Every year we send out questionnaires to find out why homeowners and business owners pick the service people that they do. Overwhelmingly, the reason is trust and competence. Here at the Empire Family of Services, Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical we build trust everyday and our electricians are educated in the classroom hours every week. We back up everything that we do with long lasting and secure guarantees making sure that you only have to invest once in any repair that we perform for you.
I put this page together (I am Jim Eichman, the President of The Empire Family of Services) to give you real answers to real questions. There are so many websites on the web and nearly all of them are written by well meaning programmers with no knowledge of the field of electricity whatsoever. They spout off terms given to them in a nonsensical manner hoping for ignorance to reign and for them to appear to know what they are doing. ”A show of competence.”
I am not a programmer, although that was my major in college (double major-math-computer science). That was a very long time ago and computers are so much easier today than they were when I was programming mainframes. So, I decided to write my own website and I broke out a book and learned to program HTML and Flash.
I decided that you really deserved to garner information from a licensed electrician that dabbles in programming rather than a programmer dabbling in electrical. You’ve got questions, and here are the answers. Enjoy.
• Electrical safety in your home.
Facts you should be aware of:
- Forty-six percent of home electrical failure fires involved electrical distribution or lighting equipment in 2003-2006. Most of these could have been prevented by simply maintaining the circuits. A qualified electrician should check your electrical systems at least once each year.
- In 2003-2006, 47% of electrical failure home fires involved other known type of equipment. The leading other known type of equipment involved in home electrical failure fires are fan, clothes dryer and air conditioning equipment. This is common place and you can prevent it. Most of these problem occurred because of negligence. The nest time you have a handyman fix your electrical system you should sit back and ask yourself this question “If this guy is so good, why isn’t he licensed as an electrician?”
- U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 25,100 reported U.S. non-confined home structure fires involving electrical distribution or lighting equipment in 2006. These fires resulted in 370 civilian fire deaths, 840 civilian fire injuries, and $776 million in direct property damage. Over 80,000 fires in homes each year occur in the United States. Is your home next?
- Some type of electrical failure or malfunction was cited as factor contributing to ignition for 74% of electrical distribution or lighting equipment home structure fires. This is not an exaggeration. The National Electric Code is written by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and for good reason.
What can you do to be safe? First, don’t panic. I know it is real scary stuff, but for the most part, your electrical system is near bullet proof. A lot of things have to line up to cause serious problems. Here is what you should do:
 1. All plugs in the kitchen, garage, bathroom and outside the home need to be GFCI protected. GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupt. In the event of an electrical shock they can stop the electricity in about 1/30 of a second. They are mandatory under code and have been for quite some time.
2. Bedroom plugs are required to be protect5ed by arc fault breakers. Arc faults are generally what starts fires from electrical cords. The power arcs through he cord to the neutral line. A GFCI will not detect this and this usually not use enough electricity or current to trip a circuit breaker. The cord starts to heat up and before you know it, the home is on fire. Arc fault breakers are now a code requirement for sleeping rooms.
3. Have your main panel checked at least once a year. Wires get loose through expansion and contraction and through vibration of the electrical lines. Once these wires loosen they start to generate heat when put under a load (washer-dryer-air conditioner) and this heat can start a fire in your main electrical box. We see it on a regular basis.
4. Leave the extension cords for temporary use only. Never use an appliance for any length of time while being plugged in by and extension cord. Extension cords are meant for point of use only. This means drills, saws and lights only for directly servicing something. Never leave them alone.
5. Whenever adding lights or circuits make sure that you have the city inspector out to inspect the work. The city inspector works for you, the homeowner, to ensure that the work performed is safe, up to code and that it won’t catch fire. Never let you contractor talk you out of a permit. Without the permit process your contractor can skimp on materials and labor and this can make your home a dangerous place to live in.
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• What kind of outdoor lighting is security lighting?
Homeowners, landscape designers, landscape architects, architects, builders, developers, and property managers are constantly trying to illuminate their homes and businesses with architectural lights, landscape lighting, deck lighting, security lights, step lighting, facade lighting, accent lighting, pool area lighting, garden lighting, tree lighting, path lighting, fountain light, pond lights, paver lighting, and yard lighting systems.
Without the proper path lighting, steps, traverses and driveways are accidents waiting to happen. Keeping your walkways well lit is like insurance in the bank. Seeing the potential hazards and pitfalls is required to avoid them. Proper placement of lighting and distribution nodes, placing them around walkways, driveways and entryways allows, not only beautification of your home or business but allows you, your family and your guests to come and go safely.
Outdoor lighting is a deterrent to potential intruders, loiters and kids looking for mischief. Burglars that operate at night operate at night because they don’t want to be seen. Making your home or business less attractive for a thief is one of the primary goals of security lighting. Eliminating dark spots, potential hiding spots, can increase the level of safety around your property. The proper placement of your lights will improve the safety and security of your property.
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 • My circuit breaker keeps tripping. Why?
There are a number of reasons that your circuit breaker could be tripping. It could be a defective breaker. Zinsco, federal pacific, stab lock and many other older breakers that are no longer manufactured have a history of failure and if you have these brands you may want to consider replacing the panel itself with new style breakers that are safer.
Standard circuit breakers trip for two reasons. The first is over amperage. The device is pulling too large a load for the breaker to handle. If you have a 15 amp circuit breaker it cannot handle more than 12 amps continuously. Circuit breakers are designed to handle 80% of the labeled load continuously and up to 135% of the labeled load for a few seconds, but this isn’t the main reason breakers trip. Never put in a larger breaker to solve a tripping problem.
The main reason breakers trip is heat. Loose connections, poor wiring, older equipment that is drawing too much power for too long a time. If you have a circuit breaker that is tripping have it checked out. Electrical short circuits and loose connections can start fires.
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• I have a surge suppressor on my computer. Is that good enough?
No, not by a long shot. Little strip surge protectors are cheap and wear out. They do not stop spikes in voltage very well and can be slow to trip allowing damage to occur, but what if they worked really good, would they then be good enough? No, they still would not be good enough.
A strip protector installed behind your computer does help to protect your computer, but what about the rest of the home. Your computer is probably not even the most expensive electronic item in your home. What about those plasma TV’s, the refrigerator, stove, oven, alarm system and stereo?
Use your strip protectors, quality ones, and have a whole house surge protector installed. This can safeguard you from the pitfalls of burned out electronics from surges caused by broken power lines, lightning, and other mishaps.
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 • My lights always dim when the A/C turns on?
This could be a couple of different things. My first question to you is, when was the last time you had your air conditioning system serviced? Was it within the las month or two? If it was, then chances are the problem is that the Freon levels are overcharged. Unfortunately the majority of service technicians do not have the training to properly charge home air conditioning systems. The old axiom “beer can cold” seems more alive today than it ever has been. Most systems that we see are overcharged rather than undercharged with Freon. When there is too much Freon in the compressor it has to start against a load. When that compressor is under a load, say a 5 Ton model, it pulls a tremendous amount of electricity, upwards of 150amps. This load can lower the voltage into the home and this lowering of voltage is the reason that the lights dim. It is very dangerous and needs to be resolved. Do not ignore this problem as a fire could result and your air conditioning system is suffering.
The next reason is a loose or poor connection in the main panel. This could be a sub panel, but that is a little rare. The problem lies before the union of the circuit breaker serving the air conditioner and the circuit breaker service the lighting circuit. This could be the buss bars in the panel, the main circuit breaker or poor undersized wiring to the pole. If this only occurs on extremely hot days it could be that the power from the pole is lower than usual because of the air conditioning demand in your neighborhood. In any even have your air conditioning serviced and if the problem cannot be immediately resolved the solution could be a hard start kit attached to your air conditioning unit. This will enable it to start easier and faster.
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• I ordered some light fixtures. Will you install them?
Yes, we install light fixtures from Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Lights Plus and just about every other retailer on the market. We will make sure that they are installed correctly and safely. Back to top....call now toll free @ 1-877-247-6426
• The motor pump for my pool doesn’t work. Do you work on them?
Yes we do. Many times the problem is nothing more than a poorly installed wire or undersized wires. These systems are often installed by wholly unqualified pool cleaners and many times the favors that they perform turn into nightmares. Ill advised pool cleaners will often upsize the pump for better water flow without taking into account the size of the wiring serving the motor. This can cause burnt wiring, fires and electrocution hazards. Have your electrical systems serviced by an electrician, your plumbing serviced by a plumber and your pool cleaned by the pool guy.
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• Th e GFCI in my bathroom trips all the time. Why?
It is probably defective. As many as 50% of the GFCI’s are not functioning properly after only a few years of use. If this is only a single appliance that is causing the tripping action that device is probably the culprit. GFCI circuits are far more sensitive than the other circuits in your home. They are made this way because the possibility of harm, electrocution, from surrounding water is greater.
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• Can I change my 2 prong plugs with 3 prong plugs?
Yes, but every outlet that is not grounded must be labeled “not for motor use”. It really doesn’t make good safety sense to have ungrounded outlets in the home. Give us a call and we can give you a free estimate to replace those ungrounded receptacles with grounded receptacles.
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• Do circuit breakers get old and wear out?
Yes. Most breakers will never give you a problem for the life of the home, but breakers that are regularly under a load or breakers that are routinely switched on and off will wear out. Heat, vibration and loose connections can damage breakers. Circuit breakers are not designed to replace switches. They are not designed to be turned on and off on a regular basis.
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• Why are fuses on my air conditioning system blowing?
This is really going to depend on several different factors. Do you have the correct fuses? The fuses must be the correct size and must be dual element time delay fuses. The cheap fuses down at the hardware store are typically one time fuses, and are not rated high enough for the starting load amperage of the compressor. It will work for awhile, but then will blow.
Are the fuses, or fuse, blowing instantly or within a couple of seconds after compressor start up? If this is the case then chances are good that the compressor has a directly grounded circuit. This should be looked at by an air conditioning service person.
Do the fuses blow after the air conditioning system is running for a length of time, say an hour or more? If this is the case, the problem is most likely a poor or loose electrical connection that is causing heat buildup and the heat is what is deteriorating the fuse. Many times the entire disconnect box serving the outdoor unit will need to be replaced after the fuses blow. The excessive heat can warp and corrode the metal holders of the fuses and this leads to future problems.
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• How often should my electric panels be serviced?
Once a year. We perform this as part of our Ultimate Maintenance Agreement. Vibrations and heat can loosen the connections in the box and lead to greater problems in the future. Having your panel serviced once a year is a wise investment in safety.
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• Why should I be rewired to install an arc fault breaker?
This has been a problem that rarely ends in a happy homeowner. ARC fault breakers are now required in sleeping quarters. Many times the administrative authority (city) will require that bedroom be upgraded when remodeling work is being performed. Many older bedrooms were served by what is called a half hot line. This is actually normal romex wring (NMB) that has a ground, a neutral and 1 power leg. The line is run to the bedroom and the plugs share the power leg, neutral leg and grounding leg with the lighting circuit. The neutral leg is the problem. An ARC fault breaker measures the load on the neutral leg and compares that to power leg in the plug. If the neutral leg has a different power signature than the power leg the plug thinks that the power is shorting out and it will trip the breaker. Everything will be just fine on these older systems until the light is turned on and the power registers differently on the neutral leg. ARC fault circuits cannot be shared with a lighting circuit so a new power line must be installed.
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• Guarantees - warrantees - our promises to you
Our Promise to You, Outstanding Craftsmanship. These are your Guarantees that  come FREE with your yearly maintenance.
This warranty was thoroughly explained to me and it is something that I want. This is not an obligation to purchase anything. We just want you to know why we’re different.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee: What our 100% satisfaction guarantee says is that if you are not 100% Satisfied with what we’ve performed, then we’ll make any modification necessary, any modification required, to gain your 100% satisfaction, up to and including replacing what we’ve provided and installed or refunding your money, all of your money. It’s not just our goal, 100% Satisfaction; it’s your right as a consumer. If you’re not satisfied, were not satisfied. To activate this warranty just let us know before you pay for the work performed that you are not satisfied. If we cannot satisfy you and your family simply allow us to remove the work that we’ve performed within 7 days of the request. You won’t owe us one dime for the work that we’ve performed.
No Lemon Lighting Guarantee: If any light fixture fails to perform exactly the way the manufacturer states it will within the first 10 Years, we’ll repair that light fixture or replace that light fixture for free. That’s FREE parts and labor for a Full 10 Years.* No one deserves a lemon or a warranty that doesn’t cover everything.
No Lemon Re-Wire Guarantee: If any portion of the copper wiring that we installed fails due to normal use in the first 10 years we will fix or replace that wiring for FREE. This includes direct burial wire, conduit, NMB, bell wire, circuit breakers, disconnect boxes, junction boxes, light switches, and panels. No one should have to pay for a home re-wire twice. You only pay once for the repair.
365 Day Test Drive: Our Company is going to give you 365 days to think about it. We call this our ‘You can’t be making a mistake – I want to think it over guarantee”. This is a 365 day test drive on your new copper re-wire or panel replacement. We want you to test drive your New System through all four seasons to make sure that it meets and exceeds all of your expectations. After you’ve passed through all four seasons only then do have to make a decision. If you’re not satisfied with the performance of the system, if for any reason or if for no reason whatsoever you are not satisfied with this system, give us call and we will refund 100% of your investment and we’ll give you interest. You don’t get to keep the materials that we installed and we must be allowed to remove every part of it within 7 days of the written request (email or letter) within the 365 day time period and you must sign a damage waiver, but you just received a year’s worth of wiring for FREE. We don’t believe you can possibly be making a mistake by having us perform this installation for you.
10-10-10 Warranty: See the back of the invoice for more details on this fantastic warranty. 10 years of protection when we provide the required maintenance. This is in addition to the factory warranties and guarantees.
Property Protection Guarantee: If we damage your home through negligence or accident we will have it repaired professionally or pay to have someone repair it professionally. We won’t go to some parking lot and pick up illegal workers and bring them to your home. We only use properly bonded, licensed and insured professional craftsman for every repair.
When We Perform 10 Years of Maintenance
Here Are the Covered Items on our Fantastic 10-10-10 Warranty:
1. Main Panel
2. Sub Panel
3. Surge Protector
4. G.F.C.I. Outlet
5. ARC-Fault Breaker
6. Circuit Breaker
7. Interior Light Fixture
8. Interior Junction Box
9. Exterior Junction Box
10. Circulation Pump
11. Attic Fan
12. EMT Conduit
13. Rigid Conduit
14. PVC Conduit
15. Flexible Conduit
16. Disconnect Box
17. Copper Wire
18. Telephone Wire
19. Ground Rod
20. Convenience Outlet
21. Light Switch
22. Appliance Pigtail
23. Recessed Light
24. Occupancy Sensor
Copper Electrical System: Every copper part we install in your new copper re-wire is covered.
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• What is an Ultimate Electric Service Agreement?
Why Invest, even a small amount, in a Total Service Maintenance Agreement?
• You deserve it! Let us handle the required routine preventative maintenance for your electrical system. You work hard all week and you shouldn’t have to work at home as well. Over 90% of all breakdowns are caused by a lack of proper maintenance. We can solve these problems.
• A well-maintained home is more comfortable.
• Regular, small repairs keep costs from becoming larger saving you money.
• A well-maintained home sells more readily and usually brings a higher price, making you money.
• We can lower your utility bills, saving you money.
• Never an overtime charge. Just one more part of our Total Satisfaction Guarantee. You deserve it!
• Priority customer status. We are making sure that your valuable time is never wasted.
• Emergency Service Today or You Don’t Pay. (Within 24 normal working hours or the minimum service diagnostic charge is free). One more part of our Total Satisfaction Guarantee.
•Manufacturer’s warranties are typically voided if the breakdown occurs due to lack of maintenance. We are working to enforce your warranty so you never pay twice for the same repair. This saves you money.
•10% Discount on any needed repairs or upgrades.
•Can you see how this service agreement pays for itself and then some?
Ultimate Service Agreement
One more part of our Total Satisfaction Guarantee. This is what we do for you.
• Test the smoke alarms-change batteries
• Check the main panel buss-bars for signs of burning
• Check the amperage draw of all major appliances
• Check GFCI operation for the bathrooms
• Check GFCI operation for the kitchen
• Check GFCI operation for the garage
• Check GFCI operation for all exterior locations
• 25% discount on first clean & torque and then free clean & torque for as long as the maintenance agreement is active.
• Check for aluminum wiring and signs of burning
• Check for worn wiring at the garbage disposal
Why an Electrical Service Agreement?
Do you realize that most home fires are caused by electrical shorts? In fact, it is so prevalent (80,000 fires a year) that the National Electrical Code is written by the National Fire Protection Association. Firefighters write electrical codes. Short circuits, aluminum wiring, knob & tube wiring and poor quality connections all contribute to the possibility of disastrous consequences in the home, resulting in fires. The electrical system in the home is perhaps the least understood and most overlooked component to a properly functioning and safe living environment. Circuit breakers and ground fault interrupters are designed to safeguard your life. Your electrical system should be inspected once a year for it’s entire life span to ensure that it is in proper and safe operating conditions.
• I have an electrical problem. How much is it going to cost?
There is no way to tell that without taking a look at the problem. I can tell you that the average electrical problem that we resolve is little more than $100. Give us a call and find out what excellent service and low, low rates really is. Find out why we were named National Contractor of the Year.
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• Money saving coupons
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