Cooking, heating, and electrical equipment are among the leading causes of U.S. home fires

March 25, 2020 – As the public largely remains at home in response to COVID-19, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) urges added caution around home fire safety in the days and weeks ahead.

According to NFPA, cooking, heating, and electrical equipment are among the leading causes of home fires year-round. “We already see the majority of fires happening in homes,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “As people spend much more time at home and engage in activities that significantly contribute to the home fire problem, it’s critical that they recognize where potential hazards exist and what they can do to prevent fires.”

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and is responsible for nearly half (49 percent) of all reported home fires involving cooking equipment. Moreover, unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires, meaning that home cooking fires occur most often when people aren’t keeping a close eye on what they’re cooking.

“As many households are now dealing with unusual routines and out-of-the-ordinary circumstances, such as kids home from school and parents working from home, there’s greater potential for distracted cooking,” said Carli.

NFPA statistic show that heating equipment is the second-leading cause of home fires, resulting in an average of 52,050 home fires each year. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment is involved in an annual average of 35,100 home fires.

“For much of the country, heating systems are still in use and in many cases, for more hours than usual,” said Carli. “In addition, with everyone at home, people may be using the same outlets to charge phones, laptops and other digital equipment, which also presents a fire hazard.”

With these concerns in mind, NFPA reminds the public to use best practices for staying fire-safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond:

Cooking

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
• Make sure all handles are turned inward, away from where someone can grab a hot handle or tip a pan over.
• Be on alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, refrain from using the stove or stovetop.
• If you have young children in your home, create a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

Heating

• Keep anything that can burn at least three-feet (one meter) away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot (one meter) “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning. If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave the home immediately and call your local fire department or gas company.

Electrical

• When charging smartphones and other digital devices, only use the charging cord that came with the device.
• Do not charge a device under your pillow, on your bed or on a couch.
• Only use one heat-producing appliance (such as a coffee maker, toaster, space heater, etc.) plugged into a receptacle outlet at a time.
• Major appliances (refrigerators, dryers, washers, stoves, air conditioners, microwave ovens, etc.) should be plugged directly into a wall receptacle outlet. Extension cords and plug strips should not be used.
• Check electrical cords to make sure they are not running across doorways or under carpets. Extension cords are intended for temporary use.
• Use a light bulb with the right number of watts. There should be a sticker that indicates the right number of watts.

In addition, smoke alarms should be located on every level of the home, in each bedroom, and near all sleeping areas. Test them monthly to make sure they’re working. NFPA also strongly encourages households develop and practice a home escape plan to ensure that everyone knows what to do in a fire and can escape quickly and safely.

Why Should Knob & Tube Wiring Be Replaced?

There are several reasons why knob and tube wiring should be replaced. First, it simply doesn’t provide the amount of power needed to adequately compensate for the modern home.

In the 1920s, for instance, homeowners might have a refrigerator (maybe) and perhaps a radio, but that was about it. A few lucky homeowners had an electric stove and perhaps even a vacuum cleaner.

Compare that with today’s homeowner who has a larger fridge, a dishwasher, a coffeemaker, toaster, air conditioner, multiple TVs, DVD players, computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, a washer, dryer, hair dryers, curling irons, microwave ovens and the list goes on.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, knob and tube wiring can be dangerous. For one thing, with knob and tube wiring there is no ground wire. With only a neutral wire and a hot wire, this can cause surges of electricity to occur. This can damage your electronics and appliances, but these surges also can cause fires and electrical shocks.

Knob and tube wiring is also old, and as the components break down this increases your risk of fire, especially since this wiring is often found near insulation. Knob and tube wiring also isn’t water resistant, which becomes a big problem in rooms where water and electricity might be close together, such as the bathroom, laundry room or kitchen.

Furthermore, it’s quite possible that repairs have been made to your wiring throughout the years, and some of these repairs might not have been completed by a licensed electrician as required by law. Substandard repairs can put you at greater risk of injuries and fire.

Lastly, many insurance companies won’t provide home insurance if the house still features knob and tube wiring. So, if you’ve been struggling to get insured, upgrading your electrical system will make this easier and, ultimately, lower your insurance rates.

What’s The Cost Of Replacing Knob & Tube Wiring?

Only a licensed electrician in Toronto should provide you with this level of electrical services. This is definitely beyond a do-it-yourself project; it’s just too complex. Of course, the biggest reason why people put it off is the cost.

The amount varies based upon the size of your home, but you definitely can expect to pay at least $5,000 and possibly more if you have a larger home or a home with more than two storeys. There are a few ways to reduce the costs or spread the costs out a bit. For instance, if you are getting ready to tackle a huge home improvement project, such as gutting your downstairs and redoing the family room, kitchen, etc., your walls might already be open and exposed, which can reduce the costs of wiring replacement a bit.

Also, you don’t necessarily need to do every room at once. We can come in, inspect the wiring for obvious dangerous issues, such as exposed wires near insulation, and then upgrade just a few rooms at a time. We highly recommend that you start with rooms such as the kitchen and bathrooms, as water and electricity don’t mix and these two pose a very significant danger to homeowners.

Keep in mind that while this is a big expense, it greatly lowers your risk of fire. If your house catches fire, this isn’t just a huge inconvenience; it could mean injury or death to your precious family members. Inadequate wiring and electrical issues are one of the top causes of house fires in the GTA, and these issues can be prevented. If you need replacement services for knob and tube wiring in Toronto, the team at Tesla Electric can help. As licensed electricians in Toronto, we can replace that knob and tube wiring, upgrade your electrical panel, upgrade your outlets, add more outlets and even upgrade the lighting throughout your home. Give us a call today, and we can provide you with an inspection and a quote for our services.

1. Electrical Car Outlets

These days, more and more people are purchasing electric cars, and while many can be simply plugged into a garage or outdoor outlet, this truly isn’t the best course of action. Upgrading to a Level 2 outlet will allow you to charge your electric car as quickly as possible.

Most homeowners have what is known as a Level 1 outlet, and these outlets don’t quite deliver the power you need to charge an electric car efficiently. In fact, it can take anywhere from 8 to 15 hours to fully charge your vehicle. Upgrading to a Level 2 outlet allows you to charge your car in about 3 to 8 hours, depending on your car model.

Many clients ask us if we can install a Level 3 outlet, which is the type of connection you would find at those fast-charging stations around town. While these outlets can charge an electric car in an hour or less, these run on DC (direct current) and homes use AC (alternating current), so it simply isn’t an option for homeowners.

While not all “electricians near me” can upgrade an outlet for your electric car, the team at Tesla Electric is equal to the task. We can install an outlet for any make or model of our car, and soon you’ll be able to charge your car in no time at all.

2. Outdoor Lighting

While there are some great solar-powered yard lights that you can simply stick into the ground, designing an exterior lighting scheme can show off the most beautiful parts of your yard to their best advantage. Outdoor lighting also can increase safety and deter burglars.

Many licensed Toronto electricians can upgrade or repair your existing exterior lighting, so whether you want more lights, a different type of lighting or some of your lighting no longer works, an electrician can help.

3. Electrical Inspections

Sometimes homeowners don’t really know what they need or how fire codes and recommendations have changed over the years. If you’ve been in the same house for many years, it can be smart to call a licensed Toronto electrician and set up an inspection of your home to ensure that your home is electrically safe.

Even homes built just 20 or 25 years ago might not be as safe as you think, and they certainly might not be able to handle the electrical use patterns of a modern homeowner. If you notice that you are using a plethora of extension cords and surge protectors, that lights sometimes flicker or dim, or that fuses seem to blow constantly, give us a call.

We can take a look at your electrical panel and your home to ensure that everything is safe and sound, as well as making some recommendations to upgrade your system. We can upgrade outlets to include USB ports or ports to accommodate your entertainment system, upgrade an electrical panel or even add additional outlets to rooms that don’t have enough.

4. Upgrade Your Fire Safety

While not all Toronto electricians are fire safety experts, we are, and we can provide you with whatever fire safety products you might need. While you can order smoke alarms, extinguishers, safety ladders and much more on our Tesla Fire Systems website, we also can install many fire safety products as well as provide you with routine maintenance and repairs.

Did you know, for instance, that simply installing just one or two smoke alarms in your home might not be enough to keep you safe? It is recommended that every storey of your home include a smoke alarm/detector and a carbon monoxide detector. If you have a larger home, we recommend installing more, perhaps adding alarms in the kitchen, the laundry area, the garage and any room with a fireplace.

5. Create Some Ambiance

While you know that a Toronto electrician can install lights, you might not know that many licensed electricians can help you design an interior lighting scheme that provides you with the ultimate level of ambiance.

Have you ever walked into a room and noticed that it looks dark and foreboding? Perhaps it looks too bright or perhaps some areas of the room have too much light and other areas don’t have enough. When it comes to lighting, it’s all about design and setting the stage, so to speak, and many electricians understand where to install and direct lighting as well as how to use special types or levels of lighting to achieve a desired effect.

When you start thinking about lighting upgrades, don’t forget to talk to your local electrician about the best options for each room in your home. We can provide many different options. For instance, if you want to upgrade your kitchen lighting, we can create direct lighting for workspaces as well as lights that highlight the overall beauty of your kitchen. No matter what type of electrical work you might need, the team at Tesla Electric is here to help. So, if you’ve been searching for that “electrician near me,” give us a call. We provide electrical repairs, lighting installations, electric car charger installation and much more and we provide services throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Did you know that most electrical work requires that you obtain a permit prior to beginning the work, and that an inspector from the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) must come and check over the work once it has been completed?

As homeowner, you have two options. You can obtain a permit and complete the work yourself or you can hire a licensed electrician to provide you with electrical services in Toronto. For most jobs, hiring a licensed electrician is a better choice simply because most homeowners simply don’t possess the skills and training needed for many electrical jobs, such as lighting installation and upgrades and many repairs.

Unfortunately, while there are many electricians serving the Greater Toronto Area, not all of them are licensed. Hiring an unlicensed electrician puts you at great risk. These fraudulent electricians may not have the training needed to complete jobs safely and correctly, and because electrical issues have the potential to cause fires and injuries.

How To Spot A Fraud

1. Check Their Work Vehicle

Does it showcase their ESA license number on the side? It should, if it doesn’t be sure to ask for their ESA license number. If they tell you that an ESA license isn’t a requirement, they are lying to you. All electrical work in Ontario must be completed either by a homeowner or by an ESA licensed electrician. Anytime you contact an electrician and they won’t tell you their license number, hang up and find another electrician.

2. Check Their Paperwork

Most licensed electricians will display their ESA license number on all of their paperwork. Some will even display it on their website, but it should be on all of their vehicles and paperwork. If you glance at the estimate and don’t see the ESA license number anywhere on it, this is a red flag and you definitely should ask.

3. Check Their Level Of Professionalism

Typically, a licensed and quality electrician will have a truck or trucks with their logo, their physical address, phone number and ESA license printed on the side or back. They will wear clothing that displays their company logo and have proper business cards and invoices and estimate sheets imprinted with the company logo.

4. They Ask For Money Upfront

Some licensed professionals providing electrical services in Toronto will ask you for a small deposit, especially for a larger job. However, never hire an electrician that requires you to pay for the entire job upfront. Be especially wary if they want the entire payment in cash.

5. They Handle Many Odd Jobs

Electrical work is a serious endeavor. Completing a project incorrectly can put you, the homeowner, in serious danger. Never hire a person that offers to handle electrical work as well as providing plumbing services, painting, drywall and myriad of other handyman chores. Typically, these jacks of all trades are not licensed and not trained to handle complex electrical issues.

Electrical Services We Provide

At Tesla Electric, we’ve been providing quality residential and commercial electrical services in Toronto for more than 45 years. Our clients include everyone from homeowners to the Toronto Hockey Hall of Fame, the Department of National Defence, GO Transit and many others.

For our residential clients, we can provide knob & tube replacement, electrical panel upgrades, pot light installation and repairs, as well as any other type of electrical repair or upgrade you might need. If you drive an electric car, we also can provide you with electric car charger installation for any make or model of electric car.

As seasoned commercial electricians, we can provide you with any level of lighting repair or installation you might need, including LED installations, lighting retrofit services and much more. We also can help with the maintenance of electrical distribution equipment and provide you with a detailed electrical distribution consumption analysis, helping you find ways to reduce your overall energy usage and costs. We are proud to have earned the Consumer Choice Award in the category of electrical contractor in the Greater Toronto Area for the last six years. This is the only seal of business excellence in Toronto awarded through an independent research survey. No matter what type of electrical services in Toronto you may need, the team at Tesla Electric is here to help.

1. Install A Smart Thermostat
In the past, you had to physically walk over to a thermostat to adjust your heat or air conditioning, but those days are over. With a smart thermostat, you can adjust temperatures and turn the heater or AC on or off just about anywhere in the world. Additionally, a smart thermostat can be programmed so that you aren’t wasting heat or cool air when you aren’t at home.

For instance, rather than leaving your heater on throughout the day and wasting heat when no one is at home, your smart thermostat can kick on 20 minutes before you get home, so that your interior is warm, but you aren’t wasting energy. Likewise, your thermostat can be program to turn down the heat at night when you are snug in bed. In the summer, you can do the same with air conditioning, and this can equal a huge reduction in early energy costs. If you aren’t sure how to install a smart thermostat, electrical contractors in Toronto may be able to help.

2. Unplug & Turn Off
You probably have quite a few items in your home that don’t really need to be plugged in all of the time. For instance, your microwave and toaster don’t need to be plugged in until you need to lose them, nor does your coffee pot. If you have TVs and DVD players in guest rooms or other rooms where they rarely are used, unplug those, as well. Keep desktop computers in sleep mode when not in use and pull the plug entirely when you go on vacation.

Ensure that you turn off lights when you leave the room and put outside lights on a timer so that you don’t waste energy once the sun comes up. You can transform your entire house into a smart home. This will allow you to turn lights on and off remotely when you aren’t at home, which can save energy and deter burglars. Electrical contractors can help make these upgrades to your home.

3. Use Greener Lights
LED lighting installation can be an excellent way to reduce energy costs. While LED bulbs are more costly than incandescent and compact fluorescent lighting, these bulbs last far longer and require much less energy to provide the same level of illumination. LED lights aren’t hot to the touch like traditional incandescent bulbs and unlike compact fluorescent bulbs; they don’t contain trace amounts of mercury. In the long run, you can save hundreds of dollars switching to LED lights.

4. Close Curtains & Vents
During the summer months, close the curtains, shades and blinds during the hottest times of the day. This will make it easier for your air conditioner to keep your house cool and prevent cool air from escaping. If you have rooms that are not in regular use, consider closing the vents in these rooms and shut the doors. You will save money if you stop heating and cooling rooms that you don’t really use. In the rooms where you do need to heat or cool the air, ensure that vents are not covered by furniture or rugs. Don’t forget to clean your vents and furnace filter, as this will help your heater work more efficiently and, ultimately, lower your heating costs. During the winter, it can be smart to open all of the blinds and curtains and use natural light to help warm up your home. Not only will it warm your home, you won’t need to turn on as many lights, which also reduces energy use.

5. Upgrade Your Windows & Doors
If your windows and exterior doors aren’t insulated or have leaks, your heater and air conditioner will have to work harder. You can upgrade to more energy-efficient windows and doors, use storm windows during the winter months, or add caulk and weather-stripping to your windows and doors. It also can be wise to check the insulation in your attic to ensure that you have enough to lock in heat and cool air.

6. Upgrade Your Appliances
Upgrading appliances obviously comes with a large upfront cost. However, new energy-efficient appliances greatly reduce your use of heat, water and electricity. Air conditioning units use the most energy to run, so upgrading to an energy-efficient model can be a great idea. Other appliances that use an abundance of energy include your washer and dryer and water heater. In addition to upgrading to energy efficient models, washing clothes in cold water and hanging clothes to dry can reduce energy costs. Taking shorter showers can reduce water costs and water heating costs.

As electrical contractors in Toronto, we can upgrade your lighting system and swap out the old bulbs for LED lights. We also can provide you with an energy audit and provide you with some suggestions that will lower your energy use and, ultimately, save you money.

1. There Are Different Styles Of Potlights
There several different styles of potlights and potlight trims that you might want to consider. Baffle and reflector trims are two types of inset potlights. Baffle trim has a ribbed interior that helps to minimize the glare, while reflector trim has a mirrored surface that helps to focus the light.

We also can install potlights that are not inset and extend past the surface of the ceiling. These can be adjusted when needed, and these are known as eyeball trim potlights or gimbal trim potlights, depending on how far they extend below the ceiling. If you want a narrow beam of light, focused on a specific spot, you might consider a pinhole trim or wall-wash trim. This is an excellent way to show off a painting or perhaps a fireplace mantel or another special area of a room.

You can choose trim colors that match the ceiling color to keep the eye focused on the where the light emits rather than the ceiling or you can opt for decorative styles that catch the eye, such as a chrome or bronze. We also can provide you with dimming potlights, and there are even high-tech color-changing lights that can adjust depending on the time of day or the mood you wish to set.

2. Consider Your Bulb Options
When we provide potlight installation, we offer clients several different bulb options, but typically we recommend that homeowners opt for LED bulbs. These definitely have a higher price tag than compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and halogen incandescent lights, but they are far more energy efficient and should have an extremely long life span and they don’t become hot like other types of bulbs. In areas, where you might want dimming potlights, we will have to install special types of LED lighting, as not all LED lights work with dimming switches.

Compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) is another highly energy efficient option, and these do cost a bit less than LED lighting. However, that’s just the upfront cost, as LED lights will last far longer than CFLs. CFLs also must be disposed of properly, as these lights do contain some mercury. You can recycle these bulbs, and many home improvement stores will accept used CFL bulbs. These bulbs should not be placed in trash cans. When it comes to LED lighting, these bulbs contain no toxic materials, and while many can be placed in a trash can, some types can be recycled, as well.

Incandescent bulbs are the old-fashioned bulbs that are being phased out of production, but there is a type of halogen incandescent bulb that you might consider using for your potlight installation. The old incandescent bulbs were highly inefficient, which is why the production and importing of these bulbs has been banned. The halogen incandescent bulbs meet new energy efficiency standards, but just barely. They are about 25% more efficient than the older, now-banned incandescent bulbs, but far less efficient than fluorescent and LED bulbs and will need to be replaced often. Again, we typically recommend using LED lights because they will save you tons of money in the long run.

3. It’s The Placement That Counts
You could fill a room with 100 potlights, and while it might be illuminated, that doesn’t mean that the room will look fantastic. There could still be areas with odd shadows or areas where the lighting is too harsh. When we provide potlight installation, we consider all aspects of a room, from the way furniture is arranged to the height of the ceilings and the way a room is used. For instance, a kitchen will have work areas that required some focused illumination, but you also will want accent lighting to create ambiance.

4. Mix & Mingle Your Lighting
While we can provide you with quality potlight installation, Toronto homeowners also might want to add other types of lighting to a room. Potlights are amazing, but it’s also wise to add a few other lighting features to a room. Obviously in a dining room or entry, you might want some type of decorative chandelier to enhance the lighting scheme as well as the beauty of a room. Floor lamps and table lamps also can provide focused lighting in certain areas, as well as adding a bit of flair to any room. We can install any type of overhead lighting you might need and make some recommendations regarding where you might add decorative lamps.

5. Use A Professional
When it comes to potlight installation in Toronto, using a professional electrician is essential. Lighting installation can be tricky and even dangerous, so it’s crucial that you hire an experienced, licensed electrician. Using a qualified electrician not only ensures that you’ll enjoy an excellent lighting design; it also ensures that everything is installed properly and up to code. If you are interested in potlight installation, we provide this service for homes and businesses throughout the GTA, and look forward to helping you improve your home’s lighting.

Electrical Panel Upgrades
This type of upgrade may not seem very hip or exciting, but if your home is more than 20 years old, you should consider this service. Older electrical panels weren’t built to handle the amount of electricity a typical family uses these days with all of our televisions, computers, tablets, phone charging and so forth.

Additionally, if you have an electric car and wish to install an electric car charging station, your panel may need an upgrade to handle the additional electricity load. By law, a licensed electrician is the only professional that is able to upgrade electrical panels, so if you want us to come and assess your system and provide you with a cost estimate for upgrades, give us a call at any time.

Smart Outlets & Lighting Upgrades
In our experience, most homes don’t contain enough outlets, especially older homes. If you are constantly using outlet extenders and power strips to accommodate your electrical needs, you probably need to consider adding some outlets or upgrading your outlets. A licensed electrician can provide you with new outlets including special outlets that include USB ports or those which offer smart home capability.

For instance, when homeowners went on vacation in the past, they would plug in a timer into a few outlets to turn on a random lamp or two to ward off intruders. Today, with smart home technology, you can schedule a variety of lights throughout your home to go on and off at specific times, not just one or two. Plus, you can simply turn lights on or off using your smart phone, and this includes your exterior as well as your interior lights.

A licensed electrician also can upgrade all of the lights in your home and provide you with smart lighting systems. Not only can you turn lights on and off remotely (a very handy feature if your children constantly forget to turn off the lights), you also can upgrade all of your light bulbs and swap them out for more energy efficient options.

Smart Doorbells & Locks
If you are out of town quite a bit, we highly recommend that you install a camera to monitor activity around your front door. It also can be wise to invest in a video doorbell. When someone rings the bell or walks up to the door, you can speak with this person even if you aren’t at home. You could be hundreds of miles away kicking back on a sunny beach, and converse with a delivery man or anyone else that comes to the door. Devices such as these can decrease the likelihood of package theft as well as break-ins and provide you with some peace of mind.

If you’ve forgotten yours keys, it’s no longer necessary to hunt around for an open window or contact a locksmith. With smart door locks, you can unlock a door using an app or with a code. This can be handy for your guests and housecleaners, as well.

Smart Thermostats
A smart thermostat can be a great money-saving option for most homeowners. Forgot to turn off the heater or A/C after leaving your house? No problem. Do you want the house to be warm when you arrive home, but don’t want to waste heat all day? No problem. A programmable smart thermostat can turn the heat or A/C on based upon your needs, and you can change the settings remotely at any time. These thermostats can make your home far more efficient and shave hundreds of dollars off of your yearly energy bills. Some of these devices will track your usage and suggest changes to ensure that you maximize your energy dollars.

Obviously, all of these upgrades come with a cost. However, smart home upgrades and electrical and lighting upgrades will save you a ton of money in the long run. Combine these upgrades with some basic energy saving practices, and you can save a bundle.

For instance, tinting your windows or closing shades and drapes can make it easier for you’re A/C to cool your house on those hot summer days. Cleaning your furnace filter can help your furnace work more efficiently. Consider shutting vents and closing doors to rooms you don’t use so that you don’t waste heat or air conditioning in these areas. And, of course, ensure that you turn off lights when you leave a room. These are just a few quick tips that can reduce your gas and electric bills.

A licensed electrician, such as the team at Tesla Electric, can provide you with many of these smart home upgrades. If you are interested in these upgrades or need any type of electrical repairs, give us a call today.

1. GFCI Outlets
These outlets, also known by their longer name – ground fault circuit interrupters, include two plug outlets as well as a reset and test button. These are required by law to be installed in all kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and any other room where the outlet might come into contact with water. If you have a wet bar, a swimming pool or a spa, you will need GFCI outlets near these items as well. Additionally, any outdoor outlets you might have need to be GFCI outlets as well as crawl spaces and in your garage. Your electrician in Toronto can install these outlets anywhere that you might need them.

GFCI outlets greatly reduce the possibility of electric shocks by monitoring the electrical current that flows in or out of an appliance, such as a hair dryer or a microwave oven. Each opening in your outlet and each prong of a plug is connected to a different wire known as a hot wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire. The hot wire brings current in to the appliance, and the unused current goes out via the neutral wire. The ground wire also serves as another path for unused current. Your GFCI outlet will prevent current from flowing if it senses that there is a discrepancy between the current flowing in and out of an appliance. A circuit in your main electrical panel also will “trip” if there are issues with electrical current, but the GCFI is your first line of defense, essentially tripping the circuit immediately so that you won’t get a shock. You also can install AFCI outlets, which stands for arc fault circuit interrupter. These outlets prevent electrical current from “jumping” from one wire to another wire. An AFCI outlet needs to be installed by your main electrical panel and this will help protect all of the circuits on the panel.

2. 15 & 20-Amp Outlets
These look much like GFCI outlets, but they don’t have the reset and test buttons. The will have three prongs for the hot, neutral and ground wires. 15-amp outlets are perhaps the most common type found in our homes, unless you have an old home. In some homes, you will find outlets with just two prongs, which need to be replaced as they do not meet Toronto fire code requirements and definitely pose a danger for fires and electrical shock.

A 20-amp outlet can be a good option to use for devices that need a good amount of electricity to run, such as some appliances. It is important to note that if you do want 20-amp outlets, we will need to provide you with some rewiring services, as these outlets use thicker wiring to accommodate the extra current.

3. 30 & 50-Amp Outlets
These outlets are black and circular and look much different from a standard wall outlet. The prongs also are quite different from a regular outlet, with the hot and neutral slots at an angle. These are used primarily for large appliances such as your washer, dryer and range, as these items might need more current than a 15-amp outlet or even a 20-amp outlet can handle.

3. USB Outlets
These days, we all could use a few USB outlets. These include outlets for anything you need to plug in as well as a few USB slots so that you can charge your phone or tablet without needing a plug. You also can install outlets that contain just one plug and four USB ports or perhaps simply an outlet that only features USB ports.

4. Smart Outlets
If the idea of being able to control an outlet from anywhere on earth sounds appealing, you might be the perfect candidate for a smart outlet. These can be controlled using a smartphone and allow you to turn outlets on an off as you please. For instance, if you are away on vacation, you can switch off an outlet to ensure that a computer or perhaps your DVR aren’t using power when you aren’t at home. You can switch on outlets at different times of the day to turn lamps on or off so that it appears as though you are still at home.

When it comes to outlets, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are plenty of other interesting and useful options. While there are many excellent outlet options, any electrician in Toronto will tell you that the wiring behind the walls means more than the outlet. You need to have up-to-date, up-to-code wiring that can truly handle your electrical needs. You cannot simply install a powerful outlet onto older wiring and expect for this to work properly or safely.

Upgrading your wiring and upgrading your electrical panel is highly recommended for anyone with a home that is about 25 years or older. If you notice that your circuit breakers trip frequently or perhaps your lights become a bit dim when you turn on some appliances, this could mean that you need to upgrade your wiring and panel. If you need new outlets installed or any electrical upgrades, be sure to contact a professional electrical contractor. Toronto-area residents can call us at any time to schedule upgrades or schedule an electrical inspection so that we can determine the best upgrades for your home.

1. The Dangerous Dryer
Dryers are both a blessing and a curse. While they perform a wonderful service, they also are a huge hazard if not cared for correctly. Tens of thousands of house fires begin every year because a dryer was not maintained properly, and this is easy to prevent. First, clean out your lint tray often, in fact, before you put in a new load, remove all of the lent. You also should clean out your dryer vent several times per year. Lint is one of the most flammable materials in your home, so it just makes sense to get rid of excess lint as often as possible. Also, if you are leaving your home, never leave the dryer running. As an electrician in Toronto and a fire safety expert, I’ve heard this latter advice from firefighters again and again.

2. Heading Out? Check For Dangers
Before you head to work in the mornings, take a quick trip around your house to ensure that no dangerous electrical issues are present. For instance, many fires are started because a curling iron or clothing iron was left plugged in. If you use electric blankets, fans or space heaters, make sure these are turned off and unplugged. Additionally, turn off all of the lights, especially lamps. Lamps can be a fire hazard, but unplugging or turning off lights also will save you money. Why pay for energy that you won’t be home to use?

3. Child Safety Is Crucial
While we’ve all heard the tales about how “back in my day, no one childproofed their homes,” the fact of the matter is that back in those days, it was far more common for children to become injured from electrical shocks. There are many easy ways to childproof, including placing plug covers into unused outlets and using childproof covers for power strips. Obviously, we all teach our children not to touch cords and outlets, but those little guys and gals tend to have a mind of their own and it is far better to be safe than sorry.

4. Know Your Wattage & Learn About Bulb Safety
Are you putting a 100-watt bulb into a 60-watt fixture? Before you place any light bulb into a pot light or lamp, be sure that the bulb wattage matches what the electrical device can handle. Additionally, make sure that all of the bulbs are screwed into place completely, as this can prevent electrical fires caused by sparks.

Another interesting bulb fact – if you break a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb, immediately have your family members and pets leave the room. Open a window or door and shut off your heater or air conditioner. In about 10 minutes you can return. Do not vacuum up the pieces, collect them all as carefully as you can and place all of the debris into a jar with a metal lid or a plastic baggie. CFLs should be taken (broken or not broken) to a special facility for disposal rather than placing them in your trash bin. The bulbs, while highly efficient, contain mercury, and if a bulb breaks, you risk having yourself and family members breathe in this toxic substance.

5. Check Your Cords
Are your cords worn out and wires are visible? If this is the case, dispose of these cords as they pose a fire danger or the danger of delivering an electrical shock. If you have multiple power strips filled with plugs placed in a single outlet, this also can overload a circuit and pose a danger. If you need more outlets or different types of outlets, contact an electrician in Toronto to upgrade your electrical system so that it can handle the amount of energy you use.

6. Be Aware Of Electrical Problems
If you lights blink or dim occasionally or if you notice that your circuit breakers are constantly tripping, this indicates that you need to contact an electrician. Toronto residents with homes older than about 15 years probably need to upgrade their electrical panels and perhaps their electrical systems. If you notice that an electrical outlet is warm, this also can be a sign of wiring issues or overloaded circuits. Unplug all devices from the outlet and see if the outlet cools down. If it remains warm, contact your electrician. If it cools down, ensure that you aren’t overloading the outlet by plugging in items that require more electricity than the outlet can handle.

If you do need an electrician in Toronto, the team at Tesla Electric is happy to help. Our electricians have more than 40 years of experience and we also provide a lifetime guarantee for all of our work.

At Tesla Electric, we provide Toronto-area residents with electrical panel upgrades and find that many homeowners don’t know much about these panels and when or why upgrades might be needed. There are several reasons why you might need an upgrade, including the following.

You Live In An Older Home
If your home was built prior to the invention of circuit breaker panels and you are still using a fuse panel, you definitely need an electrical panel upgrade. These systems are definitely not up to code and pose a serious danger to homeowners. These fuse boxes were perfectly fine when a family might have had just one television, a few lamps and perhaps one or two electrical appliances.

Additionally, if you live in an older home, you may also have knob and tube wiring. This also is quite dangerous and unable to handle the electrical requirements of the modern homeowner. This type of wiring is not up to code and many insurance companies will not underwrite policies for home that have this type of wiring or even old fuse boxes in their home.

Even if you live in a home with a more modern electrical panel, if the panel is more than 20 years old, it still might not be able to handle the electrical needs of the average family. After all, back in the 1990s, families didn’t have to charge tablets and cell phones, and we didn’t own as many televisions or home computers. Generally, you can expect an electrical panel to last about 30 years, so if you home is 25 years or older, it probably is time to start thinking about an upgrade in general.

You Are Adding Something New
If you are adding a second air conditioning unit, or perhaps a hot tub and this will be drawing power from your electrical panel, these types of items use a good amount of electricity and might be a bit more than your panel can handle. Additionally, if you are adding on to your house, you might need a different panel to handle this new electrical load.

You Are Having Electrical Issues
Do you lose power in certain parts of your home? Sometimes, when you are using too many appliances or items on a single circuit, a circuit will “trip” or shut off. This stops the flow of electrical current to that circuit. This in turns prevents the circuit and wiring from overheating and possibly causing an electrical fire. It’s quite possible that you need us to come out and provide you with some re-circuiting as well as provide electrical panel upgrades.

Likewise, if you notice that you lights are flickering constantly or perhaps the lights dim when certain appliances are being used, this also could indicate that you need electrical panel upgrades. In some cases, these are wiring issues and in others, it is an electrical panel issue. A professional electrician can examine your electrical system and provide you with solutions for these problems.

You Use Many Extension Cords & Power Strips
If you notice that many rooms in your house include power strips filled with plugs, it might be time to upgrade your home’s electrical system and do an electrical panel upgrade. A qualified electrician and help you install additional outlets as well as upgraded outlets that better meet the needs of the modern homeowner. Your electrician also can install an electrical panel that can handle 100 or more amps, which is more in line with what we use today in our homes.

If you are interested in learning more about our electrical panel upgrades, give the team at Tesla Electric a call today. We provide electrical repairs and upgrades for homeowners and businesses throughout the Greater Toronto Area, and our electricians have more than 40 years of experience.