Big Rapids & Vicinity, Michigan Electrical and Electrician

In most Big Rapids & 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 track electric current travels, from the point where power enters your house (the service entrance panel or a sub-panel wired to it) via wires to a device utilizing electricity (such as a light fixture) and back to its original point. The National Electrical Code requires all circuits to have a grounding system. By grounding, this ensures that, if a short circuit happens, Every part that is metal of the wiring system or of lamps or electrical fixtures united with it will be maintained at zero volts. The grounding wire for each circuit connects to the distribution center and subsequently running to the hot and neutral wires in the branch circuits.

Distribution Center and Service Entrance Panel

The wires from the master link to the service entrance panel, the control center for your home's electricity. Housed in a box or cabinet, the panel is commonly situated outside the home, underneath the electric meter. It can also be positioned a wall inside the house, at the back of the meter. In this panel you'll usually discover the main disconnect - the main circuit breakers or main fuses upon which the wires adjoin. Once passing through the main disconnect, the wires go into a distribution center enclosed in the service entrance panel or in a separate sub-panel. At this location is where the current is separated into branch circuits, each one protected by a fuse or circuit breaker. These branch circuits subsequently run to switches, receptacles, lights, and appliances permanently wired. The distribution center and service entrance panel in the home are equipped with either circuit breakers or fuses. These are the fragile points of every circuit - 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, stopping the flow of current.

Circuit breakers

Circuit breakers are strong switches that operate the same as fuses. When a circuit is carrying more current than is safe, the breaker will switch to Reset. For most breakers, the switch needs to be pushed to the "Off" position and next to "On" after a circuit is tripped. The distribution center and service entrance panel in the house are equipped with either fuses or circuit breakers.

Tripped breaker (plugs and lights not working)

If there's an overload or a short circuit, a fuse will blow or a circuit breaker will trip, shutting down the flow of current. Reset the breaker by moving the handle to off position, then push the lever to the 1 position. Note: If it keeps on tripping, do not continue trying to reset the breaker. The breaker needs to cool down after tripping. While it's cooling, turn off all lighting and disconnect all items disconnected to the circuit that has tripped, then try to reset the breaker. If the breaker resets, start turning lights back on and plugging items back in until it trips again. This method will eventually identify the light or electrical item that is instigating the problem.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)

The GFCI is a distinctive kind of circuit breaker which is mounted in outdoor, bathroom, and garage locations. If there's a current leakage, or "ground fault," the GFCI exposes the circuit instantly, cutting off the electricity. When a GFCI is tripped, reset it as you would a regular circuit breaker. Push the Reset button for a receptacle GFCI.

How Houses are Wired

Recently built houses in Big Rapids & Vicinity have what is identified as a "three-wire service." The utility company feeds 3 wires - two "hot," one neutral - through a meter to your service entrance panel. These wires provide both 120-volt and 240-volt capabilities. One hot wire and the neutral wire together furnish 120 volts, the amount meant for most household applications, like light fixtures and small appliances. Both hot wires and the neutral wire can form a 120/240-volt circuit for such needs as a range and dryer. Wire connections are made inside metal or plastic boxes mounted in the walls or on the ceiling. Switches, receptacles, and wall or ceiling-mounted lighting all include their own boxes. Single wires are covered in color-coded insulation for simple identification. Though wires that are hot are generally red or black, they very well may be any color not including gray, green or white. Neutral wires are gray or white. Grounding wires are bare or green.

Broken Bulb

If your light bulb has broken at the holder, shut down the power at the mains making sure nobody can turn it on by mistake and push a carrot into the brass connector. Use this as a handle to twist out.

Suggestions for preserving efficient lighting

Replace other bulbs all through the house with bulbs of the next lower wattage.

Think about installing solid-state dimmers or high-low switches when changing light switches. They make it simple to lower the intensity of light in a room and therefore save energy.

Utilize compact fluorescent lights whenever your can; they provide more lumens per watt than luminescent 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 last 10 times as long. As an example, an 18-watt compact fluorescent lamp supplies the same amount of light as a 75-watt incandescent lamp. Although the preliminary cost is higher, the savings in electrical expenses could pay for the compact fluorescent bulb in about one year.

How to determine whether a rewire is required

If you've just moved in and are wondering whether a rewire is needed, look for the following points. They point toward the likelihood that you wiring must have an upgrade:

Round pin sockets or round light switches.

Black light holders, rubber cables & switches.

Cotton covered cables or twisted wires from light fittings.

Sockets in skirting boards or switches on wall in bathroom.

Common Indoor Electrical Safety Tips in Big Rapids & Vicinity

People are excellent conductors of electricity, especially when they are on a wet floor or standing in water. Your body may imitate a lightning rod and transmit the current to the ground. Follow these safety precautions to avoid the threat of injury, or even death:

Occasionally, a white wire will be used as a hot wire. For easy identification, it should be painted black or taped 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 danger of electric shock.

Frayed wires are dangerous anywhere. They should be fixed right away, or even better yet, replaced.

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

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

By no means should you use any electric appliance while in the shower or tub.

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

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

Never touch an electric cord or appliance while your hands are wet.

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

Don't jerk the cord when unplugging appliances.

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

Maintain clean work areas. Newspapers, sawdust, and oily rags can be set ablaze from electric sparks.

Never overload a circuit with high-wattage appliances. Check the wattage on your appliance labels and be sure 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.