Attention new home owners about AFCI circuit breakers……….
Visit this link to Integrity Electric web site.
Shock and Fire Prevention – AFCI and GFCI Breakers and Receptacles
Now find out why the circuit has to be installed correctly.
We as electricians are having to install more and more AFCI circuit breakers in new homes to help reduce fires and shock to the residence of these homes. We hear more and more from people including some in the electrical field hate these products.
The first week in April of 2015 Dan Zerby our Master Electrician has been working on a project in Grand Junction CO. in a home that has been occupied for only three years. He called technical support at Siemens to get some indications on what to look for when the LED’s on the circuit breaker lights up and the meaning and steps to look for. Siemens sent us some information about how the circuits are to be connected to all devices to reduce these breaker from nuisance tripping and to make sure that they are operating correctly.
Here is the most important part of what Dan Zerby found in the electrical makeup in the boxes.
1 The for switches and receptacles was attached by using the stab in locations on the back.
2 A hanging fixture light bulb socket would spin while attempting to remove the light bulb.
3 Wiring in the boxes behind a few of the switches were wrapped around each other to a point that the open end of the wire nut on the black wires was arching to ground’
Before you hire your electrical contractor interview them to find out how they do there work and have photos of completed work. Just because a General Contractor has someone they like to use, does not mean you cannot pick someone else.
The wires were not installed on the screws but stabbed into the back of the devices, see pictures. We also found damage to the floor and table lamps cords, plus the hanging fixture. The damage to the cords were caused by having furniture to close the cord ends and bending the cords at an sharp angle creating hot spots.
The instructions from the manufacture of all AFCI and CAFI are required to have all wires attached to the device around the screws and have all electronics protected by Surge Protection.
If your electrical contractor is not securing the receptacles and switches in your home on the screws and not installing Whole House Surge Protection, they are unknowingly voiding the manufacturer’s warranty on all of the AFCI and CAFI circuit breakers in your new home.
Integrity Electric presented this information to one of the State of Colorado electrical inspectors during an inspection on another project. His comment was,” I see that most of the electricians will need to be retrained to stop using the quick stab in for now on.” He ask what we use for Surge Protection, we handed him a brochure from Surge Assure and explained way we have included this as part of our new homes. Integrity Electric was doing this since 2007 just to provide the best protection that is available.
Integrity just is not just in our name but also in what we do for our clients. On all homes that we perform electrical services at, we also attach the wires on the screws and do not take short cuts by stabbing the wires into the devices in your home. While on New Construction of residential homes Integrity Electric includes over $800.00 of Surge Protection by Surge Assure in our bids.
https://www.facebook.com/SurgeAssure85
DO Your electrical contractor even tell you how they perform there work? We will during a walk thru and why we do what we do.
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