No, because installing a whole home surge protection involves accessing your main electrical panel, it should be done by a licensed electrician.
Which Home Surge Protector should I buy?
There are a wide variety of options available both at home improvement stores and online for home surge protection and in a wide variety of price ranges. The best kind will clearly list their interrupting rating, have an indicator light to let you know that they are still working and have not been blown by a direct strike, and have a good manufacturer warranty. Quality manufacturers provide a warranty covering all the in home devices and appliances that could be damaged by a surge or indirect strike.
We specifically recommend and frequently install the following 2 units, the Eaton unit is a bit moe affordable but the Intermatic offers the ability to replace modules in the event of a surge event by yourself, both are quality products.
EATON Ultimate Surge Protection ( CHSPT2ULTRA ):
Great low cost solution for residential needs. Limited lifetime warranty on equipment and $75,000 coverage for connected devices. Must be replaced after a surge event.
Intermatic Smart Guard Whole Home Surge Protector (IG2240-IMSK):
This unit comes with both a protection status light for easy checking and replaceable modules (can be done by homeowner) to reset the unit after a surge event.
Intermatic is backed by a great warranty & quality equipment, & solid customer service. There is a 10 year product warranty and coverage for up to $50,000 on connected equipment.
What does Whole Home Surge Protection cost?
Given the cost of losing a single major appliance or piece of equipment, whole home surge protection is remarkably affordable. It is one of the most common upgrades we suggest to residential customers.
Depending on the model selected and installation requirements of your home a home surge protector costs roughly $425-$700 depending on your home’s needs and existing electrical situation.
Bear in mind; you will need a minimum of two empty breaker slots available in your panel box and room to locate the surge protector immediately beside your electrical panel (rarely a problem). Additionally, if you home was built before 2008, you may need to upgrade your grounding system to include 2 ground rods as this is required by building code now. These items may increase the cost of installing Home Surge Protection on a case by case basis but it is still minor to the cost of replacing a major appliance or electronic device.
How do I select the correct charger for my vehicle?
Check with you vehicle manufacturer first, they can be a great resource for available chargers that are specifically compatible with your car.
Do your research on the internet and double check for compatibility and brand reputation.
Clipper Creek has a great on their website, simply enter the vehicle make and model and the site will display all the compatible equipment available.
Why Clipper Creek brand chargers?
Clipper Creek has been an industry leader in ESVE for many years now and they are a brand that we can stand behind and come with a great 3 year warranty. We can however install other brands or customer provided equipment.
Are level 2 EV chargers safe?
Safety is an important issue with EV chargers like any other major appliance. Look for UL and ETL marks on any equipment you buy showing they have been independently safety tested by nationally recognized laboratories. All Clipper Creek Level 2 chargers have met these testing certifications. Additionally your Level 1 charger should be on a dedicated GFCI protected circuit.
What are the electrical requirements for EV chargers?
The electrical requirements of a charger depend on how much power it’s meant to deliver. Almost all Level 2 chargers require a 240 volt outlet similar to a major appliance like your dryer or oven. The second thing to consider is the amperage required for the circuit. Some Level 2 chargers require as little as 20 amps while others like Tesla chargers can require up to 100 amps. We often recommend installing the charger on a 50 amp circuit and wiring to allow for additional power needs in the future, even if it only calls for 20-40 amps.
Where can the EV charger be installed?
This will depend on your garage or parking area but most standard power cords are about six feet long so the charger should be easily accessible to where the vehicle is most often parked. Longer power cords of up to 25 feet are available but generally closer is better. If needed, you may consider a pedestal mounted charger which can be placed almost anywhere in your parking area.
What level of charger will I need for my EV?
Almost all electric vehicles come with a Level 1 or “trickle”charger that plugs into a standard wall outlet. This may be enough for your vehicles needs depending on how often you charge and how many miles you are putting on your electric vehicle. Many EV owners upgrade to a Level 2 charger which allows a much quicker recharge in a shorter amount of time. These Level 2 chargers normally require professional installation by a qualified electrician.
How do I determine which new bulbs to buy if I am switching to CFL/ LED bulbs?
In general we recommend going to LED rather than CFL, LED has become more affordable and offers better longevity than CFL bulbs. There are now good looking LED bulbs available for almost any application even retro style “Edison” bulbs. There are a few older application or small bulbs that remain most appropriate for a Halogen or incandescent bulb, mostly small bulbs found in appliances; refrigerator bulb, range hoods, some low voltage track lighting etc., but otherwise try switching to LED as you replace household bulbs
Look for bulbs from a reliable manufacturer, big names like Phillips, GE, Halo and Lutron, these may cost a bit more but offer better quality than unknown brands. If they offer a warranty, check to see if it applies only to the diode or if it covers the ballast/drivers as well.
Fixtures are rated for either dry, damp, or wet locations, the same goes for bulbs and it will lessen the lifespan of the bulb to put an indoor bulb in an outdoor fixture. In addition, be careful to read the label on your fixture or bulb to see if it's dimmable. CFL's and LED's can blink, buzz and have a shorter lifespan if they are installed on an older incandescent only dimmer. We recommend changing your dimmers to a Lutron brand "CL" type for all CFL's and LED's. Some specialty LED fixtures require an "ELV" dimmer which cost more because it is more effective at dimming LED's.
Over time switching your bulbs to LED is a great way to conserve energy as well as spend a bit less time changing bulbs, even making the swap in your most frequently used lights can have an impact.
Which light bulbs should I switch for energy efficiency first?
Most people transition to newer LED or CFL bulbs on a gradual basis as old incandescent bulbs burn out. Think about which lights are on most often in your home and start there. For many homes these are lights in the kitchen or living room. Another area that can provide some energy savings is outdoor lights especially if they are on all evening on a regular basis.
The other area we recommend doing first are any fixtures that are hard to access or require a ladder, switching these to a longer lasting energy efficient bulb not only saves money but saves the hassle of changing them on a more frequent basis.
Why do my new LED/CFL lightbulbs not last as long as the package says?
We hear complaints all the time about new “long life” bulbs needing to be replaced or burning our prematurely. A couple of factors come into play here:
First the claims made on packaging are often for a 3 hour per day usage. A bulb that claims a 10 year life may burn out much quicker if it is being used for a kitchen or living room light that is on most of the time. If the bulb is on for 8-9 hours a day then the manufacture would estimate a 3 year lifespan based on the number of hours. It is always an estimate at best and individual bulbs when combined with fixtures/especially older ones may not meet the average as determined under laboratory settings by the manufacturer.
A second factor is the cost/quality of the bulb. With CFL and LED technology being relatively new there is a wide range of quality vs cost as these bulbs become more accessible to the public at a relative price range. Components other than the bulb itself may fail and cause the bulb to “blow”, with CFL this is commonly the ballast and with LED it is a driver, both these parts regulate voltage to the bulb and can be affected by heat, vibration or other external factors and become the weak link in the functioning of the bulb.
A third factor in overall bulb life is the condition of the fixture and working environment itself. This is often harder to determine but some older light fixtures may simply be harder on new lightbulb technologies. Older dimmers and touch sensitive lights may be incompatible with new energy efficient bulbs and cause bulbs to burn out or not respond correctly. Enclosed fixtures may allow newer bulbs to overheat. Another environmental culprit may be vibration and loose or insecure connection in the fixture itself, kids romping around in a playroom above the kitchen or a wild dance party upstairs may be shaking the light fixture below, better quality bulbs may be unaffected but cheaper bulbs may fail as a result.
Why do I need a Capitol Improvement Affidavit?
If your job is considered a capitol improvement under NC tax law, labor costs associated with your job are exempt from sales tax but we must have a completed affidavit for capitol improvements signed by the homeowner for our records. This law changed in January of 2017 and now all jobs that are regarded as being service, repairs or installation require sales tax be charged on labor. Capitol Improvements are exempt from this tax. The form can be downloaded here.
Why am I being charged sales tax on labor?
As of January of 2017, NC service contractors such as electricians, plumbers, have been required to charge sales tax on all labor/fees for Service, Repair & Installation. Commonly most repair and service call jobs for us fall under this category.
What brands of Electric car chargers do you install?
We can correctly install almost any brand of EV charger available. We often recommend Clipper Creek because they have a great reputation for both quality products and customer service. If you have questions about a particular brand or model of electric vehicle charger please get in touch with us to discuss options.
I plan to run my generator on propane, how large a tank do I need?
This depends on both the size of your generator and how long you plan on running it for. For most home usages we recommend either a 120 gallon tank for short outages (1-2 days) or a 500 gallon tank for more extended time periods (8-10 days).
Here are more exact estimates based on the size of your generator and assuming an average 50% load on the generator during the outage.
22kw Generac: 48 hours on 120 gallon tank / 197 hours on a 500 gallon tank
20kw Generac: 50 hours on 120 gallon tank / 210 hours on a 500 gallon tank
16kw Generac: 59 hours on 120 gallon tank / 246 hours on a 500 gallon tank
7.5kw Generac: 138 hours on 120 gallon tank / 574 hours on a 500 gallon tank
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.
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.
Should I use Natural Gas or Propane to fuel my generator?
This depends entirely on your preference is or what pre-existing fuel type you may have already available at your home.
In general propane is a slightly more commonly available and customers can contact their propane provider directly to upgrade the size of the fuel tank and make arrangements to have a line added for the generator. Initial installation costs for the propane line tend to be a bit cheaper but propane is more expensive than natural gas over the long term if you will be using the generator for extended periods of time. Additionally the size of the fuel tank will determine how long your generator can run during an outage.
Natural gas installation costs a bit more but the fuel cost of natural gas is generally lower. As long as the supply of natural gas is uninterrupted your generator will continue to work.
Your generator will perform well on either fuel so many people select the fuel that they already use in their home, especially if the generator is intended for emergency back-up power and will not be used on a regular basis.
Both fuel types require a two-tiered inspection from county permitting offices. One when the fuel line is prepped and ready to connect and a second final inspection once both the generator and fuel source are connected.
Will my power be off while installing my generator?
For safety, your main electrical power will need to be turned off while connecting the transfer switch and other components of your generator. This is generally done on the second day of installation and your power will be off for part or most of the day while work is completed. Please plan accordingly as hvac systems, refrigerators and other electrical appliances will not be available during this time.