Edmonton Electrician | Regularly Asked Electrical Questions
Master Edmonton electrician, Ryan Hauer, the owner / operator of Hauer Power Electrical loves answering all the questions that has his customers puzzled. Questions about how many electrical outlets are needed in each room, how to wire the new chandelier and installing under counter lighting and outdoor lights for their new hot tub in their backyard gazebo. Ryan never tires of helping his clients and homeowners understand the electrical workings of their home. Here are some of the most common questions he and his team get, and their expert answers.
Avoid Overloading Your Circuits
How much can you plug into one electrical outlet? Many people misunderstand, and believe, as long as there is a space for something else to be plugged in, you can go for it. And most people don’t understand at all that there can be multiple outlets and lights on one circuit. Which will impact how much you can plug in at a time. For example, explains Ryan Hauer, your hair dryer will use 15 amps of power, which means nothing else should be plugged in or turned on for that entire circuit, let alone your hair straightener which uses 15 amps as well. You will certainly trip your breaker.
And if you have lights turned on in the bathroom, or if the bathroom fan is running, you’re definitely exceeding the limits of how much you can have plugged in at a time! If you have both plugged in and turned on in the same outlet, this means your circuit breaker is definitely malfunctioning, and you should contact your Edmonton electrician right away!
If people are wondering how they know how much power each of their electrical devices draw, it’s easy, there’s either a sticker on the back or bottom of the device, on its cord, or imprinted in its plastic body. If you can avoid plugging more than 15 amps into a single circuit, you can usually avoid tripping your breaker.
More Reasons Your Circuit Breaker Is Tripping
Another reason people are experiencing their circuit breaker tripping, is they have an appliance plugged into the wrong outlet. Edmonton electrician expert, Ryan Hauer says he was at a home, where the owner was complaining about a constantly tripping breaker. As it turns out, they had rearranged their kitchen, and plugged their refrigerator into a regular wall socket. That was the exact problem!
Fridges usually draw 20 amps, and even more on start up, so most Edmonton electricians will ask where the refrigerator will go, and then wire a special outlet that can handle more power in that location. That way, your fridge can run day and night without overloading the circuit. Once they moved the refrigerator back, no problem.
Many people also mistakenly believe that they can safely increase the amount of power they can plug into a circuit by using a power bar, or an outlet extender. They think that if it has the CSA rating on it, that means it can help a circuit handle more power, but that’s not true. Edmonton electrician says the CSA stamp on the device simply means that it is safe to use, and has passed Canadian Safety Association inspections.
Edmonton Electrician | Is Your Circuit Breaker Functioning?
But homeowners will buy several, one or more for each room, increasing the number of devices are plugged in to one circuit, and then wonder why their circuit breaker is constantly turning off. Your electrician can add circuits to any room quite easily, and eliminate the hassle, and potential danger from overloaded circuits. If you are for sure not overloading your circuits, then it’s best to call in your Edmonton electrician for an inspection. They will be able to see what’s causing the overload, such as faulty wiring, or a breaker panel that needs to be replaced.
Perhaps the grounding or bonding was done incorrectly, and the house is not grounded properly, and errant electrical discharge is overloading the circuit. Not only will they be able to identify the problem during inspection, they’ll be able to fix it for you in short order. Whether they find problems or not, you may also want to talk to the electrician like Hauer Power to increase the number of electrical circuits in your home.
The kitchen and media rooms are two areas of a home that never seem to have enough electrical outlets. If you use power bars or outlet extenders regularly anywhere in your house, additional circuits will be the best way to prevent tripping your circuit breaker in the future.
Do I Need GCFI Outlets if I Have A Circuit Breaker
Ryan Hauer of Hauer Power Electrical says you can never be too careful, or have too many safety systems in place. While both GCFI outlets and circuit breakers turn off the electricity when a circuit is overloaded. Only the GCFI system protects against arcs that happen in wet conditions. These arc produce extremely erratic, and therefore dangerous currents. Even if the circuit is not overloaded, an electrical arc can happen, and the GCFI will protect against it.
And not only is it a good idea, says Ryan, the expert Edmonton electrician, it’s actually law. All new construction must have a circuit breaker AND GFCI outlets where water is potentially present. Protecting you, your family and your home from overloaded circuits, dangerous arc and errant currents that can damage and hurt your family.
Can I Do Any Of My Own Electrical Work
Absolutely not! Is the resounding answer from Ryan at Hauer Power Electrical. It not only takes years of studying as well as hands on knowledge to become a proficient electrician. But most electrical projects require a permit from your municipality. Only licensed electricians can procure such a permit, which means if you do any electrical work yourself, your home may no longer be to code, which can present a wide variety of problems if you want to renovate larger projects, or sell your home in the future.
But not only that, but doing your own electrical work is very dangerous! Edmonton electrician experts like Ryan say that the danger is not just from getting shocked, but that certainly is a factor. But the largest danger looms after your project is done, and you turn the power back on to the house or room.
Electrical work done improperly, with loose connections, crossed wires or improper grounding represents a huge danger that is lurking without you even knowing about it. Any of these problems can cause overloaded circuits, and a circuit breaker that’s not working. Which means you could be facing an electrical fire at any time, and not realize it. Even worse, says Ryan, is that these fires spread very quickly, undetected until the entire house is on fire. If you do catch the problems before they become catastrophic, the cost of fixing your electrical misadventures could be larger than getting it done in the first place.
Call The Experts On Electrical Projects
Protect your home, your family, and your wallet, by always calling on the experts like Hauer Power Electrical to do any electrical work, no matter how big or small. Your family will thank you for it. If you or your family have any other electrical questions, contact your local Edmonton electrician, Ryan at Hauer Power. Not only does he love hearing from his clients, but he loved educating and helping people understand this important part of our daily life! Reach out and call, or email any time!