Month: August 2020

August 14, 2020 | Cristina Dinulescu

An AFCI breaker, which is short for arc-fault circuit interrupter, is a great electrical safety device that helps reduce the risks of electrical fires. These types of circuit interrupters have been introduced in the late 1990s. However there are still homes today that don’t have arc-fault circuit interrupters, and there are plenty of myths that surround them often believed by homeowners. 

AFCIs are very important when it comes to electrical safety, and their usefulness has been proven time and time again.  The CPSC has several reports that inform homeowners about electrical fires due to arcing, and how these tend to occur behind walls. This makes them all the more dangerous, as they can be harder to detect and therefore can spread.  

It’s important to understand how an AFCI circuit breaker can help mitigate that risk. Find below the answers to the most frequently asked questions about arc fault circuit interrupters and how they can help protect your home.  

1. What Is an AFCI Breaker?

Simply put, an AFCI breaker is an advanced detection device that breaks the circuit when it detects an unsafe electric arc. It reduces the risk of electrical fire. It is capable to selectively differentiate between an innocuous arc, caused incidentally or through normal operation, and a potentially dangerous one.

The National Electrical Code in the US started requiring all circuits that feed bedroom outlets to have arc fault circuit interrupters in 1999. It added AFCI protection on all branch circuits in “family rooms, dining room, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, and similar rooms and areas” in 2008, and finally in kitchens in 2014. 

Arc fault circuit interrupters are also required in dormitory units, but this prerequisite can be met with a combination breaker as well. This is a specific type of breaker that protects against parallel arcing, series arcing, and ground arcing, as well as against circuit overload and short circuit.

2. How Does an AFCI work?

If you’re not familiar with the term arcing, it refers to a prolonged electrical discharge, which can be intended or unintended. An arc fault is unintended arcing that happens when current flows through an unintentional line. This leads to high heat at the arcing point, sometimes even over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which results in burning particles that can easily ignite the material surrounding them, like insulation or wood framing.

Standard circuit breakers detect when a circuit is overloaded or if there’s a short, but AFCIs use advanced technology to perceive the different arcing conditions. Different technologies are used to measure arcs, but the bottom line is that an AFCI will be able to detect parallel arcs, series arcs, and tell the difference between them. These breakers can “sense” both normal and dangerous arcing conditions. Here are some examples:

• Normal arcing conditions are sometimes created by regular equipment or home appliances, such as motor driven vacuum cleaners. Even a light switch can sometimes create an arc when it’s being turned off. 
• Dangerous arcs mostly happen when the electrical insulation is damaged. Dirty areas, with a lot of dust in the air, are where most arc flashes occur. 

The arc-fault circuit breaker analyzes the characteristics of the arc and determines if it’s a dangerous event or not. When going through the manufacturing process, the AFCIs are tested in hundreds of potential operating conditions, so they’re programed to constantly monitor these environments and detect changes. 

3. Do You Really Need AFCIs?

The short answer is Yes. There are several emergency equipment devices that are meant to protect a property, from smoke alarms and fire extinguishers to escape routes and ladders. But the AFCIs are specifically designed to reduce the risk of your electrical system being the ignition source. There are low level dangerous arcing current that traditional overcurrent protective devices cannot detect. 

Electrical fires are a way too common cause of residential fires in the US, and arc-fault circuit breakers just add an extra layer of much needed protection and prevention. They protect the circuits in your home and neutralize them before they become a source of electrical fire. 

4. What Are The Types of AFCIs?

Arc-fault circuit breakers are required by the NEC in most homes and properties, and in most places as well. There is a national standard for this type of circuit breakers and they must all be evaluated by a testing lab that’s nationally recognized. There are 2 main types of AFCIs:

• Branch/Feeder Breaker AFCI

These are usually installed at the origin of the branch circuit or feeder, mainly the panelboard. They detect arcing faults that occur line-to-ground, line-to-neutral, and line-to-line. Older homes may require a two-pole AFCI in order to handle shared neutral circuits that have three-wire circuit arrangement. 

• Combination Breaker AFCI

The combination breakers are great for detecting low level arcing. They are generally used in addition to the branch feeder circuit breaker, and they can detect arcing as low as 5 Amps. Combination AFCI works for both power supply cords and branch circuits. AS of January, 2020, the combination arc-fault circuit breakers are also required by the NEC.

5. Do They Require Special Installation?

There’s no special requirements when it comes to the installation of AFCI breakers, but, just as with any other electrical work, proper wiring practices and installation by a qualified electrician are necessary. However, if there are particular circuits that vary from the norm, then special considerations may be made.  

A conventional circuit breaker is installed by connecting the hot conductor to the thermal magnetic breaker and the neutral conductor directly to the load center’s neutral bar. The difference with the AFCI breaker is that both conductors, hot and neutral, are connected to the terminals of the arc-fault circuit interrupter. 

The right electrical upgrade can dramatically improve the value and appearance of any home or business. You’ll be amazed at what a difference the right electrical upgrade can make for your home or business. Make sure that when you select an electrical company to do the enhancement of your home and you have decided to take your enhancement to the level where you require an electrical upgrade that the technician at the company has a good working knowledge and the experience to properly guide you in this area.

When you decide to upgrade, our well-trained and certified electricians have all the experience and training needed to complete your electrical panel upgrade project from start to finish, with a minimum of fuss or disturbance. Please contact us right away at 310-800-2401

August 3, 2020 | Cristina Dinulescu

The Coronavirus pandemic has changed almost everything for many people and many businesses. It has definitely changed how we perceive and think about safety, especially in our everyday lives. The quarantine has made a lot of us anxious for a “return to normality”, but has also made us more guarded. 

Keeping ourselves and our families and friends safe from future outbreaks has become the standard for safety, but that’s not to mean that other safety practices our guidelines become less important. Electrical safety remains of great importance for the security of your home and family. In addition, as we started working from home, spending more time at home and having the house become a central point in our lives, it’s important to ensure its comfort and capability to respond to modern demands.

But is it safe to have electrical work done during a period of quarantine?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has provided extensive guidelines for the control and prevention of COVID-19 for in-home repair services, which also includes electrical, and Penna Electric has taken every step to implement those guidelines and more in our day-to-day operations. 

Steps Penna Electric Has Taken To Ensure Safety in the Time of COVID-19

Here, at Penna Electric, we are concerned about the health and safety of both our clients and our employees. This is why, even before going on-site for electrical inspections and work, we’ve taken steps to make sure that our workers are trained and knowledgeable when it comes to COVID-19 safety guidelines: 

• We trained workers on the signs and symptoms of the coronavirus, as well as thoroughly explained how the virus spreads; 
• We trained our workers on the proper way to cover coughs or sneezes following CDC recommendations (sneezing or coughing into a disposable tissue or rag, or into the elbow crease), as well as on the importance of not touching their own faces;
• We provided our workers with extensive information on proper hygiene practices and social distancing as follows:
  • Our workers maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from customers and other individuals, whenever possible;
  • Our workers wear a mask at all times, which they put on even before they reach your front door;
  • Our workers adopt appropriate cleaning practices, washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds – if soap and water aren’t available, they use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol;
  • Our workers sanitize all surfaces they touch;
• We trained our workers on the proper use of different types of PPE, as well as their limitations, handling, decontamination, removal, and disposal.

In addition to this training and ensuring that all workers follow these safety guidelines, we’ve taken further steps to prevent and limit the exposure and spread of the coronavirus. We ask that any individual who is experiencing signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or who is under required or  voluntary quarantine, remains physically separated from the worker. 

Similarly, we request all of our workers to go under self-isolation if they experience any of those signs or have come into contact with someone who has. 

Other Safety Guidelines Under Consideration at Penna Electric

As we are looking ahead towards an uncertain future, we are constantly thinking of new and better ways to ensure the health and safety of our workers, as well as our clients and their homes. 

As much as possible, we have already started communicating remotely with the customers, by cell phones or web chats, and encouraged internet-based payments and electronic signatures for confirmation that work was completed as opposed to handling cash, credit cards or papers. 

However, we are also considering taking a step even further and looking at potential alternatives to on-site inspections, such as RVI programs. These are remote video inspections and use live video tools to safely and securely perform house inspections. 

Electrical Safety Tips When Working From Home

We, at Penna Electric, understand the importance of electrical safety at home, as we have seen first-hand the risks it involves. We also understand that, with many people working from home now, and some even turning rooms into home offices, the number of electrical hazards has increased. We always advise our customers to follow simple, yet effective, electrical safety tips while working from home:

1. Avoid overloading outlets: people use several electronics in a home office, laptops, mobile phones, multiple screens, printers, etc. If this is the case, try and plug them into different outlets as much as possible to avoid overloading any one outlet.
2. Limit the use of extension cords: when turning a room or space into a home office, consider its availability of wall outlets – the more wall outlets you have, the less need for extension cords. Not only are extension cords a hazard for your electronic devices, but they can also be tripping hazards, so plug in smartly.
3. Unplug devices when not in use: chances are, with working from home, you’re already ramping up your electricity use. Unplug your home office devices when you’re not using them to save energy, but also to minimize the risk of shock or electrical fires. 
4. Keep all papers away from heat sources: papers and other flammable materials should be kept away from heaters, fans, and other heat sources. You should also make sure your house has properly functioning smoke alarms.