Carl Winters, Complete Inspection Service - Advanced Home Inspector for the Texas Hill Country 830-660-0131 (since 1994)
First Time Home Owner asked about GFCI & Circuit Breakers
GFCI...............................................>
Panel Box
Familiarize yourself with these items.
* It is recommended that you always call a professional certified electrician for your electricial work
Familiarize yourself with these items.
We take for granted that everyone knows a little something about the electrical components that go into a home. So to answer the question... Above are photo's that will help you identify some important items that you will find within your home that will relate to circuit brakers or a fuse device:
A circuit breaker is an electric device that, like a fuse, interrupts an electric current in a circuit when the current becomes too high.
The Advantage of a circuit Breaker vs a Fuse:
The advantage of a circuit breaker is that it can be reset after it has been tripped; a fuse must be replaced after it has been used once.
When a current supplies enough energy to operate a trigger device in a breaker, a pair of contacts conducting the current are separated by preloaded springs or some similar mechanism. Generally, a circuit breaker registers the current either by the current's heating effect by the magnetism it creates in passing through a small coil. Because it is usual for an electric arc to form between the contacts when breaker opens, some means must be provided for preventing rapid erosion of the contacts. Normally this is done by opening the contacts fast enough to make the arc of short duration.
In simple terms...Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow.
A circuit breaker is an electric device that, like a fuse, interrupts an electric current in a circuit when the current becomes too high.
The Advantage of a circuit Breaker vs a Fuse:
The advantage of a circuit breaker is that it can be reset after it has been tripped; a fuse must be replaced after it has been used once.
When a current supplies enough energy to operate a trigger device in a breaker, a pair of contacts conducting the current are separated by preloaded springs or some similar mechanism. Generally, a circuit breaker registers the current either by the current's heating effect by the magnetism it creates in passing through a small coil. Because it is usual for an electric arc to form between the contacts when breaker opens, some means must be provided for preventing rapid erosion of the contacts. Normally this is done by opening the contacts fast enough to make the arc of short duration.
In simple terms...Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow.
Another item you will see within your home is a GFCI
Sometimes breakers will trip because you have an overloaded plug and you will have to unplug some items before you can reset the breaker. It also explains another item you will identify in the bath and kitchen called a GFCI and the reason for GFCI's. Here is a photo help you identify what it will look like:
So for you, the first time home owner the electricial components, breakers, GFCI's are all part of items that keep your house running. With some existing homes you have to do some upgrades since we have many additonal items that we use today like computers, televisions whereas years ago we only had one TV and today a home may have several of each.
Sometimes breakers will trip because you have an overloaded plug and you will have to unplug some items before you can reset the breaker. It also explains another item you will identify in the bath and kitchen called a GFCI and the reason for GFCI's. Here is a photo help you identify what it will look like:
So for you, the first time home owner the electricial components, breakers, GFCI's are all part of items that keep your house running. With some existing homes you have to do some upgrades since we have many additonal items that we use today like computers, televisions whereas years ago we only had one TV and today a home may have several of each.
* It is recommended that you always call a professional certified electrician for your electricial work
Thank You,
Carl & Ceil Winters
Serving - San Antonio, Boerne, Cayon Lake, New Braunfels, Wimberly, Segun, Schertz-Cibolo Texas
Blog March 17, 2009
Home Inspection Questins
First Time Home Buyer
1 comment:
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Cheers all, See You About.
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