Mena / Hot Springs & Vicinity, Arkansas Electrical and Electrician

In most Mena / Hot Springs & Vicinity homes, there are a wide variety of electical components such as circuits, breakers, service panels and GFCI breakers. Each type serves a very specific purpose. This information highlights each major component and tips on eletrical safety and maintenance.

What is a Circuit?

A circuit is the course electric current moves, from where power goes into your house (the service entrance panel or a sub-panel wired to it) start turning the lights back on to a device utilizing electricity (such as an outlet) and back to its original point. The National Electric Code (NEC) requires all circuits to contain a grounding system. By grounding, this ensures that, if a short circuit takes place, all metal parts of the wiring system or of lamps or appliances attached to it will be sustained at zero volts. The grounding wire for every circuit connects to the distribution center and then extends to the hot and neutral wires in the branch circuits.

Service Entrance Panel and Distribution Center

The wires from the master attach to the service entrance panel, the control center for your electrical service. Contained in a box or cabinet, the panel is often situated on the exterior of your home, underneath the electric meter. It can also be found a wall inside the house, directly behind the meter. In this panel you'll usually find the main disconnect - the main circuit breakers or main fuses to which the wires attach. Subsequent to passing through the main disconnect, the wires come into a distribution center housed in the service entrance panel or in a separate sub-panel. At this location is where the current is sectioned into branch circuits, each one sheltered by a circuit breaker or fuse. The branch circuits subsequently run to lights, switches, receptacles, and appliances that are permanently wired. The distribution center and service entrance panel in the house are outfitted with either fuses or circuit breakers. These areas are the weak points of all circuits - the safety mechanisms that keep the branch circuits and anything connected to them from overheating and catching fire. If there's an overload or a short circuit, a circuit breaker will trip or a fuse will blow, ending the flow of current.

Circuit breakers

Circuit breakers are heavyweight switches that serve the same function as fuses. When a circuit is moving more current than is safe, the breaker switches to Reset. For almost all breakers, the switch has to be pushed to the "Off" position and then to "On" once a circuit is tripped. The service entrance panel and distribution center in the residence are outfitted with either circuit breakers or fuses.

Tripped breaker (no electricity)

If there's an overload or a short circuit, a fuse will blow or a circuit breaker will trip, turning off the flow of current. Reset the breaker by repositioning the lever to off position, then move the handle to the one position. Note: If it continues to trip, don't persist in resetting the breaker. The breaker has to cool down once tripped. While it is in the process of cooling, turn off all lighting and unplug everything connected to the circuit that was tripped, then try resetting the breaker. If it resets, start turning lights back on and plugging items back in until it trips again. This will identify the light or item that is instigating the problem.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)

The GFCI is a distinctive kind of circuit breaker which is installed in bathroom, garage, and outdoor locations. If there's a current leakage, or "ground fault," the GFCI exposes the electrical circuit instantaneously, cutting off the electricity. When a GFCI is tripped, reset it the same way that you would a normal circuit breaker. Press the Reset button for a receptacle GFCI.

The Wiring of Homes

Recently built homes in Mena / Hot Springs & Vicinity include what is known as a "3-wire service." The utility company feeds 3 wires - two "hot," one neutral - through a meter to your home's service entrance panel. These wires provide both 120-volt and 240-volt capabilities. The neutral wire and 1 hot wire combined provide 120 volts, the amount designed for most household applications, such as small appliances and lights. Both hot wires and the neutral wire can form a 120/240-volt circuit for needs such as a range and dryer. Connections among wires are made inside plastic or metal boxes mounted on the ceiling or in the walls. Ceiling or wall-mounted light fixtures, receptacles and switches all consist of their own boxes. Each single wire is wrapped in color-coded insulation for simple identification. Though hot wires are ordinarily red or black, they could be any color but white, green or gray. Neutral wires are white or gray. Grounding wires are bare or green.

Broken Light Bulb

If your bulb has broken at the holder, turn off the power at the mains making certain nobody can turn it on on accident and push a carrot into the brass connector. Use this as a handle to twist out.

Pointers for preserving efficient lighting

Replace other bulbs throughout the house with bulbs of the next lower wattage.

Consider installing high-low switches or solid-state dimmers when replacing light switches. They make it easy to reduce the intensity of light in a room and accordingly save energy.

Utilize compact fluorescent lights whenever your can; they emit more lumens per watt than incandescent lamps. These new lights can fit into many incandescent lamp sockets and provide the same quality of light.

With efficiencies of 50-60 lumens per watt, the compact fluorescent lamps are 3-4 times more efficient than conventional bulbs and go on 10 times as long. For example, an 18-watt compact fluorescent lamp emits the same amount of light as a 75-watt incandescent lamp. Though the initial cost is greater, the savings in electricity costs may possibly pay for the compact fluorescent bulb in roughly 1 year.

How to ascertain whether a rewire is necessary

If you have just moved in and are speculating whether a rewire is needed for your house, look for the following points. They indicate the likelihood that you wiring requires an upgrade:

Round light switches or pin sockets.

Black rubber cables, switches & light holders.

Cotton covered cables or twisted wires from light fittings.

Sockets in skirting boards or switches on wall in bathroom.

Common Indoor Electrical Safety Tips for Houses in Mena / Hot Springs & Vicinity

People are superb conductors of electricity, particularly when they are on a wet floor or standing in water. Your body may act like a lightning rod and carry the current to the ground. Follow these safety precautions to avoid the risk of injury, or even death:

Sometimes, a white wire will be used as a hot wire. For easy identification, it should be taped or painted black where it's close to splices and terminals.

Touching a faulty appliance, plug, or bare wire can make you part of the electric circuit and put you in jeopardy of electric shock.

Frayed wires are hazardous anywhere. They should be fixed as soon as possible, or even better, replaced.

Change inflexible electric cords and follow Underwriters Laboratories (UL) guidelines.

Repair any appliance that sparks, emits smoke, or shocks you.

At no time should you use any electric appliance while in the tub or shower.

Don't use any appliance while you're touching metal pipes and faucets or anything wet.

Outlets near water sources (outdoors, bathrooms, garages, kitchen sinks) should be "ground fault circuit interrupter" (GFCI) protected as explained above.

At no time should you touch an electric cord or appliance while your hands are damp.

Unplug appliances before cleaning them or removing anything from them (that burnt toast from your toaster, for example).

Don't yank the cord when unplugging appliances.

Train children not to put things into electrical outlets. Plastic outlet guards designed for small children are a smart idea.

Maintain clean work spaces. Sawdust, newspapers, and oily rags may initiate a fire from electric sparks.

Never overload a circuit with high-wattage appliances. Check the wattage on your appliance labels and be sure that the combined wattage of every appliance you want to plug into the same circuit does not exceed 1440 watts for a 15-amp circuit, and 1920 watts for a 20-amp circuit.