ElectricalAdvice Orillia

Good Advice: re Hiring a Contractor

2010-03-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

http://goblueribbon.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-locate-and-hire-good-contractor.html

Here's good advice from a general contractor.

Electricity as a Hobby?

2010-01-11T07:08:00.000-08:00

Every day I see the results of people who are "handy" doing electrical work in their own home or for others. Loose wiring connections, undersized wires, oversized fuses are the result.

Why hire a qualified electrician?

While you are permitted in Ontario to do any work in your home, insurance companies may not cover damage resulting from your cost saving measures. Your brother-in-law may not be conversant on practices for residential work if he's trained as an industrial electrician or maintenance worker. Work must still be inspected by law, and inspection fees for homeowners are substantially higher than for registered contractors.

Many times material is wasted by hobbyists, who are not experienced in laying out circuits. Recessed light fixtures are often improperly installed.

Resale home value is very much affected. The home inspector can spot amateur wiring at the panel, and switches and receptacles at odd locations and heights are a give away that renovations were not done professionally, a definite red flag to home buyers.

Apprenticeship Ratios: Ontario's Trades Conundrum

2009-11-23T17:59:00.000-08:00

I've posted a couple times on my companion blog, Dave's Skilled Workers Blog, on the new Ontario College of Trades recently instituted by the McGinty government. One of the first issues to be tackled is the 3:1 ratio of journeymen to apprentices. In my day the ratio was 1:1, and with all the concern about boomers like myself retiring, there is no way to graduate new journeymen, considering the attrition rate between sign-up and completion, without dealing with the ratio. I don't know the history on why it was changed, and would be very interested in any assistance in finding out.

It's astonishing considering all the media coverage of "skilled worker shortages" that we're dealing with this at this time. The suggestion has been made that we should import tradesmen to fill the gap. No, let's get Ontario young people into apprenticeships!

This is definitely an issue the public needs to be aware of.

http://davesskilledworkersblogs.blogspot.com/

Looking for an Electrician in Orillia?

2009-11-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

Or maybe you are contemplating a electrical project and you would like some advice. If you live in the area of Orillia or Gravenhurst, Muskoka, then the specific information I'm providing may be helpful to you. Please scroll down through the posts, and if you find something of help, please let me know by email or comment below.

Dave Armishaw
davearmishaw@live.ca
Armishaw Electric
Licensed Electrical Contractor
7005628

Hooking up a Generator?

2009-11-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to ESA's page of instructions for generator connection;
http://www.esasafe.com/GeneralPublic/sgi_003.php?s=24

I'm amazed at how many people still think a generator can be connected to a home's electrical system during a power failure by simple backfeeding a dryer receptacle, for example. As ESA says, you must use a manual or automatic transfer switch for a permanent installation. In you are using a portable generator a manual transfer switch can be used or a dedicated generator panel where certain essential circuits are re-routed from the main service, and the feed from the generator (which can be made on the outside of the building)can be made safely.

Any other "temporary" connection has the potential to seriously injure a lineman and or damage other service equipment served by the same power lines. As always, it is best to hire a qualified contractor and have the work inspected by ESA.

Here's a couple more sites with good information on portable generator connection:
http://www.oru.com/energyandsafety/storms/portablegenerators.html
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/grounding_port_generator.pdf
http://www.generatorsolutions.ca/generlink/

Armishaw Electric
davearmishaw@live.ca

Electrical Contractor Licensing

2009-11-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

Who can do electrical installations?

Apart from doing electrical work in your own primary residence, in Ontario no one can perform any electrical work or have work inspected apart from a licensed electrical contractor. ESA, or the Electrical Safety Authority, is the body with the authority to set the rules governing all electrical installations. They have a very informative website that explains the reasoning behind regulating the trade.
http://www.esainspection.net/

Some small renovation contractors feel comfortable doing their own electrical installations, and at one time any licensed electrician could take out a permit. No any longer; ESA lists builders who have been taken to court for attempting electrical work without being qualified.

How do you become a contractor? First, you must serve an electrical apprenticeship and once licensed, keep your annual fees paid up. Then, you take a masters course for about a thousand dollars, and pay $60.00 annually to keep your masters active. Then pay in excess of a thousand dollars annually for liability insurance. Then you may apply for and meet the conditions of a contractors license, at about $400. annually in advance. Then, apart from personal injury insurance, WSIB, GST, Revenue Canada, Vehicle costs, etc, you are ready to start doing electrical installations.

I can not tell you if contractor licensing has had the desired effect of controlling the electrical trade, dealing with unqualified people doing electrical work. If the amount of material being sold by big box stores is any indication, the answer is no. Either way, my overhead as a contractor doubled and the costs must be passed on by me and every other legitimate contractor in Ontario. I do, though, strongly encourage using a reputable contractor. Your brother-in-law might very well be a handy person, but if he isn't a licensed contractor who has paid his dues and has an ESA/ECRA number in the format of 700****, he doesn't have the right to help you with your wiring.

Electrical Advice Orillia

2009-11-12T00:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Electrical Advice Orillia!

Here's a brand new blog where I can pass on to you the local homeowner the benefits of my 35 years in the trade. It won't be a DIY advice forum, but will aim at helping you plan your projects wisely, and decide on service upgrades, home re-wiring or new home projects. We'll also discuss choosing a contractor and the pros and cons of various choices you may be challenged with. I hope you find it informative and welcome yoou questions and comments.

Once you are ready to go ahead with you project, give me an email or a call. I'll be glad to discuss it with you.

Dave Armishaw
Armishaw Electric

Choosing an Electrician

2009-11-08T02:32:00.000-08:00

Electrical work, whether repairs or new installations doesn't come cheap. Certainly, for a homeowner it is important to be able to find an electrician who can come when needed, but also be trustworthy.

Most advice for dealing with any tradespeople for work beyond a service call insists on getting three written quotes with references, which in turn should be checked out before signing on the dotted line. I participate in an online forum for U.S. renovation contractors, and the discussion on this matter is exactly what I find here in Orillia.

In larger centers like Toronto, homeowners depend on the Yellow Pages, where three prices makes sense. Even in a similar sized community to Orillia, nearer to Toronto, I had good success in growing a contracting business by advertising. Although Orillia has long had city status, it behaves much more like a small town, I've learned in the twenty years I've done business here. I've advertised, with little result. Orillia, like any small community,operates on "word of mouth" and personal recommendations. This can be frustrating for people new to the community, but keeps costs down. For the contractor, pricing three or four jobs for every one you get is costly, it takes time to investigate a proposed project or pricing; it's time you aren't earning. Also, if you get a job through the recommendation of a long-time customer, you can be fairly sure you will be paid promptly.

Lastly, there is always the issue of availability. Established renovation contractors in Orillia get considerable repeat business,and can be booked ahead for many months. Electrical work is somewhat different, but it can still be a choice of waiting or planning ahead, or accepting whatever price or workmanship is available.

Recommendations are best. I've built a good reputation, as have many other electrical contractors here in town. A good contractor will explain what options you as a customer may have, make an effort to accommodate your schedule, work neatly and respectfully while in your home and try to complete the work in reasonable time.

Any more questions? Contact me at davearmishaw@live.ca and I'll try to help you out.

Service Upgrade?

2009-11-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

Should I upgrade the electrical service in my home?

That's a question that many are asking if they are considering or have recently purchased an older home. Also,insurance companies have been requiring new buyers of existing homes to upgrade if the home they are considering buying has a 60 amp service or has fuses rather than breakers installed in the panel.

When I upgrade a service, I take a very close look at the wiring in the area of the panel. If I can eliminate junction boxes and tidy up poor workmanship at the same time, I'll put in the extra effort to ensure the final result is not only safe and meets code but also passes an impression of being quality work.

In recent years, home inspectors are being used more often. Prospective homeowners depend on them to put a price tag on any repairs that they may encounter. Therefore, although the home inspector is not an electrician or permitted to remove a panel cover or open any device,they can take note of the general condition of wiring in the basement and any other area where wiring is exposed. Fuse panels, multiple added small panels and untidy wiring, and "knob and tube" wiring are flags that the system is in need of upgrading.

If a large electrical load such as a hot tub is being installed, an addition is being built, if there are no longer any spare circuits in the panel, if pony panels have ben added, it may well be time for an upgrade. I recently looked at a panel where the outside conduit had not been sealed, and over time moisture had entered the panel area and caused corrosion, and the wiring in the panel was very untidy, making it difficult to make sure all connections including grounding were tight. A reputable electrical contractor will advise you if a combination of these issues make an upgrade necessary. The majority of customers already have decided to upgrade as an investment, which it is, both in safety and for future resale purposes.

100 amp or 200 amp? In the average home with gas heat,100 amps is fine. If the load is increasing substantially and the panel is too small, changing to 200 amp may be warranted. Again, a good contractor can advise on each situation. In the city of Orillia, a charge is levied for upgrades to 200 amp, which is several hundred dollars. In Barrie, one disconnect/reconnect per year is allowed and no charge for upgrading at the time of writing.

Choose your contractor carefully. Some consider electrical upgrades to be a way to make a "fast buck" and the result looks like it. Taking the time to leave a tidy result both inside and outside, and clean up the panel area takes extra time but the result removes any doubt that the future buyer has about the home's wiring and is worth the investment.