As building costs grow, building owners and renters have been looking for cost saving strategies. One technique has been that the contractor not only builds the project, but also assists in its design. This technique offers some positive aspects to include a decrease in communication problems between the owner and contractor in regard to their needs, problem installation materials being detected in the design process rather than on the job, and less on the job changes.
September 27, 2009
Design and Build
September 21, 2009
Lights flickering
Of all the symptoms that an electrical system can have, groups of lights that flicker are (in my opinion) the scariest. I suspect that you are getting some arcing somewhere. Arcing occurs when wire connections are close but not fully touching. The electric current jumps the gap, like lightning, and creates some heat. This heat could be minor, or it could be a serious problem, depending on how much current is jumping across the gap, and how wide the gap is.
This is not the same as a short circuit, although both can give off sparks. A short circuit happens when the hot wire touches the neutral or ground wire, and normally the circuit breaker or fuse will trip, shutting off the power.
Arcing can occur for hours, days, weeks, even years, and it will never trip a conventional circuit breaker. And arcing can cause enough heat buildup to start a fire. When in doubt call a licensed electrician.
September 18, 2009
Portable Generators
Many construction teams use a portable generator to power tools and lights at a remote site. Sports officials may also bring in a portable generator to aid in night play or to run an electronic timer/scoreboard. Most commonly, residents and businesses left without power after a weather event will use a portable generator to keep vital appliances operating. A portable generator usually has enough power to keep a freezer, refrigerator, television and some lights working.
Because a portable generator uses a combustion engine to generate electricity, it must have several regulators on board. The engine must turn at 3600 rpm in order to generate the standard 60 Hz of alternating current in North American homes. In order to control engine speed, a portable generator uses a ‘governor’ which mechanically keeps the engine from spinning too fast. A voltage regulator also keeps the output at 120 volts, which keeps electric motors from burning out.
For safety reasons, a portable generator must be operated under dry conditions in a ventilated outdoor area. Carbon monoxide fumes can build up from the exhaust of the generator’s engine, so indoor use is strongly discouraged regardless of the ventilation system. Touching a working portable generator with wet hands can cause electrocution. A canopy can be placed over the generator to protect it from the elements, but the ground below it should be dry.
A portable generator is designed to be a temporary electrical generator, measured in hours of use instead of days. Size does matter when it comes to the capacity of any portable generator. The key measurement is total wattage. All electrical motors need more power to start than to run. Before plugging appliances into the generator, add up the total number of watts all of them will require. This information should be found on a plate near the plug. Compare this number to the wattage rating of the portable generator. The generator needs to produce an equal or higher amount of wattage in order to work safely. This may mean sacrificing the use of an air conditioner in favor of a refrigerator. A bigger portable generator with a higher wattage rating means more available power for higher wattage tools and appliances.
September 16, 2009
Surge Suppression
The need for surge protection products has increased dramatically and is expected to grow in the years ahead. Today’s businesses rely on computers and computer systems to support transaction activities essential to the success of the business. If the computer is down, most activities stop. The business comes to a grinding halt. Power irregularities such as surges and spikes create performance problems for the systems handling essential transactions and sensitive information.
How often is a house directly hit by lightning? Not very often, but strikes in the proximity of a home can cause surges in the electrical, telephone or cable television lines that can cause severe damage to electronics. A nearby lightning strike isn’t the only risk. Downed power lines, the cycling on and off of equipment at a nearby factory and even the cycling on and off of appliances in the house can cause damaging surges.
September 15, 2009
Notable changes to the Seattle Electrical code (SEC)
Electric Vehicle Charging Systems: The SEC has established provisions for the future installation of electric vehicle charging equipment. Article 625.27 has been added to establish requirements for physical space in the service equipment to install a future disconnect for electric vehicle charging. The article also requires pre-planning where the panels and charging outlets would be installed. Consideration should also be given to routing raceways to the required parking areas. Article 220.57 identifies the additional electric vehicle load calculations to be added to the service demand loads. It is anticipated at this time that electric vehicles will be available in the Seattle area as early as the fall of 2010.
Selective coordination as required by Articles 620.62, 700.27, 701.18, and 708.54 has been amended by the SEC. Fault current calculations provided by a licensed electrical engineer may be selectively coordinated for faults with a duration of 0.1 seconds or longer. The calculations will be required to be wet stamped by a licensed Washington State electrical engineer. All other calculations will be required to be calculated to infinity and will not be permitted to utilize adjustable trip breakers to achieve selective coordination.
September 14, 2009
Afci breakers need testing monthly
Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) are fairly new in the electrical industry. Similar to ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI), they are designed to shut off the electricity to a circuit when a specific type of problem is detected. AFCIs are specifically designed to detect certain arcing conditions, which is a common cause of electrical fires in our homes. They are placed in the electric panel.
As with the GFCI outlets in our kitchens and bathrooms, the AFCI breakers in the electric panel also should be tested monthly to ensure that they are working properly. Each AFCI breaker is labeled and has a test button on it. AFCI circuit breakers typically protect all the electrical outlets and switches in the bedrooms.
If AFCI breakers trip regularly, consult a qualified electrician immediately to determine why the tripping is occurring.
September 11, 2009
Today’s Safety Tip
Water and electricity are a deadly combination. Never use an electric appliance in or around your bathtub, shower or any other wet surface.
• Never touch an electric cord or appliance with wet hands.
• Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) are required for outdoor outlets and those in crawl spaces, bathrooms, garages and near your kitchen sink.
• Don’t overload your electric outlets with too many plugs.
• Only use extension cords at their recommended rating, and never string two together or place an extension cord underneath a rug.
• Cover your outlets with plastic safety caps if you have small children around.
• Never insert a metal object into an appliance. (That goes for your toaster, too!)
• Worn cords can cause shorts, shocks and fires. Don’t use them.
• Don’t carry an appliance by the cord.
• When you unplug an appliance, pull the plug head, not the cord.
• If an appliance smokes, sparks or shocks you, unplug it and have it repaired before you use it again.
• If an appliance catches fire, unplug it, remove the fuse or switch the breaker to “off.” If you can’t control the fire, evacuate the premises and call 911.
• Use a licensed electrician for your home improvement projects
September 10, 2009
Early bird special
Here is an early bird tip for you. The cold weather is starting to approach us, with beautiful days followed by crisp mornings and nights your almost sure to turn that heat up and when you do please don’t forget to check your batteries in your smoke detectors and your carbon dioxide detectors.
These are simple measures that can keep you safe. Whether you have electric heaters or you have gas heaters or a fire place always perform maintenance on these units before we get into a cold snap and let’s not forget the fire extinguisher you should have one readily available in case of a fire. Just having a fire extinguisher doesn’t mean that your safe. Your fire extinguisher requires monthly checks to make sure it has adequate pressure to release the chemicals. A little dusting and battery checking is all I ask. Have an escape plan as well if things really go wrong. You will thank me and so will your home.
September 8, 2009
Is Seattle electrical infrastructure safe
Just today yet another electrical fire at the Fischer broadcast building upsets the KOMO broadcasts and other internet sites. It just shows how important it is to maintain the electrical systems in our homes and businesses.
Have a qualified electrician look it over and give you that peace of mind. A few dollars now can save you hundreds of thousands later and perhaps you could prevent an accident as well. The use of surge protection just may save your expensive electronic equipment. There are a small investment that packs some real savings in an event such as the one at Fischer broadcast. Always make sure you use only UL listed electrical components.
September 7, 2009
Play it safe!
According to the NFPA “National Fire Protection Association” ignoring your home’s electrical system can be a costly mistake.
Our lives literally depend on the safe use of electricity in our homes, and often safety hazards can go unnoticed or unseen. Even what homeowners might think of as a “minor” problem can lead to a devastating fire. In fact, electricity is a leading cause of home fires in the U.S.
Each year fires that start in electrical systems or lighting equipment
• damage more than 24, 000 homes
• kill 320 people
• injure 830 more
With today’s modern electrical systems you can insure that you home is safer than it ever was. However some older homes still have dangerous electrical systems such as knob and tube wiring and may have electrical panels like Federal pacific that have a tendency not to trip under a specified load and cause a potential fire. It is important for you to have your electrical system checked out by your local electrician to insure that your home is safe and operating under the parameters set in the National electrical code. Play it safe and have your home inspected it just may save your life.
