Power running through a home needs the right outlet.
One of the most important considerations in any kitchen or bathroom remodel is the placement of Ground Control Fault Interrupters or GCFIs. A GFCI or GFI outlet receptacle will make sure that you and your family members are protected from ground faults, which occur when electricity, instead of following its normal path – an electrical wire – passes through a person’s body to the ground. That person becomes a conductor (wire) and you may know this condition as an electrical shock.
GCFIs are also important for exterior outlets on the outside of the home as well as in the garage. Because outside outlets are often used to power tools and heavy-duty equipment, they need the right power and the right protection.
Burnett Electric specializes in installing and maintaining GFCI and AFCI outlets.
We also install Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) outlets. An AFCI is a circuit breaker designed to prevent fires by detecting an unintended electrical arc and disconnecting the power before the arc starts a fire.
An AFCI must distinguish between a harmless arc that occurs incidentally during normal operation of switches, plugs, and brushed motors and an undesirable arc that can occur, for example, in a lamp cord that has a broken conductor in the cord. If you push up a desk on an extension cord, the AFCI might trip or perhaps a tree falls on a nearby power line. This is also when the AFCI will “sense” a power arc.
Safety first, power on.
Arc faults in a home are one of the leading causes of electrical wiring fires. As of January 2008, only “combination type” AFCIs will meet the National Electric Code (NEC) requirement. The 2008 NEC requires the installation of combination-type AFCIs in all 15 and 20-ampere residential circuits with the exception of laundries, kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and unfinished basements.
Proper AFCI installation leads to a safe home.
Conventional circuit breakers only respond to overloads and short circuits; so they do not protect against arcing conditions that produce erratic, and often reduced current. An AFCI is selective so that normal arcs do not cause it to trip.
The AFCI circuit continuously monitors the current and discriminates between normal and unwanted arcing conditions. Once an unwanted arcing condition is detected, the AFCI opens its internal contacts, thus de-energizing the circuit and reducing the potential for a fire to occur. An AFCI should not trip during normal arcing conditions, which can occur when a switch is opened or a plug is pulled from a receptacle.
Specializing in AFCIs, GFI/GFCI installations.
AFCIs look like a GFI/GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter) breaker in that they both have a test button although each has a different function. GFCIs are designed to protect against the electrical shock of a person, while AFCIs are primarily designed to protect against electrical fires caused by arcing.
The need for GFI outlets is very common when a home inspection is performed prior to a home sale. These are checked and will be required in many cases to close the escrow on the home.
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Up front and honest is the Burnett Electric way. We will never surprise our customers with last minute costs or hidden fees.
You can rest assured that when Burnett Electric comes to your home that you will be in the hands of a licensed professional!
