The advantage of using GFCIs is that they can detect even small variations in the amount of leakage current, even amounts too small to activate a fuse or circuit breaker. GFCIs work quickly, so they can help protect consumers from severe electric shocks and electrocution. Continue reading →

Where they run through the joists, they are encased in ceramic tubes to prevent the wire from chafing on the wood. The wires that run over joists are looped around ceramic knobs nailed to the joists   hence knob and tube. Usually, four branch circuits are soldered to the two wires, and each circuit is carried to a part of the house. Continue reading →

One of the first things the electrician should make sure of is that the branch circuits from the box to the different parts of the house have circuit breakers that are sized properly. The box also should be grounded properly. Grounding is normally done when you install a new 100-amp service. In older homes, the box was grounded to the copper cold-water pipes, but because newer homes have polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, a ground rod is required. Continue reading →

According to home inspectors, the primary cause of problems with electrical systems is that the work was done by the homeowner or by an unqualified moonlighter who may have been inexpensive but wasn’t very good. Going this route might save you money now, but it will definitely cost you more in time and aggravation. In addition, such work can go up in smoke. Continue reading →

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 40,000 residential fires each year are attributable directly to problems with electrical wiring systems. These fires typically result in 350 deaths a year and cause thousands of injuries from electric shocks and burns, the commission says. Continue reading →