Ask the Electrician: Project Planning, The Supply Chain and You

Q: How far in advance do I need to plan my electrical projects?

Planning is key for any project especially if more than one trade is involved or a permit is required. In general even smaller electrical projects are taking a bit longer these days.  It’s certainly not all bad news, home projects are increasing and it feels like life is slowly returning to normal but it does mean that the planning stage is becoming even more important than ever.

Supply Chain:

Supply chain shortages are all the rage right now in the news but they are also having a very real impact on getting electrical projects completed. We are seeing shortages on availability of some key materials required for even simple jobs. Some items are backordered just a few weeks and some have become almost impossible to find.

One of the things impacting our panel and service upgrades is the nationwide shortage of meter bases.  It’s normally a matter of ordering the meter base and they would be delivered in a day or two. Currently there is a nationwide shortage, we are ordering them up to several months in advance and trying to stockpile them for future work. The cost has doubled and because the supply is limited we are seeing price gouging from some vendors.

It’s not just big-ticket items facing a supply shortage; it’s little things as well. While the majority of the common breakers are still available we are seeing modest shortages or delays in more specialty breakers and can no longer rely on simply stopping at the parts house to pick them up. Rather than a simple stop, these items are now often back-ordered for a week or more, which can delay a job and require multiple visits on our end.

Cost Increases:

From groceries to gas, its no secret things are a bit more expensive these days, as electricians, we are seeing it as well. Almost all electrical supplies and parts have increased in price and some have increased dramatically.

Some basics like wire and GFCI outlets have increased by as much as 50%. That meter base that was $50 (that we can’t get) is likely to be closer to $100. Minor price increases are a part of life but the current trend is having a big impact on our customers and us alike. If customers are supplying parts of fixtures like lights we suggest ordering them ahead of time both to secure better pricing and also make sure you have them when you are ready to install.

Permit and Inspection Timing:

Local permitting offices are feeling the squeeze as well. The time for getting a permit issued feels like it has almost doubled in many municipalities as local permit offices are facing the same labor shortages as many other businesses.  This impacts the inspection process as well. Inspectors are frequently fully booked and require more lead-time to call in inspections for a job. If there are multiple stages to the inspection, this can easily add days to a project and interfere with other trades scheduling.

Scheduling:

Overall we have seen the number of local electricians decline as small businesses struggled with the pandemic. Dynamic Electric has been fortunate to have retained both our team as well as found our way through the changes of the past two years. That means we are busy!  Our last minute/emergency slots fill quickly and we are generally scheduling most estimates and jobs about two weeks out depending on the week. Many other trades are experiencing this as well so overall coordination can take more effort.

We really encourage customers who are thinking about an upcoming project to go ahead start to make plans now. Doing an estimate ahead of time allows us to prepare for any known parts and materials that might be hard to find as well as letting customers know pricing and timeframes involved. We’re finding that more than ever some pre-planning is the key to a smooth running project.

If you are thinking about a Spring project, now is a great time to get the process started.

Return to Home Page

---

Ask the Electrician is a column we publish with our advertising partner WCHL/Chapelboro. In “Ask The Electrician,” Scott answers common questions about electrical work, from switches and outlets to safety issues and preventative maintenance. If you have a suggested question for us to answer – or need an electrician – please reach out to our office.

See the article on Chapelboro.com: Project Planning, The Supply Chain and You

Ask the Electrician: Chasing Codes

Q: Who determines electrical code and inspection requirements in NC?

Electrical codes and inspection requirements apply to both new construction as well as remodeling or repair work. Code requirements all vary for new or existing residential homes as well as for commercial buildings. Most code is safety related and designed to bring modern safety standards to existing homes as well as new construction and commercial buildings alike. 

For a homeowner, it can be frustrating and confusing to determine what the current code or requirements actually are. There is no single listing of all code and inspection requirements and it often requires cross-referencing several areas to determine what is actually required by law.

There are actually multiple entities that dictate electrical code or inspection requirements for any given project:

National Electrical Code – NFPA 70: Current version is NEC 2020, published in September 2019.

This is commonly referred to as the National Code Book, it is part of a set of code and safety standards published by the National Fire Protection Agency.  It is used in all 50 states and serves as a standard for safe electrical design, installation and inspection. The NEC is revised every three years and then sent to the individual states to be reviewed and accepted. It does not go into effect until the individual state has reviewed and accepted it.

• https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=70

NC State Electrical Code - amended NEC 2020 accepted November 2021.

This state level agency (North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshall) is responsible for setting state specific amendments and exceptions to the NEC standards. These state specific codes can over-ride standards set by the NEC. Codes may be exempted or excluded. Although the NEC 2020 was released in 2019, the amended version was not adopted by North Carolina until November of 2021 after multiple reviews.

• https://www.ncosfm.gov/codes/state-electrical-division/state-electrical-code-and-interpretations

Local Municipality Codes or Requirements:

Local cities and/or counties may add their own municipality specific requirements, these standards may not be “less than” any state requirements but may require a higher standard. For example, the town of Chapel Hill has different ordinances for underground lines due to the heavy tree coverage in our area.

•  Local ordinances are enforced by inspection offices.

State Legislature & Lobby Groups:

These requirements are also subject to statewide legislation and political lobbies.  Different groups like builders associations will use lobbying power to influence changes that may impact affordability or create business disruptions. These groups play a determining factor in the many reviews and amendments that the NEC goes through before being accepted on a state level.

Oversights Committee of NC Department of Insurance

The State Fire Marshall (OSFM) is actually a division of the NC Department of Insurance. The NCDOI handles an oversight committee that regulates the state inspectors.  Through this the NCDOI can add further regulations and requirements that are enforced through the inspections department. These may be stronger standards than are required by the NEC or NC State Electrical Code.

Here are some quick examples of how these different groups influence current codes and requirements:

• Ground Rods: Since 2008 residential electrical code has required a second grounding rod for any work involving the meter base or service and panel upgrades. In 2021 the oversight committee of the NC Department of Insurance required that in order to pass inspection that existing ground rods could not be used so 2 new ground rods must be installed when completing this work in order to pass inspection.

• GFCI protection on 240v plug-in appliances: The 2020 NEC requires that any 240v appliance (think car chargers) that is plugged in rather than hardwired must have additional GFCI protection.  There are already some exceptions for things like stoves and ranges but requirement was amended and left out of the NC Electrical Code as of November 2021.

• Exterior Cut-Off for Mains: This NEC code requires that there must be an exterior accessed shut off for main power to a building. This allows for quicker access to the main power by emergency personnel if needed. In November of 2021, this was amended for NC and only applies to commercial buildings. (Certainly some lobbying influence from the homebuilders association.)

Chasing the Code:

Multiple governing bodies and frequent amendments mean that correct code can feel like a moving target.  Our team does frequent training and review to stay ahead of changing requirements and works hand in hand with our local inspectors to make sure we know what is required for any given project.

---

Ask the Electrician is a column we publish with our advertising partner WCHL/Chapelboro. In “Ask The Electrician,” Scott answers common questions about electrical work, from switches and outlets to safety issues and preventative maintenance. If you have a suggested question for us to answer – or need an electrician – please reach out to our office.

See the article on Chapelboro.com: Chasing Codes

Ask the Electrician: Preventing Shocks, Faults and Fires

Q: What is the difference between GFCI and AFCI?

Both of these safety devices are becoming more and more common in our homes. They protect against two major threats caused by electrical ground faults that can cause electric shocks (GFCI) and electrical fires (AFCI).

Most homeowners are familiar with GFCI or Ground Fault Circuit Interruption. As a safety feature, these have been required by building codes since the early 1970s.  GFCI outlets appear commonly in bathrooms, exterior outlets, crawl spaces and other areas that may be exposed to moisture.

Because water can be a conductor, proximity to moisture is a common way that electrical current can leak and result in a ground fault. Exposure to even small increases in current can cause severe or fatal shock hazards. The common visualization here is the hair dryer slipping into the sink or bathtub.  The GFCI senses even these small increases in current and reacts almost immediately (within a tenth of a second) to shut off current to the outlet.

GFCI are easily reset at the outlet with a small reset button. If your GFCI does not reset or continues to trip, you should contact an electrician to determine the problem. Additionally, GFCI switches should be tested periodically to make sure that they are working. As our homes age, existing GFCI outlets may have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced.

AFCI or Arc Fault Circuit Interruption provides protection against electrical fires by detecting irregularities in current caused my arc faults.  AFCIs can be installed at a breaker box level or in receptacles that look similar to the more common GFCI outlet.  Both the breakers and the outlets have a reset switch that must be reset if tripped.  AFCI protection started to become a requirement in 2002, primarily for bedrooms and today is a building requirement for most living areas in the home.

Arc faults are most associated with electrical fires because the “arc” can result in sparking and excessive heat that can easily ignite any nearby materials.  Old, frayed appliance cords, loose connections or pinched/punctured wiring can all cause arc faults. The common homeowner accident is nailing into wires in the wall while hanging a picture. Because most electrical wiring is hidden from sight, electrical fires can spread behind walls and present very dangerous conditions not immediately detectable by smoke detectors.

The sensing technology for AFCIs has improved a great deal but older technology was responsible for many complaints of “false tripping” so AFCIs are not as widely accepted or known as GFCI protection. Today homeowners that are updating existing homes, especially older retrofits may need to look at several options for AFCI or a combination of the breaker and outlet styles. This is because appliances, wiring types and AFCI technology have all changed over the years, so retrofitting can require some research and a bit of fine tuning for how all of the components will work together.  Don’t be discouraged if it takes some investigation.

Electrical safety has come a long way and continues to improve. Let us know if you have any questions about either the GFCI or AFCI protection in your home.

Return to Home Page

---

Ask the Electrician is a column we publish with our advertising partner WCHL/Chapelboro. In “Ask The Electrician,” Scott answers common questions about electrical work, from switches and outlets to safety issues and preventative maintenance. If you have a suggested question for us to answer – or need an electrician – please reach out to our office.

See the article on Chapelboro.com: Preventing Shocks, Faults and Fires

Why has the inspector requested additional work be done that isn't related to the current job?

Occasionally, an inspector may find other issues when visiting your home that require attention. This is most common when improvements have been done in the past without proper inspections or permits. Depending on the type of issue, inspectors can sometimes require that other additional repairs be made before allowing the current job to pass inspection.

This can be frustrating as it may require additional work on your home and can delay current work being done.  Inspectors are most likely to make this decision when the previous work is wildly outside of code or represents a safety hazard in your home.  It doesn't happen very often but can become an unexpected issue that must be dealt with.

The best way to prevent this is to ensure that all work done to your home is properly permitted and inspected.

Back to FAQ

Will my job require a permit?

County permitting offices exist to both record improvements for tax purposes as well as oversee work being done to ensure that it is safe and meets code building code standards.  If a job is considered new service, an improvement to existing service or an upgrade it may require a permit. In general repairs to existing systems do not require permits.

The permitting process is fairly simple, a permit is applied for, a fee is collected and then an inspector visits at various stages to ensure that work is completed correctly.

The permit process can add additional time to completion as in most cases a county inspector will need to visit and approve work being done at different stages of completion. Depending on the type of work being done this can be one or multiple visits.  If the inspector has a question or finds a problem they must re-inspect the work before the job can proceed. Most inspectors require at least 24 hours to schedule another visit so this can add additional days to a job.

Back to FAQ

What is the difference between AFCI and GFCI breakers and outlets?

Both of these breaker/outlet types are designed to provide protection for you and your home.

GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) are designed to prevent any excess current from escaping the line and potentially shocking people by turning off the circuit when power goes where it shouldn’t, wiring becomes wet, or damaged.

These are required for many outlets located in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors and several other locations. If there is ungrounded or leaking current, the GFCI "trips" to prevent the potential for electrical shock. The outlet is then reset with a small button located on the outlet.

GFCI have been required by code since the late 1960's so most homeowners are familiar with these outlets. They are sometimes called GFI.

AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) are designed to protect your home against fires caused by loose wires and other current disruptions that may allow electrical current to arc and start a fire. When these arcs are detected on the circuit, it will "trip" and cut off electricity to the circuit.

Arc faults can be caused by any number of things. Common causes for arc faults are loose wires, wires that have been damaged by nails or animals, damaged or frayed power cords or simply old wiring. Because these arcs often occur in the walls of a home they can be a huge fire risk.

Code now requires that residential areas of your home be updated with AFCI protected circuits during any remodeling or repair work. AFCI protection is available both on a circuit breaker level (inside your electrical panel) and on outlets and receptacles. These look very similar to a GFCI outlet or breaker with a small reset button that tests the current before allowing the electricity to flow again.

Back to FAQ

Where do I need GFCI circuits or receptacles?

GFCI circuits are required by code for any areas that may be exposed to moisture such as bathrooms and kitchens as well as any exterior areas of your home like your garage, crawl space and any exterior outlets.

Back to FAQ

Where do I need AFCI circuits or receptacles?

AFCI circuits are now required in all residential areas not protected by GCFI outlets already with minor exceptions. This means that they should be in place for all types of lighting and general outlets. We upgrade many older homes with this new protection code standard.

Back to FAQ

What is a generator transfer switch?

A transfer switch is a switch that moves electrical load between two different sources, normally between a generator and an electrical panel/utility line.

Transfer switches can be automatic (ATS) (common with standby generators) or manual which require you to physically move the switch when you want to redirect the source of electricity. Both types ensure that power is not backfed to the generator or utility line when changing back and forth.

There are many options available and correct selection will depend on your specific home's needs.

Back to Generator FAQ

Back to FAQ