Electrical

PSE&G is in the process of replacing 2.3 million electric meters with new smart meters. If you are a PSE&G electric customer, here is what you should know about the smart meter installation process.

If you are a PSE&G electric customer, here is what you should know about the smart meter installation process:

• The timing of your smart-meter installation will depend on the municipality you live in as crews make their way through our electric service territory from the north, south, and west.
• You will receive a letter in advance of your smart meter installation. You will also receive a reminder letter about two weeks from the smart-meter installation date.
• If your electric meter is located outside and is accessible, there is nothing you need to do.
• If your meter is located inside or is otherwise inaccessible, we will provide instructions on making an installation appointment in the reminder letter. You only need to make an installation appointment if the meter is located inside or is not accessible.
• Most installations take a few minutes with a brief interruption of power. The worker will leave a door hanger letting you know that they replaced the existing meter with a smart meter.

The new smart meter we install will provide you with several benefits, including:

• Automatic, near real-time meter reading that will eliminate almost all estimated electric bills.
• Near real-time power-outage detection and more efficient power restoration following storms.
• Enhanced electric-use information will allow you to make more informed energy decisions.

To learn more about our smart meter effort, please visit pseg.com/smartmeters.

NOTE: This PSE&G article has been reposted by Optimal Home Inspections as a service to our clients.

All homeowners should know where their electrical panel is located.  When you open the door to it, you should find breakers that are labeled which correspond to the different rooms or areas of the home.  Breakers will sometimes trip due to a power surge or outage, and the homeowner can flip the switch to reactivate the current to the particular room or area.  Behind the breakers is the dead front, and it is this electrical component that should be removed only by a qualified electrician or inspector. 

Before touching the electrical panel to re-set a breaker, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I have an escape path?  Make sure that you know where you can safely turn or step if you must escape a dangerous surprise, such a bee or a spark. An unfortunately placed shovel or extension cord, for instance, can turn a quick jerk into a dangerous fall.
• Is the floor wet?  Never touch any electrical equipment while standing on a wet surface!
• Does the panel appear to be wet?  Check overhead for dripping water that may have condensed on a cold water pipe.  
• Is the panel rusty?  Rust is an indication of previous wet conditions that may still exist.
• Are there scorch marks on the panel door?  This can indicate a past or very recent arc, and further investigation should be deferred to a licensed electrician.

Here is a list of defective conditions that a homeowner may see that may be called out during an electrical inspection:

• insufficient clearance. According to the 2008 National Electrical Code, most residential electrical panels require at least a 3-foot clearance or working space in front, 30 inches of width, and a minimum headroom clearance of 6 feet, or the height of the equipment, whichever is greater.
• sharp-tipped panel box screws. Panel box cover screws must have blunt ends so they do not pierce the wires inside the box.
• circuit breakers that are not properly sized.
• oxidation or corrosion to any of the parts. Oxidized or corroded wires will increase the resistance of conductors and create the potential for arcing. 
• damage caused by rodents. Rodents have been known to chew through wire insulation in electrical panels (and other areas), creating an unsafe condition. Rodents have been electrocuted this way, leaving an unsightly mess inside the panel.
• evidence of electrical failures, such as burned or overheated components.
• evidence of water entry inside the electrical panel. Moisture can corrode circuit breakers so that they won’t trip, make connections less reliable and the equipment unsafe to touch.
• a panel manufactured by Zinsco or Federal Pacific Electric (FPE). These panels have a reputation for being problematic, and further evaluation by a qualified electrician is recommended. 

Power distribution

From ASHI Electrical Power Booklet

If there are too few circuits or their loads are not distributed properly throughout the house, there may be frequent overloads. This kind of service is unsatisfactory and can be a potential fire hazard. If particular breakers trip regularly or specific fuses blow, an electrician should do a load calculation and make appropriate repairs. Each circuit in a house should be clearly labeled so the homeowner or others working on the system can tell which breaker or fuse controls specific outlets, appliance or lights.

Outlets/Receptacles

The modern, ideal arrangement of duplex receptacles, for safety and convenience, is one for every 12 feet of running wall space one on each wall of the average 10′-by-12′ room. No point on any wall should be further than 6′ from an outlet. The reason is to avoid the use of extension cords, which can become worn, broken, simply overheat and cause a fire. In the kitchen, there should be 20-arnp appliance circuits with outlets serving counters one for every four feet of running wall space. No point along the counter should be more than two feet from an outlet.

Modern homes are equipped with grounded three-slot receptacles. Grounding is installed to provide a safe path for electricity to return to the electrical panel if it gets out of its intended path. For instance, if you’re using a damaged piece of equipment, grounding is intended to complete the circuit and trip the breaker or fuse. Without grounding, the electricity might flow through you in its attempt to return to the panel.

Many older homes have two-slot receptacles. If you only use appliances with two-prong plugs, it isn’t necessary to upgrade. Any appliance with a three-prong plug needs a properly grounded three-slot receptacle. Sometimes an electrician can easily upgrade outlets; other times upgrading requires rewiring.

Even if a system is properly grounded, minor faults in a circuit can cause dangerous shock to a person using an electrical appliance in a damp location or near water. For this reason, the National Electrical Code®now requires a Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) in damp places, such as bathrooms, kitchen/ bar countertops, hydro-massage tubs, hot tubs, swimming pools, unfinished basements, garages, accessory buildings, crawlspaces, and exterior receptacles. Exterior receptacles also require watertight covers.

The GFCI senses the flow of electricity through a circuit. If more current is flowing through the black (hot) wire than the white (neutral) wire, there is a current leakage. The GFCI, which can sense a ground leak of as little as .005 amps, will shut off the current in 1/40 of a second, which is fast enough to prevent injury.

If you do have Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters, it is recommended you test (and reset) them monthly. When you push the test button, the reset button should pop out, shutting off the circuit. If it doesn’t pop out or the power stays on even though it pops out, the breaker is not working properly. If not tested once a month, the breakers have a tendency to stick and may not protect you when needed.

Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFC!) are the newest electrical safety devices. An AFC! senses an arc or short circuit and shuts off the electricity before the arcing can cause a fire. AFC! should also be tested and reset monthly.

Further protection is provided in the electrical system by the use of polarized plugs and outlets, to ensure that the hot and neutral wires of an appliance connect to the hot and neutral wires inside the receptacle. Polarized plugs have one prong wider than the other, so that the plug can only be inserted the correct way.

Conductors

Most homes are wired with copper.Nevertheless aluminum wiring was widely used in residential construction and remodeling from the 1960s through the mid 1970s. Such wiring can be identified by its dull silver color, not to be confused with older tin-coated copper wiring. The letters AL or the word Aluminum may be stamped on the sheathing or cable.

Homes wired with solid aluminum branch circuits have a greater potential of having hazardous conditions than those with wired copper. Common aluminum wire problems include the following:

• tendency to oxidize,
• incompatibility with the switches and outlets that were designed to be used only with copper,
• expands and contracts at different rates than copper creating loose connection, and
• improper splicing or connections.

These problem conditions create greater electrical resistance that translates into greater heat generation, which increases the potential for fire.

Warning signs of unsafe aluminum wiring include:

• unusually warm or warped outlet and switch cover plates,
• smoke or snapping noise coming from outlets and switches,
• plastic burning odors in the area of outlets or switches,
• flickering lights,
• intermittent operation of a switch or outlet, and
• dead circuits or outlets.

A house with aluminum wire may require improvements or may require rewiring, but only a qualified electrician should be allowed to evaluate and repair these potentially dangerous situations.

Modern electrical cables are usually composed of two, three or four insulated wires enclosed in a metallic (called armored) jacket, or in a non-metallic plastic cloth jacket.

In older homes, the conductors sometimes are not enclosed in jackets, but run as pairs of wires supported by porcelain fittings. This wiring system is called Knob-and-Tube wiring. Sections of the system may be visible in the attic or unfinished areas of a basement. While Knob-and-Tube wiring is not inherently dangerous, it is old, and its insulation may no longer be intact. Much of it will be concealed behind walls, ceilings and insulation, where its condition cannot be completely evaluated. It is also an ungrounded system, and therefore is more hazardous than others. In addition, previous homeowners may have improperly spliced into the circuits, thereby increasing the hazards.

If your home has Knob-and-Tube wiring, it would be wise to have the system inspected and repaired by a licensed electrician. If necessary, it should be replaced (which is likely).

From ASHI Electrical Power Booklet

In order for an electrical system to be safe, it must be properly installed according to the requirements of the National Electrical Code®and any local regulations. Licensed electricians follow the code when they install, repair or improve electrical circuits inside a house.

The National Electrical Code is revised every three years in response to changes in the understanding of electrical safety and to accommodate new materials and devices. As a result, any home more than three years old probably doesn’t comply with one or more provisions of the current code.

The National Electrical Code is revised every three years in response to changes in the understanding of electrical safety and to accommodate new materials and devices. As a result, any home more than three years old probably doesn’t comply with one or more provisions of the current code.

In older neighborhoods or rural areas, the utility company provides power to homes through overhead conductors called the service drop. In urban areas and newer neighborhoods, the power comes to the house underground and is called a service lateral.

Typically, the homeowner is responsible, through his or her electrical contractor, for maintaining the electrical system throughout the house up to the utility company connections (usually immediately before the meter).

Size of the service

Many factors determine the available amperage to a home. An electrician or an ASHI member can tell you how many amps your electrical system is set to provide.

With the heavy electrical demand of today’s lifestyles, any service which provides less than 100 amps at 120/240 volts may be considered inadequate for any home, except a small apartment or condominium. A home equipped with modern appliances, such as an electric water heater, range, clothes dryer and central air conditioning, may require 150 amps. If, in addition, the house is heated by electricity or has addi- tional electric appliances, it may require zoo-amp or greater service.

If an electrical service has not been upgraded within the last 40-50 years, the chances are that the amount of power being supplied is inadequate. An inadequate service may have:

• fuses that blow or circuit breakers that trip often,
• lights that flicker or dim when appliances are turned on,
• a TV image that shrinks when a heavy appliance is turned on, or
• too many extension cords in use.

The electric meter

Electrical usage is measured in units called watts, which are equivalent to the number of volts times the number of amps. The utility company charges you according to the number
of watts that are registered on the digital readout or dials of your electric meter. The meter itself, which belongs to the utility, may be located inside or outside the house.

Main distribution panel

The main distribution panel is the heart of the electrical system. It is usually located on a wall near the incoming service entrance wire. The service disconnect can be an integral part of this panel or it can be in a separate panel near the meter. The National Electrical Code allows up to six disconnects to shut of fall the power in a house. It is essential homeowners know the location of all service disconnects and understand how to use them in the event of an emergency.

Overload protection

When too much current flows through a wire, the wire gets hot, sometimes hot enough to destroy the insulation and cause a fire.

This situation, called an overload, may develop from a short circuit, where two bare wires are touching each other or, more frequently,when too many appliances are being used on the same circuit at one time.

To prevent this from happening, the wires in a circuit are protected with safety devices designed to open, or disconnect, the circuit from its source when too much current is passing through them.

There are two kinds of overcurrent protective devices: fuses, which must be replaced if they blow, and circuit breakers, which can be reset.

Once the cause of the overload has been corrected (e.g., by unplugging some of the
devices, or by replacing worn insulation or defective appliances), circuit breakers can be
reset by moving the switch from the “trip” position to “off’ and then back to “on.” Even if they
are never tripped, all circuit breakers should be turned off and on at least once a year to prevent sticking due to corrosion buildup or mechanical failure of their moving parts.

Since blown fuses must be replaced, it always helps to have a supply of the correct sizes on hand.

A word about fuse and breaker size

The National Electrical Code®specifies the maximum current of amperage that can be carried safely by each size and type of wire used in a home. Therefore, fuses and breakers must be the correct amperage in order to properly protect each circuit. In other words, if you blow a 15-amp fuse, it should be replaced only with a 15-amp fuse or a Type S (tamper proof) 15-amp fuse and adapter. Larger size fuses would allow too much current to flow in the circuit, making it unsafe.

Service ground

Every electrical system must be grounded so that electricity from a lightning strike or a power surge will be harmlessly discharged into the earth rather than into the house system or a person. System grounding is achieved by connecting the neutral wires from all the electrical circuits to a grounding rod, a buried metal water supply pipe or the reinforcing steel in a building’s concrete foundation.

The topic of grounding and bonding is a never ending area of confusion. The difference between a service panel and a sub panel is also muddy in many minds. Here are the basics on panels and grounding.

The Electrical Path

• The panel that’s located directly after the electric meter is the main service panel.
• Three wires come from the electric meter and go into the main panel: two live (hot) wires and one neutral.

Main Panels and Sub Panels

There are several different ways main panels are configured in homes, here it is in a nutshell.

• The main panel has a circuit breaker that controls all the power to your home, this is the Double Pole Service Disconnect, this is also called the “main.”
• The electricity from the main can be wired in one of two different ways:
  1. It stays within the main panel and goes to the circuit breakers that lead to each branch circuit;
  2. It does to a sub panel which contains circuit breakers that lead to each branch circuit.
• These two different methods are used for convenience and safety.

Neutral Bonding in Panels

The bonding in panels are done two different ways:

• Main Panel – the neutral wire is bonded (connected) to the ground wire.
• Sub Panel – the neutral wire is NOT bonded (connected) to the ground wire.

What’s the difference between bonding and grounding?

These terms are similar, confusing and often used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, a ground wire connects to the ground. Bonding means connecting things electrically together.

• Ground – a wire that goes to a metal pipe or rod that is embedded several feet into the ground.
• Bonding – connecting wires together to make one continues connection.

Bonding and Grounding is about Safety

We all are amazed at what electricity can do for us: from powering our air conditioners to keeping us cool in the summer. We should also know that if it is mishandled or its systems are installed incorrectly, becomes obsolete, or wears out, electricity can be very dangerous, in fact it can kill us!

Example A wire is rubbing against the metal case of washing machine, after a few years of rubbing the insulation wears away and then touches the metal case energizing it.

If there was no grounding the washing machine would stay energized and the washer may catch fire or the next unlucky person to do the wash will be shocked .

If the washing machine was grounded, the current would flow to the ground, drawing a very high amount of power (a short circuit), which in turn trips the circuit breaker. Voilà, no power to the washing machine and you are safe.

Bonding insures that if there is any stray electricity it will be directed to the ground. If there is a break in the system then any disconnected areas will have the potential of being a shock hazard.

Home Inspection

Home Inspection is all about safety. That’s why when I inspect your electrical system I’ll be looking for anything unusual and bring it to your attention. Inspectors are generalist, not specialists, so if anything looks out of the ordinary I’ll recommend a specialist take a look – a licenced electrician.

Resource Links

• Electric Panels 101 by Bob Villa
• What is an Electrical Subpanel?
• What Is the Ground (Earth) Wire For?
• Electrical Distribution Panels & Circuit Breaker Fires