Archive for the ‘Electric’ Category

Adding a Circuit: Why You Should Hire a Spokane Electrician

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

There are many repairs that a savvy homeowner can handle alone. Things like fixing a running toilet, draining and cleaning the water heater annually and even replacing a bathroom vanity are all projects that can reasonably be done yourself.

When it comes to electrical work, however, the job is best left to a skilled Spokane electrician. One such project that homeowners are not advised to tackle is adding a circuit to your home electrical system. This is for several reasons, including the complexity of the job at hand, the legal components of local building codes and ultimately, your safety.

 Not an Easy Job

Leaving aside for a moment the dangers of delving into your home’s wiring, adding a circuit is a difficult job to accomplish. Wiring a circuit is a job that requires some skill and training. There are lots of ways to do it wrong, but only one way to do it right.

There may be other challenges, too. For one, your breaker box may not accept another circuit, which means you would have to upgrade to one with a higher capacity. Right away, this project has gotten way more complicated than you would have liked.

 Knowing the Code

Building codes are often complex and difficult to follow, which is why Spokane contractors have to spend hours in training learning about changes and modifications to local codes. If you were to inadvertently add a new circuit in a way that violated local codes, you could have a big mess on your hands.

In addition, many local codes prohibit anyone other than a licensed contractor from even performing electrical work– including the homeowner.

 Safety First

Lastly, but clearly most importantly, consider the safety issues involved. Electrical wiring can be a serious hazard, and not working with it safely can result in serious injury or even death.

Professional electricians are trained in how to properly and safely do electrical work so that no on gets hurt or worse.

The urge to do it yourself can be strong, and in many cases it’s OK to follow that urge, but adding a circuit is not one of those times. It’s not worth it. Call in ACI Northwest!

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How to I Decide What Size Generator to Buy? A Question From Cocolalla

Monday, September 5th, 2011

No one likes to be without power. A storm or disruption to local electrical service can have a major impact on people’s lives and well-being, whether you live in Cocolalla or Priest River. Fortunately, there are safeguards in place to prevent loss of electric power in the event of an emergency. There are no better examples than hospitals that utilize back-up generators to run their electrical systems in the event of a power failure. Electricity is a necessity for these emergency facilities.

Electricity is also a necessity for you in your homes. Many of you can “wait out” a power failure because experience shows that power failures can be as short as a few seconds or minutes. Even ones lasting several hours are tolerable, albeit disruptive and uncomfortable.

If you’d prefer to have back-up power there are some things to consider when shopping around for a gas generator. Many people would like to have this important appliance but simply cannot afford to make the expenditure. The question then is: Can you afford not to have electricity? Will you have to replace a refrigerator or freezer full of food? Are you entertaining guests and can’t reschedule the event? Does someone in your home require electrical medical equipment? If you answer yes to any of these you are an ideal candidate for a generator.

But what size and type?

First of all, how much energy does you home consume? Do you run your air conditioner and furnace a lot? Are your refrigerator and/or freezer set on very cold temperatures? Do you run a lot of computers and televisions?

Typically, the right size generator for a 2,000 square foot home is around 7,000 watts. This generator will power up most appliances and cost in the $900-$1,000 range. If you are on a budget and don’t need to constantly run every appliance, you might consider a 1,400 watt gas generator which retails for around $200. Other gas generators with various wattage ratings run the gamut of pricing between these two examples.

When buying a generator, also determine if you want major appliances plugged directly into the generator or to simply run the main power circuit from your home into the generator. If you choose the later, it is advisable to hire a qualified electrician to tie in the generator to your home.

If you really want instant piece of mind and don’t mind paying for the expense, you can buy a generator that activates immediately after a power failure and runs on natural gas. But now we are talking about big dollars.

If you decide to go the gas generator route, keep one more thing in mind. They don’t run forever. Keep an ample supply of gas on hand to feed the generator, based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

A power supply loss doesn’t mean the end of the world – if you plan ahead.

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When to Upgrade Your Circuit Box: A Recommendation From Chattaroy

Monday, August 29th, 2011

How many people remember what it was like to go on a “fuse search” when a major appliance stopped working? If you lived in or owned an older Chattaroy home, you know what that meant – a blown fuse was a nuisance.

The first types of electricity control were fuses, installed in a main fuse box (or secondary box) which connected the incoming electrical current to separate circuits. Most major appliances like refrigerators and stoves had their own separate current and fuse.

Eventually these fuse boxes were replaced with panels containing circuit breaker panels, which contained circuit breakers instead of fuses. So instead of replacing a fuse when a major appliance or circuit goes down, all that is needed is a flip of the breaker switch back to the “on” position.

Circuit breakers are considered safer and have greater capacity to control current to many of the newer, electricity-consuming appliances such as microwaves and wireless routers, to name a couple. And flipping a switch is much more cost-effective than having to buy replacement fuses, too.

While it is not mandatory for homeowners to replace fuse boxes with circuit breaker panels, it is often a good idea to make the change, especially during a home remodeling project. Doing it “all at once” is a good idea since walls are usually torn up and appliances are being replaced. Before the dust settles on the project, it is logical to install a breaker panel. Better to disrupt everything at once than to go back later and disrupt everything again.

Another reason to install la new circuit breaker panel is because of necessity. Circuit boxes are rated by amperage (amps) – a measure of electrical capacity. For example, older boxes may be rated for 60 amps and newer homes could have boxes rated 200 amps or higher. This bigger demand for power can overload older circuits. And appliances can constantly be popping a circuit or blowing a fuse. In that case, it might be a good time to consider changing to a new circuit breakers panel.

According to www.acmediy.com, there is a checklist of things to consider when installing a circuit breaker panel, including:

  • Determine your load requirements,
  • There may be a need to add new wiring or circuits,
  • Wires coming into your home may have to be upgraded,
  • Old wiring may need to be replaced.

Should you do it yourself? If you have the experience and skill to do so, installing a circuit breaker panel is doable. If not, a qualified, skilled electrician is the person to call. It will cost extra but consider it “peace of mind.”

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