To most people, circuit panels are the first place they go when power fails to a room.  The loud click heard when a space heater or hair dryer overloads a circuit usually calls for a quick trip to flip a circuit breaker back on.  Every building depends on the circuit panel for safety and electrical management for the home.  The electrical panel for your home, along with the attached circuit breaker, serves to delegate power throughout the home.  By splitting up power demands, it prevents overloads in separate rooms and isolates individual features and appliances.

You may be wondering why we need to split up circuits the way we do.  If all of our devices operate on 120 volts, why do we need separate circuits?  The answer has to do with the physical quirks of wiring.  You see, while everything operates off of the 120 volts delivered by your home’s wiring, the power demands are different for each device.  As power is applied to a circuit, current flows over the wiring and heats it up.  The higher your power demands, the more current is flowing through the wires.

The wires in your home can only handle a set amount of current (most circuits are 20-amp circuits) before they overheat and begin to ignite insulation around them.  If you placed every light, appliance, and TV in your home on the same electrical circuit, you’d reach this thermal limit almost immediately.  To prevent his, we install circuit breakers to help separate energy demands to specific rooms.  We also separate the energy load to create special appliance circuits.  This is why your HVAC unit is on a separate circuit from your kitchen and your laundry room.  Appliance circuits use thicker wires which are designed to handle higher electrical loads.  High current circuits are expensive, so homes are designed to use them sparingly.

This is also why you should only ever replace breakers and fuses with new units that have the same tolerance.  Circuit breakers are designed to be the weakest link in a system.  They must trip before anything on the circuit itself would fail.  This safety feature means that the breaker will trip before wiring overheats or appliances are damaged by high-current draw.  If you do need to replace a breaker, always match it with the same current-rating.

Power surges are another reason we separate circuits in a home.  Whenever a load is applied to the system (you turn on a hair dryer, electrical appliance, or even a lamp) inrush current is also applied.  Inrush-current is the initial surge of power that occurs when current is increased.  Extra power is applied across the system, which causes a risk of electrical damage when a high-power device is applied to a low-power circuits.  To mitigate this, high-load motors such as those in power tools, HVAC systems, and other appliances are plugged into special appliance circuits.  This is also why you should plug sensitive low-voltage electronics into surge protectors.

Sometimes electrical panels can wear out.  While the signs are clear when you know what to look for, without experience you have no way of knowing if it’s time to replace your panel.  Get an inspection for your electrical panel if:

If, however, you happen to notice one of two logos, Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) or Zinsco, you should call for a replacement immediately.  These older models of electrical panels are unsafe and should be replaced quickly.

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« Mood Lighting for Romance  |  Extension Cord Safety »

Something could go wrong with your electrical system at any time. Whether you experience an issue with your wiring system, or an error that has occurred as a result of an appliance or other gadget, it is important to leave these important repairs to a professional. Rather than risking your life trying to fix a complex electrical issue on your own, you should take full advantage of the 24/7 emergency electrical services in your area. Most electricians, including The Electric Connection, offer emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You may need to call on an electrician in Santa Monica at odd hours for a variety of reasons. Natural disasters, poor wiring, overloaded circuits or appliance malfunctions are some of the most common reasons that electrical systems stop working properly. In certain circumstances, these events can make your home and electrical system unsafe until an electrician has solved the problem. In other emergency events, loss of power could lead to a potentially dangerous or uncomfortable situation, depending on the weather and special considerations such as medical equipment and food storage. If you feel that your electrical issue is an emergency, don’t hesitate to call your Santa Monica Electrician.

While you may be somewhat apprehensive at first, hiring an emergency electrician is normally just as easy as hiring one during normal hours. Simply call the office, or a special 24/7 emergency line, and describe your problem. Before you know it, someone will be out to inspect and fix your electrical system. While you are waiting, resist the urge to tinker with the electronics yourself. Doing so could lead to further damage or even injury. For fast, certified and professional emergency services, don’t hesitate to call The Electric Connection. We’re always available to help out during an electrical emergency.

Plenty of DIYers can complete an electrical project on their own without the help of a certified electrician. Sure, it’s easy to fix minor annoyances with light fixtures or outlets, but not installations, renovations, and major repairs. That’s because what starts out looking pretty straightforward can quickly turn into a disaster. Here’s a look at four specific examples that ElectricMan Inc. can help sort out.

Contact ElectricMan today to prevent a DIY disaster, or for any other electrical needs. ElectricMan is your trusted, local certified electrician with 27 years of experience. For more information, visit the ElectricMan website. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Early in the month, American Airlines Flight 1420 crashed near Little Rock, AK. This crash, along with a few others that took place soon before and after, inspired research into the deleterious effects of sleep deprivation on pilot safety.

3) A Whole, Whole Lot of Drug Money

In June 1999, George Bush announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States of America. So much was about to change in our culture during the next 8 years.

5) Lord Stanley’s Cup

via www.moviesonline.ca6

In June 1999, Stephen King got hit by a car and was flung 14 feet while walking on the shoulder of a road in Maine. What’s the name of that Stephen King book about the car? Oh yeah, Christine. Any connection? You never know. But I’m sure King was thankful Kathy Bates didn’t find him after the accident.

7) The Weird Looking Predecessor of the MacBook Is Born

That mildly annoying yet overall charming goofball Austin Powers (Mike Myers’s colorful character) graced the cover of Rolling Stone in June 1999, exuberantly celebrating the sequel to the original Austin Powers blockbuster smash hit. Smashing, baby!

9) Adam Sandler Tones It Down a Little

The universe’s hippest couple, who, of course played in a rock band together, hit the popular scene with their debut album in June 1999. Then, they became insanely famous. And then, thirteen thousand two-piece rock bands, featuring only guitar and drums, were born. I think now, 15 years later, we are finally beginning to see the decline in that questionable trend. Bass matters, people.

11) That Kid from Walking Dead Was Born

Venus and Serena Williams, two twin females from a socioeconomically disadvantaged place, won the Grand Slam female doubles event for the first time. They were the second sister team to win a Grand Slam event since 1890. This is the kind of thing that just makes you smile. These are some of the best ever to play the sport.

13) MORE TENNIS!

Are you having power go out intermittently? Are some lights and receptacles working in some rooms while others are not? Are some outlets going out randomly, then coming back on again?

You may have a problem with corrosion at the meter main distribution panel outside.

Our salty air combined with humidity causes the aluminum wire connections at the panels to collect salt crystals and break down the conductive wires and termination points, causing weak conductivity or a break altogether. This could be a fire hazard. There could be a hot spot from an electrical arc or exposed live wires, not just the lights going out.

Solution? After determining that indeed the problem is the above with a diagnostic check; first, we need to call the utility company and have an on-call service man to come out and turn off the power coming in from the pole. Next, one of our licensed electricians will be there to clean off the metal parts inside the meter panel box. He will scrub the corroded aluminum electrical metal parts with a wire brush, cover the metal with a special spray to inhibit future corrosion, and then apply an antioxidant material to the jaws of the meter clips and wire screw down points. Finally, tighten everything up and have the utility man plug the meter back in.

Now that should do it.