Lighting
CFL Bulbs
Compact florescent lighting, are not dimmable.
Kick/Step Lighting
Kick lighting/Step lighting are used to illuminate stairways or small storage areas.
Trim Lighting
Shower or closet trim lighting, has a protective cover for your safety.
Pendant Lighting
Pendant lights or coach lights may have multiple fixtures together when making updates to these it is recommended you use a professional.
Outlets
Bathroom GFI Outlet
Bathrooms are, by code, always a GFI protected outlet. LED light on outlet will help you identify if the circuit has been tripped. Overloading the 20AMP circuit can cause the GFI to trip.
Garage GFI Outlet
GFI outlets in a garage are required by code. LED indicator light identifies if power is live. These are not to be used for large power tools, refrigerators or freezers.
Outdoor Outlet
Outdoor outlets outdoors are required by code to be GFI protected.
Kitchen GFI Outlet
Per code, all outlets are GFI protected in the kitchen. These are marked for identification and have an LED light showing they are powered. These are limited to 20AMP circuits.
Tamper Resistant Outlet
Tamper resistant outlets are standard in new construction. This protects small children from being harmed should they attempt to stick something into the outlet.
Power-panels and breakers
Service Entrance Riser
Service entrance riser is installed by the builder’s secondary contractor, not the electrical contractor. If you see an issue with this coming lose, please contact the original home builder.
Service Breaker
Your service breaker is usually located on the garage-side. If you do open your panel you will see the different breakers. This video explains how to test your arc breakers and how to reset a tripped breaker. If you have a single-pole breaker this is also discussed in this video.
Detectors (Smoke and CO2)
Cleaning Your Detectors
Maintenance and testing instructions for Smoke and Carbon-monoxide Detectors. In dusty environments you may get a “false-alarm” because of dust build-up. Keeping the detector cleaned can help eliminate these. Since detectors are interconnected one will trigger the other so servicing all of them regularly is recommended.
Carbon Monoxide Detector
Carbon Monoxide Detectors and combination Smoke/CO Detectors require battery replacement as these expire over time. Simple to do, newer detectors using AAA batteries while some models will require 9V.
Smoke Detector LED's
LED indicators allow you to easily see that the house power is connected and if there is any issue with it’s functioning.
Switches
Ceiling Fan Pre-wire
If your home was pre-wired for a ceiling fan you’ll find 3 switches on the wall. This video explains what wires you’ll find to control the fan and the light kit.
Three-way switches
Wherever you have a long-hallway or staircase you will have switches that function differently.
Other
Garage Door Opener
Operating your garage door opener. A button requires you to hold the button down vs. a switch. These are set-up higher to protect young children from using the button to open the garage door and gain access to the outside without adult supervision.
Doorbell
Doorbell, door-chime button or “stucco-button” requires maintenance on occasion. The button can become stuck, do not use wd-40 or other lubricants, instead use a graphite solution. The small light-bulb can be replaced simply and is available at most hardware stores.
Photocell aka Dusk-to-dawn
Photocells, also known as dusk-to-dawn switches are becoming more popular in newer home construction. These do require regular cleaning for optimal performance. There is an override switch in the home that allows you to manually turn these off. If you experience your photocell lighting is not activating always double-check that this switch is set to on.
Kitchen Plug Molding
Plug molding can be installed for convenience outlets under the cabinets. If installed, they are still GFI so if tripped must be reset.
