Home Improvement Articles, resources and tips
Electrical
The type of projects done by an electrician is extremely varied. They include installing electrical systems, wiring, outlets, receptacles, lighting, ceiling and bath fans, smoke detectors, panel upgrades and more.
It's helpful to know a few basics about how electricity works in your home. Electricity must flow through a circuit, a continuous closed path that begins and ends at the voltage source, usually the entrance panel where electricity first enters the home from your local utility company (Dwp-Eddison), which is also where you'll find the electric meter. Most homes have a three-wire system with two hot wires (which deliver electricity to an electrical device such as an appliance) and one neutral (which takes it away). This is important to note because conventional appliances and lighting fixtures need only 120 volts, which can be delivered with one hot wire and one neutral. On the other hand, most clothes dryers, air conditioners, and other large appliances need a 240-volt circuit, which requires both hot wires and the neutral. Every special appliance need will have its own dedicated line.
As stated above, the main circuitry panel is usually right next the meter, but subpanels are usually placed around a house in areas that need more power, for better control and distribution needs.
Grounding is extremely important for the safety of a home and its occupants. All circuits, whether they are 120 or 240 volt, must be grounded, meaning that all metal parts are connected directly to the earth in some way. This greatly reduced the risk of electrical shock and fires.
If you want to adopt eco-friendly practices or just save on your energy bill, an electrical engineer or contractor can be of great use. For example, adding dimmers to lighting fixtures allows you to choose the correct amount of illumination and also allows you to use less electricity. Similarly, occupancy sensors for lighting fixtures help ensure no energy is wasted. Finally ceiling fans are a great complement to both heating and cooling systems because they force warm air downward in the winter and kick up breezes in the summer.
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