Your home’s electrical system is so much more than just a bunch of wires leading to a panel. This complex system is responsible for powering your home. If something goes wrong, you should always hire a professional electrician like TDR Electric in Vancouver to fix the problem. DIY electrical work should never be attempted as it’s extremely dangerous and could cause injury or fire hazards.
Here are some of the components that make up your electrical system:
Outdoor Power Meter
Your electrical meter is likely installed on the outside of your house and will be either mechanical or digital. The meter is connected to the main power grid, usually by a cable that’s buried underground, but sometimes by a wire to a power poll. It stays outside so the electrical utility can come and read the meter from time to time. This meter keeps track of how much electricity you are using in kilowatt hours (kWh). This is how your electrical company knows how much to bill you each month.
Electrical Breaker Panel
If there is an electrical overload on a certain circuit, the circuit breaker for that circuit will trip and cut off power. This is a safety feature that reduces the chance of fire. If your circuit breaker is constantly tripping, you should get TDR Electric in right away to take a look. There could be something wrong with the circuit, or you might require an upgrade to a larger circuit to safely power the appliances and electronics in your home.
Circuits
Bundles of wires come out of the circuit breakers and lead to each room through the walls, floors and ceiling. There are three wires in the bundle: a hot wire, neutral wire and ground wire. The hot wire, usually red or black, carries the electricity from the breaker. The neutral wire, usually white, carries the current back to the electrical source at the panel. The ground wires, typically bare copper, is what acts as the circuit breaker. If something goes wrong with an outlet or wire, the electricity goes down the ground wire into the ground, instead of through a person causing electrocution, or an object, causing a fire.
There are many components of your electrical system beyond these three things including GFCI outlets, AFCI outlets and switches. If you have any questions or suspect there might be an issue with your electrical system, contact a licensed electrician right away.
Electricians in Vancouver
TDR Electric provides residential electrician services for renovations, light fixture installations, appliance connections, rewiring, electrical panel upgrades in North Vancouver.
They are not just your average electrical contractor. Customer service is always their number one priority. All of their electricians share the vision of creating the best experience possible for clients from the second they engage with your project , until long after it’s completed. TDR Electric will go above and beyond to meet your needs and get your project completed to the highest standard possible.
Contact them today!
