The home electrical system consists of various components that enable the safe delivery of energy to different sections and appliances in the household. Even though the system may appear complex, it is important for the homeowner to understand a few basics.

This would help you when things do not work or there is an emergency that requires turning off circuits or the entire installation. In addition, an understanding of the home electrical system will help the owner respond to questions from prospective buyers.

All the electrical circuits in the house originate from the main breaker panel. The panel is usually inside the house and near to the power entry point. However, the panel can also be far, and especially when in a multi-family structure.

The rating of the panel determines the number of circuits and power that the home electrical system can support. Some older homes have been using the 100 Amp service, smaller installations use a 60 Amp service while newer and larger houses are built with 200 amps to accommodate the increased number of electrical and electronic equipment commonly used in a modern household.

Different loads require the correct size of cables and breakers that can handle the current without heating up. For example, an air conditioner requires a 30 amp circuit while a kitchen may use two 20 amp circuits.

If there is a fault, such as a short circuit or overload, the breaker trips and cuts off the power to the affected circuit, hence preventing further damage that could lead to fire. Before resetting the breaker, you should first ask an electrician to check and rectify the problem.

A home electrical system consists of different individual circuits originating from the main breaker panel. The wires from the panel run to the rooms to supply the outlets, lights, and hand wired appliances. In most cases, several rooms may share the same circuits such that all the lights in the house are on one breaker, outlets on another breaker, etc.

Some dedicated circuits from the main breaker may go directly to the hard-wired appliances and nowhere else. Equipment such as the electric water heaters, furnaces, and air conditioners are usually installed on their own. Other hard-wired devices include the smoke alarms, which may also have battery backups so they will work even when there is a power outage or a fire interrupts the home electrical system.

Grounding is an essential protective feature that must be installed in all home electrical systems. It provides a path for the electrical current arising from faults that make the exposed metallic parts to become live and dangerous.

The ground connects all the exposed metallic parts to the earth mass through a third wire in the power cord to the equipment. This provides a low electrical resistance path for the current, hence, making the parts safe to the touch even in the event of a malfunction.

maintenance and repairs.

By Clarissa Allison | April 8th, 2016

With the Spring comes cleaning, but a new season of blooming life and fresh, sunny air also seems to bring out the interior designer in many of us. The good news is it does not have to cost an arm and a leg to make improvements to your Spring decor. By simply upgrading a few lighting fixtures in and around your home, you can delight in the newness of Spring and usher in the new season beautifully. Click the pictures below to be directed to the sale products on our list!

Eric Lebersfeld and his dedicated Capitol Lighting team have expanded their reach and literally broadened the horizon toward “Making Lives Brighter.”  Together, they have enriched the lives of many and remain gratefully committed to their work with Habitat for Humanity.

Most recently, Habitat for Humanity Palm Beach County honored Lebersfeld at their gala celebration for his outstanding service and commitment.  Lebersfeld and the Capitol Lighting team remain faithful supporters of Habitat for Humanity and look forward to continuing the relationship and investing their resources in this noble organization.

Capitol contributions to Habitat for Humanity include:

•Donating over $100,000 in cash and products just this year.

•Investing their time and supporting the cause for almost 10 years.

•Developing the Making Lives Brighter Campaign with partner and spokesperson Rob-Van-Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice, to better serve the community and expand gift-giving capabilities.

• Bringing comfort to inhabitants, Capitol Lighting collects old lighting fixtures to be donated to Habitat and then offers donors a 10% discount towards new lighting purchases.

Members of the Capitol Lighting family enjoyed an evening of celebration and an awe-inspiring acknowledgement of their efforts on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.

For his work over the past 10 years, Habitat for Humanity Palm Beach County appointed Lebersfeld as an honoree.

Here are some excerpts from Lebersfeld’s speech at Habitat for Humanity’s Gala Celebration:

October 5, 2013

“So, how did it come to be that a little Jewish boy from New Jersey who sells lights for a living ends up being honored by a big international Christian Ministry that builds houses? “

Lebersfeld credits his parents, who taught him by their example to live his life in a certain way, to see what connects us as human beings, rather than what divides us:

“If one elevates their thinking just a little bit, we come to realize that the small differences between us are easily dwarfed by the commonalities we all share. 
The quality of a person is not made up by whom they know, what they have or how they look, but by who they are, what they create and how they can add to the lives of others.”

Lebersfeld went on to impart some of the history behind Capitol Lighting, a family-owned business that began in 1924 with his great-grandparents:

“Together, they started Capitol Lighting and began our mission to make lives brighter. 
They did this literally and figuratively. For almost 90 years, Capitol Lighting has been on a quest of making the lives of our customers, our communities, our vendors and most importantly, our employees – brighter”.

“Habitat’s stated mission is that of “building hope with homes”. Their organization is filled with dedicated and passionate people striving to provide deserving and hard working families with an incredible gift. They also have provided me personally and every member of my team who has worked on a habitat project the gift of allowing us to do a mitzvah – a good deed”.

“Our goals are aligned and Capitol’s and Habitat’s working together makes all the sense in world”.

Lebersfeld acknowledged with gratitude Capitol Lighting’s spokesperson, Rob Van Winkle, also known as Vanilla Ice, for boosting the Making Lives Brighter campaign and helping Capitol to donate well over $100,000 to Habitat.

He concluded his remarks by whole-heartedly thanking Habitat for Humanity for allowing Capitol Lighting the opportunity to support their good work: “It allows us to fulfill our mission while helping you fulfill yours”.

Lebersfeld also vowed his continued support for Habitat for Humanity, as he thanked Mike Campbell, director of Habitat, and Ana Vento of Vento Designs for making the evening such a success.