Electrical Service Boxes

Electrical Service Boxes

The service box includes a circuit breaker which can be used to shut off all the power in the house, or a switch with a handle located on the outside, and the service fuses inside. The cover on the service box is often sealed by the utility.  Air conditioners are required to have a Service Shut Off on exterior of house.

The service box may stand alone, although in modern homes, the service breaker is often incorporated into the service panel. In either case, it is important that the rating on the box itself, is at least as large as the service entrance cables and fuses or breakers inside. For example, if a house has service entrance wire and fuses rated for 100-amps, a box rated for only 60-amps is not acceptable. More than 60- amps flowing through this box may lead to overheating.

Every home should have a disconnect means so the system can be shut off. Working on a live electrical system is very dangerous. In the U.S. (and in some Canadian situations) it is permitted on existing installations to have up to six switches to disconnect all the house power.

Electrical Codes

Wiring safety codes are intended to protect people and property from electrical shock and fire hazards. Regulations may be established by city, county, provincial/state or national legislation, usually by adopting a model code (with or without local amendments) produced by a technical standards-setting organisation, or by a national standard electrical code.

Disconnect missing from service box 

 

 

 

 

Electrical Service Box

The First Electrical codes were created in the 1880’s with the commercial introduction of electrical power. Many conflicting standards existed for the selection of wire sizes and other design rules for electrical installations.

The first electrical codes in the United States originated in New York in 1881 to regulate installations of electric lighting. Since 1897 the US National Fire Protection Association, a private non-profit association formed by insurance companies, has published the National Electrical Code (NEC). States, counties or cities often include the NEC in their local building codes by reference along with local differences. The NEC is modified every three years. It is a consensus code considering suggestions from interested parties. The proposals are studied by committees of engineers, tradesmen, manufacturer representatives, fire fighters and other invitees.  Many of the NFPA codes have been adopted worldwide as the Standard for various types of equipment and installations.  Sprinkers, Fire Hydrants, Fire Extinguishers, Airport Safety Reguations and Commercial Cooking Equipment to name just a few.  In Canada the authority to use the NFPA publications typically comes from Canadian Standards such as the National Building Code of Fire Code.

Since 1927, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has produced the Canadian Safety Standard for Electrical Installations, which is the basis for provincial electrical codes. The CSA also produces the Canadian Electrical Code, the 2006 edition of which references IEC 60364 (Electrical Installations for Buildings) and states that the code addresses the fundamental principles of electrical protection in Section 131. The Canadian code reprints Chapter 13 of IEC 60364, but there are no numerical criteria listed in that chapter to assess the adequacy of any electrical installation.

Although the US and Canadian national standards deal with the same physical phenomena and broadly similar objectives, they differ occasionally in technical detail. As part of the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) program, US and Canadian standards are slowly converging toward each other, in a process known as harmonization.

To enable wires to be easily and safely identified, all common wiring safety codes mandate a colour scheme for the insulation on power conductors. In a typical electrical code, some colour-coding is mandatory, while some may be optional.

Service Boxes and Panels

In a conventional 60-amp service with circuit breakers, the breakers will trip when the current in either leg reaches 60-amps. Where fuses are used in the main service box, each fuse works independently. If more than 60-amps flows through one fuse it will blow. This leaves roughly half the house without power, including part of the electric stove, for example. If more than 60-amps flows through the other fuse, it too will blow, leaving the entire house without power.

Federal Pioneer & Federal Pacific Electrical Panels

Federal Pioneer Stab Lok Breakers

Federal Pioneer Panel Problems – The Electrical Safety Authority has revised and re-issued a Safety Flash that was originally published in 1997 – their concern is that potential problems might still exist for Federal Pioneer breakers that may not trip! Schneider Canada has announced a voluntary Replacement Program on certain NC015 and NC015CP Breakers. The affected circuit breakers are Federal Pioneer NC015 and NC015CP, Single Pole Rated 15A, Stab-Lok Circuit Breakers – Manufactured between August 1, 1996 and June 11, 1997. These circuit breakers can be identified by a Square / rectangular shaped BLUE colored handle Replacement breakers are identified by a hole drilled in the handle (Blue color) OR Replacement breakers manufactured after January 1, 1999 are identified with a rounded and ribbed handle (Blue color) Check for a square / rectangular handle with a hole, as illustrated or a rounded / ribbed handle – these are OK and not impacted by the recall notice. Breakers with black handles are also OK to use and not impacted by the recall notice. Contractors/Electricians: For any suspect blue-handled circuit breaker replace the breaker and return it to Schneider Electric for full credit, or contact Schneider Electric Customer Care Centre at 1-800-565-6699 or the Schneider Electric Recovery Administration team, at 1-866-333-1490 for additional information. Customers should call their contractor or call Schneider.

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Buyer Beware – Why You Need a Home Inspection

Do Not Buy a Money PitOver the course of the past fifteen years I have come across many homes which have had problems that would scare any rational buyer away.  Unfortunately not all buyers have a home inspection and find out the hard way about the true condition of their home.  Here are some deficiencies listed in no particular order which may give you some cause for thought.

 Potable Water –  Recently this past summer I was inspecting a home where the dug well was being inspected by a licensed well inspector.  Both Realtors had already performed their own well test and the water had passed the requirements for potability. the well inspector asked me to look at the well after he had removed the cover and there was feces floating on top of water.  The home had a UV light filter and a cartridge filter installed which removed enough contaminants to allow water to pass.  The clients walked away from this particular home.

WETT Inspections –  Many times individuals call to have a wood stove that they have been using inspected due to a request from their insurance company.  Wood stoves have to meet the required distances to combustible material as listed on a plate usually located on back of the stove.  Many older stoves were not Certified which then requires a minimum distance of 48 inches from front, back and sides to combustible material.  When buying a home always request a WETT Inspection to ensure you can continue to use appliance safely.

Asbestos – Many older homes had boilers and/or furnaces that was insulated with asbestos.  Over the years the boilers were removed and most of the visible asbestos was also removed.  Unfortunately many ducts which travel between floors or under floor boards still were wrapped with asbestos.  Your trained home inspector will usually detect this asbestos and often the seller will remove the asbestos at their expense.  If you fail to detect the asbestos then you will be responsible for the expense of removal.

Knob & Tube Wiring –  Homes built prior to the 1950’s usually had knob and tube wiring installed. Many insurance companies will not insure a home with any knob and tube wiring installed.  Many times during a home inspection I have found knob and tube circuits still in use and some which have even been used to extend an existing circuit during a home renovation.  Some home owners and some electricians will skip removing all the knob an tube wiring because it is hard to access or they just think no one will ever notice or detect the remaining circuits.

Galvanized Plumbing – Galvanized plumbing was used in built in the early 1960’s and earlier and was quite common.  Many insurance companies will not insure a home which has pressurized galvanized plumbing lines.  Galvanized plumbing can contain lead which has collected from old lead supply lines and is known for corrosion which can reduce water flow, especially in the hot water line.  Galvanized pipes are also known for corroding at joints and should be regularly inspected for potential leaks.

Vermiculite Insulation –  Vermiculite is a naturally occurring product which is treated with heat to create insulation.  One particular mine in Libby, Montana produced a lot of this particular product which was later found to contain asbestos.  The only way to determine whether asbestos is present is to have samples collected and then sent to lab for testing.  Removing and replacing asbestos for a small bungalow can start at around $15,000.00 and up.  Many people have just installed newer type insulation over existing vermiculite in an effort to make detection difficult.

Aluminum Wiring – Check with your insurance company prior to buying a home with aluminum wiring.  According to the US insurance company statistics having aluminum wiring in your home can increase the risk of fire by 55%.  Everyone has a different point of view on the issues of aluminum wiring and as a consumer it is advised you educate yourself on the implications of buying a home with aluminum wiring installed.

Foundations –  Earlier this year I received a phone call from an individual who had bought a recently renovated property.  After the purchase was complete, without a home inspection,  his neighbours informed him that there was no foundation for home.  The seller had constructed a fake foundation cover while the home was actually built on wood logs sitting on the ground.

Building Permits – Many Do-It-Yourself contractors think nothing of totally renovating a basement without obtaining a building permit.  If you buy such a home you are assuming responsibility for everything in the home.  I have inspected homes under 10 years old that have improper electrical wiring and plumbing that is visible in renovated basement.  If the home was ever inspected by electrical, plumbing or building inspector the walls and floors would probably have to be removed and all work redone.  There is no insurance for this type of problem and as the home owner you would be totally liable for all costs.

Flooding –  After buying a home a client of mine discovered mould on walls and flooring when she moved in to home.  She called me back to assist her in determining what had happened to cause this problem.  After thoroughly investing the basement I went to the exterior to find a probable cause and found nothing.  I then checked with neighbours to see if they had encountered a similar problem.  Bingo,  the one neighbour informed me that her daughter had to go over to house to mop up a flood caused by a sump pump failure which the seller would not acknowledge or disclose.  This eventually ended up in small claims court where settlement was reached in favour of my client.

Caveat Emptor –  Buyer Beware   Ultimately when buying a home the responsibility is solely that of the buyer.  That is why it is so important for potential home buyers to educate themselves prior to deciding what home to buy.

Most people have a home inspection prior to purchasing a new home and home sellers know this.  A home inspection cannot protect you from sellers who knowingly hide or fail to disclose material defects in a home.  For example,  say the subject property has a water issue in the basement every spring.  The home sellers paint the walls with a fresh coat of paint and sell their home in the fall when there is no water issue.  There is no moisture or water present to be detected by the home inspector and everyone  is satisfied that the home is safe and sound by all appearances.  The next spring you find water staining on your basements drywall and you want to find out why you were not told about this prior to purchasing home?  You call your Realtor who will refer you to your home inspector, but what can he do?  There was no water or moisture at time of inspection!  If you talk to your neighbours and they inform you that this was an ongoing problem you could go after the sellers and recoup costs for repairs but that can be expensive and very stressful.

If you require a WETT Inspection of your fireplace or wood stove in the Barrie or Simcoe County area call Roger Frost at 705-795-8255 or Email Roger