Your home’s electrical system starts at the outside meter and its breaker box with all its circuit breakers. Each breaker allows a maximum amount of electricity through it, and if it exceeds that amount, the breaker shuts itself off to avoid overheating the wires.
The Basics
The number of circuit breakers in a home depends on how large it is and how many major appliances that use electricity it has. Electric stoves, water heaters, dryers and the HVAC system have their own circuits because they draw a large amount of power.
Besides the breakers, these devices help ensure your safety:
- GFCIs. Ground fault circuit interrupters stop the flow of electricity whenever they sense water and prevent accidental electrocution.
- AFCIs. Arc fault circuit interrupters shut the circuit off when anyone drills or nails into a wire that could be hidden in a wall or from a fluke accident.
- Surge protectors. These devices can be part of a breaker box to protect some or all of the appliances in homes. They’re especially useful for protecting HVAC system from surges or lightening strikes.
When to Call an Electrician
- You have an older home. Some homes built in the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s used aluminum wiring that isn’t as safe as copper wiring and should be examined by a licensed electrician.
- You’re buying a different home. Most lenders need a licensed home inspector to review the home’s electrical system, among others, to verify they’re operating properly.
- You need a new circuit. Adding a large appliance or a room often requires another circuit, which usually involves adding and pulling wires, and installing outlets and switches.
- Your lights are flickering, circuit breakers turn off frequently, or you smell burning rubber.
- You want to add a whole-house surge protector to prevent surge and lightening damage, or individual protectors for major appliances.
Knowing about the electrical system in a home can help you understand it better and use the appliances, tools and devices within your home within their safety limits. To learn more about safety, contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning, providing trusted HVAC services for Lorain-area homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about electrical systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area