The home electrical system consists of various components that enable the safe delivery of energy to different sections and appliances in the household. Even though the system may appear complex, it is important for the homeowner to understand a few basics.

This would help you when things do not work or there is an emergency that requires turning off circuits or the entire installation. In addition, an understanding of the home electrical system will help the owner respond to questions from prospective buyers.

All the electrical circuits in the house originate from the main breaker panel. The panel is usually inside the house and near to the power entry point. However, the panel can also be far, and especially when in a multi-family structure.

The rating of the panel determines the number of circuits and power that the home electrical system can support. Some older homes have been using the 100 Amp service, smaller installations use a 60 Amp service while newer and larger houses are built with 200 amps to accommodate the increased number of electrical and electronic equipment commonly used in a modern household.

Different loads require the correct size of cables and breakers that can handle the current without heating up. For example, an air conditioner requires a 30 amp circuit while a kitchen may use two 20 amp circuits.

If there is a fault, such as a short circuit or overload, the breaker trips and cuts off the power to the affected circuit, hence preventing further damage that could lead to fire. Before resetting the breaker, you should first ask an electrician to check and rectify the problem.

A home electrical system consists of different individual circuits originating from the main breaker panel. The wires from the panel run to the rooms to supply the outlets, lights, and hand wired appliances. In most cases, several rooms may share the same circuits such that all the lights in the house are on one breaker, outlets on another breaker, etc.

Some dedicated circuits from the main breaker may go directly to the hard-wired appliances and nowhere else. Equipment such as the electric water heaters, furnaces, and air conditioners are usually installed on their own. Other hard-wired devices include the smoke alarms, which may also have battery backups so they will work even when there is a power outage or a fire interrupts the home electrical system.

Grounding is an essential protective feature that must be installed in all home electrical systems. It provides a path for the electrical current arising from faults that make the exposed metallic parts to become live and dangerous.

The ground connects all the exposed metallic parts to the earth mass through a third wire in the power cord to the equipment. This provides a low electrical resistance path for the current, hence, making the parts safe to the touch even in the event of a malfunction.

maintenance and repairs.

Electricity is an integral part of every home and it would be difficult to find a single room in your house that doesn’t have an appliance or fixture that doesn’t operate on electricity. That’s how reliant we are on it. Despite the fact that we can’t really function without it, electricity can be an extremely dangerous commodity; and if you have children in your home, you would have to take extra measures to ensure they are protected from electricity in the home.

Any parent who has had a toddler in the house will tell you that their little one was at one time or the other, fascinated by electrical wires, electrical outlets and appliances. Most children are very curious at that age and don’t think twice before putting a dangling table lamp wire into their mouth or they may try to insert their little fingers into an open socket etc. In short, your home becomes nothing less than a danger zone for your child.

The good news is that it’s possible to address most of these dangers and protect your children from the hazards that these electrical installations pose. Here are some of the things that can be done:

Electricity is something that poses a distinct danger to children. As a parent or a caregiver, it’s your responsibility to be proactive with protecting children from this potential danger. For installation of child-proof electrical installations, call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263. You can also drop us a line via email.

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As we've discussed before on this blog, spring brings with it a few weeks of abnormally wet weather here in the Mid-Atlantic, which is evidenced by the current storms that are barreling down on the region. Basements throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. are regularly flooded as a result, potentially costing homeowners thousands of dollars in damage if they didn't prepare accordingly.

While most residents know the importance of having a sump pump to keep the water out, there are other precautions that residents need to take to avoid catastrophe when their basements begin flooding.

Many older homes often feature electrical systems that are outdated and not up to current safety codes. One particularly sensitive kind of wiring is the "knob and tube" design, which leaves a complete grid of crisscrossing wires exposed along the ceiling of the basement. Its been decades since this kind of layout was considered acceptable in residential structures, and homes that have them are more than likely dealing with wires that have seen much better days.

During extreme weather conditions, any number of events could result in a deficiency in the system that may either spark a fire or down a wire in homes that feature knob and tube layouts. If the wires in the basement either fall or are damaged in the event of a flood, they have the potential to expose electrical currents to a growing pool of water. This is an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal safety hazard for homeowners to contend with.