Finding a Quality Electrician

Years of Hard Work + Experience = Quality Electrician

When you need an electrician, you have options. However going through those options and making the right decision about finding a good, quality electrician can be a daunting task. To become a licensed and experienced electrician takes a lot more work than most people understand and it’s not just about ‘knowing some electrical’…

• Have you ever thought about the service a good Electrician can provide?
• What does the make-up of a good Electrician look like?

If you’re like most people the thought has never even crossed your mind, however if you ever have experienced flickering lights, electrical outages or the smell of an electrical burning odor you know that a professional electrician should be enlisted for help.

I need an electrician, now what?

For insurance and quality reasons, you should be hiring an Electrical Contractor who employs licensed electricians. First and foremost a good electrician will be licensed within the state and/or the local jurisdiction in which you reside or where your business is located. Also, go online or call your local Better Business Bureau and check for ANY complaints and resolutions.

So how does that electrician who works for a quality Electrical Contractor earn his license?

There are different electrical licensing levels that can be achieved by an electrician:

An Apprentice Electrician is the entry level into the trade. The apprentice is required to be registered as an apprentice with the state and/or local authorities. The apprenticeship requires two or four years of a solid employed electrical experience with a licensed electrical contractor, along with some classroom electrical apprenticeship schooling programs.

A 2 year Residential Wireman’s license can be obtained by demonstrating two years of continuous experience as an apprentice wiring houses, condominiums, apartments etc. This type of license permits the wireman to wire residential units unsupervised. It is often skipped over by most apprentices in favor of,

A 4 year Journeyman Electrician license. This license requires four years of progressive experience as an apprentice electrician, in a combination of residential and commercial wiring experience. The testing examinations for this license are extremely difficult and require a great deal of study and preparation on the part of the apprentice seeking this level of licensing. It is not uncommon for the apprentice to take the exam several times before obtaining success. Once the Journeyman’s Electrician license is obtained the “new” professional is entitled to perform any and all electrical wiring in all types of buildings for both residential and commercial applications. Both the Residential Wireman and the Journeyman Electrician licenses are required by statute to be employed under the supervision of the “Master Electrician”.

The final level of licensing is the “Master” Electrician and requires an additional year of experience in the areas of planning and layout. The exam for this license is far more difficult than the Journeyman Electrician exam and requires a higher degree of study and experience. This level of license entitles the Master Electrician to legally own and operate a legitimate electrical contracting company.

Now we know that a good electrician is a locally licensed professional that has completed the required apprenticeships and areas of study to obtain a specific electrical license. That is what a good electrician looks like.

Now what about an excellent electrician? An excellent electrician can provide professional electrical services on a variety of levels. An excellent electrician has experience that goes well beyond the installation of new electrical wiring in a newly built structure. An excellent electrician has been exposed to a variety of complex electrical problems or issues that have developed within facilities and residences. They have developed the skill sets necessary to analyze, troubleshoot and affect repairs in a timely manner. Handymen and multi-service contractors often only train as an apprentice electrician, if they have any certified electrical training at all.

An excellent electrician knows and recommends the correct product or solution for any given electrical situation, whether it is repairing an electrical issue, proposing lighting solutions or assisting with energy saving measures.

An excellent electrician understands the importance of customer service and therefore trains and educates the apprentice and licensed electricians within their employ to the “Excellent Electrician” level of professionalism.

An excellent electrical company recognizes and utilizes ethical business practices and employs excellent electricians to serve their customers.

Electric Doctor/Sparky’s USA takes pride in hiring and training professionals who have dedicated themselves to being quality electricians. Our team exemplifies what it means to be an Excellent Electrical Company specializing in Electrical Service and Repair of all electrical issues both big and small, commercial and residential.

Aluminum Pigtails – Purple Wirenuts vs. AlumiConn

Aluminum Wire Pigtailing Connectors

When it comes to pigtailing aluminum wiring to copper wire, there are still several options available to use. For this particular blog I am focusing on the easily available solutions which are Purple Wirenuts (Model 65) and AlumiConn Lugs. This means I’m leaving out the CopAlum Crimp because it’s not easily available.

For many, many years the style of pigtailing involved pouring some No-Lox liquid into whichever wirenut you needed to install. Purple wirenuts then became the accepted UL solution for Aluminum/Copper connections having antioxidant liquid pre-installed and a flap-style system at the base to prevent run-out. AlumiConn Lugs are now become the standard solution for Aluminum/Copper connections.

The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission only recognize CopAlum and AlumiConn as meeting the agency’s standards regarding preventing fire hazards as of March 15, 2011.

AlumiConn vs. Purple Wirenuts : Specs

Max Voltage – 300v AlumiConn : 600v Purples

Wire Size Range – Minimum #18/Maximum #10 for both

Temperature Rating – 105 degrees C for both

UL Listed – Both

Flammability Rating : V-2 for both

Maximum Wires per Connector – 3 for both

AlumiConn vs Purple Wirenuts Pros and Cons – Installer

Manufacturing Location:

King Innovation AlumiConn Lugs and Ideal Purple Wirenuts are Made in the USA

Installation Time:

Purple Wirenuts twist on quick and installation is easy. AlumiConn Lugs are a bit more time consuming with having to unscrew each port and then tighten each port. Plan on spending up-front time prepping the lugs, it will speed up installation.

Size:

Both Wirenuts and Lugs take up considerable space. Purple wirenuts take up slightly less than AlumiConn Lugs. Considering that most homes with aluminum wire also have smaller metal boxes, this can become an issue. Standard switches and outlets aren’t usually an issue but GFCI outlets and dimmers will often not fit when using aluminum/copper connectors. Plan on installing a GFCI breaker for bathrooms/kitchens or removing the old metal boxes and installing a new plastic remodel box for space when bringing those areas up to code.

Quality:

Purple wirenuts will occasionally not grab your wires but for the most part are reliable. AlumiConn lugs are solid and the only complaint is the occasional lug port is pre-set just a bit too tight.

Application:

A main reason for using AlumiConn lugs over Purple Wirenuts AND CopAlum Crimps is the fact that the copper and aluminum wires DO NOT make direct contact. AlumiConn keeps the dissimilar metals from ever directly contacting one another.

Installation:

We prep AlumiConn lugs up-front with a variety of leads and loosening the ports for improved installation time. As with any installation, make sure not to strip the wire too much or have any exposed metal remaining on connections. Wirenuts can be stripped longer for wirenut installation, AlumiConn lugs have a smaller strip size to keep leads from being exposed. Keep in mind your amp rating and sizing for aluminum and copper to help your installation time.

20amp Circuit = #10 Aluminum and #12 Copper THHN

15amp Circuit = #12 Aluminum and #14 Copper THHN

Wire Charts : Allowable Connections and Sizes

AlumiConn Lugs

One wire per port/three total

#12-#10 Solid Aluminum

#18-#10 Solid or Stranded Copper

Purple Wirenuts

1 #10 AL sol. w/1 or 2 #10 CU sol.
1 #10 AL w/1 or 2 #12 CU
1 #10 AL w/1 or 2 #14 CU
1 #10 AL w/1 or 2 #16 CU
2 #10 AL sol. w/1 #12 CU
2 #10 AL sol. w/1 #14 CU
2 #12 AL sol. w/1 #10 CU sol.
2 #12 AL sol. w/1 #10 CU str.
1 #12 AL sol. w/1 or 2 #10 CU sol or str
1 #12 AL str. w/1 or 2 #10 CU sol.
1 #12 AL w/1 or 2 #12 CU
2 #12 AL sol. w/1 #12 CU
1 #12 AL w/1 or 2 #14 CU
2 #12 AL sol. w/1 #14 CU
1 #10 AL w/1 or 2 #18 CU
2 #10 AL sol. w/1 #16 CU
2 #10 AL sol. w/1 #18 CU
1 #12 AL w/1 or 2 #16 CU
1 #12 AL w/1 or 2 #18 CU
2 #12 AL sol. w/1 #16 CU
2 #12 AL sol. w/1 #18 CU

Visit our Aluminum Wire Repair Page for more pictures

Old Breaker Panels – Federal Pacific/Zinsco

Federal Pacific and Zinsco Breaker Panels

Here at Electric Doctor/Sparky’s, one of our most common jobs is answering questions about the dangers of having an older breaker panel (electrical service). Generally, we always recommend replacing breaker panels that are more than 20-30 years old.  The most common panels which are mentioned in home and electrical inspections are Federal Pacific Panels (also known as FPE) and Zinsco Panels.

So, how do you know which type of breaker panel is powering your home?

Federal Pacific (FPE) Panels generally have orange breakers but also come in black and brown:

Zinsco Panels are generally multi-colored including blue, red, green and black:

Newer breaker panels are generally labeled better than older services, making it much easier to identify.

Common Breaker Panel Manufacturer’s for Newer & Older Panels:

Cutler Hammer

General Electric (GE)

Siemens (ITE)

Square-D – Homeline

Square-D – QO

Common Breaker Panel Manufacturer’s for Older Panels:

Bulldog (Pushmatic)

Challenger

Federal Pacific (FPE)

Wadsworth

Westinghouse

Zinsco

If you ever have any trouble identifying your breaker panel, feel free to call and ask us. We offer panel maintenance services to help keep your electrical service running at its best for many years. We also offer free estimates on all service replacements, upgrades and repairs.

303.973.2551

Aluminum Wiring in Older Homes

Sparky’s has many customers ask us about aluminum wiring in their homes. Whether they are buying a home, selling a home or remodeling, they are all aware of issues regarding aluminum wiring but sometimes they don’t know what all the issues are or what to do about it in their situation.

Aluminum wiring was utilized in many older residences around the country and in Colorado. This type of branch circuit wiring can be troublesome and dangerous. I have seen numerous (way too many) examples of aluminum wiring going awry during my stint as an Electrician. A large portion of the problems have to do with loose and/or arcing connections within the electrical junction boxes that house the outlets, switches and light fixtures. In this scenario some part(s) of the electrical system will either stop working or work intermittently. You may experience lights flickering or dimming. Household appliances and electronics may turn off and on unexpectedly.  This can be caused by numerous conditions i.e. weather and hot/cold expansion and contraction, arcing, old worn out switches and outlets, switches and outlets not being properly rated and the list goes on. If you are experiencing these types of symptoms consider it a warning that more serious problems are potentially on the horizon.

The next issue that is of equal or of more concern is the “FLAME OUT” or “MELTDOWN” syndrome.I have come across this situation many times while investigating aluminum wiring related problems in homes. This is where the problem has gone beyond the point of a loose connection or arcing to emerge as a very real fire hazard and has already melted most everything within the electrical box or boxes. It is common to discover the “culprit” circuit to still be alive (energized). Very scary! Often times when this situation occurs it has been compounded by an antiquated electrical circuit breaker (such as Federal Pacific ‘FPE’ or Zinsco) that does not function correctly. Circuit breakers are designed to trip when overloaded. Old antiquated electrical circuit breakers that have never been exercised can be extremely dangerous. I have witnessed old breakers (under test conditions) that did not trip until almost five times the current for which it was designed, was applied. In other words it took almost 100 amperes of current to trip an antiquated circuit breaker rated to trip at 20 amperes and even then it was not instantaneous allowing the wire to overheat and “MELTDOWN”. We have pictures of wire-nuts, aluminum wire, switches, outlets etc. that have experienced Meltdown Syndrome, click the pictures for the full-size view.

If your home has aluminum wiring and your electrical breaker panel is still the originally installed electrical breaker panel, you should plan on an electrical panel upgrade. Any residence that contains aluminum branch circuit wiring should definitely consider making the upgrade to a new electrical circuit breaker panel, known in the electrical industry as an ”Electrical Service Upgrade”. Purchasing an Electrical Service Upgrade for your home from a reliable electrical service contractor will ensure that properly sized circuit breakers have been installed for each branch circuit and that each circuit breaker will trip (go to off) like they should, if an overloaded condition or a short in the branch circuit occurs. It will also serve to provide a level of personal comfort and satisfaction in knowing your home’s wiring will be much more reliable and safer. It is also a strong investment/selling feature should you decide to sell your property in the future.

If you have this type of wiring in your home you should have it checked out thoroughly by a licensed electrical contractor to ensure it is sound. The electrical contractor can perform a procedure known as “pig-tailing” wherein the aluminum wiring is spliced to a section of the same sized copper wire by means of an industry approved method. The copper wire then terminates to the outlet, switch or light fixture to ensure a good reliable connection. Repair of aluminum wiring is an area best left to electrical licensed professionals with experience in troubleshooting electrical wiring and branch circuits and implementing these types of repairs. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, you likely have a very serious situation that requires prompt attention.

These pictures show a section of a branch wire circuit from a Federal Pacific Panel (FPE) in which we showed up to find the circuit rated 15amps was allowing 65amps on to the wire. This particular scenario occurred with a section of copper wire in a panel with both copper and aluminum wiring.

Purple wirenuts have been the accepted form of copper/aluminum pigtailing as well as wirenuts with an anti-oxidant compound. Now, there are new and approved connection blocks for copper/aluminum pigtailing which may look like this connector.

Sparky’s specializes in all types of residential electrical repair and can help you with a free basic inspection of the aluminum wiring in your home and chart a course of action to ensure your home is electrically safe. Given our level of experience with correcting electrical issues you can rest assured that your electrical system is in good hands.

Sparky’s will help you avoid electrical problems that can occur from defective aluminum wiring by giving your home and your electrical system some TLC in the form of preventative maintenance. Preventative maintenance is a practice developed to keep Meltdowns and electrical malfunctions from occurring. Sparky’s preventative maintenance service consists of a complete electrical system overview, check up, and tune up. We will provide you with a list of recommendations that may be needed or desired to keep your electrical system current and in peak operating condition. Our service is cost effective and will help to assure you that your electricity will be there when you need it most! Give us a call to discuss your homes electrical system and receive a free consultation.

Introduction to Doorbell Systems

Doorbell systems never seem to get the credit they deserve until they aren’t working. Many people don’t know who to call to repair or replace any parts in a doorbell system. Most electricians can repair and install doorbell systems, at the core, doorbell systems are not complex but do require a licensed electrician as they do require connection to a high voltage power source. Troubleshooting can be a bit tricky depending on factors such as the age of the home and how the wiring was completed. Most people know about the obvious parts of a doorbells system:

Doorbell Button : Placed by a front door and sometimes by a rear door that has walk up access.

Doorbell Chime : Usually a small white box (perhaps discolored) about 4″ high by 8″ wide, give or take, that is generally located in a entry area or main hallway.

Transformer : Can be tough to find, usually a little brass piece with 2 screws for low voltage wire exposed.

Wireless Doorbell : Two parts – A button and a chime that both require batteries

Not everyone knows about the transformer. The transformer is the part that powers the system by converting high voltage to low voltage and, in the case of buttons with lights, lights up the button to make it easy to find. The main reason for not knowing, is that transformers are often hidden from the main areas of the home. Generally found in mechanical rooms by (or on) the furnace but sometimes we find them in crawl spaces or even attics. The location of the transformer is left up to the installer of the original wiring. Often times, when a wired doorbell ceases to work, we see wireless systems that have been installed simply because the transformer was never located. Wire tracing can often be needed to locate the transformer if it was located in a difficult location. Also, the wiring can be completed in several different ways depending on the number of chimes or buttons and the locations of all the system components so while a basic system is always the same, the wiring can be different from one installation to the next.

How-To Wire and Install a Doorbell System – Available for Download Now

Residential Electrical Troubleshooting by Sparkys

Troubleshooting Residential Electrical – Introduction

Here at Electric Doctor/Sparky’s, most of our calls during a week are to diagnose and repair an electrical problem. We also receive calls from homeowners and maintenance personnel simply wondering why something went wrong with their electrical system. Sparky’s new blog section is here to help you understand what individual items are involved in your home electrical system and how they work together to create an entire electrical system. Electrical troubleshooting and repair takes years to understand and many more to master but we strive to give you quality information geared to understanding electrical systems. Knowing terminology and system parts will help you communicate issues more effectively if you do encounter issues and can help save money when it counts!

Basic Electrical System Terms:

• Electrical Service : Your service includes incoming power, a meter and your breakers
• Sub-Panel : A sub-panel is a secondary breaker panel but not all services have sub-panels
• Branch Circuits/Wiring : Branch circuit wiring is run to your home’s electrical devices
• Devices : Devices include outlets and switches but can also refer to light fixtures

Electrical problems can be quite elusive and troublesome. Diagnosis and repair is an area best left to licensed electrical professionals with experience in troubleshooting electrical wiring and branch circuits. If you have a circuit breaker that is tripped or tripping repeatedly you likely have a serious situation that requires attention. Circuit breakers are designed to trip when overloaded. A breaker tripping usually indicates an overloaded circuit or other faulty equipment. It is unwise to reset a circuit breaker that is tripping repeatedly. Doing so can cause the branch circuit wiring to carry more current than it was designed to carry and overheat, or worse, start a fire. Electric circuit breakers are just one area of the electrical system that may experience problems. Switches, outlets, light fixtures, appliances, branch wiring and other items can contribute to mysterious electrical situations popping up. We have seen instances where there were multiple unrelated electrical problems occurring at the same time, which can confound and frustrate even the most experienced, licensed electricians. The comment of having “ghosts” in the wiring from the homeowner is not uncommon in this situation. For example; lights can be going on and off in one area of the house with outlets not working in another and then the lights might stop working altogether. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI or GFI) receptacle outlets and circuit breakers tripping can indicate electrical wiring problems too. While GFCI outlets may nuisance trip (tripping off for no apparent reason) occasionally, an outlet that trips repeatedly should be checked out by a qualified licensed electrician. If you have a GFCI circuit breaker that has tripped we recommend having it checked as it is a somewhat uncommon occurrence. Never attempt to reset an electric circuit breaker if you detect a burning smell. A licensed trained electrician will identify and correct the problem prior to attempting to reset the circuit breaker. Failure to identify the problem prior to resetting the breaker could create a fire hazard and should be avoided.

Sparky’s can also help you avoid electrical problems from developing by giving your electrical system some TLC in the form of preventative maintenance. Preventative maintenance is a practice developed to avoid breakdowns and keep malfunctions from happening. Sparky’s preventative maintenance service consists of a complete electrical system overview, check up, and tune up. We will also provide you with a list recommendations (if any) that may be needed or desired to keep your electrical system current and in peak operating condition.