• When you are resetting circuit breakers or changing fuses too often.
• When you turn on your air conditioner and the lights dim in the room.
• When your lights flicker or go on and off.
• When you can smell electricity burning.
• When you have six electronic devices going into one outlet in back of your electronics center.
• When you have receptacle outlets overburdened by multi-plug strips.
• When a three-prong plug needs a two-prong adapter.
• If you have to run extension cords to plug in electrical devices.
• When you have any other electrical questions or concerns.

Most provinces call for 100 amps minimum, but with all the new electronic devices, air conditioning and electric heat, we suggest 200 amps, especially in new homes. This also gives you some space for future additions. A service upgrade is not a job for an unlicensed person to attempt. In most cases it involves replacing everything from the service loop (this is the wire that extends from the top of your meter to the utility tie in) up to and including the main panel.

Electricity enters your home from your local distribution company through the service entrance at the main switch. From the main switch, the panel board or fuse box splits power into circuits that distribute electricity throughout your home or business.  Each circuit is protected by a fuse or circuit breaker.  Fuses and circuit breakers detect short circuits and overloading which causes a fuse to blow or a circuit breaker to trip.

In order to reset a breaker in your electrical panel, you must push the breaker firmly to the off position which then resets it.  Then you must push it back to the on position.  Most customers do not push the breaker hard enough, past the off (tripped) position and assume it is reset.  If you have reset the breaker correctly and still have no power, call Giannetti Electric Ltd.  If your breakers trip too frequently, it is possible that your breakers have been worn out or there is an underlying issue that one of our licensed electricians should investigate.

A flickering light could be a loose connection in the circuit or it could also be a problem outside your house especially if all the lights in the house seem to be flickering.  In this type of situation, we recommend not to use the lights and call a Giannetti Electric Ltd. licensed electrician to check it out.

You are protected because Giannetti Electric Ltd. electricians carry an active general liability policy, automobile policy, and workman’s compensation insurance policy in order to perform business on your property.

First, you will need to pull a permit and you will have to have your work inspected by ESA.  Other things to consider include:

• Do you know what the load calculation is for your homes electrical usage?
• Do you know what it takes to make the electrical repairs up to Ontario Electrical Safety Code?

If you answered no to either of these questions you’d be better off calling Giannetti Electric Ltd.

Presently in Ontario, a home owner is able to obtain permits and do their own electrical work. But doing electrical work yourself is a gamble. In Ontario, if a homeowner does his own work and it results in damage of fire, his homeowners insurance may not pay, they may only pay if the work is done by a licensed Electrical Contractor. How much are you willing to risk to save money?

There is a reason why it takes so much training to become an electrician. Do not make a mistake by taking electricity lightly, even the smallest job could be a safety hazard. Why take a chance? Get a professional to do this work.

The most dangerous time is when you tell yourself “This is easy. I can do it myself. Why should I get an electrician?” Then, when you don’t remember where all those wires went, or your hair is standing straight up, you say to yourself. “Well maybe we better call someone to straighten up this mess”.
Now it will cost you double what you thought you were going to save in the beginning.

Yes.  Even if you are just working as a helper you must carry an apprentice license.  What should I know about electrical permits & codes?  Before starting any electrical installation you will need to apply for a permit through ESA.  One of the benefits of using Giannetti Electric Ltd. is that we handle the permit process for you.  Our electrical wiring jobs are done according to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.

Electrical work is very specialized.  It takes over 5 years to get an Electrician’s License.  An unlicensed electrician may not be up to date on code regulations or even aware of some safety codes, they may also not have the proper tools.  All of this can lead to future problems in your electrical system which could result in a fire or put people in danger of injury or death.  Electrician is a very precise and potentially dangerous profession, untrained electricians are more prone to work accidents and you may become the subject of a lawsuit.  They might also lead to having to hire a licensed electrician to fix the problems left by an inexperienced electrician resulting in extra costs.  If you do develop a problem, insurance companies do not cover damages associated with unlicensed contractors.  Basically electricians are licensed to protect you, your co-workers, and your property.

The problem with aluminum wiring is that it expands and contracts creating an arcing problem.  When it arcs it usually does so without tripping the breaker.  This is a definite fire hazard.

Some things to look for:

• Room lights dim when the refrigerator or air conditioner kicks on
• Circuit breakers frequently trip
• Outlets or dimmer switches seem hot to the touch

These conditions indicate that there could be an electrical issue in the home.

When fuse boxes were in widespread use, most homes had only 30 or 60-ampere service.

Today’s homes need at least 100-ampere service to safely supply power for major appliances. If you have a fuse box and you’ve added any large appliances over the years, it is recommended that you have your home wiring inspected to make sure it is still safe.
Both devices, either breaker or fuse, are designed to trip (turn off) in the event of an electrical overload (i.e. 20 amps of electrical load on a 15 amp circuit would cause a trip). The only difference is that a breaker is mechanical and may be reset. Whereas, a fuse is one time only and must be replaced.  Modern breakers are much more efficient and offer greater levels of protection.

There are three indicators of an unsafe outlet:

• If an outlet can no longer hold a plug snugly
• If any parts of the outlet are broken, or
• If the outlet feels hot to the touch.

If any of these conditions exist, Giannetti Electric Ltd. can come take a look and replace the outlet if needed.

Most likely, yes. However, don’t forget the requirements for GFCI outlets and separate dedicated circuits in the kitchen.

• Check to see if the outlet is on a switch.
• Check and reset GFCI outlets and circuit breaker.
• Check light bulbs and replace, if necessary.

If none of these are the problem, call us at Giannetti Electric Ltd.

GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. In layman’s terms, this device protects you from electrical shock. When it senses the slightest increase in resistance resulting from ground fault, (i.e., the use of electrical devices in or near water), it trips off to protect you.

The test button, when pressed should deactivate the outlet and any other outlet fed from it – indicating a properly functioning device.

The red button is the reset button needs to be pushed to reactivate the outlet or outlets in the event of deactivation resulting from a fault/test.

This could mean a few things.

1. An intermittent chirp could be an indication of a defective smoke detector.
2. A consistent chirp could be an indication of a low battery condition, and the smoke detector requires a new battery.