We use electricity everyday of our lives; powering our televisions, lights, and appliances. While these may seem easy enough to turn on with one click of a button, the steps that go into powering these things can be complex. Here is a look at the systems that go into powering your home.
What are some of the most commonly asked electrical questions?
The Home Electrical System
All electricity originates from the electrical utility company, BC Hydro in most cases. The electricity is transferred through power lines or underground lines to your home where it will go through the following series of connections:
- Electrical Meter: The utility company uses the meter to measure the amount of energy being consumed and ultimately, your monthly bill. You should not open up or tamper with the electrical meter. Find out why your electrical bill is so high.
- Service Panel: Here the electricity is distributed throughout your house. A home is split up into different circuits or breakers. The fuses and circuit breakers within the panel are responsible for shutting off circuits for protection against overheating and overloading. Sometimes subpanels may run off of the main panel for larger appliances, such as an oven. Several different rooms can be connected on the same breaker and it is not always clear what parts of the house are on which breaker. So make sure you have your service panel properly labelled.
- Circuits: The circuits running from the service panel deliver the electricity to a series of outlets and fixtures. The power runs along the circuit and back to the service panel in a loop. In this way, if there is a failure or interruption at any point in the circuit it will shut down the entire circuit.
- Outlets and Switches: Spread throughout your house are your outlets and switches. This is where you can tap your electricity for your television or turn on the lights. There may be many or few outlets in any room. If you feel the need to move, remove, or add an outlet consult a professional. A new switch or outlet cannot always be installed at any point in the circuit.
Problems can occur at any point in this process. The inner workings of all these systems are complex and dangerous if tampered with. Expert Electric understands all the complexities and inner workings of your home electrical system. We can assist at any point to diagnose and fix any problems you may be experiencing.
Find out when an electrical restoration is required.
If you have any concerns or questions about your home’s electrical system contact your local Expert Electric.
