When a homeowner ASKs an electrical contractor to add extra circuits and receptacles to an existing home, does the 2020 National Electrical Code permit them to be added to bathrooms, kitchens and garages? Adding new circuits...
According to a May 2021 report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Washington, D.C., increases in the cost of building materials, combined with low inventory, have caused new home sales prices to jump 20%...
It doesn’t seem to matter what type of construction is being discussed—nonresidential or residential. Skyrocketing material prices are putting a damper on new construction. The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)...
I have noticed a disturbing trend over the past year. I feel a professional—and moral—responsibility to address what may be a dangerous installation of decorative backyard lighting. I totally understand that a person can...
Knob-and-tube wiring was used in buildings as a source of electrical energy from the 1880s. From the late 1930s–1950s, nonmetallic sheathed cable (type NM cable) and armored cable (type AC cable) were installed without an...
New and existing residences can benefit from the proper installation of outside lighting for security and adequate illumination. Although security is the primary requirement, the lighting must also be fashionable and...
According to a report from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), construction spending in December exhibited sharply varied trends, with downturns from one year earlier in every private category, mixed results...
Everyone is acquainted with toggle or rocker-style lighting switches, but many installers are not as familiar with the dimmers on the market now. Everyone should become knowledgeable with updates to the design and...
As residential customers expand their role in the energy field, as generators and consumers, their ability to maximize their own behavior also grows. Digital technology is helping homeowners manage their energy use, and the...
According to the latest Housing Opportunity Index, produced jointly by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Washington, D.C., and Wells Fargo, San Francisco, record-low mortgage rates were not enough to offset...
According to a new survey from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Washington, D.C., confidence in the market for new multifamily housing increased in the third quarter of 2020. The Multifamily Market Survey...
Technology has altered the way we generate and consume energy. Now, it is impacting the way we manage our energy use, and an entire market is emerging around this trend. A published report by Guidehouse Insights finds that...
A friend called me recently with some intriguing questions about some electrical work that he was having done at his newly purchased home. The home was built in the mid-to-late 1950s with some electrical work done in various...
Two recent press releases from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), one from August 17 and the other from August 18, see positive trends for homebuilding strength. “In a sign that housing continues to lead the...
My single-speed swimming pool pump motor, installed in 2004, finally quit working. I nursed it along for many years and probably should have replaced it a long time ago. However, I kept finding other ways to spend the money...
An electrical contractor emailed me a photo of a feed-through all-in-one 200A 120/240V, single-phase, eight-circuit panelboard with 200A main circuit breaker. It had an auxiliary 2-pole circuit breaker position where up to a...
The growth of renewable energy has enabled private homeowners to act as their own power providers independent of the grid. Virtual power plants are completing the role reversal by turning homeowners into a source of power for...
When I was an electrician, I tried to ensure the location and sequence of switches made sense, especially when there were several installed in one location. My goal was that homeowners could understand the installations and...
When I was doing fire and electrocution investigations, I received a phone call from an insurance company about a fire in a home the company insured. Upon arrival at the home, I discovered that the fire department had...
A few years ago, I received two phone calls regarding voltage gradients in swimming pools at existing homes in North Carolina. The pools had supposedly been installed using 680.26(A) and (B). This section of the Code was...
