Electrical Experts!

Typical Prices

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:19:00 +0000

Most basic troubleshooting calls including repair and installation calls are resolved less than $500. We have developed this list to serve as a guideline and to provide "ball park" estimates for common items. These costs are for a typical small to medium house in California. Difficult access, commercial work or other factors could increase cost substantially. Please note: Recent construction cost increases may make some of these prices lower than you will find locally.

ELECTRICAL

Minimum service call

minimum call "nothing done" with tools used $75 + parts
minimum call objective achieved = $125 + parts

Residential Service Call $125/hr or menu
Commercial Service Call $150/hr or menu
Correct "all lights flicker" starting at $350 typical
Replace existing switch or outlet $40 typical
Replace existing outlet with GFI outlet $65

[add $45 for exterior in-use cover & weather resistant device or combo device]

Install new Ceiling Fan/ chandelier $450 typical

w/existing switch and rated box

Safety Survey & Correction $450 typical
New, remodel, or extend switching/lighting/power outlets: $400 typical.

$400 first remodel light, $150 each additional light or switch in series
$400 for romex to new outlet typical [interior residential]
$650/$200 hard pipe and metal cable.

Replace existing Lighting Fixture $90 typical
Plasma TV install $750 power typical
Bathroom Remodel starting from from $800 [size & finishes]
Bathroom remove and replace existing Exhaust Fan $500 labor typical. Drywall and paint by others
Kitchen Remodel starting from from $1,500 [size & finishes]
New120-volt circuit starting from $400 [wire path & length]
New 240-volt circuit starting from $650 [wire path & length]
Repair lighting ballasts/transformers $85/ea plus materials.
New Subpanel from $1200

move panel to another wall nearby add $600 typical

Upgrade fusebox to 100amp panel from $1,800
Upgrade small panel to 200amp main $3,000 typical
Bring home Grounding System to compliance $500 typical

+professional.wk

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:33:00 +0000

Are you a professional? Click here =)

Don't try this at home...

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 15:58:00 +0000

Maintain Electrical Safety
The insulation on electrical wires can become damaged by wear, flexing, or age. Some clues that you may have an electrical problem are:

Flickering lights. If the lights dim every time you turn on an appliance that circuit is overloaded or has a loose connection.
Sparks. If sparks appear when you insert or remove a plug, that could be a sign of loose connections.
Frequent blown fuses or broken circuits. A fuse or circuit breaker that keeps tripping is an important warning sign of problems.
Frequent bulb burnout. A light bulb that burns out frequently is a sign that the bulb is too high a wattage for the fixture.
Avoid the use of extension cords.

Aging happens but fires don't have to...

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 16:51:00 +0000

ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER

All 120-volt, single phase, 15 and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets installed in dwelling unit family rooms, dinning rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by a listed arc-fault circuit interrupter combination type.

AFCI – effective in 2002 this type of circuit breaker was first required only in residential bedrooms. It's now required for most circuits in homes. AFCI shuts down power in a fraction of a second when hazardous condition exists.

Top Causes of Arc Faults

Loose or improper connections, such as electrical wires to outlets or switches
Frayed appliance or extension cords
Pinched or pierced wire insulation, such as a wire inside a wall nipped by a nail or a chair leg sitting on an extension cord
Cracked wire insulation stemming from age, heat, corrosion, or bending stress
Overheated wires or cords
Damaged electrical appliances
Electrical wire insulation chewed by rodents

GFCI protects people from electric shock. AFCI protects against electrical fire. Both together provide complete protection for the system.

Electrical Outlets Safety

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:47:00 +0000

San Francisco / Marina
TAMPER-RESISTANT RECEPTACLES
All 15- and 20-ampere receptacles in a dwelling unit shall be listed tamper-resistant.

TR receptacles have been mandated in hospital pediatric wards for over 20 years and have proven to effectively prevent electrical injuries.

"...Going against all the fire safety training I’d gone through growing up, I grabbed an industrial extension cord and power strip from the garage, and ran it through the dining room into the den. I finished setting up my laptop around 2 a.m. and went to bed.... ...After that, I got kind of lazy. I knew that I had to deal with the electrical problem, but I was dreading what it would cost to have an electrician come fix it. We lived with the extension cord running across the floor for about a week, hoping that no one would decide to drop by unannounced..."

Beautiful!

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sat, 05 May 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Here are some photos of our work and
some photos of electrical interest !
Our service area is the 415.

Telephone: (415)877.1172

How many things can you plug into an electrical outlet before it catches fire?

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Fri, 04 May 2007 22:22:00 +0000

What causes humming in audio systems?

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Mon, 15 May 2006 21:30:00 +0000

Some articles claim that wiring and grounding problems account for up to 80 percent of all power quality related problems related with sensitive electronic equipments like audio/video systems.

How OK is it to replace ungrounded outlet with GFCI outlets?

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sun, 15 May 2005 23:15:00 +0000

Q2. Under what condition can a two-wire receptacle be replaced with a three-wire receptacle, when no ground is available in the box?

A. Where no equipment bonding means exists in the outlet box, nongrounding-type receptacles can be replaced with [406.3(D)(3)]:

Another nongrounding-type receptacle.
A GFCI grounding-type receptacle marked "No Equipment Ground."
A grounding-type receptacle, if GFCI protected and marked "GFCI Protected" and "No Equipment Ground."

Note: GFCI protection functions properly on a 2-wire circuit without an equipment grounding (bonding) conductor, because the equipment grounding (bonding) conductor serves no role in the operation of the GFCI-protection device.

CAUTION: The permission to replace nongrounding-type receptacles with GFCI-protected grounding-type receptacles doesn't apply to new receptacle outlets that extend from an existing ungrounded outlet box. Once you add a receptacle outlet (branch-circuit extension), the receptacle must be of the grounding (bonding) type and it must have its grounding terminal grounded (bonded) to an effective ground-fault current path in accordance with 250.130(C).

The following vid shows a bad switch.

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sun, 15 May 2005 23:09:00 +0000

Smoke detector and CO requirements in California

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sun, 15 May 2005 22:53:00 +0000

Why does polarity matter, anyway?

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sun, 15 May 2005 22:47:00 +0000

Is there any danger? Contrary to what many people think, reverse polarity can also be a serious safety concern. Consider a light fixture with no bulb. If wired correctly, the only live part is the button at the base of the socket. A person is much less likely to touch this button than the threaded collar around the socket. If wired with reversed polarity, it is the threaded collar that is live! If you inadvertently touch the metal base of the bulb while it was in contact with the socket I can receive a severe shock.

Switched Appliances - Polarity matters with appliances that have switches. When the appliance is plugged in, power should only go as far as the switch. If polarity is reversed, power will go through the entire appliance back to the switch. If a wire comes loose in the appliance, the entire case of the appliance may be electrified, even though the appliance is not on. This is a shock hazard. Reversed polarity outlets often go unnoticed for a long time. Many appliances will work just fine.

They don't make that anymore...

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sat, 14 May 2005 17:15:00 +0000

San Francisco / Cow Hollow

Notice the center meter socket, the lower left corner has been lost to heat from arcing.

What constitutes Acceptable Flicker?

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 16:54:00 +0000

Tiburon

Backup Power

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 17:02:00 +0000

Click here & here for generator info

Did you know that some of the most inefficient systems on Earth are the electrical grids. At night when demand goes way down, most people do not know that the turbines cannot be reduced in capacity as low as the demand goes and that electricity is literally dissipated into the atmosphere as heat because it has nowhere else to go. Imagine storing about 30 to 40 percent of that lost energy and the savings it would affect across this planet.

Helping your electrician help you!

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 16:58:00 +0000

Mill Valley

Click here for troubleshooting guide.

Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Electrical Hazards

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sun, 09 Jan 2005 16:43:00 +0000

SHOULD FPE STAB-LOK^® PANELS BE REPLACED?

...Federal Pacific circuit breakers have a long and well documented history of inadequate performance. The presence of an FPE panel is a "Safety Defect" . These breakers often fail to trip when overloaded which can lead to fires. For more information search the internet for "Federal Pacific electric panel".

Most electricians or electrical inspectors can only look at the breakers ("they look OK to me"), and operate the toggle ("they click on and off OK"). But the question is: will they trip properly on electrical overload or short circuit? The history of Federal Pacific panels show them to be primary safety devices of questionable reliability. It is not correct to call non-tripping FP breakers a “fire hazard”. A fire hazard is any electrical failure that causes ignition. AS circuit breaker’s function is to stop electrical processes that could (if allowed to proceed) lead to fire in the building. If an electrical fire hazard develops in the building, the breaker is supposed to trip and minimize the possibility of ignition. If the breaker is defective, fire is more likely to result. FPE STAB-LOK circuit breakers are a danger in that regard

There is no question but that the FPE STAB-LOK^® panels should be replaced. There is no practical and safe alternative.

see another link here
and here

Personnel Protection

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sat, 08 Jan 2005 16:57:00 +0000

GROUND FAULT PROTECTION

All receptacles listed below must be protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter.

a. Sheds

b. Garage receptacles that are readily accessible

c. All receptacles in an unfinished basement or crawl space at or below grade,

with these exceptions:

1. A laundry receptacle, that is not easily accessible.

2. Single receptacles not duplex type on a dedicated circuit located and

identified for specific use by a cord and plug connected appliance such as

A freezer or refrigerator.

d. Bathroom receptacles

e. All outdoor receptacles

f. Kitchen receptacles that serve counter tops

g. All temporary construction power

h. Laundry, utility and wet bar sinks. Where the receptacles are installed within 6 feet of the outside edge of the sink.

NOTE: 15 and 20 amp 125 and 250 volt receptacles in wet locations shall have in-use covers.

Aluminum Wiring in Residential Properties: Hazards & Remedies

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 16:54:00 +0000

Click here to learn about aluminum wiring.

Small 60 Electrical Services - are they adequate?

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Thu, 06 Jan 2005 23:26:00 +0000

60 Amp Electrical Services (foto is a thirty amp service in Tenderloin)

This service is certainly too small for today's standard! The real danger is that the exposed wires are energized. All electrical equipment with more than 50V potential must be protected in a listed enclosure.

The size of an electrical service can play a crucial role in your home.
Click here: is bigger really better?

Electrical usage per U.S. home has more than quadrupled since the 1950s. As a result, the wiring in many older houses, particularly those that have not been upgraded over the years, is insufficient and susceptible to dangerous overheating. Newer homes that have been wired to minimize cost can be susceptible to overloading, too. If the service is adequate, the next step is to add more circuits. That divides the electrical current among more wires instead of just a few overtaxed circuits. Additional circuits and circuit breakers also provide an increased safety margin.

Uninterruptible Power Supply Mainframe Computer

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Sun, 02 Jan 2005 16:46:00 +0000

Novato: The transfer switch on the right lets you "float" the mainframes off of the battery [which is being charged]; run the load just from the utility; or just turn the whole thing off!!!

Grounding! Click to see why.

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Thu, 26 Feb 2004 22:22:00 +0000

Click the drawing to see the the electrocution hazard. If the toaster is grounded the circuit breaker would trip. If there is only a two prong outlet on the appliance then the GFI protection required by code would protect the user.

I get shocked when touching two things at once but not either alone; which one is bad?

==> I'll be right over!

Without a tester, the only way to tell would be to touch a third or fourth thing from each, at some risk to your health.

We get shocked off faucets or pipes sometimes; what can we do? High voltage wires overhead can induce voltage in pipes/wires below, but that is usually out on the ranch, the stories abound. Otherwise, the particular circuit responsible can be identified and the stray wire located. Plus the grounding of those pipes should be checked and insured.

Safe and Effective lighting for your closet.

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Fri, 16 May 2003 20:17:00 +0000

Good closet lighting is too useful to be ignored.

Building codes closely regulate lighting in closets, but many older homes are not code compliant. The location of this light bulb inside a clothes closet could easily start a fire in this home. The solution here is to move the circuit to an enclosed fluorescent light fixture mounted above the door on the header. This will give working clearances required by code and will not generate the heat of an incandescent bulb.

It is not enough to tell people not to stack clothing or other combustibles like cardboard boxes too close to this bulb.

A lot of closets either don't have a light or are lit by an exposed incandescent bulb screwed into a surface-mounted fixture operated with a pull-chain. The first situation is inconvenient, but the second is dangerous. Closets tend to be filled with flammable material such as clothing, and incandescent bulbs get very hot.

Add a New Hard-Wired Fixture

The best closet lighting will be provided by a fixture wired above the door opening, to the inside of the door header. Install amotion sensor or a switch on the outside of the closet. A switch that stays lit when the light is on will remind you to turn off the light when the door is closed.

Code requirements: NEC 410.16 Luminaires (lighting fixtures) installed in clothes closets shall have the following minimum clearances from the defined storage area:

12 inches for totally enclosed surface incandescent or LED luminaires
6 inches for recessed totally enclosed incandescent, fluorescent or LED luminaires
6 inches for surface mounted or recessed fluorescent luminaires

Desktop Data Center San Francisco Financial District

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Wed, 24 Apr 2002 18:59:00 +0000

"...the result is calmness of purpose, poise, accuracy of judgment, and balance."

theatre...

noreply@blogger.com (fast, cheap, easy... best!) — Wed, 27 Mar 2002 00:59:00 +0000

Report of no dimmer operation for theatre lights

Troubleshooting

Theatre manager can't believe it

remove bad relay

Rebuild and reinstall