Understanding Your Home's Electrical System

Even though it doesn’t get a lot of discussion, the electrical system in a home ranks near the top as an important component. Without it life wouldn’t be as we know it. Besides modern conveniences, a home’s wiring dictates how safe and comfortable it is.

How It Gets There

Power comes into your home from a thick wire that connects to a meter and into a breaker box that has individual circuits. Each circuit can handle a specific amount of electricity flowing through it at one time, and each of these has its own breaker. When the power flow exceeds the circuit’s capacity, the breaker heats up and snaps shut, which shuts the power off.

Major Appliances

If you have an electric stove, dryer, or water heater, it’s likely each of these has its own circuit, since they draw a lot of electricity. Your central HVAC system also has its own circuit.

What to Know

If your home was built in the 1960s through the mid-1970s, there’s a chance it has an aluminum electrical system, which is a known fire hazard. You can check by looking at a switch or outlet. If you see copper wiring, it’s likely you don’t have aluminum wiring. If you find silver wiring, you should contact a licensed electrician who can assess its condition.

More Precautions

Check over your home to see where the GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) is. It stops the flow of electricity when anything electric contacts water. Sometimes these switches are in bathrooms or kitchens. They have a button to reset the circuits should the GFCI turn the power off outlets.More recent building codes require AFCIs (arc fault circuit interrupters). Pounding a nail or inserting a screw into a hidden wire causes electricity to arc, which can raise the temperature to 10,000 degrees F and start a fire.

Most homeowners are aware of home safety, but since it’s hidden and somewhat mysterious, many don’t think about the condition of the electrical system. If you have any concerns about yours, contact Air Assurance. We provide trusted HVAC for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about electrical systems and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “electricalsystem_Pixabay”

Are You Ready for Unexpected Power Outages?

Any kind of a power outage in the winter creates a level of hardship that ranges from inconvenient to dangerous. It makes sense to prepare your home to avoid some of the discomfort associated with the lack of heat and electricity.

• Locate the circuit breaker for your heating system and turn it off. Once the utility workers restore the power, it can surge, sending powerful spikes of electricity through the lines that can harm your equipment. Once the power has been successfully restored, turn the breaker back on.

• Keep flashlights handy. Put a flashlight in each bedroom and by the front or back door. Check their batteries periodically and have replacements on hand.

• Learn how to operate your garage door manually. During a prolonged outage, you may need to leave your home if the roads are safe to do so.

• Always have extra food on hand that doesn’t require much heating unless you have a safe way to do so. Bringing in a charcoal or propane grill creates dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. A backpacking stove is a relatively safe heating option.

• When the outage is due to a winter storm, select a warm room in your home where you can gather. Body heat will help keep the temperature up and you can close the window coverings to keep heat from escaping.

• Consider installing a home generator. Whether it’s a portable unit or a whole-house system, a generator takes the edge off a power outage, even if it’s a small unit used mainly for lights.

• Have your fireplace cleaned by a professional chimney sweep annually if you use it frequently. A clean chimney and firebox increase its safety, and be sure to use a spark screen.

• Stay warmer by dressing in layers. Keeping the body’s core warm preserves heat, as will crawling into a sleeping bag.

The preparations to cope with a power outage do take time and some expense, but they increase your family’s safety and comfort. If you’d like to learn more, contact Air Assurance, providing trusted HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Monmouth County, New Jersey and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “openclipart-vectors/Pixabay”