea.  Dimming your lights by even a small  percentage saves a corresponding amount of electricity, and dramatically extends the life of the bulb.   I no longer have to choose between "interrogation room bright" (we can make you talk) and "stub my toe on the table dark".   Generally I set my lights to 80 or 90%, leaving me with plenty of light and that righteous feeling enjoyed by the energy efficient among us.  I enjoy setting my lights to 30 or 40% in the evening when things are winding down around my house, and sometimes (gasp) leave the lights on at 10% even in an empty room.  The effect can be dramatic, making me feel like I live in a designer magazine.  (It also can hide the fact that I really ought to vacuum the living room rug!)

Dimmer switches have come a long way.  Lutron manufactures dimmers that work with incandescent lights, but also LED and fluorescents as well.   Check out their interactive demo at  Lutron home light control for some great ideas.  

And save some money.  Keep the lights on!

Why pay an electrician flat rate?

We all know the phrase "time is money", and nowhere is that more true than in a home services company.  It seems pretty straightforward--you find someone who charges a reasonable hourly rate (and "reasonable" is definitely in the eye of the beholder!!) and get an estimate for how long the job should take and how much you'll pay for materials.  That's the way to save money, we're told.  Unfortunately, that leaves the customer watching the meter tick and the bill growing by the minute.  Often, the customer feels the need to hover over the technician to make sure that no time is wasted.  And the plumber or electrician who's trying to work?  They're actually rewarded for working more slowly. 

I've had the experience (one I'm sure you've shared) of waiting and waiting on a service technician, wondering if my checkbook is deep enough for whatever the bill turns out to be. I don't like it, and that's why I'm a fan of the flat rate.  

No one ever asks the appliance retailer how much per hour that fridge costs.  It's a flat rate, and we the customer decide if we feel the fridge is worth it.  The same goes for services--how much per hour does a dentist or hair stylist charge? It's irrelevent to us.  We find a dentist who works carefully, and a stylist who makes us look great, and we decide if the cost is worth the end result.  So why should the same principle not apply to electricians and other home service professionals? 

Most professional home service companies are turning to flat rate systems, and most homeowners LOVE the switch.  Why?  Having a ceiling fan installed or a plug replaced is a much less stressful when you already know the cost.  The homeowner has control over what they pay--not the electrician.  There's no risk of padding the bill by wasting time--the customer's and the repairperson's--and the electrician is not rewarded for slow and inefficient service. 

Now that's a win-win situation.

 

Is Your Home Coming Down With Pneumonia?

Take care of your electrical system’s cold before it turns into something worse!

Sniffling. Coughing. Sneezing. Those are the signs that you might be catching a bit of a cold! It also means that you may be headed to the pharmacy for some medicine or maybe even the doctor’s office for a check-up. Why do you go to the pharmacy or get a check-up? Of course, you go because you do’t want those nasty little symptoms to turn into something bigger…something worse like strep throat, the flu, or even pneumonia.

You may not realize this, but your electrical system could be suffering from similar symptoms. No, it obviously doesn’t have a sneeze or a cough. But it could be suffering from its own type of unique symptoms. Have you ever noticed the lights in any part of your home flickering? Do certain outlets only work sporadically? Do circuit breakers frequently trip? Do you have any loose outlets in your walls? Do bulbs frequently blow out? These are all signs that your home’s electrical system could be coming down with a cold.

These minor electrical problems may seem like nothing more than an inconvenience. In reality, they may be a sign of bigger dangers. Just as you’d go to the doctor to evaluate your health, you should call your electrician to evaluate your home at least once a year.

A lot can happen in a year. You may have purchased new electronics that could put a significant drag on your electrical system…like a new computer or big screen television. Also, outlets could begin to show their age and may need to be replaced. If you’ve never had a safety inspection performed on your home, you’re greatly overdue.

Whether your electrical system hasn’t been inspected this year or ever, it’s something that you may want to explore soon. You don’t want to be stuck with an emergency on your hands.