Springfield / Marshfield & Vicinity, Missouri Electrical and Electrician

In most Springfield / Marshfield & 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 site where power enters your home (the service entrance panel or a sub-panel wired to it) via wires to a piece of equipment using electricity (such as a lamp) and returning to its starting point. The National Electrical Code requires that all circuits contain a grounding system. By grounding, this ensures that, if a short circuit happens, Each part that is metal of the wiring system or of electrical appliances or fixtures coupled with it will be preserved at zero volts. The grounding wire for every circuit is attached to the distribution center and then extends to the neutral and hot 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 house's electrical service. Encased in a box or cabinet, the panel is normally located on the exterior of the house, underneath the electric meter. It can also be on a wall inside the house, immediately behind the meter. In this panel you'll generally locate the main disconnect - the main fuses or main circuit breakers to which the wires attach. After passing through the main disconnect, the wires go through a distribution center encased in the service entrance panel or in a separate sub-panel. It is here that the current is partitioned into branch circuits, each sheltered by a fuse or circuit breaker. The branch circuits then run to switches, receptacles, lights, and appliances that are permanently wired. The distribution center and service entrance panel in your home are setup with either fuses or circuit breakers. These areas are the weak points of each circuit - the safety mechanisms that keep the branch circuits and anything attached to them from overheating and catching fire. If there's an overload or a short circuit, a fuse will blow or a circuit breaker will trip, closing off the flow of current.

Circuit breakers

Circuit breakers are heavy-duty switches that serve the same use as fuses. When a circuit is moving more current than is safe, the breaker will switch to Reset. For most breakers, the switch must be pushed to the "Off" position and then on to "On" after a circuit is tripped. The service entrance panel and distribution center in your house are outfitted with either fuses or circuit breakers.

Tripped breaker (lights and receptacles not working)

If there's an overload or a short circuit, a fuse will blow or a circuit breaker will trip, ending the flow of current. Reset the breaker by pushing the handle to off position, then reposition the lever 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's cooling, turn off all lighting and unplug all items connected to the circuit that was tripped, then try resetting the breaker. If the breaker resets, start turning lights back on and plugging items back in until it trips again. This process will eventually identify the electrical item or light that is initiating the problem.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)

The GFCI is a special kind of circuit breaker that is installed in bathroom, garage, and outdoor areas. If there's a current seepage, or "ground fault," the GFCI exposes the electrical circuit immediately, cutting off the electricity. When a GFCI is tripped, reset it like you would a standard circuit breaker. Push the Reset button for a receptacle GFCI.

How Houses are Wired

Recently built houses in Springfield / Marshfield & Vicinity have what is referred to as a "3-wire service." The utility company feeds three wires - two "hot," one neutral - through a meter to the house service entrance panel. These wires provide both 120-volt and 240-volt facilities. One hot wire and the neutral wire combined provide 120 volts, the amount meant for most household applications, like lighting and small appliances. Both the neutral wire and the hot wires can form a 120/240-volt circuit for needs such as a range and dryer. Connections between wires are made inside metal or plastic boxes mounted in the walls or on the ceiling. Ceiling or wall-mounted light fixtures, receptacles and switches all have their own boxes. Each wire is wrapped in color-coded insulation so they can be simply identified. Though hot wires are typically red or black, they may very well be any color save for green, gray or white. Neutral wires are gray or white. Grounding wires are green or bare.

Broken Bulb

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

Guidelines for keeping efficient light fixtures

Change other bulbs throughout the home with bulbs of the next lower wattage.

Think about installing solid-state dimmers or high-low switches while replacing light switches. They make it simple to reduce the intensity of light in a room and as a result save energy.

Utilize compact fluorescent lights whenever your can; they distribute more lumens per watt than incandescent lights. These new lights can fit into many incandescent lamp sockets and give 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. For instance, an 18-watt compact fluorescent lamp gives the same amount of light as a 75-watt incandescent lamp. Though the initial cost is greater, the savings in electrical expenses could pay for the compact fluorescent bulb in about one year.

How to decide whether a rewire is considered necessary

If you have just moved in and are wondering if you need a rewire, look for the following points. They indicate the likelihood that you wiring must have an improvement:

Round light switches or round pin sockets.

Black switches, light holders & rubber cables.

Cotton covered cables or twisted wires from light fittings.

Sockets in skirting boards or switches on wall in bathroom.

General Indoor Electrical Safety Suggestions for Homes in Springfield / Marshfield & Vicinity

People are excellent conductors of electricity, specifically when they are on a wet floor or standing in water. Your body can act like 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 is 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 hazardous anywhere. They should be fixed at once, or even better, replaced.

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

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

Never 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 damp.

Outlets near water sources (bathrooms, outdoors, 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 wet.

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

Don't heave the cord when unplugging appliances.

Instruct children not to put things into electrical outlets. Plastic outlet guards intended for toddlers are a good idea.

Maintain clean work spaces. Oily rags, newspapers, and sawdust can catch fire from electric sparks.

Never overload a circuit with high-wattage appliances. Check the wattage on your appliance labels and be absolutely certain the combined wattage of all the appliances that 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.