A faulty or malfunctioning electric panel can pose a serious threat to your home. If your home was built between the 1950s and the 1980s, chances are that your electrical supply is connected to a Federal Pacific electric panel. These electric panels are highly dangerous, and should be replaced with brand new breaker boxes. Over the years, it has been shown that Federal Pacific electric panels do not meet the safety standards that were set by the UL. These faulty boxes can overheat, causing a building fire. If your home contains a Federal Pacific electric panel, do not hesitate to contact an electrician serving San Jose. The highly experienced electricians at a San Jose electrical company can evaluate the safety of your current electrical system. By trusting your new electrical panel upgrade to the professionals, you can rest easy knowing that your home is safe from the risk of an electrical fire.

Your circuit breakers are designed to ensure the safety of yourself and your family. When your home experiences a power surge, your circuit breaker will automatically shut off power to a certain area of your home. When you are building or remodeling your home , you may need to place new outlets on your electric panel. By hiring an electrician serving San Jose, you can ensure that your electrical wiring is performed safely and in accordance to electrical code. To provide you with an inside look at some of the important services offered by an electrician, here is an overview of the process of placing outlets on a 20 amp electrical circuit.

Determining Breaker Load
The first step of placing outlets on a 20 amp electrical circuit is to determine the allowable breaker load. The breaker load stands for the total amount of electricity that the circuit can handle before it becomes overloaded. As a general rule, a breaker can handle up to eighty percent of its rating. This means that the total load on a 20 amp circuit should be no more than 16 amps.

Balancing the Load
Once the total allowable load has been determined, the next step is to decide which appliances and lights should be plugged into the circuit. To ensure the safety and performance of the circuit, it is a good idea to strike a balance between lights and outlets. This will ensure that the circuit does not become overloaded.

Assigning Each Receptacle
Another way to prevent an overloaded circuit is to make sure that each receptacle is properly balanced. On a 20 amp circuit, this means that each receptacle should draw no more than 1.5 amps. These receptacles can be connected to fixtures and appliances using 12-guage wire. With the services of an electrician, you can ensure that your 20 amp circuit is properly set up.

There are many indicators that can signal it is time to rewire your home. Some of the most common signs of bad electrical wiring include inadequate power to switches or outlets, aluminum or cloth insulated wiring, ungrounded wiring, and an unsafe electrical panel. Rewiring your home can also provide additional outlets and protect your valuable electronics. Here is a look at the process of rewiring a house, including tips for choosing an electrician in San Jose .

Create an “Electrical Inventory”
The first step of rewiring your home is to create a list of all the electrical devices and appliances you’ll be using in the house, and where. Figuring out where and how you’ll be using power makes it easier for your electrician to install an adequate electrical system.

Research Local Building Codes
Building codes set electrical standards for everything from what kind of wiring is permitted to how many outlets you are allowed to put in each room. Designing and installing an electrical system that is not up to code can result in fines or having to pull out finished work.

Identify Existing Infrastructure
To help your electrician perform the rewiring job as smoothly as possible, identify and mark existing electrical and plumbing infrastructure in your home. If you do not have the blueprints for your home, hire a contractor to mark pipes and existing wiring before your electrician arrives.

Hire an Electrician
When you are ready to hire an electrician in San Jose, look for a licensed professional who has experience rewiring older homes in the Bay Area. Rewiring is a complex, demanding, and difficult process, so make sure the electrical company you hire is licensed, insured, and experienced. And if you aren’t sure whether your home needs to be rewired, schedule an electrical inspection to determine the best course of action.

Dedicated circuits are designed to supply electricity to appliances with power demands higher than average appliances and electronics. If you are installing an electric cook top, for example, you may need to hire an electrician in San Jose to install a dedicated circuit. According to the National Electric Code, an electric cook top needs its own dedicated cir cuit only when there are no other built-in cooking appliances installed. An electric cook top does not need its own circuit if it is connected to the same circuit as a built-in oven. ​

The best way to protect your appliances and stay up to code is to schedule an in-home inspection with a San Jose electrician . Your electrician will inspect your electrical supply and recommend whether a dedicated circuit is needed for your electric cook top.

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An electrical circuit is simply a path through which your home’s electrical supply flows. Your electrical panel contains several circuits, each one containing a circuit breaker that stops the flow of electricity if there is a dangerous power spike or if an appliance or outlet tries to draw too much current. While appliances with higher power demands than average appliances and electronics should have their own dedicated circuit and breaker, there are other instances in which appliances with lower power ratings should also be put on a separate circuit. Here is a look at some of appliances and electronics that require individual circuit breakers, and how to have dedicated circuits installed using a residential electrician .

Power-Hungry Appliances
Most of the appliances that require their own circuit and circuit breaker are those that draw more power than average appliances and electrical devices. Common examples of power-hungry appliances include electrical ranges, wall ovens, refrigerators, heating and air conditioning units, furnaces, water heaters, washing machines, and dryers. Ask your San Jose electrician for a complete list of appliances that require dedicated circuits per the National Electric Code.

Expensive Appliances and/or Electronics
When several appliances and electrical devices are on the same circuit, they all share the same electrical supply. While this is not a problem for small electricity users such as lamps and fans, expensive appliances and/or electronics might be more sensitive to power fluctuations that can occur on a shared circuit. To protect your computers, flat screen televisions, and other expensive electrical devices, have them put on a dedicated circuit.

Must-Work Appliances and/or Devices
There are some appliances and electrical devices that need to work in order to protect your home and keep your family safe. Sump pumps, for example, should be put on a dedicated circuit to ensure that they don’t stop working because of a blown fuse as the result of a power surge. It is also a good idea to put your garage door opener on a dedicated circuit, seeing as your garage door weighs hundreds of pounds and a fault in the electrical supply to the opener can send all of that weight crashing down.

If you have an older home, the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your belongings is to have your home inspected by a trained professional. The electricians here at Delta Electric are fully licensed and have years of experience. Over the years, our team has completed countless safety inspections for homeowners throughout San Jose . The findings of our safety inspections save homeowners the expense of damage that could have been avoided.

When you hire an experienced company like Delta Electric to perform a safety inspection, you can count on a professional to go through your home and identify any areas of concern. The electrician performing the safety inspection will then make no-hassle recommendations to you based on the findings of the safety inspection.

Silicon Valley has been at the forefront of innovation in computer technology since the latter part of the 20 ^th century. With so much focus on bringing new and exciting technologies to consumers, you might be surprised to learn that the houses in and around San Jose are sometimes woefully out of date. Many homes built before 1980 have electrical panels that are prone to malfunctioning, overheating, and causing fires. If you see FPE or Zinsco on your breaker box, contact your San Jose electrician to discuss your options for upgrading. Older electrical panels and wiring aren’t just outdated—they can also be dangerous. Check out this infographic to learn why you should have an electrician inspect your home today. Share with your friends and neighbors to help keep everyone safe.

In the past, residential electrical systems were designed to deliver the same amount of power from the electric panel to each of the outlets. However, some modern appliances have higher power demands than average electronics. In order to supply these appliances with the power they need without effecting any other appliances or electronics, a residential electrician can install dedicated circuits in your home. A dedicated circuit has its own circuit breaker inside the electric panel, and each dedicated circuit serves only one appliance. To help you understand your electrical system and make the best decision for your home, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about dedicated circuits.

Are Dedicated Circuits Required by Law?

Dedicated circuits can protect your home and your expensive appliances, but they are also required by the National Electric Code (NEC). If you have an older home that doesn’t have dedicated circuits for all of its fixed appliances, hire an electrician to install dedicated circuits to make sure that your system is up to code.

What Could Happen without a Dedicated Circuit?

Sure, dedicated circuits are required by law, but what’s the worst that could happen without them? We’re here to tell you, a lot can happen without them. For starters, dedicated circuits keep your expensive appliances in good shape by ensuring a steady source of reliable electricity. Secondly, if you do not have a dedicated circuit for a high power appliance and that appliance overload your home’s electrical system, the current may overheat the wires and cause a fire.

What Types of Appliances Need Dedicated Circuits?

Generally speaking, any appliance that uses a great deal of electricity should have a dedicated circuit. Some common examples of appliances that need a dedicated circuit include refrigerators, electric ovens and stoves, air conditioners, and electric furnace. Appliances with a motor should also have a dedicated circuit. When in doubt about an appliance, contact an electrician .

Light Source of Today

We all recognize the cartoon indicator for a good idea being the light bulb over somebody’s head. These days, due to lighting efficiency standards, it’s wise to make sure that light over your head is LED. Take a look at this good link to one of the new product by CREE which can be for home or business application.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xf2ZR4whwQ&list=PLtECghye06-nJXptANjND2NdDYCN0MG8M

I also came a very excellent demonstration done by Home Depot which I posted below showing an electric meter running on incandescent light or LED light, watch that meter spin!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fIvcSqSp1Y

LED is only the fourth lighting technology developed in human history, and this recent development is set to revolutionize lighting the world over by delivering real and measureable advantages. It really has made a measurable difference in our own homes and our customer’s home or business with energy use.