How is the electric you can’t see?

When installing electrical 120V receptacles in the home there are two main ways electricians wire them. At Batista Electric we like to go above the norm when installing 120V receptacles in our customers homes. Starting with insuring the receptacle is installed on a circuit that can handle the equipment to be plugged into that receptacle.

For example if an appliance that is fixed in place such as a microwave or dishwasher it is going to use more than 50% of the circuits capacity you should add another circuit. If the circuit is 20 amps then the appliance should use no more than 9amps before installing another circuit from the main breaker panel. So, ensuring the circuit and receptacle is installed to handle whatever it is that you are using it for is the number one priority.

The second thing we do is make sure is the installation is up to the task. Meaning does the wire size match the amperage of the circuit we’re using it for? A 20 amp circuit should use 12 gauge wire. Most people may use a space heater, not many people think about the fact that the living room circuit they're plugging it into is most likely a 14 gauge wire serving a large part of the home already. The circuit is not made for the heating appliance or the wall AC that many home owners are using in their home.

When a circuit in a home goes bad, the first two places I check are the breaker suppling the circuit and the receptacles. Checking which type of connection method the receptacles are using gives me a good indication where the problem is. As the saying goes the weakest link in the chain is the maximum strength of the total chain. In an electrical circuits I find the weakest link in the chain to be the quick connect at the back of your receptacles.

In our experience long term electrical problems come from a few areas, one is the final connection. The final connection can be done one of two ways. The first is the quick connection. This connection is not the best for longevity especially if you use that circuit with items that draw over 50% on that circuit, such as the small appliances as mentioned above.

Pig tailing of the wires before you bring them to the outlet is a strong method for wiring your outlets. The power does not have to pass through the outlet to go to the next outlet. When you use the pig tailing method a receptacle that goes bad will not make the entire circuit fail. At the same time connecting the wires to the receptacle using the screw connectors on the sides of the receptacle gives you a very strong 120v receptacle installation.

The installation of 120v receptacles in your home is a major part of how well your electrical system will work over time. Ensuring it is done right the first time will save you time and money in the long run.

Call Batista Electric 239-850-5007 and we will do it right the first time.