Electrical

All electrical defects are hazards that have the potential to cause fire, serious injury or death. For your safety, we recommend that where deficiencies are noted, a professionally qualified electrician attend to make repairs immediately.

Modification to your electrical panel should be done only by a licensed electrical contractor.

Computer and other sensitive electrical equipment fitted with surge protectors, must be installed on grounded circuits to benefit from the protection.

The use of extension cords for permanent fixtures or appliances (such as garage door openers) is relatively common although unsafe practice. Generally extension cords indicate a lack of sufficient electrical receptacles. This is most common in older homes. Be sure that appliances have proper electrical outlets installed nearby.

Relocate any outlets above baseboard heaters. The wires from any appliances in use – could drape over the heater – creating a potential for fire or electrical hazard.

Fuses and circuit breakers are safety devices in your electrical panel that are designed to prevent overloading and potential fire hazards.

GFCI’s are generally required for exterior outlets, bathroom outlets and in new kitchen construction where receptacles/outlets are being installed within 1 metre of the kitchen sink.

Two prong outlets are legal but substandard. Generally 2 prong outlets indicate there is no ground present.

It is common for buyers to discover additional electrical issues after taking possession of the home where unprofessional installations/alterations have been noted on the day of inspection.

Electrical

The electrical system carries the electricity from the Electrical Utility Company’s wires in the street (overhead or under-ground), through the meter to the electrical panel. The electrical panel is the distribution centre (via the branch circuits) for the electricity throughout the building.

Overhead cables must have adequate clearances from the ground, paths, driveways and so on. The diagram shows some of the more common variations. Geographic location may also have a bearing on the height. Always have your qualified electrician check any areas that may be suspect.

The Main Disconnect is the switch that allows the homeowner to turn off all the electricity to the building. It can be part of the main electrical panel or may be a separate unit nearby or remotely (often in the garage).

Many condominium unit panels do not have a main disconnect. The homeowner can then only turn off individual circuits via the breakers or fuses. Any work needing the whole system to be turned off (to change a breaker or add a circuit for instance) must be carried out by a qualified electrician.

The Service Panel is the metal box where the main electricity from the street is re-routed to the switches, outlets and appliances throughout the building.
Circuits are protected by fuses or breakers, which must be correctly sized for the circuit wiring.

It’s not uncommon to find circuits over fused. The distribution or branch circuit wiring might for instance be rated at 30 amps but the fuse or breaker protecting it might be rated at 40 amps.
In these circumstances, in the event of a fault, the wire would overheat before the breaker or fuse tripped, creating a possible fire hazard.

Distribution or Branch Circuit Wiring is the collection of wires that carry the electricity throughout the building. It may be copper, aluminum or a mixture of the two.

Be sure that branch circuits are properly protected by fuses or breakers. The use of larger fuses or any attempts to prevent fuses blowing or breakers from tripping by adding extraneous materials (silver paper or foil for instance) creates a significant fire and electrical hazard.

Knob and Tube Wiring was installed in some buildings until the 1950’s. Today it’s mainly considered to be obsolete. In some jurisdictions, despite the fact that it may be in good condition, many insurance companies will refuse or at the very least impose onerous conditions until it has been replaced.
If you buy a home with this style of wiring, expect to re-wire the building in the very near future.

Aluminum Wiring was installed in many areas until the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. It’s potential to oxidize in damp conditions, thereby creating a potential for overheating and fire, has made it unpopular. In some jurisdictions, despite the fact that it may be in good condition, many insurance companies will refuse to provide coverage.

If it’s in good condition, there’s no reason to change it, although we always recommend the installation of “copper pigtails”.
This exercise involves adding a short section of copper wire (a pigtail) to each exposed wire – throughout the building. The special connectors used are air tight, thus reducing the likelihood of oxidization of the aluminum.

In some jurisdictions, insurance companies are requiring an electrical safety certificate if you have this sort of wiring. This certificate would be provided by The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) upon satisfactory results of their inspection.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI’s) are the special outlets with the ‘test and reset’ buttons (often black and red). They must be installed to all bathroom and exterior outlets as well as to some special plumbing fixtures like whirlpool or air tubs, spas, swimming pools and to some outlets in kitchens.
Never install a G.F.C.I. where you intend to plug in a fridge or freezer. The induction motors on these devices can fool the G.F.C.I. into believing there’s a fault. The G.F.C.I. trips and unless you happen to notice quickly, your food will spoil.

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters are now required for bedroom circuits in all new construction, effective January 2002.

Note that some tract builders may have permits that pre-date the requirement, even though the homes aren’t completed yet. It seems that in certain circumstances, these home may be exempt. Check with your local Chief Building Official’s office or with the Electrical Safety Authority for your area for a definitive answer.

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters are installed only on 15 and 20 amp circuits.
They help to prevent fire caused by arcing at outlets and switches.
AFCI’s vs GFCI’s
Don’t confuse the two…
AFCI’s detect arcing and help protect against fire hazards.
GFCI’s detect ground faults and help to protect against a shock hazard.

They are NOT interchangeable.