Electric Code Compliance
Do you know if your home is up to date on your state’s electrical code? Depending on when your house was built and updated, your circuiting may not be up to the required standard. It’s essential to have a home up to date on the latest electrical code because it impacts how safe your home is. Having a poor electrical setup puts your home at risk for a whole host of problems. Before you start to panic, we’re here to ensure you that our business is focused on making sure you’re up to date. We’ll come to your home and do an assessment of your current system.
The electrical compliance code is written and enforced by the National Fire Protection Association. This association sets the regulations for what is acceptable in an electrical system. This includes monitoring installation services such as ours to make sure all businesses and homes are correctly installing systems and maintaining code regulations. While there are some national standards, each particulate state will have its own set of laws. All of our licensed electricians are up to date on the current regulations in Georgia.
Electrical code compliance will be enforced for both residential and commercial buildings. It’s against the law to have a system that doesn’t meet the current regulations, and this could lead to serious legal actions. The code is designed to keep individuals safe, as not being up to code can lead to dangerous situations. While most newly built residential buildings are up to standard, older homes may not be. While it may seem tempting to maintain the circuiting in your home by yourself, you’re most likely not doing it up to code. Here at Icon Electrical Services LLC, we want to ensure that you and your home are protected from both the law and accidental electrical damages.
What is the National Electrical Code (NEC)?
The National Electrical Code, or NEC, is a set of standards for electrical systems for the nation. It sets the foundation for all electrical safety for both residential and commercial buildings. The latest addition is the 2017 edition of the code. You can find the recent changes here, and here is information on accessing the NEC for free.
Our employees are also trained on the federal standard, which means that you won’t have to worry about any legal issues. By using the NEC’s latest code, the NFPA 70, we focus on making your home a safer place to live. Our company strictly enforces this standard, and we assure you that we do our best to locate any code violations and notify you with a solution. By calling our company, you can get an assessment of your current electrical system. We’ll help you map out your circuitry, check if there are any malfunctions, and test to see if everything is working as it was intended to.
The NEC differs from state regulations, as the electrical code compliance for the state of Georgia is based on local climate and structures. Our company can help you comply with the national standard as well as the state standard, thus preventing potential problems. This can help you avoid costly last-minute reworks or violations, which can cost more than just keeping your property up to code in the first place.
What does GFCI mean?
GFI stands for “ground fault circuit interrupter.” It’s a device which is used to protect individuals from electrical shock and burns. Our electricians can ensure that GFCI devices are properly installed, ensuring that you and anyone who enters the premises will be protected from injury.
This device works by de-energizing a circuit for a certain amount of time when the electrical current exceeds a predetermined value. It monitors any imbalances located in the circuit’s undergrounded and grounded conductors.
For two-way circuits, the electrical current that returns to the power supply should be equal to the power leaving the supply, hence an even balance. When there is an imbalance of over 5mA, the circuit opens and works to de-energize the system. As long as the GFCI is properly installed, the system will shut it down within seconds of this happening. This can help prevent damage to your home, other people, and wiring.
We highly suggest that you don’t try and install a GFCI system yourself. Our professional services can quickly install or monitor your current GFCI system. If you don’t have one, we’ll install one for a reasonable price. While you may think it will be quicker to do it yourself, you could be at risk of the unit malfunctioning. Most people don’t install a GFCI correctly, thus rendering it useless. Our technicians understand how GFCIs work and can install a unit with the correct settings.
Electric Code Guidelines for Bathrooms, Kitchens, Other Rooms
Every bathroom has circuitry for lights and a fan. The circuit will function at 20 amps and provide power to outlets where you connect a hair dryer, razor, and toothbrush. You should always have a GFCI device installed for your bathroom, as this can help monitor the electrical current. If there are any issues, you’ll be able to detect them before there is damage. The NEC requires switches to be grounded, which can help direct the voltage into the ground. This could help you stay safe in a very unfortunate situation.
As for kitchen units, there should be at least two 20 amp circuits which have precisely 120 voltage to power a GFCI device. Lighting circuits should also provide 15 amps and 120 volts and should include all light fixtures. Between each GFCI device, there need to be at least 48 inches, and this includes countertop devices. The last requirement is that there should be tamper-resistant outlets for appliances.
For any other regulations, ask our professionally-trained technicians. They’re up to date on the current state and national standards and can help provide you with a better understanding on whether your home needs to be upgraded. Even if you believe that your home is up to code, it’s still better to be safe than sorry. Having your home up to code not only keeps you protected but also significantly reduces the risk of significant electrical problems.
