A: Both devices, fuses and breakers, are designed to trip (turn off) in the event of an electrical overload, i.e. 20Amps of electrical load on a 15Amp circuit would cause a trip. One difference is that a breaker is mechanical and may be reset. Whereas, a fuse is one time only and must be replaced. Please Note: Modern breakers are much more efficient and offer greater levels of protection and safety.

A:

This could mean one of two things.

1. An intermittent chirp is probably an indication of a defective smoke detector.
   
2. A consistent chirp is probably an indication of a low battery condition and the smoke detector requires a new battery.
   

A:

This is usually caused by several factors.

1. Use of non-brand named bulbs.
2. Larger wattage bulbs, which cause excessive heat build-up shorting the life of the bulb.
3. Power Surges.

A: Modern recessed pot lights are rated for a maximum wattage bulb and are equipped with a thermal device that does not allow a bulb larger than that rating. If a larger wattage bulb is used, as the excess heat builds up, the thermal device will shut of the light until it cools. This is a safety device to protect your home against fire.

A: Yes. Main line surge protection does not guarantee everything in your house will be protected. Point of use protection installed at sensitive equipment offers the greatest level of protection.

A: Yes. This is a common occurrence when large motor/compressor loads start. These devices cause a minor momentary voltage drop, demonstrating itself as the blinking in your lights. This has no negative effect on the electrical equipment within your house.

A: Yes. Though, if the device exceeds the capacity of the circuit, the breaker will trip off.

A: Yes. Though, if the two loads exceed your breakers amperage rating, it will sense overload, do its job, and trip off. Under this condition, you must plug one of the appliances into a different kitchen outlet on a different circuit, in order to balance the load.

A: Yes. Dimming CFL's requires you to use a CFL designed to work with dimmers. This will be displayed somewhere on the packaging.

A: Yes, but first you must make sure the electrical box is properly braced and rated for the weight and torque of the ceiling fan you are installing.

A: Flickering may indicate impending bulb failure, minor power fluctuation, and/or improperly installed bulbs. Cycling on and off is usually a clear indication of ballast and/or bulb failure. It is recommended when replacing a ballast to replace bulbs as well.

A: First, disconnect any additional devices that may have caused the breaker to overload and trip. Breakers are mechanical devices and must be turned all the way off before turning back on. Remember this is a mechanical device, so this may require several attempts. If this fails to reset the breaker, there may be a more serious problem. Call Rand Electric for service.

A: Check to see if outlets are on a switch. Check and reset any GFCI outlets and circuit breakers. Check light bulbs and replace if necessary. Check your panel to see if you have any tripped breakers or blown fuses.

A: Except in the case of ground fault interrupters, which are susceptible to moisture and/or weather conditions, fuses and circuit breakers should not trip. Check to see if some type of plugged in appliance is causing the problem.

A: Central air conditioning and heat pump condensers may cause a noticeable slight dimming on start up. Lights may also flicker or dim due to start up of some appliances or motor driven equipment. Check with the local utility company for possible defects in supply.

A: One button (often black), is the test button and when pressed, should deactivate the outlet and any other outlet fed from it - Indicating a properly functioning device.
The other button (often red), is the re-set button that you depress to reactivate the outlet or outlets in the event of deactivation resulting from a fault.

A: CFL stands for compact fluorescent lamp and is a small fluorescent light bulb that uses 75% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb and can be screwed into a regular light socket. Don't let the fact that it is fluorescent turn you off. CFL's must pass extensive testing to ensure they produce only the highest quality light.

A: GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. GFCI's protect against accidental electric shock or electrocution by acting immediately to shut off the circuit if they sense a dangerous ground fault, or "leak" of current from the circuit... It measures the current flowing through the hot or live wire and the neutral wire. If they differ by more than a few milliamps, the presumption is that current is leaking to ground via some other path. This may be because of a short circuit to the chassis on an appliance, or to the ground lead, or through a person. Any of these situations is hazardous, so the GFCI trips, breaking the circuit.

A: Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter breakers, or AFCI's, are now required to be installed in all sleeping facilities (bedrooms) in new construction by the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC). The AFCI breaker performs a different job entirely from Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) breakers and outlets. Rather than protecting you from electric shock, the AFCI breaker protects you and your house from a fire. How? Well, when a Hot wire makes a solid contact with a ground or a neutral, the current draw will be high enough to trip the breaker. But if the contact is intermittent and not a solid contact due to loose or corroded connections often seen with older, and aluminum wiring, or failing insulation, an arc is caused. The arc causes heat, and if left un-corrected, could cause a fire. The AFCI breaker detects an arc by the characteristic wave an arc causes in the electrical flow. When it sees an arc fault of large enough magnitude, it will trip the breaker, disconnecting power.

A: Tamper Resistant Receptacles are standard wall outlets that feature a shutter mechanism that protects children from sticking foreign objects into the receptacle (like hairpins, keys and paper clips). The spring-loaded shutter system in the outlet only allows plug to enter a receptacle when equal pressure is applied simultaneously to both shutters such as when an electrical plug is inserted. During unused conditions, both shutters are closed, and openings are covered. As of May 1, 2009 the Canadian Electrical Code requires all residential receptacles accessible to small children be tamper resistant. Tamper resistant receptacles can be identified by a "TR" located between the hot and neutral slots on the front of these outlets.

A: Knob and Tube Wiring, also called Open Wiring, was a common wiring method used in the 1900's to the late 1940's. Knob & Tube Wiring is a single conductor, ungrounded system, where electricity is brought from a 60 amp service to different areas of the home by running copper wires, covered with a cloth and rubber insulation sheathing, through the walls, attic and floor spaces. As seen in the photo, porcelain knobs are used to secure the wires in place and keep them from contacting combustible surfaces. Where ever the wire needs to cross through a stud or joist, holes are drilled and fitted with porcelain tubes through which the wire has been threaded, thus the name, Knob & Tube Wiring. The alternate name of Open Wiring suggests the importance that an open airspace be retained around the wire at all times to prevent overheating.

A:

• Ajax
• Pickering Village
• Pickering
• Whitby
• Brooklin
• Oshawa
• Courtice
• Bowmanville
• Scarbourough
• Markham
• Toronto

A: The ungrounded and non-polarized electrical receptacle is an old type that is not in use in modern construction. This receptacle has the familiar two-prong slots to receive the plug, but both slots are the same size. This means that a modern appliance such as a lamp with prongs of two different sizes (polarized) will not fit in this receptacle. Old-fashioned two-prong receptacles don't have the ground wires that protect people and electrical devices in case of a fault. However, it is possible to gain this protection by replacing the two-prong receptacle with a GFCI receptacle.

A: No. They are designed to blow at certain levels to protect equipment and wiring. If larger fuses are installed, they leave wiring vulnerable to overheating and fire. Usually the problem is simply an overload and you only need to run fewer appliances on the circuit. This is a common danger that often prompts homeowners to upgrade their fuse panels to breaker panels.

A:

Every home in Ontario by law must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. Failure to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements could result in a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals or $100,000 for corporations.

According to the Ontario Fire Code, fines can be issued for the following:

• Failure to maintain a smoke alarm in operating condition.
• Failure to provide smoke alarm instructions to occupants of a building.
• Failure to install a smoke alarm as required (one smoke alarm on each level of a home, in addition to outside all sleeping areas).
• Intentionally disabling a smoke alarm to make it inoperable.
• Although not required by law, carbon monoxide detectors should be installed on every floor with sleeping quarters for minimum protection, if not in each bedroom which provides better protection.

A:

Here are a few tips to help save energy and lower the cost of your hydro bill:

Change your light bulbs. The first thing you can do to save money is to switch your light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent (CFL's). They are slightly more expensive to purchase, but will end up saving you money overall in the long run because they use significantly less power and last longer.

Install lighting controls. One option is to install dimmer switches on lights. This will reduce the wattage consumed and at the same time extend the life of your bulb. Motion and occupancy sensors also reduce costs, by allowing lights to only be on when someone is present. Motion sensors are typically used for outside lighting, while occupancy sensors are typical for indoor installations. Light timers are also a good way to save. For example, this allows you to turn outside lights off after you have gone to bed instead of having them on all night. They also work great for Christmas lights!

Install timers on appliances. For appliances such as a water heater, you can have it shut off during the day while at work, and come back on and heat up for when you get home.

Electronic programmable thermostats. If you don't already have one, you should install one. The benefit of an electronic thermostat is that it allows you to program temperatures and set times to conserve energy when you are sleeping or at work.

Your refrigerator is another one of those appliances that takes a lot of power to operate. The way that you can make your refrigerator more energy efficient is to use it wisely. You don't need to set the temperature control to the coldest possible setting to keep food fresh. Also, try not to leave the door open for more than a few moments. The longer the door is left open, the longer the compressor will run to cool the interior.

You should use natural lighting as much as possible. There is no point in turning on lights to see by if there is sufficient light outside to do the job. During bright summer days, if your home has a lot of windows, open up the shades to let the light in.

This is something many people don't know. Even if your equipment or appliance is turned off, if it is still plugged in it uses a small amount of wattage. If you install timers and power bars you can program the equipment to turn off when not in use. You can save yourself several dollars every month.

Washing clothes in cold water instead of hot water. This will reduce the amount of energy used by your hot water tank. Also, dry your clothes at night instead of the day. When you dry your clothes during the middle of the day, the dryer exhaust heats up the house which in turn causes your air-conditioner to run more. By operating your dryer at night, the house won't heat up as much and you save on your cooling bill.