Artisan Electric | Midwest Indiana Electrical Consultants

As an electrical service contractor we see a lot of burnt up stuff.  Far and away the most common thing to find crispy and smoking are those trusty plug adapters and outlet strips.  You know the story… you only meant for it to be a temporary solution when you put the microwave on top of the fridge.  Or maybe its the one you installed behind your home theater with the ground pin broke off and a few too many things plugged in.  Or perhaps maybe (I know, not you right) its the 3 or 4 you have strung together in your man cave or garage.  Put in so you could run the beer fridge, the radio, charger for your cordless tools, run the space heater in the winter, and still crank up the tunes loud enough to hear when your washing your motorcycle, charging your boat battery, and working on the ATV.

Then… then THAT smell lingers in.  Dang it, well at least you were home to catch it, right?

So all joking aside all outlets strips, plug adapters, and surge protectors are not created equal. They all have two negative things in common the minute you put them in use:

FIRST – they increase the chance you can overload a circuit or outlet

SECOND – they are adding additional connection  points (many that are of poor quality and design) that can fail or cause heating at the point of use

Let me explain a little electric 101 and how this sets up to be the perfect storm.  So most 120 volt circuits in a newer home are protected on 20 amp breakers.  Strike one is that your standard 3 prong outlet is only rated at 15 amps to begin with (unless the larger blade terminal on the face is a “T”).  Strike two is that many of the outlet strips, adapters, plug makers, and such are rated at 10 or 15 amps, SOME ARE RATED MUCH LOWER THEN THAT.  Strike three comes next… add to that a couple of  light duty cords (like the smaller green and orange ones that only have 16 or 18 gauge conductors rated at 10 amps or less) and you have set the stage.  Each one of those additional “plug in” connections causes more resistance and more heat. What can happen is that all of those things, when stung together and loaded up, can melt and ignite before the 20 amp breaker protecting the circuit will shut down.  Depending on how poor the connections are, the age of the circuit, outlet, and breaker; combined with the type and ratings of the adapted being used it may only take a few amps of load to cause this to occur.

So what is the solution you ask.  It is three fold and simple:

1) BUY 20 AMP RATED CORDS AND ADAPTERS

2) BUY AND USE ONLY TOP QUALITY 20 AMP RATED OUTLET STRIPS and SURGE PROTECTORS

3) CORRECTLY WIRE IN MORE 20 AMP RATED OUTLES WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED (and consider adding some additional circuits).

Here in the Lafayette area it is summer storm season, and it has been a very bad year for high yield lightning strikes.  We have a number of jobs going on right now where we are working with clients to get damaged wiring in homes replaced.

The question that always comes up is:  “How do I know if there has been damage, is there a way to test the wires in the walls?”.  Thankfully, the answer is YES.  We do in fact have a way to test for this.  Its called an insulation resistance test, also know as a MegOhm test or sometimes referred to in the trades as “Megging”.

The theory is simple really – the electrical resistance of the insulation on a conductor or in a piece of equipment can be tested and measured by isolating the conductor from ground, applying a high voltage over time, then measuring the results.  In most residential situations we use a 300 to 500 volt DC test over 10 minutes.  When done with care and by knowledgeable electricians it is a very reliable test.

So – here is the process for preforming a megohm test in a home:

1) ALL electrical current to the dwelling must be shut off

2) All appliances, light fixtures, heating and cooling equipment, dimmers, GFCI’s, AFCI’s, low voltage systems and any “plugged in” or “hard wired” equipment must be disconnected from the circuit(s) to be tested

3) The best practice at this point is to then isolate each individual wire – taking apart every splice, junction, and connection in the circuit to be tested

4) Next, the testing of the insulation can be preformed – this part actually goes pretty quick

5) After testing any conductor that fails to meet the testing standards should be considered damaged and marked for replacement

So, now a word of caution is in order.  If you have had a major strike and the  electrician, general contractor (or restoration company) helping you out with the repairs has not told you about this process, then GET ANOTHER COMPANY.  MegOhm testing is really the only way to know if damage has occurred. You can’t be sure by visible inspection alone, and you can’t visibly inspect most of the wires in a home.  Lightning is crazy stuff, it has a super high voltage and travels very fast.  If your home has been hit tell your insurance agent you want it tested!

Here are some pictures of lighting damage from a few projects we have going on now

In this day and age of cutbacks, start up companies, “magic jacks”, new technology from TV, internet, and telephone providers; and the mentality of many of these companies to make the fast buck it can be hard to know were to turn to manage issues related to these services.  Specifically the cable infrastructure and trouble shooting.

Artisan Electric is qualified  to do all forms of networking cabling – including:

• Category cabling for home data networks and structured wiring
• Coaxial video cabling for Internet /HDTV /satellite / home automation/ audio projects
• Telephone cabling for voice and DSL
• Audio and whole house sound
• All forms of low voltage wiring for home automation and lighting control
• Home and office fiber optic cabling  installation /terminations
• Certified testing for structured wiring networks

If you are having trouble with service providers getting you the results you want (or expect) let us know – we can help.  In most cases we can do a better job for less money and avoid the “staple it to you house and drill a hole in the wall” install method!

Here is another good (FREE) resource for testing Internet speeds, the  SPEAK EASY SPEED TEST .  Truthfully many providers have a bad habit of selling you upload / download speeds that they are not actually providing.  If you can test it and you are not getting what you are paying for then there is a good argument to be made with your service provider for improved service or a discounted rate.

This is a great article we thought we would pass along – re-posted with permission from our friends at Change of Address.Org

10 Ways to Save Money On Electricity Bills

It’s that time of year again and as our central air conditioning units work overtime to cool our houses this Summer, our electricity bills start to skyrocket.  It’s not uncommon for a power bill to double through the Summer months and given the heat there is only so much we can do about it.  In a few States with deregulated electricity like Texas you can shop around for lower electricity rates (priced in kilowatts/hour).  If that’s not an option for you (or even if it is) you can still save a bundle on your electricity bills by following these 10 Ways To Save Money On Electricity Bills.

1. This one is one you hear a lot yet most of us STILL do it.  You should try to not pre-rinse your dishes before putting them into the dishwasher.  Why?  Because you waste hot water and more has to be heated.  This of course applies to people with electric water heaters (you can also buy a gas model to reduce electricity consumption – but then watch your gas bill).
2. Continuing with dishwashers, you should look into purchasing a new one because the newer generation is so much more energy efficient you can usually pay for the cost of the new dishwasher within one year due to decreased power consumption.  You can also save by avoiding the use of the heat dry option on your dishwasher.
3. Surprisingly another great way to save money is to simply turn your ceiling fans off when you are not in the room.  For some odd reason people leave ceiling fans running most of the time and especially in a home with central air this should not be necessary.
4. Lights, lights, and more lights.  C’mon already shutoff the lights when you are not in the room and you don’t need to use lights as much during the daytime.  This is a major pet peeve of mine and simply wastes electricity needlessly.  You should also consider switching to CFL bulbs to both last longer and reduce the amount of electricity that your lights draw.
5. TV’s are everywhere!  If your home is like my home there is a TV in just about every room and generally the TV’s are on even if nobody is in the room.  Talk about lazy, we can even use the remotes to shutoff the TV’s when we leave the room.  This is a completely unnecessary use of power.
6. Computers should also be turned off when not being used.  Why do we leave computers on all the time?  Do we expect that they will magically tweet everything going on in the home (I certainly hope not).  They should at least be using the built-in power saving features to turn off monitors, etc. after a few minutes of being idle.
7. Washing machines can consume a lot of electricity.  Did you know that front-loading washing machines use 50% of the power and 40% less water than top loading wasters?  That’s a pretty ridiculous savings that again can quickly pay off an upfront investment in a newer washer.
8. Clothes dryers are another power hungry appliance that you simply need to do basic maintenance on.  Make sure to clean the lint filter between each use.  Building up lint doesn’t only cause the machine to be less efficient it’s also a serious fire hazard.
9. Refrigerator use needs to also be sensible.  Don’t over-cram food into your refrigerator as it makes it work harder to keep the excess cooled.  Also, don’t put hot food directly into the refrigerator (let it cool first).  You should also avoid putting the refrigerator right next to a heat source (like an oven).  Lastly, of course try to use an energy efficient refrigerator if possible.
10. Ovens can also pull a lot of juice (microwaves, toaster ovens, and electric stoves).  Did you know that food cooks faster when placed as close as possible to the edge of the rotating tray in a microwave?  The faster it cooks the quicker the microwave is shutoff and not consuming as much power.  Also, try to use a toaster oven over a traditional oven when possible to reduce the amount of electricity used.  Lastly, don’t constantly open up the oven to check on food, use the light that’s what it’s there for (so you can see without letting a bunch of heat out of the oven).

Most of these tips are common sense ways to reduce your power bill and they generally help all year long (not just in the Summer).  We  definitely recommend that you keep power consumption in mind (more frequently than every time you receive your electricity bill).

We deal with a lot of historic properties, both on the commercial and residential sides of the business.  On thing that comes up on a regular basis is the question of what to do with those original fixtures when doing updates and remodeling.  In many cases it may be in the best interest of the project to rewire and restore these old fixtures rather then replace them.  Here are a few things for you to consider while making those decisions:

1)  Many historic fixtures can be rewired and grounded to be made as safe as any new fixture you might purchase.  We typically can replace all the wring and lamp sockets in most of these fixtures without changing their appearance.

2)  Replacement reproduction parts, missing glass and “finals”, new shades and trims, and decorative chain can all be fabricated or bought now for these projects.  We even have suppliers who can match and remake the old “slumped” glass panels and faceted hanging “jewels” for fixtures.  We can even costume cut and replace stained glass panels!

3)  To maintain that vintage look we can get new UL listed lamp cord that still has the old tweed cloth covered outer casing – we can even get vintage reproduction cord ends and switches.

4)  On the commercial side of things we can re-build old florescent fixtures / outdoor lanterns / signage lighting / goose necks / and old shop fixtures, using  modern parts and materials to make the efficient and safe.  We can even convert old gas fixtures to electric or refurbish old gas fixtures to be actual working gas lights again!

5)  We typically recommend that the original finish, know as the patina, be left undisturbed on a fixture – particularly if it is of historic value.  However – if we need to take it back down to metal, get it bead blasted and structurally repaired, then stat from scratch with a new powder coat or plating we can do that as well.

Here are some pictures of some fixture projects we have had in the shop – lets us know if there is anything we can help you with!

Spring is here… and not too far down the road we will be suffering thru the dog days of summer, and the fight to stay cool and comfortable in our homes.

That brings us back to my old friend the ceiling fan.  I love fans… they are efficient, they are eco-friendly as compared to the manufacturing and use of AC systems, they extend the season you can keep the AC turned OFF, they help with winter heating (by as much as 25% in an old home), and with all the options available today they can add a real statement to a home.

So what do they actually cost to run you ask… here is a quick break down on costs for use of each of these appliance loads, based on a 12 hour run time per day with current average electrical rates.  This in only meant to be a base line – the cost of running Window AC units and Central Air can go up or down form this dramatically based on the age of the equipment, the efficiency of the system.

COST PER DAY TO RUN

Ceiling Fan = ($.10)
Window Air Conditioner = ($1.63)
Central Air System = ($4.30)

Ceiling fans are very efficient – they use about as much power as a 100 watt light bulb to run.  If you have any questions about applications or installations we would be happy to take a look.  We get our fan products thru Kirby Risk – and in most case these better units come with a 5 to 10 year motor life warrantee.

Surge protection is the kind of thing that no one wants to think about or spend money on, until the worst happens.  It’s not “cool” and is not the kind of thing thing that comes up in causal conversation at the gym.  “Say Bob, what kind of surge protection you running these days”, just kind of weird ah?

Stay with me here… let’s say its spring time, and you just went out and bought that wall hung 60″ LCD High Definition TV you have been drooling over all winter.  Maybe a little gift to yourself for making it to spring – after all it’s baseball season right?  We both know you got a bundle of money tied up into your new toy; and if you dropped the change on home theater components to go with it you very well may have a months wroth of wages into “your system” – yet some how you have convinced yourself that YOU NEED THIS and that your wife will approve.  It’s OK – we all do it.

With spring also comes squirrels… starving from winter and more then a little wound up.  Still, its cold at night – and that big metal thing behind your house is warm year round, good place to take a nap if your a squirrel. Then it comes… first that unnatural electrical arching sound, then the lights flicker for a few seconds – wait for it, and BA-BOOM!!!  Hours later the power is restored and you find yourself sitting in front of your new TV – head in your hands, crying.  You knew it was smoked as soon as you tried to turn it on.  Yet you keep trying, on, off, on, off, on, off – “come on, you can do it”.  Like any good tech user you head to your computer to look for some answers on Google – surly it is just a fuse or something.  then you realize how bad of a day it is really going to be  – computer is fried too, lost everything on the drive.  UGH!

Now your old friend surge protection is looking pretty good

Here is a link to a company that makes a full line of products we really like, PANAMAX.  We can assist you with small point of use systems for an entertainment center or computer – all the way up to whole whose or whole office electrical system protection units *TVSS*.

These days we are surrounded by portable spas, inexpensive all-in-the-box inflatable pools, hot tubs, spa garden tubs, steam baths, and any number of new water related play time products.  Electricity and water typically do not play nice together… when you take a vessel, fill it with water, then wire it up with more then enough electrical potential to cook and elephant you have created a uniquely dangerous situation.  In my experience most people take this for granted, and tend to make the assumption of  “it must be safe” or they would not sell it, right?

All of these types of products MUST be  GFCI protected.  The National Electrical Code has complete section of the code book (2008 NEC – Article 680) dedicated to this topic.  Everything from little wading pools to that fancy new pond your thinking about putting in this spring.

I found this CPSC write up on the subject I thought I would share.  In the end, what it comes down is that if it mixes WATER and ELECTRICITY you need to be very careful.  Please take some time to find out about how and when to use the proper GFCI protection for your application.

TO PREVENT ELECTROCUTION:

• Install GFCIs
  • On underwater lighting circuits operating at more than 15 volts.
  • On all electrical equipment used with pools, spas and hot tubs, including heaters operated on 240-volt circuits.
  • On all outdoor receptacles and any indoor receptacles that could potentially be used to power electrical appliances within 20 feet of the water’s edge.
  • In accordance with applicable local codes and the NEC.
• Test GFCIs monthly to assure continued protection. Infrequently used and portable or cord-connected GFCIs should be tested before each day’s use.
• To test a GFCI:
  • Plug a nightlight into the outlet and turn it on.
  • Press the “TEST” button. Did the light go out? If not, replace the GFCI.
  • Press the “RESET” button. Did the light come back on? If not, replace the GFCI.

05/14/03

—

Consumers can obtain this publication and additional publication information from the Publications section of CPSC’s web site or by sending your publication request to info@cpsc.gov.

This document is in the public domain. It may be reproduced without change in part or whole by an individual or organization without permission. If it is reproduced, however, the Commission would appreciate knowing how it is used. Write the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office of Information and Public Affairs, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814 or send an e-mail via CPSC’s On-Line Form.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054, or visit CPSC’s web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

What is a number #1 cause of electrical fires in residential occupancies?… failed wire terminations on devices  We see this a lot – typically in older homes with outdated / damaged devices, first generation modern construction homes form the 7o’s, and today in the fast paced new construction track home market.

A friend of mine who recently had this exact issue at his home suggested that we show the correct way to wire an outlet, with an example of the wrong way it can be done and what that might look like.

First – the wrong way.  Here is a picture of an outlet I made up here at the shop to demonstrate a  number of deficiencies and bad practices:

In these two pictures you see a number of issues:

• (2) ground wires terminated on one screw – each screw on an outlet or switch is to have ONLY ONE WIRE on it
• Wires that have been stripped back two far that allow exposed conductor to extend from the device
• STAB IN THE BACK connections – this is a big one, this system is simply a failure waiting to happen.  Don’t use the stab in the back holes on a device!  Most reputable electrical contractors will not use the stab in the back system.  We use a method called “pig tailing” which we will talk about in Part II of this topic
• Wires landed on a screw that are not properly tightened or terminated – you should not be able to wiggle a wire loose on a device.  Conductors should be bent and trimmed to fit neatly around the screw heads

So there are some examples of the wrong way / things to look for.  IF you see this kind of wiring on an outlet, or wires at a device location that appear to be loose, burnt, cracking. overheated, or otherwise “messy” it is a good idea to get it looked at now.  Fires are really hard to fix later

So recently I was at a local big box home store in the electrical section and overheard a conversation between a homeowner and the guy working the electrical isle.  It went something like this >>>

Homeowner “I am trying to sell my house and was told by the home inspector that it need to have GFCI’s installed”

Big Box Guy “yup – every outlet within 3′ of water – that is a city code now you know”

Homeowner “oh… OK – can you show me how these things wire up”

Big Box Guy “no problem – just put two of the wires here (points) and two of the wires here (points again)”

Homeowner “does it matter which wires go where on this thing?”

Big Box Guy “not really sure, but I think it can wire either way”

Homeowner “thanks, you have been a big help”

So – there are a couple of points I want to make with this weeks tip.

The first one is – don’t automatically trust the advice you get from the home store Joe’s of the world.  In the case above not only was the employee wrong about the code (it’s 6′ and is actually a NEC code) he also instructed the homeowner to wire the device incorrectly (I was standing right there).  This happens all the time  – we get homeowners that get stuck in a pinch, call us to help, then tell us “but the guy at the home store said this was going to be OK”

A second point is – it takes a long time to get a proper education in the trades.  A good combination of an apprenticeship program,  in the field work, and continuing education is a must.  If you do intend to take advise from the home store folks – ask them about their credentials and the source of their knowledge before excepting it as fact.

Here is another example.  I took this picture a few days ago at a local home store.

It is of a big poster display advertising the manufactures product, snap-and-fit ENT (electrical non-metallic tubing).  IMO this stuff is already a pretty low end solution for most applications, and frankly most electrical contractors won’t use it.  The picture shows a junction box with 4 conduits in it – all wired up pretty and ready for the devices to be put in after drywall.  The display is meant to be a an example of how to use the product and it’s install applications. 

HERE IS THE KICKER – the install as pictured has several pretty obvious NEC code violations.  The conduits are not strapped correctly and the box pictured is too small to be used for the application shown.  A box of that size – per 2008 NEC table 314-16(A) – is only permitted to have 9 wires in it – yet the one pictured clearly has 12 or more (I lost count) – and we have not even accounted for the extra room that is required by the NEC for the devices to be installed.  I can only imagine that this same display is up in every one of this chains stores – and yet, no one in the electrical department of any of these stores has noticed that it depicts several code violations?  Way to go home store Joes!

In the end it is your responsibility to make good decisions about your projects and their level of safety and quality – if you have doubts or concerns about electrical installs please feel free to contact me – always happy to help in any way I can.