New Service
New homes or new additions require new wiring. We have the knowledge of the national electrical code and local code to ensure that your project is wired properly and to the highest safety standards in the industry. All material and workmanship is of the best quality and will provide years of trouble free operation. Many of our competitors will wire a home to code minimum which will work on a tight budget and safely power a home, but we go the extra mile and work with the homeowner to make sure there is proper lighting that compliments the home and outlets located in the most convenient places. We work with lighting designers and the builder to refine the lighting layout, convenient switching, and proper placement. We offer a turn key service when wiring a new home or addition, in that all permits, drawings, design, and fixtures can be supplied by R Squared Renovations, Inc. and a complete estimate of all the costs before the project is started. Our installers are fast, clean, and professional, so there is no time wasted on finishing your new home.
Service Upgrades
If you are questioning the size or safety of your main electrical service, there are some questions you can answer to help you decide if upgrading your service make sense:
- What is the age of your home and is the service original equipment?
If you home was built before 1970 and has not had a service upgrade then it is probably time.
- Are you adding on or remodeling?
If you are adding square footage or remodeling a kitchen you should look to see if there are any open spaces or breakers in your breaker panel to provide power to the new circuits you will be adding. Most kitchen remodels entail adding new lights or appliances that may require more power to run than what you are replacing.
- Do you have fuses instead of circuit breakers?
Fuses are an effective way of protecting wiring from over current or overloading the circuit, but may not protect against faults to ground or may not be sized properly for the old wires that are connected to them. Circuit breakers are more likely to trip in case of a fault or overload and can be rest if this does occur. Keep in mind that fuse boxes were outdated in the early 1960s, so that means the wiring in you home is at least 50 years old and should be replaced or at least inspected by a professional electrician. - Do you have a Federal Pacific panel?
Theses panels were widely used in the US in the 60s and 70s because of the low cost; however the company lost their UL listing and went out of business. The breakers have red handles and it usually says FPE on the cover of the breaker panel. This brand of panel is, bluntly said, a fire hazard. The breakers are known to not trip or disconnect if there is a fault in the circuit and the connection between the breaker and the panel itself is very weak and causes heat or arcing inside the panel, which can lead to a fire.
The electrical service panel is the heart of your home and should be inspected and in good working order to protect your home and family from fire and or electrical shock. If you have any questions about the condition of your electrical system please call R Squared Renovations, Inc. for an assessment.
Back Up Power
In the event of a power outage it is reassuring to have a generator that automatically starts and keeps your home powered. We can install a system that will run just the most important lights and appliances or one that is capable of running the entire house. These systems are usually natural gas or diesel powered generators that tie directly into you service panel and sense the loss of power from your utility company. The generator will start and provide power within a few seconds. At the same time, they disconnect for the utility until the power has been restored for at least 15 minuets. This way, if the power is going on and off, the generator set will not go off and on. Once the utility power has been on for 15 minutes, it is safe to assume they have fixed the problem. Using natural gas eliminates the need to worry about keeping fuel cans or making sure the generator is full; however, if you don’t already have natural gas service at your home, diesel may be the best alternative. Most diesel generators will run 24 hours on a tank, but this is, of course, dependent on the size of the fuel tank you install.
There are other means of back up power, such as a solar system with batteries or a wind power generator with a battery system and we can provide and install any of the above.
Troubleshooting
Should you have an electrical problem in your home, R Squared Renovations, Inc can trouble shoot the issue and generally make the repair within the first hour of visiting you home. If it turns out to be a larger problem, then we provide a quote for the repair before the work is done to make sure there are no surprises. The electricians on staff are well trained and can identify the problem in a timely manner. The founder of the company, Randy Ritzenthaler has over 18 years of experience in the industry and has worked many of those years in the service and troubleshooting division. We have been called many times to figure out problems that other electricians could not. Most of the time replacing a switch, receptacle or breaker is all it takes and can be done quickly at the initial visit. If you have a switch or receptacle that is not working or dimming lights, then give us a call. Problems in the electrical system of your home are not to be taken lightly. This is how fires get started.
Preventative Maintenance
Maintaining your homes electrical system is something most people only do when they are selling or buying a home. Like any of the other mechanical system in a home, the electrical system should be maintained also. There are ways to test or inspect all of the devices in your home to make sure a problem does not occur such as testing the ground fault circuit interrupter outlets that you have in you bathroom and kitchen. This is as easy as pushing the test button on the out let and resetting it. If pushing the test button does not turn off the power at the receptacle or will not rest, then it is time to replace the outlet.
Checking the connections in the breaker panel for the proper torque is also important. Loose connections in any electrical system can cause heat, sparks and loss of power.
Regular outlets that you have throughout your home can be tested for proper wiring and the amount of pressure it takes to plug something into them. Believe it or not, there is a specific amount of force specified by the underwriter laboratories that it should take to plug into an outlet. If this force is too little, then you have a loose connection between the cord and plug and the receptacle should be replaced.
