When I was an electrical contractor, I specialized in high-end dwellings, medium-sized design-build commercial installations, and industrial facility maintenance and machinery. I had a small electrical service department of...
According to an August 2021 report from Pecan Street, a residential electricity research firm based in Austin, Texas, electric service panels in up to 48 million U.S. single-family homes will need to be upgraded to fully...
I recently had new air conditioner units and a new swimming pool circulation motor installed at my home. The installer asked if I wanted soft or hard start units installed on these motors for a nominal fee. Not knowing that I...
I received an email recently from a good friend requesting I write an article on knob-and-tube wiring. This request brought back memories of when I was an electrical contractor in the Phoenix area, licensed for 600V and lower...
When it comes to consumer preferences for electric or gas equipment and appliances in homes, there is no simple answer. However, electric tends to have an edge over gas. According to a report from the National Association of...
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...
