For many a clothes dryer plug is something they never think about, that’s possibly until you move to a new home. The US standard for years was a three prong 220 volt plug on a gray colored cord. In 1996 there was a change and all new construction from then on had to have a […]Read More about Clothes Dryer Cord Confusion
RV Electric Plugs Explained
Covid increased the sales of RV’s and there is hardly a street in Dayton that does not have an RV parked in the driveway or down the side of the house. If your rig is parked for a while the coach batteries will tend to go flat, deep cycle batteries that are allowed to discharge […]Read More about RV Electric Plugs Explained
The AFCI Breaker You May Grow to Hate
New homes come with new breakers in the electric panel box, some of them will look like the ones you may have had in your previous house and others will have a small colored button and the word ARC printed on the front of it. Engineers wanted to make bedrooms a safer place, electric blanket […]Read More about The AFCI Breaker You May Grow to Hate
Incorrect Dryer Receptacle for Wire Type
There are two types of clothes dryer plugs and receptacles. The older one with three prongs and typically a gray cord (still in use and perfectly acceptable). Then there are the new four prong plugs, these all have a black cord and plug. The additional pin on the plug is for a ground wire adding […]Read More about Incorrect Dryer Receptacle for Wire Type
Generator Hook Up Must Be Legal
With global weather patterns changing power outages are becoming widespread, outages that were localized are now becoming citywide as hurricanes, flooding and wildfires threaten communities. The answer is a standby generator. There are the permanent types that are installed on a pad outside and the portable type that is generally stored in the garage then […]Read More about Generator Hook Up Must Be Legal
Recessed Lights Pose a Fire Hazard
As a homeowner you probably don’t typically give much thought about the lights in your home, as long as they are doing what lights are supposed to do. You flip the switch, instantaneous illumination, you can see and life is good! However, it is what we can’t see that can be a cause for concern. […]Read More about Recessed Lights Pose a Fire Hazard
Magnificent Bathroom, Dangerous Light Fixtures
Inspecting a beautiful home in Centerville, the buyer was impressed with all the updates. The house while not being old had been recently remodeled and a deep soaking bathtub installed. The scene was like something in a magazine, the bath, the view, the chandelier lights….. Chandelier lights? This is fine and looks great in the […]Read More about Magnificent Bathroom, Dangerous Light Fixtures
Loose Wire Connections Cause Fires
Electricity is strange, when we look at it there is nothing there, but it can do so much. We just know that it can make things work, why and how is beyond us. Electricity is an energy form, energy just like friction creates heat that is generally minimal and controlled by the circuit breakers in […]Read More about Loose Wire Connections Cause Fires
Garage Receptacle for a Refrigerator or Freezer?
Have you ever wondered why there is sometimes a single receptacle in your garage? You know that the regular looking one with the buttons is a GFCI protected receptacle (and it often supply’s power to your exterior receptacles). The GFCI is a safety type receptacle that turns off the power to the circuit in the […]Read More about Garage Receptacle for a Refrigerator or Freezer?
What Is “A Light Switch Away”……Electrocution?
There have been many comments about light switches and this is “one light switch away from” electrifying or possibly electrocuting the user. We take modern wiring for granted, fumbling for a light switch in a dark room without the possibility of getting shocked. This is more like something Dracula would have used to terrify movie […]Read More about What Is “A Light Switch Away”……Electrocution?
Door Bell Transformer Identified
This funky and worrying thing with wires hanging out of it is often found in the oddest of places. They can be found on the wall in a closet, in the basement or in the ceiling joists, beside the breaker panel, just about anywhere in a home.Nervous buyers often stare at those wires with anxious […]Read More about Door Bell Transformer Identified
Don’t Be Stranded… Wires Connected to Breaker
When connecting stranded wiring (a wire that is made up of numerous smaller wires as opposed to a solid wire) all strands of the wire must be secured under the terminal screw. In this photo of a wire connected to a circuit breaker, there is less wire connected to one of the connections which means […]Read More about Don’t Be Stranded… Wires Connected to Breaker
Telephone Interface (a piece of history)
The telephone has just about disappeared from homes. Back when they were connected by wire to the telephone exchange there needed to be a connector inside the house that connected the home wiring to the phone company wiring.The connector is called a telephone interface which is the modern version of the connector in the photo. […]Read More about Telephone Interface (a piece of history)
Common or Shared Neutral Wiring at Breaker
Video shows connections; Where two electrical circuits share the same neutral wire, the two breakers must have a common trip and be fed from opposite phases which are alternated from one breaker to the next.It is a fire safety concern if they are incorrectly wired and positioned.
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