Energy efficiency and electrical safety are very important topics to homeowners. If power isn’t running efficiently through a house, the electrical system may be affected by aging wires, previous installation techniques or struggling to meet the demands of 21st century technology. Alpine Ductless Heating, Cooling and Electrical has an in-house electrician heading up the company’s new offering of Home Electrical Safety Evaluations. Homeowners can get an affordable, detailed review of their existing wiring, electrical flow and information for energy efficient and safe solutions.
Home Electrical Inspections Provide Priceless Peace of Mind
Expert knowledge ensures identification of electrical wiring aging effects that often are not immediately evident to homeowners. More in-depth than a real-estate sale home inspection, Alpine Ductless electrician Manny Owens brings the company goal of sustainable and comfortable living to a whole new level by leading a detailed electrical inspection that takes a close look at the electrical flow in a home, the health of the physical system and addresses any safety concerns.
“Back in the day, there used to be a doctor that would come to your house and do a house call,” Alpine Ductless electrician Manny Owens says. “He’d come with his bag and his stethoscope, do diagnostics on you and then give you a list. Well, an electrician is kind of like a house doctor. That’s why we call the panel the heart of your system, so I start at the heart, which would be the panel. I go through the panel, and I use a multimeter. I look at the voltages. I look at any heat in there. I look for corrosion. Anything that’s inside the panel that would be an issue, I literally take a screwdriver, and I touch every single breaker terminal connection to make sure they’re tight. Sometimes I get a turn and a half, sometimes no turns. Sometimes they’re in their way too hard. There are torque specifications on every single breaker. I look at the meter, the grounding and bonding.”
Overloaded circuits are serious, and awareness is important since many homes utilize multiple electronics simultaneously. Computers, gaming systems, home entertainment set-ups and space heaters may all run concurrently with multiple generations more commonly moving in together. Don’t forget the everyday appliances that all make our world go round because ensuring homes built in 1955 or even 2005 are equipped to perform safely provides priceless peace of mind.
Keeping an Electrical Health Regimen
During an evaluation, share how your household uses electronics, what types and how they connect to power sources. Electric vehicles are growing in popularity, and the electrical code is working to keep up. Having an EV charging plug ground fault protected is crucial, especially in the Pacific Northwest where rain-soaked cars bring puddles into the garage where people walk. While not required on large appliance like dryers, properly installed for an EV charger by an electrician, a ground fault protector sends any shock to the ground.
Electrical codes update every three years. Depending on the age of our homes, that could mean dozens of electrical code changes since the wiring was installed. Considering all the years of switches switching and plugs being plugged into, wire connections loosen. Owens inspects the outlets and switch boxes in the walls to look closely at the wire health.
To offer affordability, Alpine Ductless has a basic level evaluation and annual club membership evaluations that monitor system changes over time and check for corrosion or breakers that trip. The resulting insight is valuable.
“Mine was all-encompassing,” Alpine Ductless service coordinator Gail Ehlres says. “He checked outlets. He checked my electrical box and was able to determine how the flow of electricity was going through my house. For me, it was a lot of peace of mind. Electricity scares me, so it really did help me sleep much better at night, to know that my house is not going to combust. It’s a ‘97 trailer, and it’s all wood. I learned that I didn’t have to be afraid of my home, and I did learn there were a couple of special kinds of breakers we could put in because I have an older mobile home.”
An Alpine Ductless Electrician with a Passion for the Trade
Owens knows electricity and safety always takes the lead. Overloaded circuits concern him. He likes interconnected smoke alarms, and he’s very interested in the future technology that aims to allow homeowners to harness and store their own electricity.
Owens takes a trip through the house with a homeowner, covering a detailed inspection checklist and listening to what their power needs are. He inspects wiring in the crawl space and attic, in the main panel and assesses how electricity courses through the house.
“I really like how Manny is passionate about what he does and is knowledgeable,” Alpine Ductless Co-owner Janette Eckert says. “I’ve learned so much about electrical since he’s come on board with us. I like how he deals with customers, and I like how he conducts the home evaluations. It’s just been great. It rounds us out in terms of what our goals are for the company.”
For more information about home electrical safety evaluations and how Alpine Ductless strives for sustainable solutions for comfortable living, visit the Alpine Ductless website.
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