Summertime

 
 ECRA/ESA #7001377 
 

June 2012
  Just for fun...     AIR MILES Rewards Program   
First 3 people to respond with the right answers to the  2 questions below win 10 AIRMILES REWARD MILES
 
TRUE OR FALSE
1. Dust and pollen will not affect garden solar light recharging.
 
2. You can run power to your garden shed by using outdoor direct burial armoured cable and make sure it is 18" down in gardens and lawns, cloaked in gravel and warning tape. 
 
Send your answers to:
Bragging 
 Our apprentice, Scott Campbell, just got his marks back from his Spring trade school session:
Overall average?
93%
Well done Scott!

 Ever looked at a switch or receptacle and wondered if it was even legal to have it placed there? receptacle in ceiling

We often get questions about the rules surrounding receptacle and light switch placement. 

 This month learn about these fun facts and wow your friends.

 

Terry Carman 

The Shock Doctors

 Chief of Staff

 

Here is a great one we found where the receptacle is attached to the rafters!

If it had the proper coverplate, it would be fine. The placement is legal.

Receptacles and Switch Placement

 The Electrical Code does not specify the mounting height of receptacles and switches.

 

Common trade practice, however, is to mount receptacle boxes so the bottom is 16" above the floor.

 

Boxes for switches are placed 48 - 54" above the floor.

 

Trade practice is to put the bottom of the box approx 16" above the floor. This one is at 12".
48
Trade practice is to put the bottom of the box 48-54" above the floor

 

Caveats and Quid-pro-quo's

 A few conditions to artistic receptacle placement exist:

In the kitchen, you may NOT have a handy-dandy receptacle inside an appliance cupboard/garage because of appliance overheating.

If a receptacle is in the floor, it must be designed specifically for that purpose.

If a receptacle was installed after 2009, it must be tamperproof.

Electric-free Spans

In any room, no point of any usable wall space can be more than 6 feet from a receptacle as measured along the floor line of the wall- meaning the maximum span between receptacles is 12 feet. When building or renovating a large open room, we advise adding an occasional floor receptacle far in from the wall as well, so no open space is more than 12 feet from power.

Floor receptacles
Up? Down? Sideways???

Flipping your switch varies by country;

In North America it is usual- but not mandatory- for the toggle switch direction which represents "ON" to be up.

In many other countries such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, and in New Zealand "ON" is down.

In countries prone to earthquakes, such as Japan, most switches are positioned sideways to prevent the switch from inadvertently being turned on or off by falling objects.

If the switch is a three-way, anything goes. :)

If the switch has the words "ON" and "OFF" scribed on the device, the rule here in Canada is to install it so the words are upright.

 Do YOU have a question for the Doctor?

Stethoscope

 If you have a question about the health of your electrical system or just wondering about a little "plastic surgery", ask the doctor:

Just click below and send your question to terry@theshockdoctors.ca

  

This Month ONLY

 

For your outdoor projects:

We will rebate the HST on any outdoor

buried-cable work booked before June 30th.

Successful silent auction bidder for a panel mount surge suppressor at this year's Century 21 Gold Crown Ladies Golf Tournament in support of Easter Seals was Suzanne Knight.

 

The Shock Doctors were pleased to supply and install this for Suzanne ensuring that she has the first line of defense against electrical surges.

ECRA./ESA
ECRA of the ESA #7001377

 
Yours for artistic plug placement,
Cheri 

The Shock Doctors

 Cheri Professional