Electrical Archives

Outlet Receptacle Orientation: The Great Debate

April 10, 2023/2 Comments/in Electrical

A wall receptacle may have its grounding opening above or below the two blade slots, or it may be mounted horizontally. Appearance alone does not tell you whether it is correctly wired, properly grounded or suitable for its location. Follow the product instructions and applicable installation requirements; ask a licensed electrician about a particular installation.

Does orientation identify a switched outlet?

Some installers use a different orientation to distinguish a receptacle controlled by a wall switch, but this is not a dependable identification method. One or both halves of a duplex receptacle may be switched. Do not assume power is off because of its orientation or a nearby switch.

Exposed plug blades remain a hazard

A partially inserted plug can leave energized metal exposed. A metal object contacting it can cause shock, arcing or a short circuit. Do not rely on a standard circuit breaker to prevent injury: ordinary overcurrent protection is not the same as personnel ground-fault protection.

Ground-up orientation may affect how an object contacts a three-prong plug, but it does not eliminate the hazard. Fully seated plugs, secure cover plates and receptacles that hold plugs firmly matter in every orientation. Have loose or damaged components evaluated; do not reach for a metal object touching plug blades.

Horizontal mounting is not a safety guarantee

hots up

Placing the neutral slot above the hot slot does not make an exposed connection safe. Do not infer actual wiring from the visible slot arrangement. Leave wiring changes and fault diagnosis to a qualified electrician.

Grounding and GFCI protection are different

A three-slot face does not prove that an equipment grounding path exists. GFCI protection can reduce certain shock risks, but does not create an equipment ground or make every contact safe. An electrician should determine permitted replacement options and any required labels for an ungrounded circuit.

Clarification of the older discussion below: The earlier comment about replacing ungrounded receptacles with GFCIs was incomplete. Suitability, wiring and required labeling must be evaluated for the specific installation; it should not be read as a DIY replacement instruction.

What an inspection can establish

An inspection can report accessible, observable electrical concerns within its scope. Receptacle orientation alone is not a substitute for assessing condition and appropriate protection, and a basic tester cannot establish every aspect of wiring safety.

Reference: CPSC Guide to Home Wiring Hazards. For related information, see our article on bootleg grounds.

Recall Notice for Electrical Panels

September 29, 2022/0 Comments/in Electrical

Recall reference: This article concerns the June 16, 2022 Square D QO Plug-on-Neutral recall, number 22-159. Check the official CPSC notice and Schneider Electric safety notice for product identification and the recall remedy. Do not remove the panel cover to find internal labels or attempt the repair yourself; contact Schneider Electric to arrange evaluation by a trained electrician. A general home inspection does not replace the manufacturer’s recall process or certify that recalled equipment has been repaired.

Schneider Electric™ Recall: 1.4 Million Electrical Panels affected Due to Thermal Burn and Fire Hazards

Name of Product:

Square™ D QO™ Plug-on-Neutral Load Centers, also known as, Load Centers, Breaker Boxes, Electrical Panels

Hazard:

The load center can overheat, posing thermal burn and fire hazards.

Remedy:

Replace
Repair

Date:

June 16, 2022

Units:

About 1.4 million (In addition, 289,000 were sold in Canada)

Consumer Contact

Schneider Electric Technical toll-free at 888-778-2733 from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, online at www.se.com/us/qoloadcenter-safetyrecallnotice or at www.se.com/us/en/ and click on Recall Safety Notice for more information.

Details

Description:

This recall involves indoor, outdoor, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Square D QO Plug-On Neutral Load Centers that were installed in homes, recreational vehicles, or commercial establishments, including restaurants, manufacturing facilities and warehouses, commercial lighting, and others. The circuit breaker boxes were sold in gray and come in various sizes (square and rectangular). The recalled circuit breaker boxes were manufactured between February 2020 and January 2022, with date codes between 200561 and 220233.

For installed outdoor load centers, the manufacturing date codes are printed on the inside of the cover or door of the unit or on the box itself when the cover or door is open.

For installed indoor load centers, a qualified electrician can locate the interior date codes that are not visible to the homeowner.

Circuit breaker boxes with covers that were manufactured between December 2019 and March 2022 are also included in this recall. The affected catalog/part numbers can be found inside the electrical panel doors for both the U.S. and Canada.

Recalled Electrical Panel U.S. and Canada Catalog /Part Numbers Beginning with:

CQO116L100PGRB	QO130M200PRB	QOC30UFWG
CQO116M100PRB	QO140L200PGRB	QOC30UFWGW
CQO116M60PRB	QO140M200PRB	QOC30US
CQO124L125PGRB	QO142L225PGRB	QOC32UF
CQO124M100PRB	QO142M200PRB	QOC32UFW
CQO140L200PGRB	QO142M225PRB	QOC40UF
CQO140M200PRB	QO1816M200PFTRB	QOC40UFW
NQC20FWG	QO816L100PRB	QOC40US
NQC20FWGW	QOC12UF	QOC42UF
NQC30FWG	QOC12US	QOC42UFW
NQC30FWGW	QOC16UF	QOC42US
QO112L125PGRB	QOC16UFW	QOC54UF
QO112L200PGRB	QOC16US	QOC54UFW
QO112M100PRB	QOC20U100F	QOC60UF
QO116L125PGRB	QOC20U100FW	QOCMF30UC
QO116M100PRB	QOC20U100S	QOCMF30UCW
QO120M100PRB	QOC20UFWG	QOCMF42UC
QO120M150PRB	QOC20UFWGW	QOCMF42UCW
QO120M200PRB	QOC24UF	QOCMF54UC
QO124L125PGRB	QOC24UFW	QOCMF54UCW
QO124M100PRB	QOC24US	QOCMF60UC
QO124M125PRB	QOC30U125C	QOCMF60UCW
QO130L200PGRB	QOC30UF
QO130M150PRB	QOC30UFW

Remedy:

Schneider Electric is directly contacting all known retailers, distributors, homeowners, and any other individuals that purchased or installed the recalled product. All purchasers and installers should immediately contact Schneider Electric to arrange to have the recalled load centers inspected by trained electricians to determine if replacement or repair is required. This inspection and any resulting replacement or repair are free of charge.

Consumers can find the catalog number and date code on indoor load centers inside the door of the panel. Consumers should immediately contact Schneider Electric to arrange to have the recalled load center inspected by a trained electrician to determine if repair is required. This inspection and any resulting repair is free of charge. Consumers who continue to use the load centers while awaiting the free repair should have working smoke alarms in their homes.

For uninstalled products, consumers should contact Schneider Electric for a free repair or replacement.

Incidents/Injuries:

The firm has received one report of an incident of a loose wire. No injuries have been reported.

Sold At:

Authorized Schneider Electric distributors and home improvement and hardware stores nationwide and online including Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menard’s from February 2020 through January 2022 for between $90 and $1,660.

Manufacturer(s):

Schneider Electric USA Inc., of Lexington, Kentucky

Manufactured In:

United States

Recall number:

22-159

Our Inspections

We look for these recalled items and other material defects during a general home inspection. If you’ve been in your home for some time, it may be a good idea to have an unbiased professional take a look around. Realm Inspections will help you prioritize that to-do list! Schedule your maintenance home inspection today!

Receptacles: Bootleg Grounds

December 28, 2021/0 Comments/in Electrical

Dated 2-prong ungrounded receptacle

All about bootleg grounds

The outlets in our homes are a necessary component of modern living. Our culture is dependent on readily available access to power. Ever since we harnessed electricity, we have witnessed the ongoing evolution for safety. Safety, it would seem, does come without a price. And bootleg grounds, unfortunately, are one way of avoiding that expense.

Part of the issue that comes with owning an older home is that the three-prong cords on electrical devices will not jive with older pre-1960 two-slot receptacles. To begin with, one way to deal with this is to use an “adapter” similar to the one pictured below. This device lets you connect your three-pronged appliances into older two-slot receptacle outlets. So what’s the problem? The problem is you have effectively cut out the safety mechanism the grounded electrical system provides along that third prong.

Grounded to ungrounded plug adapter

Replacing an older two-slot receptacle with a three-slot model does not, by itself, provide an equipment-grounding path. Newly installed outlets and cover plates can conceal older wiring, so appearance alone is not a reliable guide to electrical safety.

What should they do?

Modern 3-prong grounded receptacle

A qualified electrician should determine suitable replacement and grounding arrangements for the existing wiring. A three-slot receptacle alone does not establish that an effective equipment ground is present. Basic plug-in testers also have limits: the Klein RT100 documentation, for example, says it does not indicate ground quality, some combinations of defects, or reversal of grounded and grounding conductors. A reassuring light pattern is not a complete wiring evaluation.

Basic three-light receptacle tester

Why can a bootleg ground fool a tester?

An improper neutral-to-ground connection at a receptacle can make a basic three-light tester display an apparently normal pattern. Its lights indicate voltage conditions, not a resistance measurement that proves an effective equipment ground. A normal-looking result is not proof that the receptacle is safely grounded. Suspected grounding defects require evaluation by a qualified electrician.

The blue wire is the bootleg jumping the ground to the neutral terminal. This is an illegal configuration.

Recently changed receptacles in an older home can prompt questions about the underlying wiring. Age and appearance are clues for further evaluation, not proof of a particular defect.

What do we do then?

Inspection observations and test readings may indicate a need for further evaluation. They do not guarantee discovery of concealed wiring defects. A qualified electrician should evaluate suspected grounding problems and determine the appropriate correction. Receptacle removal is not promised as part of every home inspection.

What’s the bottom line?

A bootleg ground improperly connects the equipment-grounding contact to the current-carrying neutral at the receptacle. This can create a serious shock hazard, particularly when other wiring faults are present. It does not mean every connected appliance frame is always at the same hazardous voltage; the danger depends on the circuit conditions. A qualified electrician should evaluate and correct the defect.

If you suspect a wiring problem, contact a qualified electrician. Do not remove receptacles or attempt internal wiring checks yourself. A home inspection can document accessible conditions and recommend follow-up, but does not replace electrical diagnosis or repairs.

Contact Realm to discuss a home inspection.

Smoke Detector Types, Which One to Use?

October 15, 2021/0 Comments/in Electrical, Homeownership

If you didn’t already know, the two most commonly recognized smoke detector types are ionization smoke detection and photoelectric smoke detection.

So, Ionization vs Photoelectric, which smoke detector types are right for me? Is there really a difference?

Ionization and photoelectric alarms respond differently to different fires. No single technology is the fastest in every situation. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends both technologies, either as separate alarms or a dual-sensor smoke alarm. Follow manufacturer instructions and applicable installation requirements when selecting alarms.

Hate reading? Check out this 5-minute video demonstrating the different smoke detector types. It may just save your life!

Let’s take a deeper dive into the different smoke detector types.

• Ionization smoke alarms

The most common smoke detector types (usually due to cost) are Ionization smoke alarms. These are generally more responsive to fires with visible flames or environments heavily saturated with smoke.
How they work: Ionization-type smoke alarms have a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates. These plates ionize the air and cause current to flow between the plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow of current and activating the alarm. Download this chart on ionization smoke alarms.

• Photoelectric smoke alarms

Photoelectric smoke alarms are generally more responsive to fires that begin with a long period of smoldering (called “smoldering fires”). Think of a cigarette that may not have been fully extinguished and dumped in the trash. Another example is that of an overheating appliance that doesn’t actually burn but smokes before a flame is present.

How they work: Photoelectric-type alarms aim a light source into a sensing chamber at an angle away from the sensor. Smoke enters the chamber, reflects the light onto the sensor, thus triggering the alarm. Download this chart on photoelectric smoke alarms.

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is aware that there is a controversy about smoke detector types and which is most appropriate to protect people in their homes.

The body of scientific knowledge about fire, smoke, and smoke detection has developed over many years and is quite extensive. The USFA has either fully or partially funded a number of research efforts. These include a recent study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Center for Fire Research. Other contributors to this data include the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Fire Protection Association, Underwriters Laboratories, the Home Fire Safety Council, the Residential Fire Safety Institute, the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, and distinguished academics with expertise in smoke alarm and sensor technology.

The body of research reflects the following:

There are two types of smoke alarms in general use for home smoke alarms, Photoelectric and Ionization. These smoke alarms sense the prese nce of smoke differently.
The type of smoke produced by fire depends on the type of fire. Flaming fires produce a different type of smoke than smoldering fires.
Both smoke alarms will detect the smoke from either a smoldering fire or a flaming fire. It has been established and well known for many years that:
- Ionization smoke alarms tend to respond faster to the smoke produced by flaming fires than photoelectric smoke alarms.
- Photoelectric smoke alarms tend to respond faster to the smoke produced by smoldering fires than ionization smoke alarms.
In some full-scale fire tests, the difference in the time to alarm between ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms was found to be trivial. In other full-scale fire tests, the difference in response time was considerable.

Based on this information, the USFA provides guidance to the public and to state and local legislative bodies. Either body may be grappling with the issue of determining which smoke detector types to select for residential use. Their guidance includes:

We cannot state that one type of alarm is better than another because every fire is different.
Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially fatal fires, and because no one can predict what type of fire might start in a home, the USFA recommends that every home and place where people sleep be equipped with either
- both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms, or
- dual sensor smoke alarms (which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors).
The location of a smoke alarm within a home may be more important than the type of smoke alarm present, depending on the location of a fire. The USFA recommends that users follow the manufacturer’s guidance along with current standards on the recommended location of smoke alarms in a home.

To wrap this up

For each of the smoke detector types, the advantage they provide may be critical to life safety in some fire situations. Fatal home fires, day or night, include a large number of smoldering fires and a large number of flaming fires. You cannot predict the type of fire you may have in your home or when it will occur. Any smoke alarm technology, to be acceptable, must perform for both types of fires in order to provide sufficient warning. Regardless of the type of fire, for all times of the day or night, and whether you are asleep or awake.
For the best protection, use both types of smoke alarm technologies.

AFCI – Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters

October 6, 2021/0 Comments/in Electrical

by Nick Gromicko, CMI®, Kenton Shepard, and Joe Boos, CPI

Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) are particular types of electrical receptacles or overcurrent protection devices designed to detect and respond to potentially dangerous electrical arcs in home branch wiring.

AFCI, how do they work?

AFCI function by monitoring the electrical waveform and promptly opening (interrupting) the circuit they serve if they detect changes in the wave pattern characteristic of a dangerous arc. They also must be capable of distinguishing safe, typical arcs, such as those created when a switch is turned on or a plug is pulled from a receptacle from arcs that can cause fires. An AFCI can detect, recognize, and respond to very small changes in wave patterns.

What is an arc?

When an electric current crosses an air gap from an energized component to a grounded component, it produces a glowing plasma discharge known as an arc. For example, a lightning bolt is a huge, powerful arc that crosses an atmospheric gap from an electrically charged cloud to the ground or another cloud. Just as lightning can cause fires, arcs produced by domestic wiring can produce high levels of heat that can ignite their surroundings and lead to structure fires.

Where are arcs likely to form?

Arcs can form where wires are improperly installed or when insulation becomes damaged. In older homes, wire insulation crystallizes as it ages, becoming brittle and prone to cracking and chipping. Damaged insulation exposes the current-carrying wire to its surroundings, increasing the chances that an arc may occur. Situations in which arcs may be created:

Electrical cords damaged by vacuum cleaners or trapped beneath furniture or doors.
Damage to wire insulation from nails or screws driven through walls.
Appliance cords damaged by heat, natural aging, kinking, impact or over-extension.
Spillage of liquid.
Loose connections in outlets, switches, and light fixtures.

Where are AFCI devices required?

Ask a qualified electrician or the local authority which AFCI requirements apply to the home and the proposed work. Requirements depend on the adopted code, amendments and project scope. A general home inspection is not a comprehensive code-compliance certification.

What types of AFCI devices are available?

AFCIs are available both as circuit breakers for installation in the electrical distribution panel or as point-of-use receptacles installed in the wall just like a normal receptacle.
The protection provided depends on the device type and correct installation. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions and a qualified electrician rather than assuming every AFCI configuration has identical coverage.

AFCI Nuisance Tripping

Repeated tripping needs investigation by a qualified electrician. Do not assume a trip is harmless or bypass the protection to keep equipment running. Note which devices were operating and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for testing and reset procedures.

Arc Faults vs. Ground Faults, what’s the difference?

It is important to distinguish AFCI devices from Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) devices. GFCIs respond to an imbalance between outgoing and returning current that can indicate current flowing along an unintended path.

GFCIs reduce electric-shock risk, while AFCIs reduce the risk of fires associated with dangerous arcing. A neutral conductor is not the equipment grounding conductor. Neither device guarantees protection from every electrical hazard. Consult a qualified electrician about the correct device and installation for the circuit.

See the manufacturer-supported AFCI Safety explanation and CPSC’s AFCI guidance.

Does orientation identify a switched outlet?

Exposed plug blades remain a hazard

Horizontal mounting is not a safety guarantee

Grounding and GFCI protection are different

What an inspection can establish

Schneider Electric™ Recall: 1.4 Million Electrical Panels affected Due to Thermal Burn and Fire Hazards

Hazard:

Remedy:

Date:

Units:

Consumer Contact

Details

Description:

Recalled Electrical Panel U.S. and Canada Catalog /Part Numbers Beginning with:

Remedy:

Incidents/Injuries:

Sold At:

Manufacturer(s):

Manufactured In:

Recall number:

Our Inspections

All about bootleg grounds

What should they do?

Why can a bootleg ground fool a tester?

What do we do then?

What’s the bottom line?

So, Ionization vs Photoelectric, which smoke detector types are right for me? Is there really a difference?

Hate reading? Check out this 5-minute video demonstrating the different smoke detector types. It may just save your life!

Let’s take a deeper dive into the different smoke detector types.

• Ionization smoke alarms

• Photoelectric smoke alarms

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is aware that there is a controversy about smoke detector types and which is most appropriate to protect people in their homes.

The body of research reflects the following:

Based on this information, the USFA provides guidance to the public and to state and local legislative bodies. Either body may be grappling with the issue of determining which smoke detector types to select for residential use. Their guidance includes:

To wrap this up

Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) are particular types of electrical receptacles or overcurrent protection devices designed to detect and respond to potentially dangerous electrical arcs in home branch wiring.

AFCI, how do they work?

What is an arc?

Where are arcs likely to form?

Where are AFCI devices required?

What types of AFCI devices are available?

AFCI Nuisance Tripping

Arc Faults vs. Ground Faults, what’s the difference?

The Triangle’s Premiere Home Inspector

Contact Us

We’re Social

Quick Links

Find us on…

Locations