Services
Residential
- Service Changes and Upgrades
- Troubleshooting and Wiring Repairs
- Dedicated Circuits
- 220 Volt Circuits
- Recessed Lighting
- Kitchen/Room Remodel Wiring
- Aluminum Wiring Conversion and Repairs
- GFI Plugs and Circuits
- Ceiling Fans
- Home Theater and Network Wiring
Commercial/Industrial
- Service Upgrades
- Dedicated Circuits and Conduit Runs
- 3-Phase and High-voltage Install and Repair
- Underground Fault Testing
- Lighting Design, Installation and Repairs
Manufactured Home Communities
- Mobile-Home Wiring Experts
- Pedestal Repair/Replacement
- Underground Fault Tracing
- Street Light Repair and Install
- Aluminum Wiring Conversion and Repairs
Repairs and Small Jobs – Delta Electric to the Rescue
When we said no job is too large or too small, we meant it!!
Maybe you just need a basic bulb assembly replaced in your grandmother’s favorite lamp, or an additional wall outlet to accommodate the new beer sign in your rumpus room. No matter how simple or quick you project may be, our skilled electricians will do the job for a price that won’t jolt your wallet. To learn more about our reasonable rates and expert electrical services, please call Delta Electric today.
Electric Safety in the Home
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters or GFCI for short. This device whether in the form of an outlet or a circuit breaker has saved countless lives. It detects current that is flowing to ground and turns itself off. What this means is that if you’re shorting out an energized circuit to ground, you are being shocked or electrocuted, and the GFCI will turn OFF thereby saving your life!
If you home does not have these GFCI type outlets in the Bathrooms, Kitchen, Garage, and Outside, contact us today and we’ll get them installed for you. 408-493-0157
Arc Fault Interrupters
Over 73000 home fires each year in the United States are caused by faulty electrical wiring and arcing according to the Electrical Safety Foundation. This device is currently available in circuit breaker form.
It detects the unique characteristics of an electrical arc, the frequency and “bounce” of the harmonics, and after about 1/10th a second, it shuts off the power to the entire circuit. This invaluable device is saving a lot of home owner’s lives and property. If you want more information or would like to have an AFI installed in your home, contact us today at 408-493-0157
AFCI Circuit Breakers
Extension Cords
Extension cords should only be used as a temporary circuit “extension” for work or tool use. For example, using an extension cord of a weed eater or power saw.
They are not intended to replace permanent wiring methods and are a serious life safety issue if used improperly. If you use extension cords in your home or office, because there are not enough outlets, you are risking a lot. That is why the NFPA National Fire Protection Association has published the NEC or National Electrical Code. This code prohibits the use of cords in place of permanent wiring methods. For good reason, read on.
Cords can and do heat up, generally the wiring in the cord is smaller that the proper home or office wiring, and not capable of handling significant current. They can easily overheat and catch fire.
Let's say you have a #12AWG (American Wire Gauge) conductor in your home. Now you use an extension cord of let's say #16AWG; this is smaller wire, and your circuit breaker is rated at 20amps. Well you could put 20amps on the cord and it would overheat and possibly start a fire.
So if you have extension cords instead of proper outlets, contact us and we’ll get it fixed and make it safe for you and yours.
Aluminum Wiring
Things you should know about aluminum wiring in houses.
First off, aluminum wiring can be safe if properly utilized. From high voltage transmission lines to the service entrance conductors feeding your home, these conductors are usually aluminum.
So what’s the big problem with aluminum wiring?
When used as smaller conductors such as awg#10 for a 20amp circuit or awg#12 for a 15amp circuit in a home, these conductors can be hazardous if not installed correctly.
Why?
Aluminum is not as conductive as say copper or gold or silver, because it has a higher resistance and because of its properties. Aluminum expands and contracts under loads significantly more than copper. As the “load” or amperage increases on the conductor, it expands. When the load decreases, the conductor contracts back to its original size. This constant expansion and contraction, combined with oxidation, cause the terminations in wire connectors and on devices such as outlets and switches to become loose. When loose, they will arc and arcing will eventually lead to a fire.
That is why small aluminum conductors make a poor substitute for copper.
For larger appliances and large “feeders” this does not pose a big problem.
Why?
The connection methods for the larger wires take this expansion and contraction into account. Additionally, anti-oxidant compounds are required on these connections.
FPE Circuit Breakers
Federal Pacific Electric was a large manufacturer of electrical breaker boxes or load centers and panel boards from the 1960 to 1980 era. Problems arose from these products culminating in lawsuits in the early 1980’s and the withdrawal of the product line from the market by its producer. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has produced several case studies of the products and their hazards.
After nearly 30 years in the electrical construction and service industries, I highly recommend if you have FPE (Federal Pacific) breakers, breaker boxes, load centers or panel boards, that you get these replaced immediately. They are well documented fire hazards and have been proven to “lock on” during an overload condition, just the opposite of what a breaker should do.
The following links may be of assistance:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml83/83008.html
http://www.inspect-ny.com/fpe/fpepanel.htm
Sylvania/Zinsco Circuit Breakers and Load Centers:
Zinsco circuit breakers have issues with improper heat dissipation, which can lead to burning of the circuit breaker itself.
Further, Zinsco breaker boxes use an un-anodized or un-plated aluminum bus bar arrangement. In moist climates, this can lead to excessive oxidation, whereby the bus bars actually reduce in size as the oxidation process continues. This can lead to loose connections, which may result in arcing or burning at the bus bar/circuit breaker connection point. I highly recommend, if you have a Zinsco breaker box, that you replace it immediately.
Sylvania/Zinsco Circuit Breakers and Load Centers
The following link may be of assistance:
