All wiring in your home meets local code requirements and exceeds minimum safety standards.
DO NOT let an amateur handyman alter the wiring in your home. Call a licensed electrician.
If you are still in the warranty period with Seal Electric you must call Seal Electric for your
wiring needs in order to not void your warranty.
If all power goes off check the main breaker located in the meter cabinet at the side of
the building, if it is not tripped then call San Diego Gas & Electric.
Circuit breakers are the safety valves of your home electrical system and are in the
breaker panel located usually behind a bedroom door. If a circuit breaker trips, unplug all appliances
and electrical equipment on the circuit which is off, then reset the breaker. The breaker
can be reset by flipping the breaker switch to the OFF position momentarily, then placing
the switch to the ON position. If trouble continues after breaker is reset, call Seal Electric.
If non-switched electric outlets fail to work, it is usually a sign that a circuit breaker
has tripped. The cause may be:
A) An overloaded circuit (too many appliances plugged into a circuit);
B) A short circuit in a cord or plug
C) Voltage too high for the appliance used;
D) The starting of an electric motor. (Motors require more current to start than to run).
Ground fault outlets (bathroom and exterior receptacles), are very sensitive and are easily
tripped. Do not use these receptacles for power tools or heavy appliances. They can be reset
by pushing the reset button on the receptacle, normally located in the master bath.
If you think a receptacle does not work, make sure it is not connected to a wall switch. This
can be accomplished by plugging a working light fixture into the receptacle and switch all
the switches in the room to the ON position.
Your electrical system is a three-wire grounded system. NEVER remove the bare wire
which connects to the box or device.
Low voltage is usually caused by an increase in the load put on the utility lines. This
condition is frequently found in new areas. If lights dim when furnace, dishwasher,
refrigerator or other motors start, call the power company for a voltage check on their
lines in your area. When notified of this condition, the service company will usually
raise the voltage.
To avoid a service charge, DO NOT call the electrician until you are sure that all circuit
breakers and/or switches are on.
1. What is a GFCI device or breaker?
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.
This device protects you against hazardous electrical shock that may be caused if your body
becomes a path through which electricity travels to reach ground. This could happen when you
touch an appliance or cord that is "live" through faulty mechanism, damp or worn insulation, etc. You
could be touching plumbing or other material that leads to ground.
When protected by the GFCI you may still feel a shock but the GFCI should cut it off quickly
enough so a person in normal health should not have serious electrical injury (infants and
very small children may still be affected.)
WARNING: The GFCI will NOT protect against:
- Line-to-line shocks like the kind gotten by
touching metal inserted in both straight slots of an outlet.
- Current overloads or line-to-line short circuits; the fuse or circuit breaker at the
distribution box or panel must provide such protection.
CAUTION: If the GFCI trips of its own accord,
this indicates a possible ground fault condition which is potentially hazardous. Investigate
the ground fault condition at once by making a thorough check to determine where the ground
fault exists in the equipment plugged into your GFCI. Correct the defect at once. Carry out
the test procedure as outlined to ensure that your GFCI is operating properly. If the GFCI
does not reset, this indicates a ground fault still exists and must be corrected.
TEST PROCEDURE
Like a fire extinguisher or other safety device your GFCI outlet should be checked every month
to make sure that it is operating properly to protect you. Just follow the simple instructions
below and then enter the date of the test on the reverse side of this card.
A. Push the BLACK TEST button. The RED RESET button should pop out from inner surface. This
should result in power being OFF at all outlets protected by the GFCI. Verify by plugging test
lamp into every such outlet. If your GFCI has an indicator Light, this light should be ON
when circuit is complete. Test with test lamp to determine condition of circuit and
proper operation of indicator Light.
CAUTION: If RESET button does not pop out or if test lamp or indicator light remains
fit when RESET button does not pop out DO NOT USE ANY OUTLETS ON THE CIRCUIT AND CALL
SEAL ELECTRIC FOR A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN.
B. If the GFCI tests okay, restore power by pushing the RESET button back in. THE RESET BUTTON
MUST BE PUSHED FIRMLY AND FULLY INTO PLACE UNTIL IT LOCKS AND REMAINS DEPRESSED AFTER PRESSURE
HAS BEEN REMOVED, IF THE GFCI FAILS RESET PROPERLY DO NOT USE - CALL SEAL ELECTRIC FOR A
QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN. Test lamp and/or indicator Light should again light.
C. IF GFCI TRIPS BY ITSELF at anytime during or after installation, reset and perform test
procedures I and 2 above. IF RESET BUTTON DOES NOT POP OUT WHEN TEST BUTTON IS DEPRESSED,
DO NOT USE GFCL CALL SEAL ELECTRIC FOR A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN.
2. What is the difference between a breaker panel and my old fuse panel?
Both devices, either breaker or fuse, are designed to trip (turn off) in the event of an electrical overload, i.e. 20Amps of electrical load on a 15Amp 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.
Please Note: Modern breakers are much more efficient and offer greater levels of protection.
3. How do I reset my breaker when it has tripped off?
First, disconnect any additional devices that may have caused the breaker to overload and trip. Breakers are mechanical devices and must be turned all the way off before turning back on. Remember this is a mechanical device, so this may require several attempts. If this fails to reset the breaker, there may be a more serious problem. Contact Seal Electric.
4. What does it mean when my fluorescent lights are flickering or cycling on and off?
Flickering may indicate impending bulb failure, minor power fluctuation, and/or improperly installed bulbs. Cycling on and off is usually a clear indication of ballast and/or bulb failure. It is recommended when replacing a ballast to replace bulbs as well.
5. Can I hang a paddle fan where a light is?
Yes, but first you must make sure the electrical box is properly braced and rated for the weight and torque of the paddle fan you are installing.
6. Can I dim fluorescent lights?
Yes. Dimming fluorescent requires not only a special dimmer, but also special fixtures. You cannot place a typical incandescent dimmer on existing fluorescent.
7. I have a new home. Why does my refrigerator or freezer, located in my garage, keep going off?
Unless you made provisions with the builder for a dedicated circuit, the outlets in your garage are GFCI Protected per National Electrical Code. This device will not tolerate the additional resistance load created by refrigeration equipment. The GFCI senses there is a fault, and therefore trips off. The only cure to this problem is to provide a dedicated, non GFCI circuit allowable by code.
8. Can I plug my coffee pot and toaster oven into the same kitchen counter outlet?
Yes. Though, if the two loads exceed 20amps, your breaker will sense overload, do its job, and trip off. Under this condition, you must plug one of the appliances into a different kitchen outlet on a different circuit, in order to balance the load.
9. Can I plug any 110Volt device I wish into my regular 110Volt outlets throughout my house?
Yes. Though, if the device exceeds the capacity of the circuit, the breaker will trip off.
10. When my air conditioner cycles on, I notice my lights blink. Is this normal?
Yes. This is a common occurrence when large motor/compressor loads start. These devices cause a minor momentary voltage drop, demonstrating itself as the blinking in your lights. This has no negative effect on the electrical equipment within your house.
11. I have surge/lightning protection on my home. Am I totally safe from lightning strikes?
No. Surge/Lightning Protection only offers additional levels of protection. Nothing can guarantee completely against mother nature and where she chooses to strike.
12. If I have surge/lightning protection on my main service should I use point-of-use surge plugins at my TV, stereo, computer, etc.?
Yes. Main line surge is no absolute guarantee and any additional surge protection down stream in the system offers a greater level of protection; though, nothing is absolute when it comes to the power of Mother Nature.
13. I have a 110Volt outlet on the exterior of my home. Can I plug my Christmas lights into it?
Yes. Within reason; if the quantity of lights creates a load greater than the capacity of the circuit breaker, the breaker will trip off. In this event, additional circuits may be required to accommodate your holiday display.
14. Why does my recess can light cycle on and off since I put a larger wattage bulb in?
Modern Recess Cans are rated for a maximum wattage bulb and are equipped with a thermal device that does not allow a bulb larger than that rating? If a larger wattage bulb is used, as the excess heat builds up, the thermal device will shut the can off until it cools. This is a safety device to protect your home against fire.
15. I have a new home. If I have a problem with TV or telephone wiring within the house, who should I call?
With deregulation of the utility companies in most areas of the country, the cable or telephone companies are no longer responsible for the equipment or wiring in your home. This responsibility has fallen to you and your electrical contractor. Therefore, when a problem arises, we would recommend you contact us at Seal Electric. Most TV and telephone utilities will still service within your home for a substantial fee. This service, as in the past, is no longer free.
16. I have two telephone lines in my home. Why, when I'm on the phone and the other phone line is in use, do I hear the other conversation in the background?
This is commonly called bleed-over and usually results from one of three conditions:
Excessively long runs of wire within the home of non-twisted pairs.
Loop wiring from phone station to phone station.
A nick in the phone wire somewhere within your residence causing a weak interconnect between phone lines.
Phone wiring installation today should be done as a home run system, each phone station being a dedicated run back to a common terminal block.
Please remember if you have a problem with your phone wiring within your home, it is today the responsibility of the electrician rather than the phone company as in the past.
17. Why do the bulbs in my exterior fixture burn out so often?
This is usually caused by several factors:
Use of non brandnamed bulbs.
Larger wattage bulbs which cause excessive heat build-up shorting the life of the bulb.
Power Surges.
Helpful hints in the solution to this problem should be to use only brand named bulbs and try to buy 130 Volt rated bulbs instead of the normal 120Volt rated bulbs. This should significantly extend the life.
18. My smoke detector keeps chirping. What does this mean?
This could mean one of two things.
An Intermittent Chirp is probably an indication of a defective smoke detector.
A consistent chirp is probably an indication of a low battery condition and the smoke detector requires a new battery.
It is recommended that battries be changed in all smoke detectors at the same time, even if all detectors are not chirping.
Batteries should be replaced in smoke detectors every six months as maintenance.
